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Monday (Wednesy.) 25th. of September 1805

a verry hot day, most of the Party Complaining and 2 of
our hunters left here on the 22nd.. Verry sick, they had killed
only two Bucks in my absence. I Set out early with the Chief
and 2 young men to hunt Some trees Calculated to build
Canoes, as we had previously deturmined to proceed on by
water, I was furnished with a horse and we proceeded on
down the river Crossed a Creek at 1 mile from the right
verry rockey which I call rock dam Creek & Passed down on
the N side of the river to a fork from the North which is
about the Same size and affords about the Same quantity of


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water with the other fork,[59] we halted about an hour, one
of the young men took his guig and killed 6 fine Salmon two
of them were roasted and we eate, two Canoes Came up loaded
with the furniter & provisions of 2 families, those Canoes
are long Stedy and without much rake, I crossed the South
fork and proceeded up on the South side, the most of the way
thro' a narrow Pine bottom in which I Saw fine timber for
Canoes one of the Indian Canoes with 2 men with Poles Set
out from the forks at the Same time I did and arrived at our
Camp on the Island within 15 minits of the Same time I did,
not withstanding 3 rapids which they had to draw the Canoe
thro' in the distance, when I arrived at Camp found Capt.
Lewis verry Sick, Several men also verry Sick, I gave Some
Salts & Tarter emetic, we deturmined to go to where the best
timber was and there form a Camp

 
[59]

This is the junction of the Middle and North forks of the Kooskooskee (Clearwater).
The explorers called the North Fork the Chopunnish. See Clark's map in
our Atlas volume.—Ed.