University of Virginia Library

CHAP. XXII.

Saturday 21st. We had again a fine morning;
and we collected our horses in order to return to the
Com-mas flat. We proceeded on to a creek, where
we met two young Indians, who said they were come
to go over the mountains with us. We halted here for
dinner; after which, all our party proceeded on to Commas
flat, except myself and two men who remained
here to hunt. We wish to kill as much meat as will
serve the party, until we get back where our loading
was left, as we have plenty of roots there to serve
us over the mountains. One of our best horses got
snagged to day, and was left here. The two Indians
remained with us, and in the evening one of the men
killed a deer.

Sunday 22nd. We had pleasant day. The two
hunters went out early and the Indians remained with
me at the camp. At noon the hunters came in, but
had killed nothing but one small pheasant. In the
evening they made another excursion, but were unsuccessful.

Monday 23rd. We had again a fine morning; and
the men went out to hunt. While they were out
the two Indians went on. About 10 o'clock the
hunters came in without having killed any thing;
and at noon two men came to our camp with orders
for four of us to follow the Indians, if they were
gone, until we should overtake them, and get them
to halt if possible, till the party should come up;
but if not, to follow them on and blaze the way after
them; as the man who had gone to inquire for a
guide had not returned, and it was not known whether
he would get one or not. The men said they

had had good luck at the Com-mas flat, having killed
ten deer and three bears. I immediately started
with three of the men after the Indians, leaving one
to take care of the camp, and the lame horse and
some more that were there. We proceeded on till
we came to the creek where we had staid the 19th
and 20th, and overtook the Indians encamped there,
and encamped with them.

They had caught two salmon-trout since they
came to this camp; and shortly after we came one
of our men killed a duck; and we remained together
during the night.

Tuesday 24th. There was a cloudy morning. We
gave each of the Indians a pair of mockasons, and
they agreed to stay to day and wait for the party.—
One of our hunters went out, but had no success.
The day keeps cloudy, and the musquitoes are very
troublesome. There is also a small black fly in this
country, that so torments our horses, that they can
get no rest, but when we make small fires to keep
them off. At noon two hunters went on ahead to a
small creek, to endeavour to kill some provision, as
we cannot kill any here; and unless the party come
up to night, I intend to go on with the Indians tomorrow
morning. In the evening the party arrived
with three more Indians, and we all encamped together
for the night.

Wednesday 25th. There was a light shower of rain
this morning. We proceeded forward early; and
two men and an Indian were sent ahead to look for
the horses we left behind when we were here before.
At noon we halted at the creek where the two men
were hunting, but they had killed nothing. We here
took dinner, and proceeded on to Hungry creek,
where we met the men with the horses, and encamped
for the night. A considerable quantity of rain
had fallen during the afternoon.

Thursday 26th. We had a foggy morning; proceeded

on early; and found the banks of snow much
decreased; at noon we arrived at the place where
we had left our baggage and stores. The snow here
had sunk twenty inches. We took some dinner, but
there was nothing for our horses to eat. We measured
the depth of the snow here and found it ten
feet ten inches. We proceeded over some very
steep tops of the mountains and deep snow; but the
snow was not so deep in the drafts between them;
and fortunately we got in the evening to the side of a
hill where the snow was gone; and there was very
good grass for our horses. So we encamped there
all night. Some heavy showers of rain had fallen in
the afternoon.

Friday 27th. We had a cloudy morning and at 8
o'clock we renewed our march, proceeding over
some of the steepest mountains I ever passed. The
snow is so deep that we cannot wind along the sides
of these steeps, but must slide straight down. The
horses generally do not sink more than three inches
in the snow; but sometimes they break through to
their bellies. We kept on without halting to about
5 o'clock in the evening, when we stopped at the side
of a hill where the snow was off, and where there was
a little grass; and we here encamped for the night.
The day was pleasant throughout; but it appeared
to me somewhat extraordinary, to be travelling over
snow six or eight feet deep in the latter end of June.
The most of us, however, had saved our socks as
we expected to find snow on these mountains.

Saturday 28th. The morning was pleasant, we set
out early, and passed the place where we had encamped
on the 15th Sept. last when the snow fell on
us. After passing this place about a mile, we took
a left hand path, and travelled along high ridges till
noon, when we came to a good place of grass;
where we halted and remained all the afternoon to let
our horses feed, as they had but little grass last night.

Some hunters went out, as we saw some elk signs
here, and our meat is exhausted. We still have a
good stock of roots, which we pound and make thick
soup of, that eats very well. In the evening our
hunters came in but had not killed any thing. On
the south side of this ridge there is summer with
grass and other herbage in abundance; and on the
north side, winter with snow six or eight feet deep.

Sunday 29th. There was a foggy morning. We
set out early, proceeded over some bad hills, and
came to the old path; at which time there was a
shower of rain, with hail, thunder and lightning,
that lasted about an hour. At 10 o'clock we left
the snow, and in the evening we arrived at the warm
spring; where we encamped for the night, and most
of us bathed in its water. One of our hunters killed
a deer where we dined at the glades or plains on
Glade creek; and where there is good grass, and
com-mas also grows. Two other hunters went on
ahead and killed another deer on the way.

Monday 30th. We continued our march early and
had a fine morning. When we were ready to set out
we saw a deer coming to a lick at the hot spring, and
one of our hunters shot it. Two hunters went
on ahead. At noon another went out a short time,
and killed a fine deer. We halted for dinner at the
same place, where we dined on the 12th of Sept.
1805, as we passed over to the Western ocean. After
dinner we proceeded on, and on our way found
three deer that one of the hunters had killed and left
for us. In the evening we arrived at Travellers'-rest
creek, where the party rested two days last fall, and
where it empties into Flathead (called Clarke's) river
a beautiful river about one hundred yards wide at this
place; but there is no fish of any consequence in it;
and according to the Indian account, there are falls
on it, between this place and its mouth, where it
empties into the Columbia, six or seven hundred feet

high; and which probably prevent the fish from
coming up. Here we encamped and met with the
hunters.

Tuesday 1st July, 1806. We had a fine morning,
and remained here to rest ourselves and horses after
the severe fatigue of coming over the mountains, and
some hunters went out. The Indians still continue
with us. Here the party is to be separated; some
of us are to go straight across to the falls of the Missouri
and some to the head waters of Jefferson river,
where we left the canoes. At the falls we expect to
be'subdivided, as Capt. Lewis, myself and four or five
men intend to go up Maria's river as far as the 50th
degree of latitude; and a party to remain at the falls
to prepare harness and other things necessary for
hauling our canoes and baggage over the portage.
Perhaps Capt. Clarke, who goes up the river here,
may also take a party and go down the Riviere Jaune,
or Yellow-stone river. In the afternoon our hunters
came in, and had killed twelve deer, most of them in
good order.

Wednesday 2nd. We continued here during this
day, which was fine and pleasant, fixing our loading
and making other arrangements for our separation.
One of our hunters went out and killed two deer.
The musquitoes are very troublesome at this place.