University of Virginia Library

Wednesday 16th.. July 1806

I gave Labeech permission to proceed on early this morning
a head and kill a fat Elk or Buffalow. our horses haveing
rambled to a long distance down the river detained us much
later than common. we did not set out untill 9 A M. we
had not proceeded on far before I saw a buffalow & sent Shannon
to kill it this buffalow provd. to be a very fat Bull I
had most of the flesh brought on an[d] a part of the Skin to
make mockersons (remarkable sort of bag round foot) for Some
of our lame horses. proceeded on down the river without
finding any trees sufficiently large for a Canoe about 10 Miles
and halted having passed over to an Island on which there
was good food for our horses to let them graze & Dine. I
have not seen Labeech as yet. Saw a large gangue of about
200 Elk and nearly as many Antilope also two white or Grey
Bear in the plains, one of them I chased on horse back about
2 Miles to the rugid part of the plain where I was compelled
to give up the chase two of the horses was so lame owing to
their feet being worn quit[e] Smooth and to the quick, the hind
feet was much the worst I had Mockersons made of green
Buffalow Skin and put on their feet which seams to releve
them very much in passing over the stoney plains. after dinner
I proceeded on soon after I had set out Labeech joined
us with part of a fat Elk which he had killed. I passed over
a stoney point at which place the river runs close to the high
land on the N W. side crossed a small Creek and Encamped
on the river a little below its' Enterance. Saw emence heards
of Elk feeding on the opposit side of the river. I saw a great
number of young gees in the river. one of the men brought
me a fish of a species I am unacquainted [with]; it was 8
inches long formed like a trout. it's mouth was placed like
that of the Sturgeon a red streak passed down each side from
the gills to the tail.[26] The rocks which the high lands are faced
with and which may also be seen in perpendicular Straters in
the high plains, is a dark freestone. the greater part of this
rock is of an excellent grit for Grindstones hard and sharp. I

observe the Silkgrass sunflower & Wild indigo all in blume.
but fiew other flowers are to be seen in those plains. The
river and Creek bottoms abound in Cotton wood trees, tho'
none of them sufficiently large for canoes. and the current of
the Rochejhone is too rapid (& [we are] not willing) to depend
on skinn canoes (which are not so easy managed & we did not
know the river) no other alternetive for me but to proceed on
down untill I can find a tree Sufficiently large &c. to make a
canoe.

Courses Computed distance by Land and water Down the River Rochejhone
from the Rocky Mountain in Latd. 45°–22′–30″ North and
Longd. [blank space in MS.] W. July 15 & 16th. 1806.

                             

			Miles by Watr.
North	2	Miles on a direct course from the gap of the mountain to a fiew cotton trees under the bank and on the West or Larboard Side of the river & on a Small Chanel. I marked my name withe red paint and the day of the month & year also the distance & course of the portage on one of the Cotton trees. wide bottom on the Lard. Side, the high Slopeing Prarie on the Stard Side	3 1/2
North	1	Mile to a cluster of trees in a Gully. passed some tall timber laterly killed by fire in the low bottom the high bottom appear to have been over flown	2 1/2
N. 15°. E.	4	Miles to a deep bend of the river to the West passed two Small runs and a large Island on which I Saw Some trees nearly large enough for small canoes. main chanel on the East of the island. passed 11 Islands in this Course, the two lower of them large the others small	7
N. 30°. E.	2	Miles to the enterance of Shield River of 35 Yds. wide deep & a boald current with a great perpotion of timber on its borders. this river is from the N W. much beaver sign, a high rugid rocky hill buts the river imediately below a 268 very good buffalow road passing from the head of this river through a gap of the Mts. to the Missouri	3
N. 50°. E. [camp July 15]	3	Miles passing a high rocky hill on the Lard Side, to the enterance of a Small Creek on the Lard. Side passd. several small islands. an extensive low bottom on the Stard. Side in which there is great Nos. of Elk feeding	5
N. 80°. E. [July 16th]	9	Miles to a Bluff in a Stard. bend. the general course of the river very Streight passing Several islands, Most of them Covered with Cotton trees and willow. passed Stinking Cabin Creek 20 yards wide bold current from the South which falls in on the Stard Side. Timber up this Cree[k] as far as I could see	11
N. 10°. W.	1	Mile on the Course to a bend on the Stard Side	1
N. 50°. E.	1 1/2	Miles to a Clift of rocks in a bend to the Stard. side passing some small Islands	2
N. 10°. E.	2 1/2	Miles on the course to a Stard Bend opsd. a large island. main chanel on the Stard. side	4.
N. 46°. E.	4 1/2	Miles on the course to a Lard Bend of the river at which place there is some rocks in the middle of the river near a low Clift of rocks on the Lard. Side passing a branch at 2 Miles, and one on the Stard. side at 3 Miles, river having a Genl. bend to the S.E.	7
N. 60°. E.	4	Miles on the course to some high trees in a Std. bend. passing under a low bluff on the Lard side for 2 Ms. the high lands on the opposit side seperated from the river by a narrow low bottom passed several small islands	6 1/2
North	2 1/2	Miles on the Course to a low bluff in a Lard. bend below a great crossing place of the buffalow. passed two Brooks on the Lard. side. an extensive low bottom on the Stard. side in which I saw great numbers of Elk feeding	4
N. 40°. E.	1	Mile on the Course to the enterance of a small creek on the Lard. Side below which I encamped below a small Island in a small bottom in which there was good grass	1 1/2
Miles	38	by land    Miles by water	58