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Show Lewis and Cla1•kc's Expedition through the willowbrush that leaned over the little channels and united at the top. After going up it for a mile ,ve encamped on an island which had been overflowed, and was still so wet that we were compelled to make beds of brush to keep ourselves out of the mud. Our 11rovision consisted of two deer which had been ldlled in the morning. Tuesday 6. 'Ve proceeded up the northwest fork, which we found still very rapid, and divided by several islands, while the plains near it were intersected by bayous. After passing with much difficulty over stones and ra}lids, we reached a bluff on the right, at the distance of nine miles, our general course south 30° west, and halted for breakfast. Here we were joined by Drewyer, who informed us of the statt> of the two rivm·s and of captain Lewis's note, and we immediately began to descend the river in order to take the other branch. Ou going down one of the canoes upset, and two others filled with water, by which all the baggage was wet, and seYeral articles irrecoverably lost. As one of them swung round in a rapid current, " -hitehousc was thrown out of her, and whilst down the canoe 11assed over him, and had the water been two inches shallowel' would have crushed him to pieces; but he escaped with a severe bruise of his leg. In order to repair these misfortunes we hastened to the fot·ks, where we were joined by captain Lewis, and then passed over to the left side opposite to the entrance of the rapid fork, and encamped on a large gravclJ~ bar, ncar which there was plenty of wood. Here we opened and exposed to dry all the articles which had suffered fr·om the water; none of them were completely spoiled except a small keg of powder; the rest of the powder, which was distributed in the different canoes was quite safe, although it had been under the water upwards of an hour. The air is indeed so pure and dry that any wood-work immediately shl'inks, unless it is kept filled with water; but we had placed our powder in sma)l canisters of lead, each containing powder enough for the <>anistcr ·when mrlted into bullet~;. Up the Missom·i. 8·15 and secured with cork and wax, which an~wcred our purpose perfectly. Captain Lewis had risen very early, and having nothing to eat, sent out Drcwycr to the woodland ou the left in search of a deer, and directed serg(·ant Gass to k(·cp along the mitldle branch to meet us if we were ascending it. He then set otfwith Chaboneau towards the forks, hut five miles above them, hearing us on the left, struck the river as we were tlescending, and came on board at the forks. In the evening we killed th1·ec deer and four elk, which furnished us once more with a plentiful supply of meat. Shannon, the same man who was lost before for fifteen days, was sent out this morning to hunt, up the northwest fork; when we decided on returning, Drcwyer was dir·cctcd to go in quest of him, but he l'eturned with info1·mation that he had gone several miles U}l the river without being able to find Shannon. We now had the trumpet sounded, and lircd scvc1·al guns, but he did not return, and we fear he is again lost. Wednesday r. We remained here this morning for the purpose of making some celestial obst•t·vations. and aho in order to refresh the men, and com{llcte the drying of the baggage. We obtained a meridian altitu(le which gave the latitude of our camp as north 45° 2' 43'' 8"'· We wel'e now completely satisfied that the middle b1•an.eh was the most navigable, and the tr·ue continuation of the Jefferson. 'l~he northwest f01·k seeml' to be the drain of the melting suows of the mountains, its course cannot be so long as the other branch, and althougb it contains now as great a quantity of water, yet the water has obviously overflowed the old bed, and spt·ead into channels which leave the low grounds covered with young grass, resembling that. of the adjoining lauds, which arc not inundated; whence we readily infrl' that the supply is more precarious than that of the other branch, the waters of which though more gentle are more constant. This northwest fork we called Wis(]om 1·iver. VOI.. J . Y y |