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Soon after we encamped 3 Indians of the last town Came in a Canoe with wappato roots to Sell to us Some of which we purchased with fish hooksfrom the Village quite around this bend to the West the land is high and thickly timbered with pine balsom &c. a Short distance below the Calt har mer Village on the Island which is Opposit I observed Several Canoes Scaffold in which Contained their dead, as I did not examine this mode of deposing the dead, must refer it to a discription hereafter.
Clark pursued his walk, while I continued with the party, it being a rule which we had established, never to be absent at the same time from the party. the plains or high lands are much less elivated than they were, not being more than from 50 to 60 feet above the river bottom, which is also wider than usual being from 5 to 9 ms. in width; traces of the ancient beds of the river are visible in many places through the whole extent of this valley. since the hills have become lower the appearance of the stratas of coal burnt hills and pumice stone have in a great measure ceased; I saw none today. we saw vast quantities of Buffaloe, Elk, deer principally of the long tale kind, Antelope or goats, beaver, geese, ducks, brant and some swan. near the entrance of the river mentioned in the 10th course of this day, we saw an unusual number of Porcupines from which we determined to call the river after that anamal, and accordingly denominated it Porcupine river. this stream discharges itself into the Missouri on the Stard. side 2000 miles above the mouth of the latter, it is a beatifull bold runing stream, 40 yards wide at it's entrance; the water is transparent, it being the first of this discription that I have yet seen discharge itself into the Missouri; before it enters a large sand bar through which it discharges itself into the missouri it's banks and bottom are formed of a stiff blue and black clay; it appears to be navigable for canoes and perogues at this time and I have no doubt but it might be navigated with boats of a considerable size in high water. it's banks appear to be from 8 to ten feet high and seldom overflow; from the quantity of water furnished by this river, the appearance of the country, the direction it pursues, and the situation of it's entrance, I have but little doubt but it takes it's source not far from the main body of the Suskashawan river, and that it is probably navigable 150 miles; perhaps not very distant from that river. should this be the case, it would afford a very favorable communication to the Athebaskay country, from whence the British N. W. Company derive so large a portion of their valuable furs. Capt.
I think I saw about 25 miles up this river, and did not discover one tree or bush of any discription on it's borders. the vally was covered with Elk and buffaloe. saw a great number of gees today as usual, also some swan and ducks.
He halted in professed wonderment, looked up, to the right, to the left, in every direction except that from which he was well aware the hail had come. "Look here, you!" Bart now turned in the right direction. A man of about thirty had revealed himself from the brush. He had small, bright eyes, a shrewd, narrow face, and Bart knew from discription who he was Buck Tolliver.
He talked of my Mother as if she had lived but a few weeks before; not that he expressed poignant grief, but his discription of her person, and his relation of all anecdotes connected with her was thus fervent and vivid. In all this there was a strangeness that attracted and enchanted me.
Colter joined us this morning haveing killed a Bear, which from his discription of it's poverty and distance we did not think proper to send after.
At day light the point above mention'd bore North, distant 3 Leagues, and we found that the land trended away from it South-West by West, as far as we could see. It requires no discription to know it by, the Latitude and the Angle made here by the Coast will be found quite sufficient; however, there is a remarkable saddle hill laying near the Shore, 3 or 4 Leagues South-West of the Cape.
Before I quit this land altogether I shall give a short general discription of the Country, its inhabitants, their manners, Customs, etc., in which it is necessary to observe that many things are founded only on Conjecture, for we were too short a time in any one place to learn much of their interior policy, and therefore could only draw conclusions from what we saw at different times.
Capt. Clarks black man York is very unwell today and he gave him a doze of tartar emettic which operated very well and he was much better in the evening. this is a discription of medecine that I nevr have recourse to in my practice except in cases of the intermittent fever. this evening the hunters returned with the canoes and brought thre buffaloe skins only and two Antelope 4 deer and three wolf skins; they reported that the buffaloe had gone further down the river. the two hunters whom we sent out from hence returned also without having killed anything except one Elk.
The Clatsop left us this morning at 11 A.M. not anything transpired dureing the day worthy of notice. yesterday we completed the opperation of drying the meat, and think we have a Sufficient Stock to last us this month. the Indians inform us that we shall have great abundance of Small fish in March. which from the discription must be the Herring.
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