Lewis: June 20, 1806
Hunters returned with meager results: R. Fields killed a lean brown bear (the Nez Perce 'Yah-kar' species), Labiche brought in a deer, and the party caught seven salmon trout. With game scarce and dense underbrush limiting hunting, the captains decided to return the next morning to the Quamash Flats to restock meat and seek a guide for the mountains. Lewis detailed a backup plan: send four expert woodsmen ahead to blaze the Indian road through the snow if no guide could be found. Bratton's horse went missing.
Friday June 20th 1806. Our hunters set out early this morning; most of
them returned before noon. R. Feilds killed a brown bear the tallons of
which were remarkably short broad at their base and sharply pointed this
was of the speceis which the Chopunnish call Yah-kar. it was in very low
order and the flesh of the bear in this situation is much inferior to lean
venison or the flesh of poor Elk. Labush and Cruzatte returned late in the
evening with one deer which the former had killed. we also caught seven
salmon trout in the course of the day. the hunters assured us that their
greatest exertions would not enable them to support us here more than one
or two days longer from the great scarcity of game and the difficult
access of the country, the under brush being very thick and great
quantities of fallen timber. as we shall necessarily be compelled to
remain more than two days for the return of Drewyer and Shannon we
determined to return in the morning as far as the quawmash flatts and
indeavour to lay in another stock of meat for the mountains, our former
stock being now nearly exhausted as well as what we have killed on our
return. by returning to the quawmash flatts we shall sooner be informed
whether or not we can procure a guide to conduct us through the mountains;
should we fail in procuring one, we have determined to wrisk a passage on
the following plan immediately, because should we wait much longer or
untill the snow desolves in such manner as to enable us to follow the road
we cannot hope to reach the United States this winter; this is that Capt.
C. or myself shall take four of our most expert woodsmen with three or
four of our best horses and proceed two days in advance taking a
plentiful) supply of provision. for this party to follow the road by the
marks which the baggage of the indians has made in many places on the
sides of the trees by rubing against them, and to blaize the trees with a
tomahawk as they proceeded. that after proceeding two days in advance of
hungary creek two of those men would be sent back to the main party who by
the time of their return to Hungary Creek would have reached that place.
the men so returning would be enabled to inform the main party of the
probable success of the preceeding party in finding the road and of their
probable progress, in order that should it be necessary, the main party by
the delay of a day or two at hungary creek, should give the advance time
to mark the road through before the main party could overtake them, and
thus prevent delay on the part of the rout where no food is to be obtained
for our horses. should it so happen that the advance could not find the
road by the marks on the trees after attempting it for two days, the whole
of then would return to the main party. in which case we wold bring back
our baggage and attempt a passage over these mountains through the country
of the Shoshones further to the South by way of the main S. Westerly fork
of Lewis’s river and Madison or Gallatin’s rivers, where from the
information of the Chopunnish there is a passage which at this season of
the year is not obstructed by snow, though the round is very distant and
would require at least a month in it’s performance. The Shoshones informed
us when we first met with them that there was a passage across the
mountains in that quarter but represented the difficulties arrising from
steep high and rugged mountains and also an extensive and barren plain
which was to be passed without game, as infinitely more difficult than the
rout by which we came. from the circumstance of the Chopunnish being at
war with that part of the Shoshones who inhabit the country on this side
of the Mountains through which the road passes I think it is highly
probable that they cannot be well informed with rispect to the road, and
further, had there been a better road in that quarter the Shoshones on the
East fork of Lewis’s river who knew them both would not have recommended
that by which we came to this country. the travelling in the mountains on
the snow at present is very good, the snow bears the horses perfictly; it
is a firm coase snow without a crust, and the horses have good foot hold
without sliping much; the only dificulty is finding the road, and I think
the plan we have devised will succeed even should we not be enabled to
obtain a guide. Although the snow may be stated on an average at 10 feet
deep yet arround the bodies of the trees it has desolved much more than in
other parts not being generally more than one or two feet deep immediately
at the roots of the trees, and; of course the marks left by the rubing of
the indian baggage against them is not concealed. the reason why the snow
is comparitively so shallow about the roots of the trees I presume
proceeds as well from the snow in falling being thrown off from their
bodies by their thick and spreading branches as from the reflection of the
sun against the trees and the warmth which they in some measure acquire
from the earth which is never frozen underneath these masses of snow.
