[Clark:]
Sunday June 29th. 1806
We colected our horses and Set out haveing previously dispatched
Drewyer & R. Fields to the warm Springs to hunt.
we prosued the hights of the ridge on which we have been
passing for several days; it termonated at the distance of 5 Ms.
from our encampment, and we decended to & passed the Main
branch of Kooskooke 1½ Ms. above the enterance of Glade
Creek which falls in on the N. E. side. we bid adew to the
Snow. near the River we found a Deer which the hunters had
killed and left us. this was a fortunate supply as all our bears
oil was now exhosted and we were reduced to our roots alone
without salt. the river is 30 Yds wide and runs with great
velossity. the bead as all the Mountain streams is composed
of smooth stone. beyond this river we assended a steep
Mountain about 2 Miles to it's sumit where we found the old
road which we had passed on as we went out, comeing in on
our right, the road was now much plainer and much beaten.
at noon we arived at the quawmash flatts on Vally Creek and
halted to graize our horses and dined haveing traveled 12 Miles
here is a pretty little plain of about 50 acres plentifully stocked
with quawmash and from appearance this forms one of the
principal Stages of the indians who pass the mountains on this
road. we found that one of our pack hors[e]s with his load
and one of Cap
t. L.s. horses were missing we dispatched Jo.
Field & Colter in serch of the lost horse's. after dinner we
continued our march 7 M
s further to the worm Springs where
we arrived early in the evening, and sent out several hunters,
who as well as R. Field & Drewyer returned unsuksessfull;
late in the evening Jo. Field & Colter joined us with the lost
horses and brought with them a Deer which J. F. had killed,
this furnished us with a Supper.
Those Worm or Hot Springs are Situated at the base of a
hill of no considerable hight, on the N. Side and near the bank
of travellers rest Creek which is at that place about 10 yds wide.
these Springs issue from the bottom and through the interstices
of a grey freestone rock, the rock rises in irregular masy clifts
in a circular range, arround the Springs on their lower Side.
imediately above the Springs on the creek there is a handsom
little quawmash plain of about 10 acres. the principal spring
is about the temperature of the Warmest baths used at the Hot
Springs in Virginia. in this bath which had been prepared by
the Indians by stopping the river with Stone and mud, I bathed
and remained in 10 minits it was with dificuelty I could remain
this long and it causd. a profuse swe[a]t. two other bold Springs
adjacent to this are much warmer, their heat being so great as
to make the hand of a person Smart extreemly when immerced.
we think the temperature of those Springs about the Same as
that of the hotest of the hot Springs of Virginia. both the
Men and the indians amused themselves with the use of the
bath this evening. I observe after the indians remaining in
the hot bath as long as they could bear it run and plunge
themselves into the creek the water of which is now as cold as
ice can make it; after remaining here a fiew minits they return
again to the worm bath repeeting this transision several times
but always ending with the worm bath. saw the tracks of 2
bear footed indians.
