University of Virginia Library

CHAP. XXI.

Friday 23rd. We again had a fine morning.—
One of our sergeants shot a deer at a lick close to
our camp, and wounded it very bad, but it got to the
river and swam over. Two young Indians who had
been at our camp all night, then mounted their
horses, swam over and drove it back; and we killed
it and gave them half of it. The river is about two
hundred yards wide and cold and rapid. In the afternoon
all the hunters came in but had killed nothing
more.

Saturday 24th. This was another fine morning,
and two hunters went out. One of the men that
were sick, still keeps unwell, with a bad pain in his
back; and is in a helpless state. Yesterday we
gave him an Indian sweat and he is some better
to day.

Sunday 25th. There was a cloudy morning, and
some light showers of rain fell. Five more hunters
went out to day. In the evening yesterday two
of the natives brought an Indian to our camp, who
had lost the use of his limbs, to see if the officers
could cure him, and to day we gave him a sweat.—
Our interpreter's child has been very sick, but is
getting better. In the afternoon the two hunters
who went out yesterday returned; but had not killed
any thing. The weather became clear and we had
a fine evening, and three more hunters went out.

Monday 26th. This day was fine and pleasant, and
we finished our canoe and put her into the water.—
In the afternoon two hunters came in, but had not
killed any thing: they had procured some roots at a
village about fourteen miles up the river. Our stock

of provisions is exhausted, and we have nothing to eat
but some roots, which we get from the natives at a
very dear rate.

Tuesday 27th. The morning was fair and pleasant,
and several of our men went to the villages around
us to procure roots. These roots are a good diet,
but in general we do not relish them so well as meat.
We therefore killed another horse to day, which one
of the natives gave us sometime ago for that purpose.
He was so wild and vicious that we could not manage
him or do any thing with him.

Our sick man is getting some better, and the interpreter's
child is recovering fast. The Indian,
that we have under cure, had another sweat to day;
and our horses, that have had the quieting operation
performed on them are all mending. In the
afternoon some rain fell, and three of our hunters
came in, and brought with them five deer, they had
killed: three men also came in from the villages
and brought a good supply of roots; six yet remained
out.

Wednesday 28th. There was a cloudy foggy morning.
Some hunters went out this morning, and in
the afternoon three of them came in with eight deer;
at the same time three more of our men returned
from the villages.

Thursday 29th. The morning was cloudy and wet,
and the river is rising very fast; which gives us
hopes that the snow is leaving the mountains. At
10 o'clock the river ceased rising and the weather
became clear.

Friday 30th. The morning was fine, with a little
fog. Two of our men in a canoe attempting to swim
their horses over the river, struck the canoe against
a tree, and she immediately sunk; but they got on
shore, with the loss of three blankets, a blanket-coat,
and some articles of merchandize they had with them
to exchange for roots. The loss of these blankets is

the greatest which hath happened to any individuals
since we began our voyage, as there are only three
men in the party, who have more than a blanket a
piece. The river is so high that the trees stand
some distance in the water. In the afternoon one
of our hunters came in, who with another had killed
three deer, which one of them staid to take care of
as their horses had left them.

Saturday 31st. We had a fine clear morning with
a heavy dew. The hunters went out with two horses
for the venison; and two men went over the river
to the villages. About noon a deer was seen swimming
the river and some of our men killed it. Our
canoe still lies under water at the opposite shore, but
we have a small Indian canoe, that serves to cross
in. In the afternoon the two men came from the
village with some of the natives, and one of our old
stock of horses, which is the last, except the two
which they assure us the old Snake guide took. In
the evening the weather became cloudy, and we had
some rain with sharp thunder and lightning. The
two hunters came in with the venison.

Sunday 1st June, 1806. We had a fine morning
after some light showers of rain during the night.
Since last evening the river rose eighteen inches.
Two hunters went out this morning, and some of the
natives came to see us. The sick Indian is getting
much better. The officers got some bear skins from
the Indians, that are almost as white as a blanket.
They say that the bears from which they get these
skins are a harmless kind, and not so bold and ferocious
as the grizly and brown bear.

Monday 2nd. The morning was cloudy, and six of
the men went out to hunt. About noon three men,
who had gone over to Lewis's river, about two and an
half days journey distant, to get some fish, returned
with a few very good salmon, and some roots which

they bought at the different villages of the natives,
which they passed. One of these men got two
Spanish dollars from an Indian for an old razor.
They said they got the dollars from about a Snake
Indian's neck, they had killed some time ago. There
are several dollars among these people which they
get in some way. We suppose the Snake Indians,
some of whom do not live very far from New Mexico
get them from the Spaniards in that quarter. The
Snake Indians also get horses from the Spaniards.
The men had a very disagreeable trip as the roads
were mountainous and slippery. They saw a number
of deer, and of the Ibex or big-horn.

