University of Virginia Library

Tuesday 15th July 1806

We collected our horses and after an early brackft. at 8 A M
set out and proceeded up the branch to the head thence over
a low gap in the mountain thence across the heads of the N E.
branch of the (i. e., the Easterly) fork of Gallitins river which
we camped near last night passing over a low dividing ridge to
the head of a water course which runs into the Rochejhone,
prosueing an old buffalow road which enlargenes by one which
joins it from the most Easterly (Northerly) branch of the East
fork of Galetine R. proceeding down the branch a little to the N.
of East keeping on the North Side of the branch to the River
rochejhone at which place I arrived at 2 P M.[19] The distance
from the three forks of the Easterly fork of Galletines river
(from whence it may be navigated down with small canoes) to
the river Rochejhone is 18 Miles on an excellent high dry
firm road with very inco[nsi]derable hills. from this river to
the nearest part of the main fork of Gallitine is 29 miles
mostly through a leavel plain, from the head of the Missouri
at the 3 forks 48 miles through a leavel plain the most of the
way as may be seen by the remarks.[20]

Course Distance & Remarks from the Three forks of Missouri to
the River Rochejhone where it enters the Rocky Mounts.

• S. 85°. E. 6 Miles through an open plain crossing a ridge to galletines
  river, it haveing made a bend to the S W. campd.
  the hill sides over which we passed contain a hard
  white rock which lies in an inclined position and
  

  ---

  263

  
  
  
  shows only in stratus. several roads leading to a
  Gap in the mountain to my left.

• S. 78°. E. 6 Miles to a part of the river which is divided by numbers
  of beaver dams on one channel of the river.
  passed through an open leavel butifull plain
  covered with low grass. river makeing a bend
  to the N.E. from the place I crossed it this
  morning. passed numbers of buffalow roads
  which do not appear to be very old leading to
  the before mentioned gap.

• S. 70°. E. 6 Miles to a plain East of the river haveing crossed several
  streams & the river. (passed out of my direction
  in the first part of this course an intolerable rout
  caused by Beaver daming the stream a muddy wet
  rout) and come into the course about one mile
  from the commencement & then passed through
  a low leavel firm plain to the river and cross it
  into a low plain.[21]

• S. 78°. E. 12 Miles to the most southerly of the three easterly branches
  of the Easterly fork of Galletines river. passed
  through an open leavel plain in which there is
  three small streams of water from the snow
  Mountains to the South. Great quantities of
  snow yet remains on the Mountains to the S.ESouth.
  S W. West, and at a distance to the
  N W. a very small quantity is also to be seen
  on a nacked mountain to the East marked my
  [name] W. C July 14th. 1806. with powder on
  a cotton tree at the river.

• N. 80°. E. 3 Miles to the enterance of a small branch which falls into
  the Middle branch of the East fork of Galletine
  River having crossed the middle branch at 2
  Miles, passed great numbers of beaver dams
  and ponds on the branch, and encamped. here
  the mountain forms a kind of half circle in which
  the three branches enter them. from which the
  mountains appear to run N W. from one extremity
  and W. from the other

• N. 45°. E. 3 Miles to the top of the mountain in a low gap passing up
  

  ---

  264

  
  
  
  the branch on which we encamped last night, on
  a well beaten buffalow road, through some thick
  under growth such as young cottonwood & thorn.
  Several beaver dams across this branch. the assent
  gradual.

• East. 3 Miles to the top of the dividing ridge between the waters
  of the Missouri from those of the river Rochejhone.
  passing down a small branch and at 2 1/2
  miles crossing a larger branch of the middle fork
  of the East fork of Galletins about 1/2 a Mile
  above the branch I came down, running to the
  right. a road coms in from the left, which passes
  through a low gap of the mtn. from the most
  easterly branch of the East fork.

• S. 45°. E. 1 Mile down a small branch crossed two runs from the left
  passing on the hill Side to the left of the branch.
  the road firm and through an open country. high
  mountains on each side partially covered with
  pine.

• N. 75°. E. 8 Miles to the River Rochejhone passing down on the
  Northerly side of the same branch across which
  there is several beaver dams. crossed three small
  streams from the left with running water one of
  which is crouded with beaver dams. a small
  stream coms in on the right at 6 Ms. struck the
  Rochejhone 1/2 a mile below the branch we came
  down & 1 1/2 Ms. below where it passes out of the
  Rocky Mountains. river 120 Yds wide bold,
  rapid and deep.

• Ms 48

in the evening after the usial delay of 3 hours to give the
horses time to feed and rest and allowing ourselves time also
to cook and eate Dinner, I proceeded on down the river on an
old buffalow road at the distance of 9 miles below the Mountains
Shield River[22] discharges itself into the Rochejhone on
it's N W. side above a high rocky Clift, this river is 35 yards
wide deep and affords a great quantity of water it heads in
those snowey Mountains to the N W with Howards Creek,[23] it

contains some Timber such as cotton & willow in it's bottoms,
and Great numbers of beaver the river also abounds in those
animals as far as I have seen. passed the creek and over a
high rocky hill and encamped in the upper part of a large
bottom. The horses feet are very sore many of them can
scercely proceed on over the Stone and gravel in every other
respect they are Sound and in good Sperits. I saw two black
bear on the side of the mountains this morning. Several gangs
of Elk from 100 to 200 in a gangue on the river, great numbers
of Antelopes, one Elk only killed to day.

The Roche passes out of a high rugid mountain covered
with snow. the bottoms are narrow within the mountains but
wider [from ½ a M. to 2 Ms.] in the Vally below, those bottoms
are subject to over flow, they contain some tall Cotton
wood, and willow rose bushes & rushes Honey suckle &c.
a Second bottom on the N E. side which rises to about 20
feet higher [than] the first [& is 1 M. wide] this bottom is
coars gravel pebils & sand with some earth on which the grass
grow very Short and at this time is quit[e] dry this 2d. bottom
over flows in high floods. on the opposit Side of the river the
plain is much higher and extendes quite to the foot of the
Mountain.[24] The Mountains to the S.S.E on the East side
of the river is rocky rugid and on them are great quantities of
Snow. a bold [snow] mountain which bears East & is imediately
at & N W of the 3 forks of the East fork of Gallitins
river may be seen, there is also a high rugid Mtn. on which is
snow bearing North 15 or 20 miles.[25] but fiew flowers to be
seen in those plains. low grass in the high plains, and the
common corse grass, rushes and a species of rye is the growth
of the low bottoms. the Mountains have some scattering pine
on them, and on the spurs and hill sides there is some scrubby
pine. I can See no timber Sufficient[ly] large for a Canoe
which will carry more than 3 men and such a one would be
too small to answer my purpose.