July 26th. Friday 1805
I deturmined to leave Shabono & one man who had Sore
feet to rest & proceed on with the other two to the top of a
mountain 12 miles distant west and from thence view the river
& vallies a head, we with great dificuelty & much fatigue
reached the top at 11 oClock from the top of this mountain
I could see the Course of the North fork about 10 miles
meandering through a Vallie but could discover no Indians of
sign which was fresh. I could also See Some distance up the
Small River below, and also the Middle fork. after Satisfying
my Self returned to the two me[n] by an old Indian parth,
on this parth & in the Mountain we came to a Spring of excessive
cold water, which we drank reather freely of as we were
almost famished; not with Standing the precautions of wetting
my face, hands, & feet, I soon felt the effects of the water.
We Contin
d thro a Deep Vallie without a Tree to Shade us
scorching with heat to the men who had killed a pore Deer,
I was fatigued my feet with Several blisters & Stuck with
prickley pears. I eate but verry little deturmined to cross to
the Middle fork and examine that. we crossed the Missouri
which was divided by a verry large Island the first Part was
knee deep the other waste deep & very rapid, I felt my Self
verry unwell & took up Camp on the little river 3 miles above
its mouth & near the place it falls into the bottom a fiew
Drops of rain this evening.
We killed 2 bear which was imediately in our way. both
pore emence number of Beaver and orter in this little river
which forks in the bottom