Tuesday 3rd. This was a cloudy morning with a
few drops of rain; and there were some light showcrs
during the forenoon at intervals. The river rises
in the night and falls in the day time; which is occasioned
by the snow melting by the heat of the sun
on the mountains, which are too distant for the snow
water to reach this place until after night. In the
evening three hunters came in with the meat of five
deer and a small bear. Several of the natives continued
at our camp.

Wednesday 4th. It rained slowly almost all last
night, and for some time this morning. The river
fell considerably yesterday, and in the night
rose only an inch and an half. At noon one of our
hunters came in with two deer he had killed. The
afternoon was clear and pleasant.

Thursday 5th. There was a fine pleasant morning
with heavy dew. In the afternoon four hunters came
in with the meat of five more deer, and a bear. An
Indian came with them, who had been part of the
way over the mountains; but found the road too bad
and the snow too deep to cross; so we are obliged to
remain where we are sometime longer.

Friday 6th. The morning was pleasant, and capt.
Clarke and five of the party went over the river to

buy some roots at the villages, and in the evening
returned with a good supply accompanied by some
of the natives.

Saturday 7th. We had a cloudy morning with a
few drops of rain. I went over with five of our party
to the village, on the other side of the river; and
while we were going some snow fell. The greater
part of the natives were out hunting. In the evening
we all returned to camp, except two, who remained
at the village. Some of the natives again came to
visit us, one of whom gave a horse to one of our men,
who is very fond of conversing with them and of
learning their language.

Sunday 8th. There was a pleasant morning; and
our two men came over from the village, and a hunter,
who had been out, returned without killing any
thing. Several of the natives still stay about our
camp, and are of opinion we cannot cross the mountains
for some time yet. We, however, mean to
remove a short distance to where the hunting is
better.

Monday 9th. This was a fine pleasant day. We
caught all our horses and hoppled them, so that we
might get them easily to-morrow. We also exchanged
some mares with young colts, and some of
the horses who had not got quite well, for others
more capable of bearing the fatigue of crossing the
mountains.

Tuesday 10th. We collected all our horses, but
one, and set out accompanied by several of the natives,
travelled about twelve miles and arrived at
what we call the Com-mas flat, where we first met
the natives after crossing the Rocky Mountains last
fall. Here we encamped and some hunters went
out. The com-mas grows in great abundance on
this plain; and at this time looks beautiful, being
in full bloom with flowers of a pale blue colour.—

At night our hunters came in and had killed one
deer.

Wednesday 11th. We had a fine morning with
some white frost. Several of the men turned out to
hunt; and returned at noon, having killed a bear
and two deer. In this plain there are the most
strawberry vines I ever saw, and now all in blossom.
This plain contains about two thousand acres, and is
surrounded with beautiful pine timber of different
kinds. The soil is very good; the underwood among
the timber chiefly service-berry and gooseberry
bushes. In the evening several of the men started,
with an intention of encamping out to hunt; and
one went back to our late camp to look for the horse,
which had been left behind. The natives all left us
and we remained in quietness by ourselves.

Thursday 12th. We had a fine lovely morning
with a heavy dew. I went out with some of the party
to hunt; about 8 o'clock the musquitoes became
very troublesome; and at 10 we all came in without
any success. About the same time the man, who
had gone back for the horse returned with him. About
an hour after four hunters, who had been out
during the night came in; three of them had been
without success, but the other brought in two deer.
There are a good many deer here, and some bears,
but they are very wild, as they are much pursued by
the natives. There is no game of any other kind
except squirrels and some other small animals. The
squirrels are about the size of our common grey
squirrels, and very handsome. They are of a brown
grey colour, beautifully speckled with small brown
spots, and burrow in the ground. We killed several
of them since we came to this camp. The magpie
is also plenty here, and woodpeckers of a different
kind from any I had before seen. They are about
the size of a common red-headed woodpecker; but
are all black except the belly and neck, where the

ends of the feathers are tipped with a deep red, but
this tipping extends to so short a distance on the feathers,
that at a distance the bird looks wholly black.
In the afternoon one of the natives came to our camp,
and one of the two hunters that were out, returned
but had killed nothing. In the evening some hunters
went out with intention to stay all night. The Indian
who came to our camp said he had a notion to cross
the mountains with us.

Friday 13th. There was a fine morning, and a
hunter or two went out. The Indian exchanged
horses with one of our men, whose horse had not
recovered, and was unable to cross the mountains;
and then went home to the village. At noon two of
our men took their loads and went on ahead about
eight miles to a small prairie to hunt until we should
come up. During the afternoon the men who went
out yesterday to hunt returned with eight deer. In
the evening the weather became cloudy. The musquitoes
are very troublesome.

