Patrick Gass: November 2, 1806
The party traveled through mountainous country along a river valley, making about 25 miles and encamping on a creek in the evening. The morning was clear with frost. They observed serviceberry bushes, wild flax, and old Indian lodges along the way, and crossed a northern fork of the Ce-qual-la-isquet, a 40-yard-wide stream with a rapid current. Cottonwood timber lined a small valley, where mosquitoes were troublesome. As they advanced, the valley widened into open plains. Two hunters were sent out daily to find game.
set out early, precectia over som
came to the old eit 3 at fie i
: ae re we gifs ns for ‘hie ges ee gs most
2 a desetic rere We. dibed at the glades or plains on
: Glade, creek 5. and where there is. good grass, and
. com-mas also grows. Two other hunters. went @n
ahead and killed another deer on the way.
~ Monday 30th. We continued our march early and
had. a fine morning. When we were ready to set.
cout, we saw a deer coming to a lick at the hot spring,
and one. of our hunters shot it. Two hunters went
en ahead. At noon another went ont a short time,
_and killed a fine deer. We halted for dinner at the .
_same place, where we dined on the 12th of Sept.
1805, as we passéd over to the Western ocean. Af- —
‘ter dinner we proceeded on, and on our way found
three deer that one of the hunters had killed and left
re for us. In the evening we arrived at Travellers’-rest
_ ereek, w sheve the party rested two days last fall, and.
_ where itempties into F lathead (called Clarke’s) river, |
| ee beattifal viver about one hundred yards wide at this
_ place; but there is no fish of any consequence in it ;
and, according to the Indian account, there are ‘falls
et it, between this. place and its mouth, where it”
ned in its water. . One of our hunters killed.
empties into we Colu mbia, Six or seven hundred feet coe
phigh probably igievenk tha: fish from: ee
‘% Hace we sierra and met hscitoay
“coming fd over the 7101 niece aa
The Indians still continue és a ‘ “4
Lene to be separated ; some
sto the falls of the Mis. i
to wf hades and watiees oe Fe
“hauling ov pcine wees oe over t
at
ce We continued here dura tl rf
eke
viet: arPangements ‘te ‘our sepatatio
: | pidaters ‘went out and killed two. deere. oe
quits a are bata troublesome at thisyplace.
e’s it ee 2 a | 3) me hae ‘ é i:
* ate PN
* x
ye ‘Thavedas y ae We atk
: collected our horeee and ese ou
“and ale dines sae: aa many >
The river here is abou =|
d very. beautiful. We had to 9 Take a
‘ §
afts, | ma in | the: evenl |
ner ai
aha v ol Bie Missnisr. “Pie son nies
a © of the river alled by the natives eee )
_ which means, the road to the buffaloe.* eee
Briday 4th. We had a beautiful – ‘morning png 2
” gmnited here some time in order to. > have a morning. 4
ire chataa ple ientifll supply of provisions to. carry . 4
Be _ them back over the mountains. — While our “punters. ) a 4
| Eakin ty Captain Laws and he: party is my
to the fulls of the Missouri, mentioned i in Cap-
e’s letter ; that taken by Captain ‘Clarke andhis ©”
s to the head waters of the main branch ofthe Mis-. -. 4
lich. they ascended in their outward bound. voyare,
oe
and which is a considerable distance: south of the
par ‘course from the falls to the crossing brane ofthe gre % :
: Wi sag Mountains, Se eee 5 se
; i i ae a * esi
a ce
“ és ee $3 Prd : ¥ 4 ”
; Nh hs P ay F
i de, We: ¥
* ee ey i rat ie
“JOURNAL. ee Ret nee J
; biocentivias came to our citi saites oa’ ?
_Miouatains after us.. At 0 o’cléck our tae oa
or ig haa had, not killed any things We ae
| from. théec that were killed yoko
ie
em. Som pean s bes took’a friend e
Dy iesearious peor i ee we hae?
S€eF -of our veyage and travels. After —
taking. irewell of these good hearted, hospitable _ .
. and obliging sons of the west, we proceeded ‘
~. -Tsquet-co-qual-la, through a handseme prairie
» 1Omiles, after which the hills come close on
a von both sides, and we had a rough
_°. Having made 18 miles we encamped
where. the” country 5 ae very mou aul
sides of the river, ‘which. ‘runs nearly east and
Mist isa deep rapid stream about 80 yard :
— Saturday 5th. We had another bea
set. out early and proceeded on the
yesterday. through a rough country;
branches or small streams flowing from the
» killed one deer, and about 11.0 “clack came e toa} y
three quarters: ofa mile widey, all plains, where we me
halted to’ dine and to let our horses feed. ‘The. hifie ) 3 @
upon each side are handsomely covered with. timber. Ob is
“the firkind. While we rested here one of our, hun- wes
ters killed a cabre or antelope. At 1 o’clock We | “DIG. tae
‘teeded.on again up the valley. When We ‘had Cohn! Om
about nine abe we came. to. and sro a river,
3 some snow topped Yapartalaes tie 1
ca etal is two or three Laci wide. =
allen, ra. ‘the hills. come reve up. :
r fortwo miles. After we had passed these né
(s Fe acame ye another large and 9 het y
+ : eo a 8 Be
ee “JOUR re
four * or five miles wide and: ail siaeie) eee ‘8c me
timber on the river banks. In the evening we en-
i camped en the bank of ae handsome cree Ww
comes in from the north, a bold stream fa
Wide. 3 nee
~ Sunday’ 6ths We had a ee ‘clear: mo ning
some white frost, and renewed our jourr arly;
/ saw’ a great many service berries, no et Tr a alg and
ee some flax which grows on these p 1S.
