University of Virginia Library

[Clark:]

Munday 16th. June 1806

Collected our horses early and Set out 7 AM proceeded
on up the Creek through a gladey swompy bottom covered
with grass and quawmash crossed the creek to the East and
proceeded on through most intolerable bad fallen timber over
a high Mountain on which great quantity of Snow is yet lying
premisquissly through the thick wood, and in maney places
the banks of snow is 4 feet deep. we no[o]ned it or dined
on a small creek in a small open Vally where we found some
grass for our horses to eate, altho' serounded by snow no
other convenient situation short of the glades on Hungery
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 bursted his rifle near the
Muzzle. Vegitation is propotionable backward; the dogtooth
Violet is just in blume, the honeysuckle, huckleberry and a small
Species of white maple are beginning to put forth their leaves,
where they are clear of the Snow, those appearances in this
comparratively low region augers but unfavourably with respect
to the practibility of passing the Mountains, however we
deturmine to proceed, accordingly after takeing a hasty meal
we set out and continued our rout through a thick wood much
obstructed with fallen timber, and interupted by maney Steep
reveins and hills which wer very high. the Snow has increased
in quantity so much that the great part of our rout this evening
was over the Snow which has become sufficiently firm
to bear our horses, otherwise it would have been impossible
for us to proceed as it lay in emince masses in some places 8
or ten feet deep. We found much dificulty in finding the
road, as it was so frequently covered with snow. we arived
early in the evening at the place I had killed and left the flesh
of a horse for the party in my rear last Septt. here is a Small
glade in which there is some grass, not a Sufficency of [for]
our horses, but we thought it adviseable to remain here all
night as we apprehended if we proceeded further we should
find less grass. The air is pleasant in the course of the day,
but becomes very cold before morning notwithstanding the
shortness of the night. Hungary 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 t[p]itch pine, white
pine some Larch and firs consists the timber, the long leafed
pine extends but a short distance on the Mts. Capt L. killed
a small brown pheasant today, it feeds on the tender leaves and
buds of the fir and pitch pine. in the forepart of the day I
observed the Cullumbine the blue bells and the Yellow flowering
pea in blume. there is an abundance of a Species of
anjelico in the mountains much stronger to the taiste, and more
highly scented than that Species common to the U'. States. I
know of no particular virtue or property it possesses. the
nativs dry it cut it in small pieces which they string on a small
cord and place about the necks; it smells pleasently. we
Come 15 Ms. to day.