Saturday 14th. We had a cloudy morning. Some
hunters again went out; at 10 o'clock one came
in with a deer; and in the evening the rest of them,
but they had not killed any thing.

Sunday 15th. This was a cloudy wet morning with
some thunder. We left Com-mas flat to attempt to
cross the mountains; and had sixty-six horses, all very
good. We ascended a high mount with a good deal
of difficulty, as the path was very slippery, but got
over safe to a small prairie, where the two men,
who had gone on ahead had killed two deer and hung
them up. We took the meat, proceeded down the
hill and found the hunters who had killed another
deer. We halted at a creek and took dinner; then
procceded over a very difficult road on account of the
fallen timber. We had rain at intervals during the
forenoon, but the afternoon was clear. We encamped

in a small glade where there was plenty of grass
for the horses.

Monday 16th. We had a pleasant morning, and renewed
our journey; went up a handsome creek about
three miles, and then took to the hills which are very
rough with a great many banks of snow, some of them
four or five feet deep. These banks are so closely
packed and condensed, that they carry our horses,
and are all in a thawing state. We halted for dinner
at a handsome stream where there was some grass
for our horses; and in about two hours proceeded on
again, and had some rain. In the afternoon we found
the snow banks more numerous, extensive and deep:
in some of them the snow was as much as eight feet
deep. In the evening we came to Hungry creek
(where Capt. Clarke killed a horse last fall and left
it for the party) and encamped, that our horses
might get some grass as we do not expect they will
get any soon again; and there is not much here.

Tuesday 17th. There was a cloudy morning, but
without rain. We early continued our march; took
down Hungry creek about six miles, and then took
up a large mountain. When we got about half way
up the mountain the ground was entirely covered
with snow three feet deep; and as we ascended it
still became deeper, until we arrived at the top, where
it was twelve or fifteen feet deep; but it in general
carried our horses. Here there was not the appearance
of a green shrub, or any thing for our horses
to subsist on; and we know it cannot be better for
four days march even could we find the road or
course, which appears almost impossible, without a
guide perfectly acquainted with the mountains. We
therefore halted to determine what was best to be
done, as it appeared not only imprudent but highly
dangerous to proceed without a guide of any kind.
After remaining about two hours we concluded it
would be most adviseable to go back to some place

where there was food for our horses. We therefore
hung up our loading on poles, tied to and extended
between trees, covered it all safe with deer skins,
and turned back melancholy and disappointed. At
this time it began to rain; and we proceeded down
to Hungry creek again; went up it about two miles,
and encamped for the night where our horses could
get something to eat. The grass and plants here are
just putting out, and the shrubs budding. It rained
hard during the afternoon.

Wednesday 18th. The morning was cloudy and several
showers of rain fell during the day. We started
about 8 o'clock, and found the road very slippery and
bad. Two men went on ahead to the village to enquire
for a guide, and two more remained to look for
two horses that could not be found. We proceeded
on with four men in front to cut some bushes out of
the path; but did not go far till one of the men cut
himself very badly with a large knife; when we had
to halt and bind up his wound. We again went forward,
and in crossing the creek the horse of one of
our men fell with him, threw him off, hurt his leg
and lost his blanket. We halted for dinner at the
same place where we dined on the 16th and had a
gust of rain, hail, thunder and lightening, which
lasted an hour, when the weather cleared and we had
a fine afternoon. We continued our march till we
came to a small glade on the branch of a creek,
where we encamped, and some hunters went out in
the evening; we had left two men to hunt at the
place where we dined. We found the musquitoes
very troublesome on the creek, notwithstanding the
snow is at so short a distance up the mountains. At
night our hunters came to camp, having killed nothing;
but saw some large fish in the creek, which
they supposed were salmon.

Thursday 19th. This was a fine morning; some
hunters went out and we agreed to stay here all day

that our horses might rest and feed. At 10 o'clock
our hunters came in and had killed a deer. Two men
are trying to take some of the fish with a gig. At
noon the two men who had been left at Hungry creek
to look for the horses came up, but had not found
them; and with them the two hunters, who were
left at the place we dined yesterday, and had killed
two deer. In the evening one of the large fish was
caught, which we found to be a salmon-trout.

Friday 20th. There was a fine morning; we caught
six of the salmon-trout; and some hunters went out.
About 9 o'clock one of them returned and had killed
a brown bear. The musquitoes and gnats are very
troublesome. In the evening the other hunters came
in and had killed only one deer.