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On the 26th of July Capt Lewis Set out on his return to the enterance of
Marias river to meet with the party with, the Canoes from the falls. his
course was through the plains

S. E. 5 Milespassing a Small Creek from the mts

S. 70° E. 9 Miles to a principal branch of Marias River 65 yards wide not
very deep at 7 mile. this last branch is Shallow and rapid about the Size
of the former from the S W. both of those Streams Contain a great
preportion of timberhere we find the 3 Specis of Cotton before
mentioned

N 80° E. 4 miles down Marias river and met with 8 Indians of the Blackfoot
nation with about 30 horses, those Indians professed friendship and Set
out with him and encamped together the night of the 26th of July, thy
informed him that there was two large bands of their nation in that
quarter one of which would be at the enterance of Marias river in a fiew
days. they also informed that a french Trader was with one of those bands,
that they traded with the white people on the Suskashwen River at 6 easy
days march or about 150 miles distant from whome they precured Guns Powder
Lead blankets &c. in exchange for wolf and beaver Skins. Capt Lewis
gave them a Flag Meadel & Handkerchief Capt. L. informed those Indians
where he was from & where he had been and his objects & friendly
views &c. of which they appeared to be well Satisfied.

“on the morning of the 27th at day light the indians got up and crouded
around the fire, Jo. Field who was on post had carelessly laid his gun
down behind him near where his brother was Sleeping. one of the Indians
Slipd. behind him and took his gun and that of his brother unperceived by
him, at the Same instant two others advanced and Seized the guns of
Drewyer and Capt Lewis who were yet asleep. Jo. Fields Seeing this turned
about to take his gun and Saw the fellow running off with his and his
brothers, he called to his brother who instantly jumped up and prosued the
indian with him whome they overtook at the distance of 50 or 60 paces
Siezed their guns and rested them from him and R. Field as he Seized his
gun Stabed the indian to the heart with his knif who fell dead; (this Cap
L. did not know untill Some time after.) drewyer who awoke at the first
alarm jumped up and Seized & rested his gun from the indian &c.
Capt L. awoke and asked what was the matter Seeing Drewyer in a Scuffle
for his gun he turned to get his gun and found her gorn, he drew a pistol
from his holsters and prosued the Indian whom he Saw in possession of his
gun making off he presented the pistol and the indian lay down the gun.
the two Fields Came up and drew up to Shoot the Indian which Capt L.
forbid the indians then attempted to drive off all the horses. Capt L.
derected the men to fire on them if they attempted to drive off the
horses, and prosued two fellows who Continued to drive of his horses he
Shot the indian who had taken his gun and then in possession of his horse
through the belly, he fell and raised on his elbow and fired at Capt L.
the other made his escape into a nitch out of Sight with his bow and
arrows and as Capt L. guns was empty and he without his Shot pouch he
returnd. to the Camp where the 2 fields and Drewyer joind him having
prosued the indians across the river the were now in possession of the
most of their own as well as the indian horses and a gun Several bows
& arrows and all the indians baggage the gun & Some feathers and
flag they took and burnt all the other articles. and Saddled up a many of
the best horses as they wished with Some Spear horses, and Set out for to
intersept the party at Marias river and proceded on a little to the S. of
East 112 Miles to the Missouri at the Grog Spring. here they met with
Canoes and party decending joined them leaving their horses on the river
bank, and proceeded on to the enterance of Marias river opened the
deposits, found Several articles damaged. 3 Beaver traps could not be
found, the red perogue unfit for Service, from thenc they proceeded
without delay to the River Rochejhone See cources of Capt Lewis rout in
next book.”

at 2 P.M. Shannon & Gibson arived in the Skin Canoe with the Skins and
the greater part of the flesh of 3 Elk which they had killed a fiew miles
above. the two men Dixon & Handcock the two men we had met above came
down intending to proceed on down with us to the Manclans. at 3 P M we
proceded on all together having left the 2 leather Canoes on the bank. a
little below the enterance of (Jos) Shabonos Creek we Came too on a large
Sand point from the S. E. Side and Encamped. the wind blew very hard from
the S W. and Some rain. I washed Capt L. wound which has become Sore and
Somewhat painfull to him.

