Thursday 19th.. Sept. 1805.
a clear pleasant morning. we Set out as usal and assended
up to the top of Sd mout. and discovered a plain in a valley
about 20 miles from us where we expect is the Columbian
River. which puts us in good Spirits again. we descended
down the mountn.. which was verry Steep descent, for about
three miles. then assended another as bad as any we have ever
been up before. it made the Sweat run off of our horses & ourselves.
on the top the ground was froze a little and the ground
mostly covred with Snow. the Spruce pine & bolsom timber
continues on these motn.. as usal. Some places thick bushes.
we descd.. the mot. down in a narrow valley where we found a
run of water and halted to bate our horses and to drink a little
portable Soup. one of the men killed a fessent. their is not
any kind of game or Sign of any to be Seen in these mout.
Scarsely any birds itself. we delayed about 2 hours and proceeded
on descended the mountain about 4 miles came to a
creek running about East. we followed up the creek. a bad
peace of the road, Some places along Side of the mountn. which
is high & Steep on each Side of the creek. one of our horses
fell backward and roled about 100 feet down where it was
nearly Steep and a Solid rock & dashed against the rock in the
creek, with a load of Ammunition. but the powder being in
canisters did not git damaged nor the horse killed, but hurt.
we proceeded on. Came about 17 miles this day and Camped
at a run in Sd. mount., our course this day was generally west.
the timber continues as usal. we Suped [on] a little portable
Soup. the most of the party is weak and feeble Suffering with
hunger. our horses feet are gitting Sore and fall away in these
mountains, but we are in hopes to git out of them Soon.
