Original journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806 printed from the original manuscripts in the library of the American Philosophical Society and by direction of its committee on historical documents |
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 | Chapter XXIX Original journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806 |  |
Monday June 30th. 1806
We dispatched Drewyer & Jo. Field early this morning a
head to hunt. just as we had prepard. to set out at an early
hour, a deer came in to lick at the Springs and one of our
hunters killed it; this secured to us our dinner. and we proceeded
down the Creek, sometimes in the bottoms and at other
times on the tops or along the Steep sides of the ridge to the
N. of the Creek. at 1½ M. we passd our encampment of the
12th. of Septr. last. we noon'd it at the place we had on the 12
of Septr. last whiles here Shields killed a deer on the N. fork
near the road. here a rode leads up the N. fork and passed
over to an extensive vally on Clarks river at some distance
down that river as our guids inform us. after dinner we resumed
our march. soon after setting out Shields killed another
deer, and we picked up 3 others which G Drewyer had killed
along the road. Deer are very abundant in the neighbourhood
of travellers rest of boath Species, also some big horn and Elk.
a little before Sunset we arrived at our old encampment on the
S. side of the Creek a litle above its enterance into Clarks
river. here we Encamped with a view to remain 2 days in
order to rest ourselves and horses and make our final arrangements
for Seperation. we found no signs of the Oatlashshots
haveing been here lately. the Indians express much concern
have destroyed them in the course of the last Winter and
Spring, and mention the tracts of the bearfooted indians which
we saw yesterday as an evidence of their being much distressed.
our horses have stood the journey suprisinly well and only
want a flew days rest to restore them.[35]
In the weather diary for this date (Codex M, p. 150), Clark entered the following
general description of the route over the mountains:
"Decended the mountain to Travellers rest leaveing these tremendious mountains
behind us, in passing of which we have experienced cold and hunger of which I shall
ever remember. in passing over this part of the Rocky mountains from Clarks river,
to the Quawmash flats from the 14th. to the 19th. of Septr. 1805 we marched through
Snow, which fell on us the night of the 14th. and nearly all the day of the 15 in addition
to the old [and] rendered the air cool and the way dificuelt. our food was horses
of which we eate three. on our return we Set out from the quawmash flats on the
15th. of June and commen [c]ed the assent of the rocky mountains; the air became cool
and vegetation backward. on the 16th. we met with banks of Snow and in the hollars
and maney of the hill Sides the Snow was from 3 to 4 feet deep, and Scercely any grass
Vegetation just commencing where the Snow had melted. on the 17th. at meridian, the
Snow became So deep in every derection from 6 to 8 feet deep we could not prosue
the road, there being no grass for our horses we were obliged to return to the quawmash
flatts to precure meat to live on as well as grass for our horses leaveing our baggage
on the Mountains.
"We precured 5 Indians as pilots and on the 24th. of June 1806 we again under took.
those Snowey regs. on the 26th. we with our baggage arived at an open place serounded
with Snow where there was grass for horses on the 27th. & 28th. also passing over Snow
6 or 9 feet deep all the way, on 29th. passed over but little Snow, but saw great masses
of it lying in different directions."—Ed.
| Chapter XXIX Original journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806 | |