University of Virginia Library

Friday 25th. July 1806.

We Set out at Sunrise and proceeded on very well for three
hours. Saw a large gange of Buffalow on the Lard. Bank. I
concluded to halt and kill a fat one, dureing which time some
brackfast was ordered to be cooked. we killed 2 Buffalow and
took as much of their flesh as I wished. Shields killed two
fat deer and after a delay of one hour and a half we again proceeded
on. and had not proceeded far before a heavy shower
of rain pored down upon us, and the wind blew hard from the
S W. the wind increased and the rain continued to fall. I
halted on the Stard. Side had some logs set up on [end] close
together and covered with deerskins to keep off the rain, and
a large fire made to dry ourselves. the rain continued moderately
untill near twelve oClock when it cleared away and
become fair. the wind contin[u]ed high untill 2 P M. I
proceeded on after the (rain) lay a little and at 4 P M arived
at a remarkable rock situated in an extensive bottom on the
Stard. Side of the river & 250 paces from it. this rock I ascended
and from it's top had a most extensive view in every
direction. This rock which I shall call Pompy's Tower is
200 feet high and 400 paces in secumpherance and only axcessable

on one Side which is from the N. E the other parts of it
being a perpendicular clift of lightish coloured gritty rock on
the top there is a tolerable soil of about 5 or 6 feet thick
covered with short grass. The Indians have made 2 piles of
stone on the top of this Tower. The nativs have ingraved on
the face of this rock the figures of animals &c. near which I
marked my name and the day of the month & year.[42] From
the top of this Tower I could discover two low Mountains &
the Rocky Mts. covered with Snow S W. one of them appeared
to be extencive and bore S.15°.E. about 40 Miles. the
other I take to be what the indians call the Little wolf Mtn. I
can only see the Southern extremity of it which bears N55°.W.
about 35 Miles.[43] The plains to the South rise from the distance
of about 6 Miles the width of the bottom gradually to
the mountains in that derection. a large creek with an extencive
Vally the direction of which is S.25°.E. meanders boutifully
through this plain. a range of high land covered with
pine appears to run in a N. & S. direction approaching the
river below. on the Northerly Side of the river high romantic
clifts approach & jut over the water for some distance both
above and below. a large Brook which at this time has some
running muddy water falls in to the Rochejhone imediately
opposit Pompys Tower. back from the river for some distance
on that Side the hills are ruged & some pine back the
plains are open and extensive. after Satisfying my self sufficiently
in this delightfull prospect of the extensive country
around, and the emence herds of Buffalow, Elk and wolves in
which it abounded, I decended and proceeded on a fiew miles,
saw a gang of about 40 Big horn animals fired at them and
killed 2 on the sides of the rocks which we did not get. I
directed the canoes to land, and I walked up through a crevis
in the rocks almost inaxcessiable and killed 2 of those animals
one a large doe and the other a yearlin Buck. I wished very
much to kill a large buck, had there been one with the gang I
should have killd. him. dureing the time the men were getting
the two big horns which I had killed to the river I employed
my self in getting pieces of the rib of a fish which was Semented
within the face of the rock this rib is (about 3) inches in Secumpherance
about the middle it is 3 feet in length tho a part
of the end appears to have been broken off (the fallen rock is
near the water—the face of the rock where rib is is perpendr.—
4is lengthwise, a little barb projects) I have several peces of this
rib the bone is neither decayed nor petrified but very rotten.
the part which I could not get out may be seen, it is about 6
or 7 Miles below Pompys Tower in the face of the Lard. Clift
about 20 feet above the water. after getting the big horn on
board &c. I proceeded on a Short Distance and encamped, an
earlyer [hour] than I intended on account of a heavy cloud
which was comeing up from the S.S.W. and some appearance
of a Violent wind. I walked out and killed a small Buck for
his skin which the party are in want of for clothes. about
Sunset the wind blew hard from the W. and some little rain.
I encamped on the Stard. Side imediately below the enterance
[of] Shannons River about 22 Yards wide, and at this time discharges
a great portion of water which is very Muddy. emence
herds of Buffalow about our [camp] as it is now running time
with those animals the bulls keep such a grunting nois which
is [a] very loud and disagreeable sound that we are compelled
to scear them away before we can sleep the men fire several
shot at them and scear them away.

Course distance and remarks July 25th. 1806

                                         

	Miles
N.20°.W. to the head of a large Island in the middle of the river, haveing passed an island	2.
East to a low clift on the Lard. Side passed a large Island .	2.
N.25°.E. passing under the Lard. Bluff. passed rock creek (small) on the Lard. Side but a small quantity of water	1 /12
N.45°.E to a high point of land on the Stard. Side, passed a large island at 1 mile and several small Islds. passed the enterance of a small river [Pryor's Creek] on Stard. Side	5.
N.20°. W. to a low Clift on the Lard. Side passed 3 islands	2.
N.25°. E. to the head of an Island in the Stard. Bend passed four islands	4.
N.15°.W. to a low black bluff on the Lard Side, haveing passed a large Brook on the Lard Side	3.
N.60°. E. to a Lard. point passing a Bluff on the Lard Side.	1.
N.45°. E. to a point of woodland on the Stard. Side opposite to a bluff bank which we passed under on the Lard Side passed a large brook at 1/4 of a mile, one at 5 and one at 7 and a small one at 8 1/2 Miles all on the Lard Side. passed 6 islands and several stoney bars	10.
N.65°. E. to a Stard Bend passing the head of an island at 2 Miles	3
North to a Larboard Bluff below the island	1.
N.70°. E. to a Bluff on the Lard Side which has Sliped into the river and filled up 1/3 of the river on the top a yellowish Gritty Stone of 20 feet thick	2 1/2
N.80°. E. to the point of a Bluff on the Lard. Side passed several stoney bars	3.
East to a rugid bluff latterly sliped into the river on the Lard Side opposit to the head of an island	2
South to the Lower point of an island on Stard. Side.	1.
N.62°. E. to the point of a Lard. Bluff passed the Island.	3.
East to Pompys Tower. 200 feet high, 400 paces around from the top of which the rocky mountains covered with snow can be seen S W. also two low mountains one S. 15. E. and the other N.55°. W this rock is situated 250 paces from the water on the Stard Side of the river, and opposit to a large Brook on the Lard Side I call baptiests Creek[44]	3.
N.66°. E. to high Clift point of rocks on the Lard. Side passed a point of the clift at 2 miles. and 2 stoney bars or islands .	5
S.60°. E. to the enterance of Shannon Creek[45] 22 yds wide on the Stard. Side passed the Lard. Clifts at 3 Miles passes Several Stoney bars	4
Miles.	58

(See a discription of the Country South in an appendix of the next book)[46]