University of Virginia Library

Wednesday June 5th. 1805.

This morning was cloudy and so could that I was obleged
to have recourse to a blanket coat in order to keep myself
comfortable altho' walking. the rain continued during the
greater part of last night. the wind hard from N. W. we
set out at sunrise and proceded up the river eight miles on the
course last taken yesterday evening, at the extremity of which
a large creek falls in on the Stard. 25 yards. wide at it's entrance,
some timber but no water, notwithstanding the rain; it's course
upwards is N. E. it is astonishing what a quantity of water it
takes to saturate the soil of this country, the earth of the
plains are now opened in large crivices in many places and yet
looks like a rich loam from the entrance of this Creek (which
I called Lark C.) the river boar N. 50. W. 4 M. at the
entrance of this creek the bluffs were very steep and approached
the river so near on the Stard. side that we assended
the hills and passed through the plains; at the extremity of
this course we returned to the river which then boar North
2 Mls. from the same point, I discovered a lofty single mountain
which appeard. to be at a great distance, perhaps 80 or
more miles, it boar N. 52. W. from it's conic figure I called
it tower Mountain.[20] we now passed through the river bottoms
to the extremity of the last course thence with the river S 60°.
W. 1 1/2 M. S 10 W. 3 M. N 50. W 1 1/2 at the extremity of
which I again ascended the bluffs of the river which boar West
10. M. the river making a deep bend to the south that is of at
least five miles from the center of the chord line to the center of
the bend. on this course we passed through the plains found
the plains as yesterday extreemly leavel and beautifull, great
quantities of Buffaloe, some wolves foxes and Antelopes seen.
near the river the plain is cut by deep ravenes in this plain
and from one to nine miles from the river or any water, we
saw the largest collection of the burrowing or barking squirrels
that we had ever yet seen; we passed through a skirt of the

territory of this community for about 7 miles: I (we) saw
(near the hills) a flock of the mountain cock, or a large species
of heath hen with a long pointed tail which the Indians informed
us were common to the Rockey Mountains. I sent
Shields to kill one of them but he was obliged to fire a long
distance at them and missed his aim. as we had not killed or
eat anything today we each killed a burrowing squ[i]rrel as we
passed them in order to make shure of our suppers. we again
[in]tersepted the river at the expiration of the last course or
the lard. bluffs, from whence it now boar N 80°. W. 2. Mls.
from this point saw some other lofty mountains to the N. W.
of tower Mtn. which boar N. 65°. W. 80 or 100 Mls. distant at
the expiration of this course we killed five Elk and a blacktailed
or mule deer and encamped on Stard. side of the river in a
handsome well timbered bottom where there were several old
stick lodges. in the forepart of the day there was but little
timber in the river bottoms but the quantity is now greater
than usual. the river is about 80 yds. wide with a strong steady
courant and from 6 to 10 feet [of] water. I had the burrowing
squirrels roasted by way of experiment and found the flesh
well flavored and tender; some of them were very fat.