Friday June 20th. 1806
The hunters turned out early in different directions, our
guiggers also turned out with 2 guigs a Bayonet fixed on a
pole, a Scooping nett and a Snar made of horse [hair]. near
the ford of the Creek in a deep hole we killed six Salmon
trout & 2 others were killed in the Creek above in the evening.
Reubin Field killed a redish brown bear which was very
meagure. the tallons of this bear was remarkably short broad
at their base and Sharply pointed, this was the Species the
Chopunnish call Yah-kar. as it was in very low order the
flesh was indifferent. Labiesh & Crusat returned late in
the evening with one deer which the former had killed. the
hunters assured us that their greatest exertions would not
enable them to support us here more than one or two days
longer, from the great scercity of game and the dificuelt access
of the Country, the under brush being very thick and great
quantities of fallen timber. as we shall necessarily be compelled
to remain more than two days for the return of Drewyer
& Shannon we determine to return in the morning as far as
the quawmash flatts, and endeaver to lay in another stock of
meat for the Mountains, our former stock now being nearly
exhosted as well as what we have killed on our rout. by
returning to the quawmash flatts we shall sooner be informed
wheather or not we can procure a guide to conduct us through
the Mountains; Should we fail in precureing one, we are
deturmined to wrisk a passage on the following plan immediately,
because should we wait much longer, or untill the Snow
disolves in such manner as to enable us to follow the road we
cannot expect to reach the U, States this Winter; this is that
Capt. L. or myself shall take four of our most expert woodsmen
with 3 or four of our best horses and proceed two days
in advance takeing a plentifull supply of provisions. for this
party to follow the road by the mark the indi[a]ns have made
in many places with their baggage on the Sides of the trees by
rubbing against them, and to blaize the trees with a tomahawk
as they proceed. that after proceeding two days in advance
of Hungary Creek, two of those men would be sent back to
the party who by the time of their return to hungary Creek
would have reached that place. the men So returning would
be enabled to inform the main party of the probable suckcess
of the proceeding party in finding the road and of their probable
progress, in order that should it be necessary, the main
party by a delay of a day or two a[t] hungary Creek should
give the advance time to make the road through before the
main party could overtake them, and thus prevent delay on
that part of the rout where no food is to be obtained for our
horses. Should it so happen that the advance should not find
the road by the marks of the trees after attempting it for two
days, the whole of them would return to the main party. in
which Case we would bring back our baggage and attempt a
passage over the Mountains through the Country of the Shoshones
further to the South, by way of the main S Westerly
fork of Lewis's river and Madisons or Gallitins river's, where
from the information of the Chopunnish, there is a passage
where [which] at this season of the year is not obstructed by
snow, though the round is very distant and would require at
least a month in it's preformance. The Shoshones informed
us when we first met with them that there was a passage across
the Mountains in that quarter but represented the difficuelties
arriseing from Steep ruggid high Mountains, and also an extensive
and barren plain which was to be passed without game,
as infinitely more difficuelt than the rout by which we came.
from the circumstance of the Chopunnish being at
War with
that part of the Shoshones who inhabit the country on this
side of the Mountains through which the road passes, I think
it is highly probable they cannot be well informed with respect
to the road, and further, had there been a better road in that
quarter the Shoshones on the East fork of Lewis's river who
knew them boath would not have recommend'd that by which
we came to this country. The travelling in the Mountains on
the Snow at present is very good, the Snow bears the horses
perfectly; it is a firm coa[r]se Snow without a crust, and the
horses have good foot hold without slipping much; the only
dificuelty is finding the road, and I think the plan we have
devised will suckceed even should we not be enabled to obtain
a guide, altho the Snow may be stated on an average at 10
feet deep, yet arround the body of the trees it has disolved
much more than in other parts, not being generally more than
one or two feet deep imediately at the roots of the trees, and
of course the marks made by the rubbing of the Indian baggage
against them is not concealed. The reason why the Snow is
comparitively so shallow about the roots of the trees, I prosume
proceeds as well from the Snow in falling being thrown off
from their bodies by the thick and spreading branches, as from
the reflection of the sun against the trees and the warmth
which they in some measure acquire from the earth which is
never frozen underneath those masses of snow. 4 of our
horses are absent.
