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July 7th 1806.

Set out at 7 A. M.

 
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N. 75 E.  6 M.  with the road through a level beatifull
plain on the North side of the river
much timber in the bottoms hills also
timbered with pitch pine. no long
leafed pine since we left the praties of
the knobs. crossed a branch of the
creek 8 yds. wid on which we encamped
at 1/4 M. also passed a creek 15 yds.
wide at 1/4 further. 
North  6 Ms.  passed the main creek at a mile [and] 1/2 and
kept up it on the wrighthand side through
handsom plain bottoms to the foot of a
ridge which we ascended the main stream
boar N. W. & W. as far as I could see
it a wright hand fork falls into this
creek at 1 M. above the commencement
of this course. 
N. 15. E.  8. M.  over two ridges and again striking the
wrighthand fork at 4 Ms. then continued
up it on the left hand side much appearance
of beaver many dams. bottoms
not wide and covered with low willow and
grass. halted to dine at a large beaver
dam the hunters killed 3 deer and a
fawn. deer are remarkably plenty and
in good order. Reubin Fields wounded
a moos deer this morning near our
camp. my dog much worried. [by the
moose.—Ed.] 
N. 10 E.  3 M.  up the same creek. on the east side through
a handsome narrow plain. 
N. 45. E.  2 M.  passing the dividing ridge[11] betwen the
waters of the Columbia and Missouri
rivers at 1/4 of a mile, from this gap
which is low and an easy ascent on the
W. side the fort mountain bears North
East, and appears to be distant about 20
Miles.[12] the road for one and 3/4 miles 
decends the hill and continues down a
branch. 
N. 20 W.  7 Ms.  over several hills and hollows along the
foot of the mountain hights passing five
small rivulets running to the wright.[13]
saw some sighn of buffaloe early this
morning in the valley where we encamped
last evening from which it appears
that the buffaloe do sometimes
penetrate these mountains a few miles.
we saw no buffaloe this evening. but
much old appearance of dung, tracks &c.
encamped on a small run under the foot
of the mountain, after we encamped
Drewyer killed two beaver and shot a
third which bit his knee very badly and
escaped 
32 

 
[11]

Lewis crossed the divide by the gap now known as Lewis and Clark's Pass; it
is on the boundary line between Deer Lodge and Lewis and Clarke counties, about
45 miles (in a direct line) N. N. W. from Helena. From the headwaters of Big
Blackfoot River, Lewis passed to those of Sun (Medicine) River, by which he soon
reached the Missouri—to which river he thus followed the easiest and most direct
route from the head of the Clearwater. Cf. accounts of this pass and its approaches
from either side, as given by Gass (pp. 342, 343), and by Stevens (Explor. for R.R. to
Pacific, xii, pp. 213–215); and see Clark's description, post, in scientific data, vol.
vi of the present work.—Ed.

[12]

Fort Mountain is south of Fort Shaw, identified as Square Butte, always visible
from Lewis and Clark Pass. For the explorer's first sight of this landmark, see vol.
iii, pp. 228–231, ante.—Ed.

[13]

The "rivulets running to the wright" were affluents of Dearborn River—the
nearest route to the Missouri. Lewis, however, struck north for the upper waters of
the Medicine or Sun River, in order to secure buffalo skins for the expedition.—Ed.

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