June 10, 1806
[Lewis]
This morning we arose early and had our horses collected except one of Cruzatt's and one of Whitehouse's, which were not to be found; after a surch of some hours Cruzatt's horse was obtained and the indians promised to find the other and bring it to us at the quawmash flatts [1] where we purpose encamping a few days. at 11 A. M. we set out with the party each man being well mounted and a light load on a second horse, beside which we have several supenemary [supernumerary] horses in case of accedent or the want of provision, we therefore feel ourselves perfectly equiped for the mountains. we ascended the river hills which are very high and about three miles in extent our sourse being N. 22° E. thence N. 15 W. 2 m to Collins's creek. [2] thence due North 5 m. to the Eastern border of the quawmash flatts where we encamped near the place we first met with the Chopunnish last fall. [3] the pass of Collins's Creek was deep and extreemly difficult tho' we passed without sustaining further injury than weting some of our roots and bread. [4] the country through which we passed is extreemly fertile and generally free of stone, is well timbered with several speceis of fir, long leafed pine and larch. [5] the undergrowth is chooke cherry [6] near the water courses, black alder, [7] a large speceis of redroot [8] now in blume, a growth [9] which resembles the pappaw in it's leaf and which bears a burry with five valves of a deep perple colour, two speceis of shoemate [10] sevenbark, [11] perple haw, [12] service berry, [13] goosburry, [14] a wild rose honeysuckle [15] which bears a white berry, and a species of dwarf pine [16] which grows about ten or twelve feet high. bears a globular formed cone with small scales, the leaves are about the length and much the appearance of the common pitch pine having it's leaving in fassicles of two; in other rispects they would at a little distance be taken for the young plants of the long leafed pine. there are two speceis of the wild rose [17] both quinqui petallous and of a damask red but the one is as large as the common red rose of our gardens. I observed the apples of this speceis last fall to be more than triple the size of those of the ordinary wild rose; the stem of this rose is the same with the other tho' the leaf is somewhat larger. after we encamped this evening we sent out our hunters; Collins killed a doe on which we suped much to our satisfaction. we had scarcely reached Collins's Creek before we were overtaken by a party of Indians who informed us that they were going to the quawmash flatts to hunt; their object I beleive is the expectation of bing fed by us in which how ever kind as they have been we must disappoint them at this moment as it is necessary that we should use all frugallaty as well as employ every exertion to provide meat for our journey. they have encamped with us. we find a great number of burrowing squirels [18] about our camp of which we killed several; I eat of them and found them quite as tender and well flavored as our grey squirel. saw many sand hill crains [19] and some ducks in the slashey glades about this place.—
[Clark]
rose early this morning and had all the horses Collected except one of Whitehouses horses which could not be found, an Indian promised to find the horse and bring him on to us at the quawmash fields at which place we intend to delay a fiew days for the laying in Some meat by which time we Calculate that the Snows will have melted more off the mountains and the grass raised to a sufficient hight for our hoses to live. we packed up and Set out at 11 A M we Set out with the party each man being well mounted and a light load on a 2d horse, besides which we have several supernumary horses in case of accident or the want of provisions, we therefore feel ourselves perfectly equiped for the Mountains. we assended the hills which are very high and about three miles in extent our course being N. 22° E, thence N. 15° W 2 ms: to Collins Creek. Thence North 5 Miles to the Eastern boarders of the Quawmash flatts where we encamped near the place I first met with the Chopunnish Nation last fall. the pass of Collins Creek was deep and extreemly difficult tho' we passed without sustaining further injury than wetting some of our roots and bread. The Country through which we passed is extreemly fertile and generally free from Stone, is well timbered with several Species of fir, long leafed pine and Larch. [20] the undergrowth is choke cherry near the watercourses, black alder, a large species of red root now in blume, a Growth which resembles the poppaw in it's leaf and which bears a berry with five valves of a deep purple colour, two species of Shoemate, Seven bark, perple haw, Service berry, Goose berry, wildrose, honey suckle which bears a white berry, and a Species of dwarf pine which grows about 10 or 12 feet high, bears a globarlar formed cone with Small Scales, the leaf is about the length and much the appearance of the pitch pine having it's leaves in fassicles of two; in other respects they would at a little distance be taken for the young plants of the long leafed pine. There are two Species of the wild rose both quinque petallous and of a damask red, but the one is as large as the common red rose of our guardens. I observed the apples of these Species last fall to be more than triple the Size of those of the ordinary wild rose; the Stem of this rose is the Same with the other tho' the leaf is somewhat larger. after we encamped this evening we Sent out our hunters; Collins killed a doe on which we Suped much to our Satisfaction, we had not reached the top of the river hills before we were overtaken by a party of 8 Indians who informed me that they were gowing to the quawmash flatts to hunt; their object I belive is the expectation of being fed by us in which however kind as they have been we must disappoint them at this moment as it is necessary that we Should use all frugallaty as well as employ every exertion to provide meat for our journey. they have encamped with us. we find a great number of burrowing Squirels about our camp of which we killed Several; I eate of them and found them quit as tender and well flavd. as our grey squirel. Saw many Sand hill crains and Some ducks in the Slashey Glades about this place—.
[Ordway]
Tuesday 10th June 1806. clear & pleasant. we went eairly for our horses found all except 2. about 10 A. M. we Set out and proced. on ascended a high hill then decended it down on Collins Creek forded it and ascended a high hill on to a livel timbred country 2 or 3 men was left to look for the lost horses. proced. thro. thickets of young slim pines & balsom fer timber about 4 P M. we arived at the Commass ground [21] where we Camped 22 Sept last but no villages here now. we Camped here for a fiew days to kill some deer to take Some meat for the mountains. this level consists of about 2000 ackers of level Smooth prarie on which is not a tree or Shreub, but the lowest parts is covred with commass which is now all in blossom, but is not good untill the Stalk is dead, then the natives assemble and collect their winters food in a short time as it is verry convenient for their villages as points of timber runs out in the praries of higher ground & covred with pitch pine. a fine timbred country all around this rich land the Soil is deep black & verry rich & easy for cultervation our men all came up had found only one of the 2 lost horses. Several of the natives accompanied us. Several of our hunters went out this evening a hunting. they all returned at dark Collins had killed one deer. Some of the rest wounded Several others &C.
[Gass]
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 [22] and some hunters [23] 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.