Bratton’s horse was also discovered to be absent this evening. I presume
he has also returned to the flatts.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday June 20th 1806. Our hunters set out early this morning; most of them returned before noon. R. Fields killed a brown bear, the talons of which were remarkably short, broad at their base, and sharply pointed. This was of the species which the Chopunnish call Yah-kar. It was in very poor condition, and the flesh of the bear in this state is much inferior to lean venison or the flesh of a poor Elk. Labush and Cruzatte returned late in the evening with one deer which Labush had killed. We also caught seven salmon trout in the course of the day. The hunters assured us that their greatest exertions would not enable them to support us here more than one or two days longer, due to the great scarcity of game and the difficulty of traveling through the country, the underbrush being very thick and great quantities of fallen timber.
Since we will necessarily be compelled to remain more than two days for the return of Drouillard (Drewyer) and Shannon, we determined to return in the morning as far as the quamash flats and try to lay in another stock of meat for the mountains, our former stock being now nearly exhausted, as well as what we have killed on our return. By returning to the quamash flats we shall sooner learn whether or not we can find a guide to conduct us through the mountains. Should we fail in finding one, we have determined to risk a passage immediately on the following plan, because if we wait much longer, or until the snow melts enough to enable us to follow the road, we cannot hope to reach the United States this winter.
The plan is this: Capt. C. (Capt. Clark) or myself shall take four of our most expert woodsmen with three or four of our best horses and proceed two days in advance, taking a plentiful supply of provisions. This party will follow the road by the marks which the baggage of the Indians has made in many places on the sides of the trees by rubbing against them, and will blaze the trees with a tomahawk as they proceed. After proceeding two days in advance of Hungary Creek, two of those men would be sent back to the main party, who by the time of their return to Hungary Creek would have reached that place. The men so returning would be able to inform the main party of the probable success of the advance party in finding the road and of their probable progress, so that, should it be necessary, the main party could delay a day or two at Hungary Creek to give the advance time to mark the road through before the main party could overtake them, and thus prevent delay on the part of the route where no food is to be obtained for our horses. Should it happen that the advance could not find the road by the marks on the trees after attempting it for two days, the whole of them would return to the main party.
In that case we would bring back our baggage and attempt a passage over these mountains through the country of the Shoshones further to the south, by way of the main southwesterly fork of Lewis's river and Madison or Gallatin's rivers, where, according to information from the Chopunnish, there is a passage which at this season of the year is not obstructed by snow, though the route is very distant and would require at least a month to complete. The Shoshones informed us when we first met them that there was a passage across the mountains in that quarter, but described the difficulties arising from steep, high, and rugged mountains, and also an extensive and barren plain which had to be crossed without game, as infinitely more difficult than the route by which we came. Given that the Chopunnish are at war with that part of the Shoshones who inhabit the country on this side of the mountains through which the road passes, I think it is highly probable that they cannot be well informed about the road; and further, had there been a better road in that quarter, the Shoshones on the east fork of Lewis's river, who knew both routes, would not have recommended the one by which we came to this country.
The travelling in the mountains on the snow at present is very good; the snow bears the horses perfectly. It is a firm, coarse snow without a crust, and the horses have good footing without slipping much. The only difficulty is finding the road, and I think the plan we have devised will succeed even should we not be able to obtain a guide. Although the snow may be stated on average at 10 feet deep, around the bodies of the trees it has melted much more than in other parts, generally being no more than one or two feet deep immediately at the roots of the trees; and, of course, the marks left by the rubbing of the Indian baggage against them are not concealed. The reason why the snow is comparatively so shallow about the roots of the trees, I presume, comes both from the snow being thrown off the trees as it falls by their thick and spreading branches, and from the reflection of the sun against the trees and the warmth which they in some measure acquire from the earth, which is never frozen underneath these masses of snow.
Bratton's horse was also discovered to be missing this evening. I presume he has also returned to the flats.
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