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I deturmined to go a head with a Small partey a few days and find the Snake Indians if possible after brackfast I took J. Fields Potts & my Servent proceeded on. the Country So Hilley that we gained but little of the Canoes untill in the evening I passed over a mountain on an Indian rode by which rout I cut off Several miles of the Meanderings of the River, the roade which passes this mountain is wide and appears to have been dug in maney places, we Camped on a Small run of Clear Cold water, musquitors verry troublesom the forepart of the evening I Saw great maney Ibex. we Crossed two Streams of running water on those Streams I saw Several Beaver dams. ordway Creek the Countrey is Mountanious & rockey except the valey &c. which is Covered with earth of a good quallity without timber, The timber which is principally pitch pine is Confined to the mountains, the Small runs & Creeks which have water running in them Contain Cotton-Willow, Willow, & aspin. trees all Small I Saw maney fine Springs & Streams of running water which Sink & rise alternately in the Valies the water of those Streams are fine, those Streams which run off into the river are darned up by the beaver from near ther mouthes up as high as I could See up them
Lewis walked on Shore this morning about 12 oClock the wind becam Strong from the E. about half past one oClock the wind Shifted round to the N. W. and blew verry hard all the latter part of the day, which obliged us to Lay by- The Countrey is hilley & rugged and the earth of a lightish brown and but indifferent, Some Small Cedar is Scattered on the Sides of the hils & in the hollars, Some pine ridges is also to be Seen on the North Side, we observe great quantites of game as usual.
Set out early this morning, the frost was severe last night, the ice appeared along the edge of the water, water also freized on the oars. at the distance of one mile passed the entrance of a creek 15 yds. wide on Stard. side, this we call Teapot Creek, it affords no water at it's mouth but has runing water at some small distance above, this I beleive to be the case with many of those creekes which we have passed since we entered this hilley country, the water is absorbed by the earth near the river and of course appear dry; they afford but little water at any rate, and that is so strongly impregnated with these salts that it is unfit for uce; all the wild anamals appear fond of this water; I have tryed it by way of experiment & find it moderately pergative, but painfull to the intestens in it's opperation. this creek runs directly towards some low mountains which lye N. W. of it and appear to be about 30 mes. distant, perhaps it heads in them.
The road through this hilley Countrey is verry bad passing over hills & thro Steep hollows, over falling timber &c. &c. continued on & passed Some most intolerable road on the Sides of the Steep Stoney mountains, which might be avoided by keeping up the Creek which is thickly covered with under groth & falling timber Crossed a mountain 8 miles with out water & encamped on a hill Side on the Creek after Decending a long Steep mountain, Some of our Party did not git up untill 10 oClock P M. I mad camp at 8 on this roade & particularly on this Creek the Indians have pealed a number of Pine for the under bark which they eate at certain Seasons of the year, I am told in the Spring they make use of this bark our hunters Killed only one Pheasent this after noon.
Side the Countrey as before hilley & broken verry Small proprotion of timber in the points, Some little pine & Ceader in the hills Buffalow & Deer is yet plenty on the river in the small timbered bottoms Capt Lewis walked out on the Std.
I walked out on the lower Side of this river and found the countrey hilley the Soil composed of black mole & a Small perportion of Sand containing great quantity of Small peable Some limestone, black flint, & Sand Stone I killed a Hare Changeing its Colour Some parts retaining its long white fur & other parts assumeing the Short grey, I Saw the Magpie in pars, flocks of Grouse, the old field lark & Crows, & observed the leaf of the wild Chery half grown, many flowers are to be seen in the plains, remains of Minetarra & Ossinneboin hunting Camps are to be Seen on each Side of the two Missouris
Wind hard fore part of last night the latter part verry Cold a white frost this morning, the river riseing a little and verry Crooked the high land is rugged and approaches nearer than below, the hills and bluff exhibit more mineral quats & Salts than below, the gullies in maney places are white, and their bottoms one, two & 3 Inches deep of this mineral, no appearance of either burnt pumice Stone or Coal, the Countrey hilley on both Sides of a rich black earth, which disolves This kind of Countrey Continues of the Same quallity for maney miles on either Side, we observed Some hills which appeared to be timbered, I walked to this timber and found it to pitch pine & Dwarf Cedar, we observe in every derection Buffalow, Elk, Antelopes & Mule deer inumerable and So jintle that we Could approach near them with great ease, I killed 2 Mule Deer for the benifit of their Skins for the party, and about the place I expected the party would get to Camp I killed 2 fat Bulls for theire use, in my absence they had killed a fine fat Yellow bear below which detained them and they did not reach the place I expected, but had Camped on the Lard.
The Countrey begin to be thinly timbered with Pine & low white oake verry rocky and hilley- We purchased at this vilg 4 dogs- at the end of this Course is 3 rocks, in the river and a rock point from the Lard. the middle rock is large and has a number of graves on it we call it the Sepulchar Island.
I walked to the top of the first part of the mountain with much fatigue as the distance was about 3 miles thro intolerable thickets of Small Pine, arrow wood a groth much resembling arrow wood with briers, growing to 10 & 15 feet high interlocking with each other & Furn, aded to this difficulty the hill was So Steep that I was obliged to drawing my Self up in many places by the bowers, the Countrey Continues thick and hilley as far back a I could See.
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