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We dispatched Drewyer and J. Fields early this morning to hunt on the road and indeavour to obtain some meat for us. just as we had prepared to set out at an early hour a deer came in to lick at these springs and one of our hunters killed it; this secured us our dinners, and we proceeded down the creek sometimes in the bottoms and at other times on the top or along the steep sides of the ridge to the N. of the Creek. at one mile from the springs we passed a stout branch of the creek on the north side and at noon having travelled 13 ms. we arrived at the entrance of a second Northen branch of the creek [1] where we had nooned it on the 12th of Septr. last. here we halted, dined and graized our horses. while here Sheilds took a small tern [2] and killed a deer. at this place a road turns off to the wright which the indians informed us leads to Clarks river [3] some distance below where there is a fine extensive vally in which the Shalees or Ootslashshoots sometimes reside. in descending the creek this morning on the steep side of a high hill my horse sliped and both his hinder feet out of the road and fell, I also fell off backwards and slid near 40 feet down the hill before I could stop myself such was the steepness of the declivity; the horse was near falling on me in the first instance but fortunately recovers and we both escaped unhirt. I saw a small grey squirrel [4] today much like those of the Pacific coast only that the belly of this was white. I also met with the plant in blume which is sometimes called the lady's slipper or mockerson flower. [5] it is in shape and appearance like ours only that the corolla is white, marked with small veigns of pale red longitudinally on the inner side. after dinner we resumed our march. soon after seting out Sheilds killed another deer and in the course of the evening we picked up three others which Drewyer had killed along the road making a total of 6 today. Deer are very abundant in the neighborhood of travellers rest of both speceis, [6] also some bighorns [7] and Elk. a little before sunset we arrived at our old encampment on the south side of the creek a little above it's entrance into Clark's river. [8] here we encamped with a view to remain two days in order to rest ourselves and horses & make our final arrangements for seperation. we came 19 ms. after dinner the road being much better than it has been since we entered the mountains we found no appearance of the Ootslashshoots having been here lately. the indians express much concern for them and apprehend that the Minnetares of fort de Prarie have distroyed them in the course of the last winter and spring, and mention the tracks of the bearfoot Indians which we saw yesterday as an evidence of their being much distressed.— our horses have stood the journey supprisingly well, most of them are yet in fine order, and only want a few days rest to restore them perfectly.—
| ms. | ||
| East— | 11 | To Collins's Creek 25 yds. wide, passing a small prarie at 9 ms. road hilly, thickly timbered. |
| N. 45° E. | 13 | to the crossing of Fish Creek 10 yds. wide passing a small creek at 6 ms. |
| N. 75° E. | 9 | to a small branch of hungry Creek. the road passing along a ridge with much fallen timber. some snow at the extremity of this course. |
| N. 22 ½ E. | 5 | to the heads of the main branch of hungry Creek. road hilly, some snow. |
| N. 75 E. | 3 | down hungry Creek on it's Noth side, passing 2 small branches on it's N. side, the 1st at ½ m and the 2nd at 1 ½ ms. further. |
| N. 75 E. | 6 | still continuing on the N. side of the creek to the foot of the mountain, passing 3 north branches and 1 South branch of the Crek. |
| N. 45 E. | 3 | to the summit of the mountain where we deposited our bag- gage on the 17th inst. |
| N. 45 E. | 15 | to an open prarie on the South Side of a mountain having kept the dividing ridge between the Waters of the Kooskooske and Chopunnish rivers. |
| N. 45° E. | 28 | to an open prarie on the South Side of a mountain, having still kept the same dividing ridge mentioned in the last Course, though you ascend many steep mountains and de- cend into many deep hollows. |
| East— | 3 | to an extemity of a ridge where we decend to a deep hol- low. much fallen timber caused in the first instance by fire and more recently by a storm from S. W. |
| N. 45° E. | 10 | Along a high snowey ridge to an open hillside of considerable Extent passing the road at 4 ½ ms. which turns off to the right and leads by the fishery at the entrance of Colt Creek. |
| N. 45° E. | 12 | To the quawmash flatts at the head of a branch of the Koos- kooske, pasing the Kooskoske 35 yd. wide at 5 miles. from hungry Creek to this river the road may be said to be over snow as so small a proportion of it is distitute of it. after passing this river the road dose not agin ascend to the snowy hights. at 7 ms. on this course again fell into the road which leads by the fishery about 4 ms. 〈from〉 above the mouth of Quawmash Creek. |
| North— | 4 | to the Hotspring Creek on the main branch of travellers rest. |
