Weippe Prairie, rescued by Nez Perce — Patrick Gass: September 22, 1805
The party paused at noon by a spring for a meal of portable soup, noting that snow had mostly melted except on north-facing peaks. Resuming at 2 P.M., they descended a steep mountain into a cove with a large eastward-flowing creek. One horse tumbled about 100 feet off a precipice into the water but escaped serious injury. After 17 miles they camped on a small branch and again ate portable soup. The men are growing weak and the horses' feet sore, but spirits lifted upon spotting a level valley roughly 40 miles ahead.
and about 12 o’clock halted at a spring to take a little more
soup. The snow is chiefly gone except on the north points of
the high mountains. At 2 P.M. we again went on, and
descended a steep mountain into a cove on our left hand,
where there is a large creek, which here runs towards the east.
The hills on each side, along which the trail or path passes,
are very steep. One of our horses fell down the precipice
about 100 feet, and was not killed, nor much hurt: the reason
was, that there is no bottom below, and the precipice, the
only bank, which the creek has; therefore the horse pitched
into the water, without meeting with any intervening object,
which could materially injure him. We made 17 miles this
day and encamped on a small branch of the creek. Having
heard nothing from our hunters, we again supped upon some
of our portable soup. The men are becoming lean and debil-
itated, on account of the scarcity and poor quality of the
provisions on which we subsist: our horses’ feet are also
becoming very sore. We have however, some hopes of get-
ting soon out of this horrible mountainous desert, as we have
discovered the appearance of a valley or level part of the
country about 40 miles ahead. When this discovery was made
there was as much joy and rejoicing among the corps, as
happens among passengers at sea, who have experienced a
dangerous and protracted voyage, when they first discover
land on the long looked for coast.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Around 12 o'clock we halted at a spring to take a little more soup. The snow is mostly gone except on the north sides of the high mountains. At 2 P.M. we set out again, and descended a steep mountain into a cove on our left hand, where there is a large creek that here runs toward the east. The hills on each side, along which the trail or path passes, are very steep. One of our horses fell down the precipice about 100 feet, and was not killed, nor much hurt. The reason was that there is no bottom below, and the precipice is the only bank the creek has; therefore the horse pitched into the water without meeting any intervening object that could seriously injure him. We made 17 miles this day and camped on a small branch of the creek. Having heard nothing from our hunters, we again had supper of some of our portable soup. The men are becoming lean and weakened because of the scarcity and poor quality of the provisions we live on, and our horses' feet are also becoming very sore.
We have, however, some hope of getting soon out of this horrible mountainous wasteland, as we have spotted what appears to be a valley or level part of the country about 40 miles ahead. When this discovery was made, there was as much joy and rejoicing among the corps as happens among passengers at sea, who, after a dangerous and prolonged voyage, first sight land on the long looked-for coast.
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