Lost and starving in Bitterroot Mountains — John Ordway: September 17, 1805
The party spent the morning rounding up scattered horses, not finishing until about noon when they set out. Snow melted off the timber, making the rough trail wet and slippery, with water standing over their moccasins in places. They climbed steep, rocky parts of the mountain past high cliffs in pleasant afternoon weather. Camp was made by a small creek among dry pine timber. Out of food and very hungry, they killed their last colt to eat. A hunter chased a bear without success, and wolves were heard howling ahead.
look for our horses found Some of them much Scattered, we
did not find them all untill about 12 oClock at which time we Set
out and proceeded on. the Snow melted of[f] the timber, the trail
verry rough we came up and down bad Steep places of the
Mountain, the afternoon clear and pleasant & warm, the snow
melted fast, the water Stood in the trail over our mock118 Some
places Slippery, we assended a steep high rockey part of the
Mountain high rocks and high pricipicies. we Camped on this
Mountain1 at a small creek and dry pine timber, we being verry
hungry oblidged us to kill another colt the last we had one of
the hunters chased a bear up the Mountain but could not kill it.
we hear wolves howl some distance a head.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We looked for our horses and found some of them much scattered. We did not find them all until about 12 o'clock, at which time we set out and proceeded on. The snow melted off the timber. The trail was very rough; we came up and down bad steep places of the mountain. The afternoon was clear and pleasant and warm, and the snow melted fast. The water stood in the trail over our moccasins, and some places were slippery. We ascended a steep, high, rocky part of the mountain with high rocks and high precipices. We camped on this mountain at a small creek with dry pine timber. Being very hungry, we were obliged to kill another colt, the last one we had. One of the hunters chased a bear up the mountain but could not kill it. We hear wolves howl some distance ahead.
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