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The distance from the Rocky Mountains at which place I struck the River
Rochejhone to its enterance into the Missouri 837 Miles 636 Miles of this
distance I decended in 2 Small Canoes lashed together in which I had the
following Persons. John Shields, George Gibson, William Bratten, W.
Labeech, Toust. Shabono his wife & child & my man York. The
Rochejhone or Yellow Stone river is large and navagable with but fiew
obstructions quite into the rocky mountains. and probably near it’s
source. The Country through which it passes from those Mounts. to its
junction is Generaly fertile rich open plains the upper portion of which
is roleing and the high hills and hill Sides are partially covered with
pine and Stoney. The middle portion or from the enterance of Clarks Fork
as low as the Buffalow Shoals the high lands Contain Some Scattering pine
on the Lard. Side. on the Stard. or S. E. Side is Some hills thickly
Supplied with pine. The lower portion of the river but fiew pines are to
be Seen the Country opens into extencive plains river widens and Contains
more islands and bars; of corse gravel sand and Mud. The Current of this
river may be estimated at 4 Miles and 1/2 pr. hour from the Rocky Mts. as
low as Clarks Fork, at 31/2 Miles pr. hour from thence as low as the
Bighorn, at 3Miles pr. hour from thence as low as the Tongue river,
at 23/4 Miles pr. hour from thence as low as Wolf rapid and at 21/2 miles
pr. hour from thence to its enterance into the Missouri

The Colour of the Water differs from that of the Missouri it being of a
yellowish brown, whilst that of the Missouri is of a deep drab Colour
containing a greater portion of mud than the Rochejhone. This delighfull
river from indian information has it’s extreem sources with the North
river in the Rocky mountains on the confines of New Mexico. it also most
probably has it’s westerly sources connected with the Multnomah and those
the main Southerly branch of Lewis’s river while it’s Easterly branches
head with those of Clark’s R. the bighorn and River Platte and may be said
to water the middle portion of the Rocky Mountains from N W to S. E. for
several hundred miles. the indians inform us, that a good road passes up
this river to it’s extreem source from whence it is buta short distance to
the Spanish settlements. there is also a considerable fall on this river
within the mountains but at what distance from it’s source we never could
learn like all other branches of the Missouri which penetrate the Rocky
Mountains all that portion of it lying within those mountains abound in
fine beaver and Otter, it’s streams also which issuing from the rocky
mountain and discharging themselves above Clark’s fork inclusive also
furnish an abundance of beaver and Otter and possess considerable portions
of small timber in their values. to an establishment on this river at
clarks Fork the Shoshones both within and West of the Rocky Mountains
would willingly resort for the purposes of trade as they would in a great
measure be relived from the fear of being attacked by their enimies the
blackfoot Indians and Minnetares of fort de Prarie, which would most
probably happen were they to visit any establishment which could be
conveniently formed on the Missouri. I have no doubt but the same regard
to personal safety would also induce many numerous nations inhabiting the
Columbia and Lewis’s river West of the mountains to visit this
establishment in preference to that at the entrance of Maria’s river,
particularly during the first years of those Western establishments. the
Crow Indians, Paunch Indians Castahanah’s and others East of the mountains
and south of this place would also visit this establishment; it may
therefore be looked to as one of the most important establishments of the
western fur trade. at the entrance of Clark’s fork there is a sufficiency
of timber to support an establishment, an advantage that no position
possesses from thence to the Rocky Mountains. The banks of the yellowstone
river a bold not very high yet are not subject to be overflown, except for
a few miles immediately below where the river issues from the mountain.
the bed of this river is almost entirely composed of loose pebble, nor is
it’s bed interrupted by chains of rock except in one place and that even
furnishes no considerable obstruction to it’s navigation. as you decend
with the river from the mountain the pebble becomes smaller and the
quantity of mud increased untill you reah Tongue river where the pebble
ceases and the sand then increases and predominates near it’s mouth. This
river can be navigated to greater advantage in perogues than any other
craft yet it possesses suficient debth of water for battauxs even to the
mountains; nor is there any of those moving sand bars so formidable to the
navigation of many parts of the Missouri. The Bighorn R and Clark’s fork
may be navigated a considerable distance in perogues and canoes. Tongue
river is also navigable for canoes a considerable distance.

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—

Descended the mountain to Travellers rest leaveing those tremendious
mountanes behind us-in passing of which we have experiensed Cold and
hunger of which I shall ever remember. in passing over this part of the
Rocky mountains from Clarks river, to the quawmash flats from the 14th to
the 19th of Septr. 1805 we marched through Snow, which fell on us on the
night of the 14th and nearly all the day of the 15 in addition to the cold
rendered the air cool and the way difficuelt. our food was horses of which
we eate three.On our return we Set out from the quawmash flats on
the 15th of June and commenes the assent of the rocky mountains; the air
became cool and vigitation backwardon the 16th we met with banks of
Snow and in the hollars and maney of the hill Sides the Snow was from 3 to
4 feet deep and Scercely any grass vegitation just commencing where the
Snow had meltedon the 17th at meridian, the Snow became So deep in
every derection from 6 to 8 feet deep we could not prosue the road there
being no grass for our horses we were obliged to return to the quawmash
flatts to precure meat to live on as well as grass for our horsesleaveing
our baggage on the mountains We precured 5 Indians as pilots and on the
24th of June 1806 we again under took those Snowey regn. on the 26th we
with our baggage arived at an open plain serounded with Snow where there
was grass for horses on the 27th & 28th also passing over Snow 6 or 8
feet deep all the way on 29th passed over but little Snowbut saw
great masses of it lying in different directions

