July 17th.. Wednesday 1805.
Capt. Lewis & 2 men Stayed out all night who went up the
river yesty. a clear morning. we Set out at Sunrise and proceeded
on. about 4 miles came to a hard rapid, ½ a mile
where the mountains make close to the river on each Side.
Capt. Lewis joined us. by the assistance of the towing line and
double manning the canoes we took them all up Safe. passed
a large Spring which run from under the Mountain on S. S.
proceeded on passed verry high Steep rocks & pricipices. these
rocky Mountains are broken & verry uneven & appear to be
nearly a Solid rock. Some parts of them thinly covered with
P.[itch] pine and balsom fer timber &c. Some of these knobs
we allow to be 700 feet high and a Solid rock. Mountain Sheep
on the top of them though they are allmost perpenticular. fine
Springs in these mountains, but a desert part of the Country.
narrow bottoms on the points. Some willow and high grass
with a wide leaf. the current verry rapid, and river crooked,
and only about 100 yards wide. we Came 11 miles this day
and Camped on the N. Side in a bottom a little cotton timber
on it. the musquetoes troublesome. we got pleanty of yallow
currents this day.
