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Show lie then pt•occedcd on these two hilli and afterwarcls io different cotu·ses six milei, when he again changed for a western cout·se across a deep bend along the south side: in maldng this llassagc o\·cr the plains he found them like those of yesterday, level and beautil'uJ, with great quantities of buft"aloe, and some wolves, foxes, and antelopes, and inte•·scctcd near the river by deell ra,•ines. Here at the distance of ft·om one to nine miles from the river, he met the largest village of barking squirrels which we bad yet seen: for lie passed a skit·t of their territory for seven miles. lie also saw near the hills a :flock of the mountain cock or a Ia.rg~ spede~; ofbeat.h hen with a long pointed tail, which the Inclians below bad informed us were common among the Bock mountains. Having finished his course of ten miles west ac1·oss a bend, he continued two miles N. 80° \V. anfl from that tmint discovered some lofty mountains to the not·thwest of 'rower mountain and bearing N. 65° ,V. at eighty Ol' one hundred miles distance: here he encamped on the north side in a handsome low ground, on whieb ,,·ere several old stick lodges! there had been but little timber on the river in the forepart of' the day, but now there is a greater quantity than usual. The river itself is about cjgbty yards wide, ft·om six t.o ten feet deep, an<l has a strong stea dy current. Tile party had killed five elk, and a mule-deer; and by way of experiment roasted th.e burrowing squirrels. which they found to be well flavoured a.ncl tcmlcr. Thursday 6. Captain Lewis was now convinced that thi ~ river pursued a direction too far not·th for our route to the Pacific, and therefore resolved to return; but waited till noon to take a meridian altitude. 'l'he clouds, howeve•·· '~h.ich had gathered during the latter pa1·t of the night continued and prevented the observation: part of the men were sent forward to a commanding eminence, six miles S. 70" W; fl'om which they saw at the distance of about fif'teeu miles S. soo W. a point of the south bluff of the river, which 1henee bore northwardly. In their absence two rafts ba•l U11 the JJ'lissour'i. been prepared, and when they returned about noon, the 1mrty embarked: but they soon found that the rafts were so small and slender that the baggage was wet, and therefore it was necessary to aba.ndon them a d go by land. They therefot·e crossed the plains, and at the distance of twelve miles came to the river·, through a eohl storm fl'Om the northeast, accompanied by showers of 1·ain. 'rhe abrupt" ness of the cliffs compelled them, after going a few miles, to leave the river and meet the storm in the plains. Here they directed theit· course too far northward, in consetjuence of which tlwy did not meet the river till late at night, after having t•·avcllcd twenty-three miles since noon, and halted at a little below the entrance of Lal'k creek. They had the good fortune to kill two buffaloc which supplied t.hem with SUJ'pcr·: but spent a very uncomfortable night without any shelter from the rain, which continued. till morning, Friday 7, 'vh.cn at an early hour tbey continued tlowh the river. rrhe route was extremely unpleasant, as the wind was high f1·om theN. E. accompanied with rain4 wbieh madf" the ground so slipjlery that they were unable to walk over the bluffs which they had passed on ascending the river. The land is the most thirsty we luwe ever seen; notwithstanding all the rain wl1ich has fallen, the earth is uot wet for more than two inches deep, anll resembles thawed ground; but if it requit·cs more water to saturate it than the common soils, on the other haud it yields its moisture with equ~l difli. culty. In passing along the side of one of these bluffs at a nai·row pass thirty yards in length, captain JAcwis slipped, and but for a fortunate recovery, by means of JJis es1Joutoon would have been precipitated into the river over a precipice of about ninety feet. lie J1atl just t•eached a spot where by the assistance of his cspontoon he could stand with tolera~ ble safety, when he heard a voice bel1ind bim cry out, good God eaptain what sba11 I do? he turned instantly and found it-was 'VindsQr llho }Jad ]o..,t his t'ootl10ld about the midt!~e VOL. J . 1{ J... |