Lewis: to Great Falls / Clark: to Three Forks — Patrick Gass: July 7, 1806
The party traveled early through a beautiful clover-filled valley, crossing the main branch of a river coming from the north after about five miles. They followed the road up the branch, then over a hill where they passed two scenic three-acre ponds. After halting three hours for dinner along a small stream, they continued four miles to the dividing ridge between the Missouri and Columbia waters, crossed it, and reached a spring flowing into the Missouri. They then traveled north along the ridge, encamping at 9 p.m. after covering 32 miles.
Continued our journey early along the valley, which is very
beautiful with a great deal of clover in its plains. Having
gone about five miles, we crossed the main branch of the
river, which comes in from the north; and up which the road
goes about five miles further and then takes over a hill to-
wards the east. On the top of this hill there are two beau-
tiful ponds, of about three acres in size. We passed over the
ridge and struck a small stream, which we at first thought
was of the head waters of the Missouri, but found it was not.
Here we halted for dinner, and after staying three hours,
proceeded on four miles up the branch, when we came to
the dividing ridge between the waters of the Missouri and
Columbia; passed over the ridge and came to a fine spring
the waters of which run into the Missouri. We then kept
down this stream or branch about a mile; then turned a
north course along the side of the dividing ridge for eight
miles, passing a number of small streams or branches, and at
9 o’clock at night encamped after coming 32 miles.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We continued our journey early along the valley, which is very beautiful with a great deal of clover in its plains. After going about five miles, we crossed the main branch of the river, which comes in from the north; and up which the road goes about five miles further and then takes over a hill toward the east. On the top of this hill there are two beautiful ponds, each about three acres in size. We passed over the ridge and struck a small stream, which we at first thought was one of the headwaters of the Missouri, but found it was not.
Here we halted for dinner, and after staying three hours, proceeded on four miles up the branch, when we came to the dividing ridge between the waters of the Missouri and Columbia. We passed over the ridge and came to a fine spring whose waters run into the Missouri. We then kept down this stream or branch about a mile; then turned a north course along the side of the dividing ridge for eight miles, passing a number of small streams or branches, and at 9 o'clock at night camped after coming 32 miles.
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