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The rocks which the high lands are faced with and which may also be seen in perpendicular Straters in the high plains, is a dark freestone. the greater part of this rock is of an excellent grit for Grindstones hard and sharp. observe the Silkgrass Sunflower & Wild indigo all in blume. but fiew other flowers are to be Seen in those plains.

The beak is Smoth, black, convex and cultrated; 1 1/8 inchs from the point to the opening of the Chaps and 3/4 only uncovered with feathers, the upper Chap exceeds the other a little in length. a fiew Small black hairs garnish the Side of the upper chap.

The Broken Arm gave me a fiew Quawmash roots as a great preasent, but in my estimation those of Cows is much better. I am Confident they are much more healthy. I deckorated the Stem of this pipe with blue ribon and white wampom and informed the Chief this was the emblem of peace with us.

Their garments Consists of a short Shirt of leather and a roabe of the Skins of Deer or the Antilope but fiew of them ware Shirts all have Short robes. Those people appears to live in a State of comparitive happiness; they take a greater Share labor of the woman, than is common among Savage tribes, and as I am informd.

The Small Pox had distroyed a great number of the nativs in this quarter. it provailed about 4 or 5 yrs Sinc among the Clatsops, and distroy'd Several hundreds of them, four of their Chiefs fell a victym to it's ravages. these Clatsops are Deposited in their Canoes on the bay a fiew miles below us.

We had a heavy dew this morning. the Clouds near those mountains rise Suddonly and discharge their Contents partially on the neighbouring Plains; the Same Cloud discharge hail alone in one part, hail and rain in another and rain only in a third all within the Space of a fiew Miles; and on the Mountains to the South & S. E. of us Sometimes Snow. at present there is no Snow on those mountains; that which covered them a fiew days ago has all disappeared. the Mountains to the N. W. and West of us are Still entirely Covered are white and glitter with the reflection of the Sun.

The Indians went through & our Small Canoe followed them, as it was late we deturmined to camp above untill the morning. we passed Several Stoney Islands today Country as yesterday open plains, no timber of any kind a fiew Hack berry bushes & willows excepted, and but few drift trees to be found So that fire wood is verry Scerce- The hills or assents from the water is faced with a dark ruged Stone.

Sergt. Pryor dressed Some Skins to make him Clothes. Gibsons wound looks very well. I dressed it. The horses being fatigued and their feet very Sore, I Shall let them rest a fiew days. dureing which time the party intended for to take them by land to the Mandans will dress their Skins and make themselves Clothes to bare, as they are nearly naked.

Some Snow on the north hill Sides near the top and vegetation near 3 weeks later than in the river bottoms. and the rocky Mountains imedeately in view covered Several say 4 & 5 feet deep with Snow. here I behold three different Climats within a fiew miles a little before dark Hoh-hast-ill-pilt and the 3 old men & one other returned to our Camp and informed us the Canoe was a great way off and they could not cross this evening.

I crossed a Deep holler and assended a part of the plain elevated much higher than where I first viewed the above mountains; from this point I beheld the Rocky Mountains for the first time with Certainty, I could only discover a fiew of the most elivated points above the horizon. the most remarkable of which by my pocket Compas I found bore S. 60 W. those points of the rocky Mountain were Covered with Snow and the Sun Shown on it in Such a manner as to give me a most plain and Satisfactory view. whilst I viewed those mountains I felt a Secret pleasure in finding myself So near the head of the heretofore Conceived boundless Missouri; but when I reflected on the difficulties which this Snowey barrier would most probably throw in my way to the Pacific Ocean, and the Sufferings and hardships of my Self and party in them, it in Some measure Counter ballanced the joy I had felt in the first moments in which I gazed on them; but as I have always held it little Short of Criminality to anticipate evils I will allow it to be a good Comfortable road untill I am Compelled to believe otherwise The high Country in which we are at present and have been passing for Some days I take to be a continuation of what the Indians as well as the French Engages call the Black hills.