Lewis: June 16, 1806
On June 16, 1806, the expedition gathered their horses and departed at 6 A.M., traveling up a creek through meadows of camas before ascending a ridge toward a branch of Hungry Creek, where they halted to let horses graze and ate dinner. Fallen timber slowed progress, and Windsor broke his rifle near the muzzle. They encountered deep snow, sometimes 8-10 feet, firm enough to bear the horses. Vegetation was notably backward, raising doubts about crossing the mountains, but they pressed on, covering 15 miles and camping at a glade where Clark had killed a horse the previous September.
Monday June 16th 1806. We collected our horses very readily this morning,
took breakfast and set out at 6 A.M.; proceeded up the creek about 2 miles
through some handsom meadows of fine grass abounding with quawmash, here
we passed the creek & ascended a ridge which led us to the N. E. about
seven miles when we arrived at a small branch of hungry creek. the
difficulty we met with from the fallen timber detained us untill 11 oC
before we reached this place. here is a handsome little glade in which we
found some grass for our horses we therefore halted to let them graize and
took dinner knowing that there was no other convenient situation for that
purpose short of the glaids on hungry creek where we intended to encamp,
as the last probable place, at which we shall find a sufficient quantity
of grass for many days. this morning Windsor busted his rifle near the
muzzle. before we reached this little branch on which we dined we saw in
the hollows and N. hillsides large quatities of snow yet undisolved; in
some places it was from two to three feet deep. vegetation is
proportionably backward; the dogtooth violet is just in blume, the
honeysuckle, huckburry and a small speceis of white maple are begining to
put fourth their leaves; these appearances in this comparatively low
region augers but unfavourably with rispect to the practibility of passing
the mountains, however we determined to proceed, accordingly after taking
a haisty meal we set out and continued our rout though a thick wood much
obstructed with fallen timber, and intersepted by many steep ravines and
high hills. the snow has increased in quantity so much that the greater
part of our rout this evening was over the snow which has become
sufficiently firm to bear our horshes, otherwise it would have been
impossible for us to proceed as it lay in immence masses in some places 8
or ten feet deep. we found much difficulty in pursuing the road as it was
so frequently covered with snow. we arrived early in the evening at the
place that Capt. C. had killed and left the flesh of a horse for us last
September. here is a small glade in which there was some grass, not a
sufficiency for our horses but we thought it most advisable to remain here
all night as we apprehended if we proceeded further we should find less
grass. the air is pleasent in the course of the day but becomes very cold
before morning notwithstanding the shortness of the nights. Hungry creek
is but small at this place but is deep and runs a perfect torrent; the
water is perfectly transparent and as cold as ice. the pitch pine, white
pine some larch and firs constite the timber; the long leafed pine extends
a little distance on this side of the main branch of Collins’s creek, and
the white cedar not further than the branch of hungry creek on which we
dined. I killed a small brown pheasant today, it feeds on the tender
leaves and buds of the fir and pitch pine. in the fore part of the day I
observed the Cullumbine the blue bells and the yelow flowering pea in
blume. there is an abundance of a speceis of anjelico in these mountains,
much stonger to the taist and more highly scented than that speceis common
to the U States. know of no particular virtue or property it possesses;
the natives dry it cut it in small peices which they string on a small
cord and place about their necks; it smells very pleasantly. we came 15
miles today.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Monday June 16th 1806. We gathered our horses very easily this morning, took breakfast, and set out at 6 A.M. We proceeded up the creek about 2 miles through some handsome meadows of fine grass abounding with quamash. Here we crossed the creek and ascended a ridge which led us to the N. E. about seven miles, when we arrived at a small branch of Hungry Creek. The difficulty we met with from the fallen timber detained us until 11 o'clock before we reached this place. Here is a handsome little glade in which we found some grass for our horses, so we halted to let them graze and took dinner, knowing that there was no other convenient situation for that purpose short of the glades on Hungry Creek where we intended to camp, as the last probable place at which we shall find a sufficient quantity of grass for many days. This morning Windsor burst his rifle near the muzzle. Before we reached this little branch on which we dined, we saw in the hollows and north hillsides large quantities of snow yet undissolved; in some places it was from two to three feet deep. Vegetation is proportionately backward; the dogtooth violet is just in bloom, and the honeysuckle, huckleberry, and a small species of white maple are beginning to put forth their leaves. These appearances in this comparatively low region augur unfavorably with respect to the practicability of passing the mountains; however, we determined to proceed.
Accordingly, after taking a hasty meal, we set out and continued our route through a thick wood much obstructed with fallen timber and intersected by many steep ravines and high hills. The snow has increased in quantity so much that the greater part of our route this evening was over the snow, which has become sufficiently firm to bear our horses; otherwise it would have been impossible for us to proceed, as it lay in immense masses in some places 8 or 10 feet deep. We found much difficulty in following the road, as it was so frequently covered with snow. We arrived early in the evening at the place where Capt. C. (Capt. Clark) had killed and left the flesh of a horse for us last September. Here is a small glade in which there was some grass, not a sufficiency for our horses, but we thought it most advisable to remain here all night, as we feared that if we proceeded further we should find less grass. The air is pleasant in the course of the day but becomes very cold before morning, notwithstanding the shortness of the nights.
Hungry Creek is but small at this place, but it is deep and runs a perfect torrent; the water is perfectly transparent and as cold as ice. The pitch pine, white pine, some larch, and firs constitute the timber; the long-leafed pine extends a little distance on this side of the main branch of Collins's Creek, and the white cedar no further than the branch of Hungry Creek on which we dined. I killed a small brown pheasant today; it feeds on the tender leaves and buds of the fir and pitch pine. In the fore part of the day I observed the columbine, the bluebells, and the yellow flowering pea in bloom. There is an abundance of a species of angelica in these mountains, much stronger to the taste and more highly scented than the species common to the U. States. I know of no particular virtue or property it possesses; the natives dry it, cut it into small pieces which they string on a small cord and place about their necks; it smells very pleasantly. We came 15 miles today.
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