Thursday 8h.. August 1805.
a clear cold morning. 4 hunters Sent out eairly to hunt.
we Set out at Sunrise, and proceeded on passed beautiful
Smooth prarie on each Side, but little timber only willows and
bushes currents &c. passed the left hand fork which empties
in at 2 places, but is not as large as the middle fork. Saw a
little Snow on the knobs & mountains at a Short distance
back from the [River.] this large & extensive valley which
looks verry pleasant. the Soil of these praries is much better
than below, for a long distance. we proceeded on passed a
fine Spring on L. S. one of the hunters brought us a deer
which he killed. Saw a nomber of geese & ducks on the
River. passed delightful prarie on each Side covred with high
grass thissels Small Sun flowers and a nomber of other kinds
of flowers &c. at noon R. Fields joined us had been hunting
for Shannon but had not found him. he had killed a deer &
a goat &c. one of the other hunters joined us had killed a
deer & a goat also the day warm & pleasant, in this valley,
which is 10 or 12 miles wide & all prarie. proceeded on
halled the canoes over Several Shole places. this little River
which we call Jeffersons River is only about 25 yards wide but
jenerally eight or 10 feet deep, and verry crooked. we passed
upwards of 60 points this day in comming [blank space in
MS.] miles and Camped in a thicket of bushes on the Lar
d.
Side. one more deer kill[ed].
