Missouri River near Musselshell River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 23, 1805

ae. frosty morning. | the Standing water was froze
over. we Set off at Sun rise and proceeded on one of
the hunters who went on Some distance & Stayed out
all [night] joined us, had killed 5 deer. we passed bottoms
killed [blank space in MS. ] Deer in S* bottoms _ passed pitch
pine hills on each Side of the River. passed Several Small
Islands in the River. about 2 oC. P.M. we halted and made
fire to dine at a timbred bottom on N.S. one of the hunters
took his rifle & bullett pouch on Shore the fire broke out
into the woods, and burned up his shot pouch powder horn &
the stalk of his rifle. about 3 oC we proceeded on passed pine
hills as usal. towards evening we killed a brown bear in, the
river but he Sank in under a large drift of wood So that we
could not git it. we Came 28 miles to day and Camped at a
timbred bottom on the N.S. Some of the party discovered
high Mountains to the west of us a long distance or as far off
as their eyes could extend L. S.