ao ome about seven miles we crossed a north re
“0. the Ce- qual-la-isquet, which is 40 yards wide
-mid-rib deep on our horses, with ‘a rapid | ‘current.
| Abontiey n miles up the valley we passed a. beauti-
Bc os We vent two nfen out ‘every ay hen pect
Oe rk. small valley there i is a considerable quantity
of cotton nC
7 n wood timbe r; and the musketoes are very
troublesome. At 1 o’clock we proceeded on, passed
‘tiver, and a number of old Indian lodges. “As we
ny ~ alvance the valley becomes more extensive, and is –
all plain. At night we encamped on a beautiful
a < ~ ereek, having travelled twenty five miles.” (Our hun-
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We set out early and proceeded on. We came to the old site at 3 o'clock. We dined at the glades or plains on Glade Creek, where there is good grass, and camas also grows. Two other hunters went on ahead and killed another deer on the way.
Monday 30th. We continued our march early and had a fine morning. When we were ready to set out, we saw a deer coming to a lick at the hot spring, and one of our hunters shot it. Two hunters went on ahead. At noon another went out a short time, and killed a fine deer. We halted for dinner at the same place where we dined on the 12th of September 1805, as we passed over to the Western Ocean. After dinner we proceeded on, and on our way found three deer that one of the hunters had killed and left for us. In the evening we arrived at Travellers'-rest Creek, where the party rested two days last fall, and where it empties into the Flathead (called Clarke's) river, a beautiful river about one hundred yards wide at this place; but there is no fish of any consequence in it; and, according to the Indian account, there are falls in it, between this place and its mouth where it empties into the Columbia, six or seven hundred feet high, which probably prevents the fish from coming up. One of our hunters killed a deer here.
We continued here during the next day and met together over the mountains. The Indians still continue to be separated; some going to the falls of the Missouri, and others hauling our canoes over to the head waters.
We continued here during the day and made arrangements for our separation. Our hunters went out and killed two deer. The musketoes are very troublesome at this place.
Thursday 3rd. We collected our horses and set out, and also dined here. The river here is about 100 yards wide and very beautiful. We had to make rafts, and in the evening we proceeded on. The road taken by Captain Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and his party is to the falls of the Missouri, mentioned in Captain Clarke's (Capt. Clarke's) letter; that taken by Captain Clarke (Capt. Clarke) and his party is to the head waters of the main branch of the Missouri, which they ascended in their outward bound voyage, and which is a considerable distance south of the direct course from the falls to the crossing branch of the great Rocky Mountains.
Friday 4th. We had a beautiful morning, and waited here some time in order to have a plentiful supply of provisions to carry them back over the mountains. While our hunters were out, the Indians came to our camp from the mountains after us. At 10 o'clock our hunters returned, but had not killed anything. We took meat from those that were killed yesterday. Some of the Indians took a friendly leave of us, others continued with us for the remainder of our voyage and travels. After taking farewell of these good hearted, hospitable and obliging sons of the west, we proceeded down Tsquet-co-qual-la, through a handsome prairie 10 miles, after which the hills come close on the river on both sides, and we had a rough road. Having made 18 miles we encamped where the country is very mountainous on both sides of the river, which runs nearly east and west, and is a deep rapid stream about 80 yards wide.
Saturday 5th. We had another beautiful morning, set out early and proceeded on the same course as yesterday, through a rough country, crossing several branches or small streams flowing from the mountains. One of our hunters killed one deer, and about 11 o'clock we 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 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 coming in from some snow topped mountains. The river is two or three perches wide. After we crossed, the hills come close up to the river for two miles. After we had passed these narrows, we came to another large and handsome 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 25 yards wide.
Sunday 6th. We had a fine clear morning with some white frost, and renewed our journey early. We saw a great many service berries, not yet ripe, and some flax which grows on these plains. Having gone about seven miles we crossed a north branch of the Ce-qual-la-isquet, which is 40 yards wide and mid-rib deep on our horses, with a rapid current. About ten miles up the valley we passed a beautiful small valley where there is a considerable quantity of cottonwood timber; and the musketoes are very troublesome. At 1 o'clock we proceeded on, passed the river, and a number of old Indian lodges. As we advance the valley becomes more extensive, and is all plain. At night we encamped on a beautiful creek, having travelled twenty five miles. We sent two men out every day to hunt.
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