Lewis: July 22, 1806

Tuesday, July 22nd, 1806. We set out very early this morning as usual and proceeded up the river. For the first seven miles of our travel this morning the country was broken, the land poor and mixed with a greater quantity of gravel than usual; the ravines were steep and numerous, and our horses' feet have become extremely sore from traveling over the gravel, so we traveled only slowly. We met with a doe elk which we wounded but did not get. The river is closely confined between cliffs of perpendicular rocks in most parts. After the distance of seven miles the country became more level, less gravelly, and there were some bottoms along the river, but not a particle of timber or underbrush of any description is to be seen.

We continued up the river on its south side for 17 miles, when we halted to graze our horses and eat. There being no wood, we were compelled to make our fire with buffalo dung, which I found answered the purpose very well. We cooked and ate all the meat we had except a small piece of buffalo meat which was a little tainted. After dinner we crossed the river and took our course through a level and beautiful plain on the north side. The country has now become level, the river bottoms wide, and the adjoining plains but little elevated above them; the banks of the river are not usually more than three to four feet, yet it does not appear ever to overflow them.

We found no timber until we had traveled 12 miles further, when we arrived at a clump of large cottonwood trees in a beautiful and extensive bottom of the river about 10 miles below the foot of the Rocky Mountains, where this river enters them. As I could see from here very distinctly where the river entered the mountains, and the bearing of this point being south of west, I thought it unnecessary to proceed further, and therefore camped, resolving to rest ourselves and horses a couple of days at this place and take the necessary observations.

This plain on which we are is very high; the Rocky Mountains to the southwest of us appear but low from their base up, yet are partially covered with snow nearly to their bases. There is no timber on those mountains within our view; they are very irregular and broken in their form and seem to be composed principally of clay with but little rock or stone. The river appears to possess at least double the volume of water which it had where we first arrived on it below; this no doubt proceeds from the evaporation caused by the sun and air and the absorption of the earth in its passage through these open plains.

The course of the mountains still continues from southeast to northwest. The front range appears to terminate abruptly about 35 miles to the northwest of us. I believe that the waters of the Saskatchewan (Suskashawan) approach the borders of this river very nearly. I now have lost all hope of the waters of this river ever extending to north latitude 50°, though I still hope, and think it more than probable, that both White Earth River and Milk River extend as far north as latitude 50°.

We have seen but few buffalo today, no deer, and very few antelope; game of every description is extremely wild, which induces me to believe that the Indians are now, or have been lately, in this neighborhood. We wounded a buffalo this evening, but our horses were so much fatigued that we were unable to pursue it with success.