United States or Cocos Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


Side, below which is two Lodge of nativs, a little below is a bad rapid which is bad crouded with hugh rocks Scattered in every Direction which renders the pasage verry Difficuelt a little above this rapid on the Lard.

The Shoshones informed us when we first met with them that there was a passage across the Mountains in that quarter but represented the difficuelties arriseing from Steep ruggid high mountains, and also an extensive and barren plain which was to be passed without game, as infinitely more difficuelt than the rout by which we Came. from the Circumstance of the Chopunnish being at war with that part of the Shoshones who inhabit the Country on this side of the Mountains through which the road passes, I think it is highly probable they cannot be well informed with respect to the road, and further, had there been a better road in that quarter the Shoshones on the East fork of Lewis's river who knew them boath would not have recommend'd that by which we came to this country.

Short of the encampment we halted by the request of the Guides a fiew minits on an ellevated point and Smoked a pipe on this eminance the nativs have raised a conic mound of Stons of 6 or 8 feet high and erected a pine pole of 15 feet long. from hence they informed us that when passing over with their families some of the men were usually Sent on foot by the fishery at the enterance of Colt Creek in order to take fish and again meet the party at the quawmash glade on the head of Kooskoske river. from this place we had an extencive view of these Stupendeous Mountains principally Covered with Snow like that on which we Stood; we were entirely Serounded by those mountains from which to one unacquainted with them it would have Seemed impossible ever to have escaped, in short without the assistance of our guides, I doubt much whether we who had once passed them could find our way to Travellers rest in their present Situation for the marked trees on which we had placed Considerable reliance are much fewer and more difficuelt to find than we had apprehended. those indians are most admireable pilots; we find the road wherever the Snow has disappeared tho it be only for a fiew paces. after haveing Smoked the pipe and Contemplating this Scene Sufficient to have dampened the Spirits of any except Such hardy travellers as we have become, we continued our march and at the dist.

Pryor did not join me last night he has proceeded on down. the beaver was flacking in the river about us all the last night. this Morning I was detained untill 7 A M makeing Paddles and drawing the nails of the Canoe to be left at this place and the one we had before left here. after completing the paddles &c and takeing Some Brackfast I set out the Current I find much Stronger below the forks than above and the river tolerably streight as low as panther Creek when it became much more Crooked the Wind rose and blew hard off the Snowey mountains to the N. W. and renderd it very difficuelt to keep the canoes from running against the Shore at 2 P.M. the Canoe in which I was in was driven by a Suden puff of wind under a log which projected over the water from the bank, and the man in the Stern Howard was Caught in between the Canoe and the log and a little hurt after disingaging our selves from this log the canoe was driven imediately under a drift which projected over and a little abov the Water, here the Canoe was very near turning over we with much exertion after takeing out Some of the baggage hauled her out, and proceeded on without receving any damage. the men in the other Canoes Seeing our Situation landed and come with as much Speed as possible through the briers and thick brush to our assistance. but from the thickness of the brush did not get up to our assistance untill we had got Clear. at 3 P M we halted at the enterance of Fields Creek and dined here Willard and Collins over took us with two deer which they had killd. this morning and by takeing a different Side of an Island from which we Came, we had passed them. after dinner I proceeded on and Encamped a little below our encampmt. of the 31st of July last. the Musquetoes very troublesome this evening Some old buffalow Signs.