University of Virginia Library

September 3rd.. Tuesday 1805

A Cloudy morning, horses verry Stiff Sent 2 men back
with the horse on which Capt Lewis rode for the load left back
last night which detained us untill 8 oClock at which time we
Set out. The Country is timbered with Pine Generally, the
bottoms have a variety of Srubs & the fur trees in Great
abundance, hills high & rockey on each Side, in the after
part of the day the high mountains closed the Creek on each
Side and obliged us to take on the Steep Sides of those Mountains,
So Steep that the horses Could Scur[ce]ly keep from
Slipping down, Several sliped & Injured themselves verry
much, with great dificuelty we made [blank space in MS.]
miles (about 8 m. see Courses & Dist) & Encamped on a branch
of the Creek we assended after crossing Several Steep points &
one mountain, but little to eate I killed 5 Pheasents & the
hunters 4 with a little Corn afforded us a kind of Supper, at
dusk it began to Snow, at 3 oClock Some rain. The mountains
(we had passed) to the East Covered with Snow. we
met with a great misfortune, in haveing our last Th[er] mometer
broken, by accident This day we passed over emence
hils and Some of the worst roads that ever horses passed, our
horses frequently fell Snow about 2 inches deep when it
began to rain which termonated in a Sleet [storm] our genl
Courses nearly North from the R


52

Page 52

Septr. 3rd. Tuesday 1805

             
N. 25°. W.  2 ½  Miles to a Small fork on the left Hilley and thick
assending 
N. 15°. W.  miles to a fork on the right assending 
N. 22°. W.  2 ½  miles to a fork on the left passing one on the left
Several Spring runs on the right Stoney hills &
much falling timber 
N. 18°. E.  miles passing over Steep points & winding ridges to a
high Point passed a run on the right 
N. 32°. W.  miles to the top of a high hill passed 2 runs from the
left, passing on the Side of a Steep ridge. no road 
N. 40°. W  miles leaveing the waters of the Creek to the right &
passing over a high pine Mountn. o the head of
a Drean running to the left 
14