University of Virginia Library

Wednesday June 18th. 1806

This morning we had considerble dificuelty in collecting
our horses they haveing Strageled of[f] to a considerable distance
in serch of food on the Sides of the mountains among the
thick timber, at 9 oClock we collected them all except 2 one
of Shields & one of Drewyers. we Set out leaving Shields
and LePage to collect the two lost horses and follow us. We
dispatched Drewyer and Shannon to the Chopunnish Indians
in the plains beyond the Kooskooske in order to hasten the
arrival of the Indians who promised to accompany us, or to
precure a guide at all events and rejoin us as soon as possible.
We sent by them a riffle which we offered as a reward to any
of them who would engage to conduct us to Clarks river at
the entrance of Travellers rest Creek; we also directed them
if they found difficuelty in induceing any of them to accompany
us to offer the reward of two other guns to be given
them immediately and ten horses at the falls of Missouri. we
had not proceeded far this morning before J. Potts cut his leg

very badly with one of the large knives; he cut one of the
large veins on the iner side of the leg; Colters horse fell
with him in passing hungary creek and himself and horse
were driven down the Creek a considerable distance roleing
over each other among the rocks. he fortunately escaped
with[out] much injurey or the loss of his gun. he lost his
blanket. at 1 P. M we returned to the glade on a branch
of hungary creek where we had dined on the 16th. instant.
here we again halted and dined. as there was some appearance
of deer about this place we left J. & R. Field with
directions to hunt this evening and tomorrow morning at this
place and join us in the evening in the Meadows on Collin's
Creek where we intended to remain tomorrow in order to rest
our horses and hunt. after dinner we proceeded on to the
near fork of Collins Creek and encamped in a pleasant situation
at the upper part of the Meadows about 2 miles above
our encampment of the 15th. inst. we sent out several hunters
but they returned without having killed any thing. they saw
a number of large fish in the creek and shot at them several
times without suckcess. we [ordered] Gibson and Colter to
fix each of themselves a gigg in the morning and indeaver to
take some of those fish. the hunters saw much fresh appearance
of Bear, but very little deer sign. we hope by the means
of the fish together with what deer and bear we can kill to be
enabled to subsist untill our guide arives without the necessaty
of returning to the quawmash flats. there is great abundance
of good food here to sustain our horses. we are in flattering
expectations of the arrival of two young chiefs who informed
us that they intended to accompany us to the U. States, and
Should Set out from their village in 9 nights after we left them
[or] on the 19th. inst. if they set out at that time Drewyer &
Shannon will meet them, and probably join us on the 20th. or
21st. Musquetors Troublesome.