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Those Worm or Hot Springs are Situated at the base of a a hill of no
considerable hight, on the N. Side and near the bank of travellers rest
Creek which is at that place about 10 yds wide. these Springs issue from
the bottom and through the interstices of a grey freestone rock, the rock
rises in irregular masy clifts in a circular range, arround the Springs on
their lower Side. imediately above the Springs on the Creek there is a
handsom little quawmash plain of about 10 acres. the principal Spring is
about the temperature of the Warmest baths used at the Hot Springs in
Virginia. in this bath which had been prepared by the Indians by stopping
the river with Stone and mud, I bathed and remained in 10 minits it was
with dificuelty I could remain this long and it causd a profuse swet. two
other bold Springs adjacent to this are much warmer, their heat being so
great as to make the hand of a person Smart extreemly when immerced. we
think the temperature of those Springs about the Same as that of the
hotest of the hot Springs of Virginia. both the Men and the indians amused
themselves with the use of the bath this evening. I observe after the
indians remaining in the hot bath as long as they could bear it run and
plunge themselves into the Creek the water of which is now as Cold as ice
Can make it; after remaining here a fiew minits they return again to the
worm bath repeeting this transision Several times but always ending with
the worm bath. Saw the tracks of 2 bearfooted indians-.

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Shields, Collins, Reuben & Joseph Field & Shannon Set out on a
hunting excurtion to the quaw mash the lower side of Collins Creek &
towards the Mountains.

Drewyer arived this evening with Neeshneparkkeeook and Hohashillpilp who
had accompanied him to the lodge of the person who had our tomahawks. he
obtained both the tomahawks principally by the influence of the former of
those Chiefs. the one which had been Stolen we prized most as it was the
private property of the late Serjt. Floyd and I was desireous of returning
it to his friends. The man who had this tomahawk had purchased it from the
man who had Stolen it, and was himself at the moment of their arival just
expireing. his relations were unwilling to give up the tomahawk as they
intended to bury it with the deceased owner, but were at length to do so
for the Consideration of a handkerchief, two Strands of heeds, which
drewyer gave them and two horses given by the Chiefs to be Killed
agreeable to their custom at the grave of the deceased. The custom of
Sacrificeing horses to the disceased appears to be Common to all the
nations of the plains of the Columbia. a Wife of Neeshneeparkkeeook died
Some Short time Sence, himself and her relations sacrificed horses to her.
The Indians inform us that there is a plenty of Moos to the S. E. of them
on the East branch of Lewis’s river which they Call Tommawamah River.
About noon Sergt. Ordway Frazier and Wiser returnd. with 17 Salmon and
Some roots of the Cows; the distance was So great from whence they brought
the fish, that most of them were nearly Spoiled. those fish were as fat as
any I ever saw; Sufficiently So to cook themselves without the addition of
Grease or butter; those which were Sound were extreemly delicious; their
flesh is of a fine rose colour with a Small admixture of yellow. these men
Set out on the 27th ulto. and in Sted of finding the fishing Shore at the
distance of half a days ride as we had been informed, they did not reach
the place at which they obtained their fish untill the evening of the 29th
haveing traveled near 70 miles. the rout they had taken however was not a
direct one; the Indians Conducted them in the first instance to the East
fork of Lewis’s river about 10 miles above it’s junction with the South
branch, a distance of about 50 miles where they informed them they might
obtain fish; but on their arival at that place finding that the Salmon had
not arived or were not taken, they were Conducted down that river to a
fishery a fiew miles below the junction of the forks of Lewis’s River
about 20 miles further, here they remained one day and with some
dificuelty, they purchased the Salmon which they brought with them. the
first 20 ms. Of their rout was up Commeap Creek and through a plain open
Country, the hills of the Creek Continued high and broken with Some timber
near it’s borders, the ballance of their rout was through a high broken
Mountanious Country. generally well timbered with pine the soil fertile.
in this quarter the meet with abundance of deer and Some big-horned
Animals. The East fork of Lewis’s river they discribe as one Continued
rapid of about 150 yards wide, it’s banks are in most places Solid and
perpindicular rocks, which rise to a great hight; it’s hills are
mountanious high. on the top of Some of those hills over which they
passed, the Snow had not entirely disappeared, and the grass was just
springing up. at the fishery on Lewis’s river below the forks there is a
very Considerable rapid, nearly as Great from the information of Sergt.
Ordway as the Great falls of the Columbia the river 200 yards wide. their
common house at this fishery is built of Split timber 150 feet long and 35
feet in width, flat at top. the general Course from here to the forks of
Lewis’s river is a little to the west of South about 45 ms. The men at
this Season resort their fisheries while the womin are employed in
collecting roots-. both forks above the junction of Lewis’s river appear
to enter a high Mountainious Country. our horses are all recovering &
I have no hesitation in declareing that I believe that the Indian Method
of guilding preferable to that practised by ourselves.

