History of the expedition under the command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the sources of the Missouri, thence across the Rocky mountains and down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean : performed during the years 1804-5-6 by order of the government of the United States; Volume 1

Page 140

Lewis and Clarki's Expcclztion Tho face of some of these river hills, is composed of very excellent freestone of a light yellowish brown colour, and among the cliffs we found a species of pine which we .had not yet seen, and differing from the Virginia piichpine in baving a shorter leaf, and a longer and more pointed cone. The coal appears only in small quantities, as do the burnt earth and pumicestone: the mineral salts have alJatcd. Among the animals are a great number of the bighorn, a -few bu1faloe and elk, and some mule-deer, but none or the common deer nor any antelopes. We saw but could not procure a beautiful fox, of a co lout• vari<>d with orange, yel­low, white, and black, rather smaller than the common fox of this country, and about the same size as the red fox of t11e United States. The river to~day bas been from about one lmndr<>d and ftfty to two hundred and fifty yards wide, with but little tim­ber. At the tlistance of two miles and a half from the last stone wall, is a stream on the north side, twenty-eight yat'ds in width, and with some running water. We encamp. cd just above its mouth having made eighteen miles. Saturday, June 1. The weather was cloudy with a few drops of rain. As we proceeded by the aid of our· cord we found the river cliffs and bluffs not so high as yesterday, and the country more level. The timber too is in greater abun­dance on the rher, though there is no wood on the "high ground; coal however appears in the bluffs. The river is f1·om two hundred to two hundred and fifty feet wide, the 4mrrent more gentle, the water becoming still clearer and fewel' rocky points and shoals than we met yesterday, though those whiPh we did encounter were equally difficult to pass. Game is by no means in such plenty as below; all that we obtained were one bighorn. and a mule-deer though we saw in the p14J,ins a quantity of buffaloe, particularly near a small lake about ~ight miles from the river to the south. Not· Withstanding the 'vind was ahead all day, we dragged the canoes along the distance of twenty~three miles • .At fourteen U11 the JJiissouri. 21L1 and a quarter miles, we came to a small island opposite a bend of the river to the north: two and a half miles to the upper point of a small island on the not·th; five miles to another island on the south side and opposite to a bluff. In the next two miles we passed an island on the south, a sc· cond beyond it on the north, and reached neat• a hi~h bluff on the north a third on which we encamped. In the 11lains near the river a1·e the chokecherl'y, yellow and red cm·rant­bushes, as well as the wiltl rose and pricldy ~car, both ol' which are now in bloom. From the tops of the river hills, which are lower than usual, we enjoyed a deligl1tful view of the rich fertile 11lains on both sides, iu many Illaccs extending from the river cliffs to a great distance back. In these plains we meet occasionally large banks of puro sand, which we1·e driven apparently by the southwest winds, and there deposited. 'rhe plains are more fertile some dis­tance ft•om the river than ncar its banks, where the surface of the earth is very gencral1y strewed '"ith small pebbles, which appear to be smoothed and worn by the agitation of the waters with which they were no doubt once covered. A mountain or part of the North mountain approaches tJ1c river within eight or ten miles, bearing north from our en~ cam11mcnt of last evening; and this mot•ning a range of high mountains bearing S. ,V. from us and apparently running tu the westward, are seen at a gt·eat distance covered with snow. In the evening we had a little more rain. Sunday 2. 'rhe wind blew violently last night, and a iJight shower of rain fell, but this morning was fail'. 'Ve set out at an early hour, and although the wiml was ahead by means of the cord went ou much better than for the last two days, as the banks were well calculated for towing. 'rhe current of the river is strong but regular, iti timber iocreasea in. quantity, the low grounds become more level and extensive, and the bluffs on the river are lower than usual. In the c·.ourse of the day we Jtad a small ~howcr of rain, whkh la st ~ VOL. J. 1 1