| N. 20° E. | 3 | to the warm or hot Springs down the N. side of the creek. |
| N. 20° E. | 3 | down the creek passing a Northern branch 3 yds. wide at 1 M. also the Creek itself twice a short distance below the Northern bran |
| N. 45° E. | 10 | along the North side of the creek to the entrance of a N. branch of the same 8 yds wide. a road leads up this branch. |
| N. 60° E. | 9 | down the N. side of travellers rest creek to the prarie of the Creek and the Vally of Clark's R. |
| East— | 9 | to our encampment on the S side of travelers rest, passing the creek 1 M. above and 2 from it's mouth |
| Total | 156 |
We dispatched Drewyer & Jo Field early this morning ahead to hunt. just as we had prepard. to set out at an early hour, a deer Came in to lick at the Springs and one of our hunters killed it; this Secired to us our dinner. and we proceeded down the Creek, Sometimes in the bottoms and at other times on the tops or along the Steep Sides of the ridge to the N or the Creek. at 1½ m. we passd our encampment of the 12th of Septr. last we noon'd it at the place we had on the 12 of Septr. last whiles here Shields killed a deer on the N. fork near the road. here a rode leads up the N. fork and passed over to an extensive vally on Clarks river at Some distance down that river as our guids inform us. after dinner we resumed our march. Soon after Setting out Shields killed another deer, and we picked up 3 others which G Drewyer had killed along the road. Deer are very abundant in the neighbourhood of travellers rest of boath Specis, also Some big horn and Elk. a little before Sunset we arrived at our old encampment on the S. Side of the Creek a little above its enterance into Clarks river. here we Encamped with a view to remain 2 days in order to rest ourselves and horses and make our final arrangements for Seperation. we found no signs of the Oatlashshots haveing been here lately. the Indians express much Concern for them and apprehend that the Menetarries of Fort d Prar have destroyed them in the course of the last Winter and Spring, and mention the tracts of the bear-footed indians which we Saw yesterday as an evidence of their being much distressed—. our horses have stood the journey Supirisinly well and only want a fiew days rest to restore them.
Descended the mountain to travellers rest leaveing those tremendious mountanes behind us—in passing of which we have experiensed Cold and hunger of which I shall ever remember. 〈as we〉 in passing over this part of the Rocky mountains from Clarks river, to the quawmash flats from the 14th to the 19th of Septr. 1805 we marched through Snow, which fell on us on the night of the 14th and nearly all the day of the 15 in addition to the [c]old rendered the air cool and the way difficuelt. our food was horses of which we eate three.— On our return we Set out from the quawmash flats on the 15th of June and commenes the assent of the rocky mountains; the air became cool and vigitation backward— on the 16th we met with banks of Snow and in the hollars and maney of the hill Sides the Snow was from 3 to 4 feet deep and Scercely any grass vegitation just commencing where the Snow had melted— on the 17th at meridian, the Snow became So deep in every derection from 6 to 8 feet deep we could not prosue the road 〈or direction,〉 there being no grass for our horses we were obliged to return to the quawmash flatts to precure meat to live on as well as grass for our horses— leaveing our baggage on the mountains We precured 5 Indians as pilots and on the 24th of June 1806 we again under took those Snowey regn. on the 26th we with our baggage arived at an open plain serounded with Snow where there was grass for horses on the 27th & 28th also passing over Snow 6 or 8 feet deep all the way on 29th passed over but little Snow— but saw great masses of it lying in different directions
Monday 30th June 1806. a clear morning. we got up our horses as usal R. Fields killed a deer near the hot Springs in Scite of the Camp. two hunters went on a head. we Set out proceed. on a muddy bad road down the creek & over bad hills &C about noon we halted to dine 12th Sept last [11] Shields killed a deer. we dined and proceed. on took the meat of a deer which the hunters had killed. Shields killed another deer. proceed. on to the bottoms or plains of travvellers rest creek Drewyer had killed three deer, we wrode fast untill about Sunset at which time we arived at travvellers rest where we Camped the 9th & 10th of Sept. last. we Camped [12] here in order to Stay 2 or 3 days to refresh our horses and kill Some meat &C. the Musquetoes verry troublesome here.—
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 12 of Sept. 1805, [13] 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 [14] had killed and left for us. In the evening we arrived at Travellers'-rest creek, [15] 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; [16] and which probably prevent the fish from coming up. Here we encamped and meet with the hunters.
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.