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Joseph Field & Drewrey left us this morning agreeably to their orders
of last evening. at the Same time we Sent Sergt. Ordway and five men to
assist Sergt. Pryor in bringing in the meat of four Elk which he had dried
in the woods. at 1 p.m.the party returned with the meat. it was not
Sufficiently dryed to keep. we had it cut thiner and redryed over a fire
this evening, as we purpose Setting out early in the morning. the dear
skins which we had cased for the purpose of holding our dried meat is not
Sufficently dry for that purpose, we derected them to be dried by the fire
also. the weather being So damp that there was no possibullity of pounding
the meat as I wished.We were visited by Several parties of the
nativs to day; they behaved themselves in a very orderly manner.

Saw the Log cock, the humming bird, Geese, Ducks &c. to day. the tick
has made it’s appearance it is the Same with those of the Atlantic States.
the Musquetors have also appeared, but are not yet much troublesom.this
morning at 10 A M Sergt. Gass returned with Collins and Windser they had
not Succeeded in killing the female bear, tho they brought the three cub’s
with them. the Indians who visited us to day fancied those Petts and gave
us wappato in exchange for them. Fir and White Cedar is the common growth
of the up lands, as is the Cotton wood, ash, large leafed Ash and Sweet
Willow that of the bottom lands. The Huckleberry, shallon, and the Several
evergreen Shrubs, of that Speces that bears berries have Seased to appear,
except that Species which has the leaf with a prickley Margin. among the
plants of this prarie in which we are encamped I observe the pashequo,
Shannetahque, and Compound firn, the root of which the nativs eate; also
the water cress, Straw berry flowering pea not yet in blume, narrow dock,
and rush which are luxuriant and abundent in the river bottoms. the large
leafed thorn has also disappeard. The red flowering Current is found here
in considerable quantities on the upland, and the Common Dog wood is found
on either Side of the river in this neighbourhood and above Multnomah
river. The Country on either Side is fertile, the bottom on the South Side
is wide and inter sperced with Small ponds in which the nativs gather
their Wappato. back of this bottom the Country rises to about 200 feet and
the Soil is very rich as that also above q Sandy river quite to the
Mountains. the Country on the N. Side from a fiew Miles above this place
as low down as the enterance of Cah-wah-na-ki-ooks River rises to the
hight generally of 150 or 200 feet is tolerably leavel, thickly timbered
with Fir and White Cedar. the Soil of the richest quallity. Some Small
Praries on the bank of the river. That portion of Country below as low
down as the enterance of Cah-wah na ki ooks River is a broken rich
Country. the hills are high, the bottom lands as before mentioned and
fertile &c.-The Country a fiew miles up the Multnomah River rises from
the river bottoms to the hight of from 2 to 300 feet and is rich &
fertile. Some Plains can be Seen to the N. E. of our Camp of 10 or 12
miles in Secumference The Hunters & Serjt Pryor informed us that they
had Measured a tree on the upper Side of quick Sand River 312 feet long
and about 4 feet through at the Stump.

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at 6 P.M. Shannon and party returned with the flesh of five Elk. the two
he had wounded in the morning he found dead near the place he had Shot
them. we had the meat cut into thin pices and Scaffored with a fire under
it to dry out, which we expect in the course of the night Can be effected.
four Indians from the great rapids visited us to day and Continued all
day. they give the Same account of the Scercity of provisions above the
falls as has already been given by others. This Supply of Elk I think by
useing economey and in addition of roots and dogs which we may probably
precure from he Nativs on Lewis’s river will be Sufficient to last us to
the Chopunnish where we Shall Meet with our horses-. and near which place
there is Some deer to be precured.

Frazer killed a pheasent of the Common kind. Jos. Field killed a vulture
of that Speces already discribed. in the evening late the Indians left us
and returned to their village. we detected that fires be kept under the
meat all night. and tha Drewyer and the two Fields proceed on to the next
bottom and hunt untill we Should arive. 9 miles

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