Lewis: to Great Falls / Clark: to Three Forks — Patrick Gass: July 5, 1806

early and proceeded on the same course as yesterday through
a rough country, with a number of branches or small streams
flowing from the hills. We killed one deer, and about 11
o’clock came to a valley three quarters of a mile wide, all
plains, where we halted to dine and to let our horses feed.
The hills upon each side are handsomely covered with timber
of the fir kind. While we rested here one of our hunters
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killed a cabre or antelope. At 1 o’clock we proceeded on
again up the valley. When we had gone about nine miles we
came to and crossed a river, about 35 yards wide, which flows
in with a rapid current from some snow topped mountains on
the north, where the valley is two or three miles wide. Having
gone about four miles further we came to the head of the val-
ley, where the hills come close upon the river for two miles.
After we had passed these narrows we came to another large
and beautiful valley four or five miles wide, and all plains,
except some timber on the river banks. In the evening we
encamped on the bank of a handsome creek which comes in
from the north, a bold stream of 15 yards wide.