Saturday May 3rd. 1806.
This morning we set out at 7 A.M. steered N. 25. E. 12
Ms. to Kimooenem Creek[3]
through a high level plain. this
creek is about 12 yds. wide pebbly bottom low banks and discharges
a considerable body of water it heads in the S.W.
mountains and discharges itself into Lewis's river a few miles
above the narrows. the bottoms of this creek are narrow with
some timber principally Cottonwood and willow. the under
brush such as mentioned on N. East Creek. the hills are
high and abrupt. the land of the plains is much more fertile
than below, less sand and covered with taller grass; very little
of the aromatic shrubs appear in this part of the plain. we
halted and dined at this creek; after which we again proceeded
N. 45. E. 3 M. through the high plain to a small [Pataha]
creek 5 yds. wide branch of the Kimooenem C. this stream falls
into the creek some miles below. the hills of this creek like
those of the Kimooenem are high it's bottoms narrow and
possess but little timber. lands of a good quality, a dark rich
loam. we continued our rout up this creek, on it's N. side.
N. 75. E. 7 Ms. the timber increases in quantity the hills continue
high. East 4 Ms. up the creek. here we met with the
We-ark-koomt [Weahkoonut—Biddle] whom we have usually
distinguished by the name of the bighorn Cheif from the circumstance
of his always wearing a horn of that animal suspended
by a cord to the left arm. he is the 1st Cheif of a
large band of the Chopunnish nation. he had 10 of his young
men with him. this man went down Lewis's river by land as
we decended it by water last fall quite to the Columbia and I
beleive was very instrumental in procuring us a hospitable and
friendly reception among the natives. he had now come a
considerable distance to meet us. after meeting this cheif we
continued still up the creek bottoms N. 75. E. 2 M to the
place at which the road leaves the creek and ascends the hills
to the plain here we encamped[4]
in [a] small grove of cottonwood
trees which in some measure broke the violence of the
wind. we came
28 Ms. today, it rained hailed snowed and
blowed with great violence the greater portion of the day. it
was fortunate for us that this storm was from the S.W. and of
course on our backs. the air was very cold. we divided the
last of our dryed meat at dinner when it was consumed as well
as the ballance of our dogs nearly we made but a scant
supper and had not anything for tomorrow; however We-ark-koomt
consoled us with the information that there was an
indian lodge on the river at no great distance where we might
supply ourselves with provision tomorrow. our guide and the
three young Wallahwollahs left us this morning reather abruptly
and we have seen nothing of them since. the S.W. mountains
appear to become lower as they proceede to the N.E. this
creek reaches the mountains. we are nearer to them than we
were last evening.
