University of Virginia Library

[Clark, first draft:]

November 13th. Wednesday 1805.

Some intervales of fair weather last night, rain and wind
Continue this morning, as we are in a cove & the mountains
verry high & Pine species verry high & thick cannot deturmine
the procise course of the winds. I walked to the top of the
first part of the mountain with much fatigue as the distance
was about 3 miles thro' intolerable thickets of small Pine,
arrowwood a groth much resembling arrow wood with briers,
growing to 10 & 15 feet high interlocking with each other &
Furn, aded to this dificulty the hill was so steep that I was
obliged to drawing myself up in many places by the bowes, the
Countrey continues thick and hilley as far back a[s] I could
see. Some Elk sign, rained all day moderately. I am wet
&c. &c. The Haile which fell 2 night past, is yet to be seen
on the mountain on which I was to day. I saw a small red
Berry which grows on a stem of about 6 or 8 Inches from the
Ground, in bunches and in great quantity on the Mountains,
the taste insiped. I saw a number of verry large spruce Pine
one of which I measured 14 feet around and verry tall. My
princupal object in assdg. this mountain was to view the river

below, the weather being so cloudey & thick that I could not
see any distance down, discovered the wind high from the
N. W. and waves high at a short distance below (squar displeased
with me for not [blank space in MS.]. Wapto
a excellent root which is rosted and tastes like a potato I cue
my hare) our Encampment. despatched 3 men in a Indian
canoe (which is calculated to ride high swells) down to examine
if they can find the Bay at the mouth & good harbers below
for us to proceed in safty. The Tides at every flud come in
with great swells & Breake against the rocks & Drift trees
with great fury the rain continued all the evening nothing to
eate but Pounded fish which we have as a reserve see store,
and what Pore fish we can kill up the branch on which we are
encamped. our canoe and the three men did not return this
evening. if we were to have cold weather to accompany the
rain which we have had for 6 or 8 days passed we must eneviatebly
suffer verry much as Clothes are scerce with us

November 13th.. Wednesday 1805

Some intervales of fair weather last night, rain continue[d]
this morning. I walked up the Brook & assended the first
Spur of the mountain with much fatigue, the distance about
3 miles, through an intolerable thickets of Small pine, a groth
much resembling arrow wood on the Stem of which there is
thorns, this groth about 12 or 15 feet high interlockd. into
each other and scattered over the high fern & fallen timber,
added to this the hills were so steep that I was compelled to draw
my Self up by the assistance of those bushes. The Timber
on those hills are of the pine species large and tall maney of
them more than 200 feet high & from 8 to 10 feet through at
the Stump those hills &c. as far back as I could See, I saw
Some Elk Sign, on the Spur of the mountain tho' not fresh.
1 killed a Salmon trout on my return. The Hail which fell
2 nights past is yet to be Seen on the mountains; I Saw in
my ramble to day a red berry resembling Solomons Seal berry

which the nativs call Sol-me and use it to eate.[32] my principal
object in assending this mountain was to view the countrey
below, the rain continuing and weather proved So cloudy that
I could not See any distance. on my return we dispatched
3 men Colter, Willard and Shannon in the Indian canoe to get
around the point if possible and examine the river, and the
Bay below for a go[o]d harber for our canoes to lie in Safty &c.
The tide at every floot tide came in [with great swells brakeing
against the rocks and Drift trees] with great fury. The rain
continue all day. nothing to eate but pounded fish which we
Keep as a reserve and use in Situations of this kind.