[Lewis:]
Monday June 16th. 1806.
We collected our horses very readily this morning, took
breakfast and set out at 6 A. M.; proceeded up the creek
about 2 miles through some handsom meadows of fine grass
abounding with quawmash, here we passed the creek & ascended
a ridge which led us to the N. E. about seven miles
when we arrived at a small branch of hungry creek. the
difficulty we met with from the fallen timber detained us
untill 11 OC before we reached this place. here is a handsome
little glade in which we found some grass for our horses
we therefore halted to let them graize and took dinner knowing
that there was no other convenient situation for that purpose
short of the glaids on hungry creek where we intended
to encamp, as the last probable place, at which we shall find
a sufficient quantity of grass for many days. this morning
Windsor busted his rifle near the muzzle. before we reached
this little branch on which we dined we saw in the hollows and
N. hillsides large qua [n] titles of snow yet undesolved; in
some places it was from two to three feet deep. vegetation
is proportionably backward; the dogtooth violet is just in
blume, the honeysuckle, huck[le]burry and a small speceis of
white maple are begining to put fourth their leaves;[14]
these
appearances in this comparatively low region augers but unfavourably
with rispect to the practibility of passing the
mountains, however we determined to proceed, accordingly
after taking a haisty meal we set out and continued our rout
through a thick wood much obstructed with fallen timber,
and intersepted by many steep ravines and high hills. the
snow has increased in quantity so much that the greater part
of our rout this evening was over the snow which has become
sufficiently firm to bear our horshes, otherwise it would have
been impossible for us to proceed as it lay in immence masses
in some places 8 or ten feet deep, we found much difficulty
in pursuing the road as it was so frequently covered with snow.
we arrived early in the evening at the place
[15]
that Capt. C. had
killed and left the flesh of a horse for us last September. here
is a small glade in which there was some grass, not a sufficiency
for our horses but we thought it most advisable to remain here
all night as we apprehended if we proceeded further we should
find less grass. the air is pleasent in the course of the day
but becomes very cold before morning notwithstanding the
shortness of the nights. Hungry creek is but small at this
place but is deep and runs a perfect torrent; the water is perfectly
transparent and as cold as ice. the pitch pine. white
pine some larch and firs consti[tu]te the timber; the long leafed
pine extends a little distance on this side of the main branch
of Coilins's creek, and the white cedar not further than the
branch of hungry creek on which we dined. I killed a small
brown pheasant today, it feeds on the tender leaves and buds
of the fir and pitch pine, in the fore part of the day I observed
the Cullumbine the blue bells and the yelow flowering
pea in blume. there is an abundance of a speceis of anjelico
in these mountains, much st[r]onger to the taist and more
highly scented than that speceis common to the U'States. I
know of no particular virtue or property it possesses; the
natives dry it cut it in small peices which they string on a
small cord and place about their necks; it smells very pleasantly.
[16]
we came 15 miles today.
