Saturday 3rd. May 1806.
This morning we set out at 7 A. M. steared N. 25°. E 12
m. to Kimooenimm Creek through a high leavel plain. this
Creek is 12 yds. wide pebbly bottom low banks and discharges
a considerable quanty of water it heads in the S W. Mountains
and discharges it self into Lewis's river a fiew miles above
the narrows. the bottoms of this creek is narrow with some
timber principally cotton wood & willow. the under brash
such as mentioned in the N E. creek. The hills are high and
abrupt. the lands of the plains is much more furtile than
below, less sand and covered with taller grass; very little of
the aramatic shrubs appear in this part of the plain. we
halted and dined at this Creek. after which we again proceeded
N. 45°. E. 3 ms. through a high plain to a small creek 5
yds. wide, a branch of the Kimooenimm Creek. the hills of
this stream like those of the Kimooenimm are high its bottoms
narrow and possess but little timber. the land of a good
quallity dark rich loam. we continued our rout up this creek
on it's N. Side N. 75°. E 7 ms. the timber increas in quantity
the hills continue high. we met with the We ark koomt whome
we have usially distinguished by the name of the big horn
Chief from the circumstance of his always wareing a horn of
that animal suspended by a cord to his left arm. he is a
1st. chief of a large band of the Chopunnish Nation. he had
ten of his young men with him. this man went down Lewis's
river by Land as we decended it by water last fall quite to the
Columbia, and I believe was very instrumental in precureing
us a hospita[b]l[e] and friendly reception among the nativs.
he had now come a considerable distance to meet us. after
meeting this Chief we continued still up the creek bottoms
N. 75°. E. 2 m. to the place at which the roade leaves the creek
and assends the hill to the high plains. here we Encamped in
a small grove of Cotton trees which in some measure broke the
violence of the wind, we came 28 miles today. it rained,
hailed, snowed & blowed with Great Violence the greater portion
of the day. it was fortunate for us that this storm was
from the S.W. and of course on our backs. the air was very
cold. we devided the last of our dried meat at dinner when it
was consumed as well as the ballance of our dogs nearly we
made but a scant supper, and had not any thing for tomorrow;
however We-ark-koomt consoled us with the information that
there was an Indian Lodge on the river at no great distance
where we might supply ourselves with provisions tomorrow.
our guide and the three young Wallahwallah's left us this morning
reather abruptly and we have seen nothing of them since.
the S W. Mountains appear to become lower as they receed
to the N E. This creek reaches the mountains. we are
much nearer to them than we were last evening. they are
covered with timber and at this time snow.
