Tuesday 10th.. Sept. 1805.
a clear pleasant morning. not So cold as usal. as our road
leads over a mountain to our left, we conclu[de] our Captains
conclude to Stay here this day to take observations, and for
the hunters to kill meat to last us across the mountain and for
our horses to rest &c. Several men and all the best hunters
went out a hunting considerable of cotton timber on this
creek the choke cherries abound on its bottoms. the natives
has lately gethered an amence quantities of them here for food,
as they mooved up. considerable of Elder willow and Servis
bushes along the Creek &c. theo [though] the day is warm
the Snow does not melt on the Mo. a Short distance from us.
considerable of pitch pine on the mountains, but the Snow
makes them look like the middle of winter. the valley and
plains are pleasant. towards evening the hunters all came or
returned to Camp had killed 4 Deer 2 ducks a faun deer and
Several geese. towards evening one of the hunters went up
the creek a Short distance came across three Indians a horseback
they appeared afraid of him untill he lay down his gun
they then came up to him in a friendly manner and took him
on behind one of them and rode verry fast down to our Camp.
they belong to the nation of flat heads. 2 of our hunters was
down the River in cite of the forks to day, and allow it to be
about 15 miles down the valley. these three natives tell us
that they lay in hearing of our guns all day and was afraid to
come to us. they tell us that two of the Snake Indians has
Stole 22 of their horses, and these three are in persuit of them.
one Stayed to pilot us over the mout. the other 2 proceeded
on in order to ride all night after them, intending to git their
horses if possable. our guide tells us that these waters runs in
to Mackinzees River as near as they can give an account, but
he is not acquainted that way. So we go the road he knows.
