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Seamans Creek passing a creek at 1 m. 8 yds. wide. this course with the river, the road passing through an extensive high prarie rendered very uneven by a vast number of little hillucks and sinkholes at the heads of these two creeks high broken mountains stand at the distance of 10 m. forming a kind of Cove generally of open untimbered country. we encamped on the lower side of the last creek just above it's entrance. here a war party had encamped about 2 months since and conceald their fires.
C. had killed we could not find. about 2 in the evening we had passed through a range of low mountains and the country bacame more open again, tho still broken and untimbered and the bottoms not very extensive. we encamped on the Lard. side near a spring on a high bank the prickly pears are so abundant that we could scarcely find room to lye. just above our camp the river is again closed in by the Mouts. on both sides.
The next day as I approached the top of the mountain I found the timber much smaller, and mostly pine. There is much fertile land in some of the valleys between the two great ranges of mountains. Early on the following morning I arrived at the bald, snow-covered summit. On my right and on my left were high, untimbered, snow-covered peaks.
The people used ladders, but they neglected to collar or brace the mouth, and the untimbered pit-sides often fell in; hence fatal accidents, attributed to the 'earth-spirits. They held gold to be a capricious elf, and when a rich vein suddenly ran barren they cried out, 'There! he is off! Here the natives collect dust by laborious washings of detrital sand.
The Antelope is found in the great plains of Columbia and are the same of those on the Missouri found in every part of that untimbered country. they are by no means as plenty on this side of the Rocky Mountains as on the other. the natives here make robes of their skins dressed with the hair on them. when the salmon begin to decline in the latter end of the sunme and Autumn the natves leave the river, at least a majority and remove to the plains at some distance for the purpose of hunting the Antelope. they pursue them on horse back and shoot them with their arrows.
Here extends mile after mile of primeval forest where perhaps foot of white man has never trod interminable vistas where the eucalyptus trees rear their lofty trunks and spread forth their lanky limbs, from which the red gum oozes and hangs in fantastic pendants like crimson stalactites; ravines along the sides of which the long-bladed grass grows rankly; level untimbered plains alternating with undulating tracts of pasture, here and there broken by a stony ridge, steep gully, or dried-up creek.
The Shoshone man was displeased because we did not give him as much venison as he could eat and in consequence refused to interpret, we took no further notice of him and in the course of a few hours he became very officious and seemed anxious to reinstate himself in our good opinons. the relation of the twisted hair and Neeshneparkkeook gave us a sketch of the principall watercourses West of the Rocky Mountains a copy of which I preserved; they make the main Southwardly branch of Lewis's river much more extensive than the other, and place many villages of the Shoshonees on it's western side. at half after 3 P.M. we departed; for the lodge of the Twisted hair accompanyed by the Cheif and sundry other indians. the relation of the twisted hair left us. the road led us up a steep and high hill to a high and level plain mostly untimbered, through which we passed parrallel with the river about 4 miles when we met the Twisted hair and a party of six men. to this Cheif we had confided the care of our horses and a part of our saddles when we decended the river last fall. the Twisted hair received us very coolly an occurrence as unexpected as it was unaccountable to us. he shortly began to speak with a loud voice and in a angry manner, when he had ceased to speak he was answered by the Cutnose Cheif or Neeshneparkkeook; we readily discovered that a violet quarrel had taken place between these Cheifs but at that instant knew not the cause; we afterwards learnt that it was on the subject of our horses. this contreversy between the cheifs detained us about 20 minutes; in order to put an end to this dispute as well as to releive our horses from the embarasment of their loads, we informed the Cheifs that we should continue our march to the first water and encamp accordingly we moved on and the Indians all followed. about two miles on the road we arrived at a little branch which run to the wright. here we encamped for the evening having traveled 6 miles today. the two cheifs with their little bands formed seperate camps at a short distance from ours, they all appeared to be in an ill humour. we had been informed some days since that the natives had discovered the deposit of our saddles and taken them away and that our horses were much scattered. we were very anxious to learn the particulars or truth of these reports from the twisted hair, as it must in some measure govern us in the establishment of our perminent camp which in consequence of our detention by the snow of the mountains has become necessary. to obtain our horses and saddles as quickly as possible is our wish, and we are somewhat apprehensive that this difference which has taken place between these Chiefs may millitate against our operations in this rispect. we were therefore desireous to bring about a good understanding between them as soon as possible.
This was peculiarly unfortunate, because he understood that their course led across a wide untimbered stretch, on the opposite side of which one or two isolated bluffs would indicate the neighbourhood of the factory. Disastrous consequences might follow the missing of these woods.
The Grass's of this neighbourhood are generally coarse harsh and Sedge like, and grow in large tufts. there is none except in the open grounds. near the Coast on the top of Some of the untimbered hills there is a finer and Softer Species which resembles much the Greensword. the Salt marshes also produce a Corse grass, Bullrushes and the Cattail flaggs. of the two last the nativs make great use in prepareing their mats bags &c. in those bags they Carry their fish Berries roots &c.
The Antelope is found in the great plains of Columbia and are the Same with those of the Missouri found in every part of that untimbered Country. they are by no means as plenty on this Side of the Rocky Mountains as on the other. the nativs here make robes of their Skins dressed withe the hair on them. when the Salmon begin to decline in the latter end of Summer and autumn, the nativs leave the river, at least a majority and move out into the plains at Some distance for the purpose of hunting the Antelope. they pursue them on hors back and Shute them with their arrows.
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