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Show tn run. At ten o'clocl\ we resumed out• routr along t.Lc um•tfl ~ide of the rivel', and lmving passc·d Diamond island, and 'VhitciJJ'ant island, haltml for the nighf at Hac lower point of a handsome 1,rairic. Our camp wl&ich is twenty-five miles from tlaat of last night, is situated opposite to the llllPer en. tJ'~mce or Quicksand river: a little below a Stt·cam fl'OJll the north em}Jties itself into the Columbia, ncar the hcrul of 'Vhitf'brant island. It is about dghty yarcls wide, am] at present discharges a large body or very ch•ar water, '' Jaich near the Columbia overflows its; low banks, and forms several large ponds. The natives inform us that this rivet• is or no great extent, and rises in the mountains neat· us, ami that at a mile from its mouth it is divide<! into two nearly equal branches. both of which arc incapable of being navigated, on account of thcit· numerous falls and rapids. Not being ablo to learn any Indian name, we called it Scall'iver, from the abunclance of those animals near its mouth. At the same J,lacc we saw a summel' duck, or a wood duck, as it is sometimes caJlcd; it is the same with those of the 1Jnited States, and the first we had seen since entering the Rocl\y mouutains last ummcr. 'J'hr hunters who hatl been oblige<l to halt below Seal ·ri,·ct· on account of the waves being too high for their small rano~, rcturnctl aftct• dark with the unwelcome news that ga.mc was scarce in that quarter. Tuesday, Aprilt. 'rhrcc Indians had followed n!l yesterday, and cncamJ>Cd near us J~tst night. On putting to them a rarie(y of questions relative to their country, they assured us that Quicl\sand river, which we had hitherto deemed o considerable, extends no fu1·thcr than the southwest side of mount llood, which is south 85° cast, fat·ty miles distant. from this place; tiJai it is mot·eovcr navigable for a very ~hol't distance only, in consequence of falls and rapids, and that no nation inhabits its bortlcrs. ScYct·al other persons afihmcd that it rose ncar mount Jiood, ancl st.••·gcant P&·yor, ,·ho was sent for the pur1losc of examining it, (•tmvinccd us L 11 the .Missouri. 21& t the truth of tht.' il' statement. TJc had f'ouml the t·.ivcr three huullrcdyards wide, t !sought lac c•hanncl was not more than fifty yards, antl aUOilf ~ix feel tlcf'p. 'l'h 'CUl'l'Clll was rapid, th~ watcL' tm·hitl, the bctl of 011' rivt·•· is f(j}·med cnti1·cly of quick~; and, amlthe banks low and at pt'C!:ient ovel'llo ved. lie pasbed several islamls, au 1 at th n•c and a half miles tlistancc a creek fa•om the south. fifty yard!; wide; l1is farthest courso was six: mj]cs l"t·om the mouth of the river, lmt there it secmetl to bend to the rast, :uul he hca.l'tl the noise of watcl'l"alls. rr (!uicksantl l'iV{'1' tlum does not Mo beyon<l mount Hood, it must leave the valley a. i'l'W milc~s from its entl·ancf', aiid run nearly llat·~tllcl with the Columhia. '!'here mu ·t thet·el'orc Jtc some otbee large a·ivcr, '"hich we have not )Cl seen, to watca· the extensive countt·y betwc('H the moun tains of the coast and Quicksand a·ivcr: L>ut the Jmlians could give us no ·atisfactot'y inl'ot•mation of any such stream. 'Vhilst we were making these inquia·ies, a numl>CI' of canoes came to us, and among the l'Cs(· a number of families wca·e descending the river·. 'fhey told u~ that they livctl at 1hc Gt·eat rapids, but that a g• C~lt scarcity or lll'Ovisionili Utct·e, had induced them to come dowu in hopes of finding subsistence in this fet•tilc valley. All those who lived at tbc x·apids, as well as the nations above them, were in much distress f'ot• Want o[' food, having COn!mmNl theit• wintel' store or dried Ji!:!h, and not cxpe<~ ting tlat• J'du t•n of the ·a.lmon before the next full moon, which w.iH IHtppcn on the second of .i\fay: tl1is intdligcncc was disagl'r.cablc antl embart·a.ssing. I~"'rom the falls to the Clwpunnish nation, the plains aff'ol'cl no llccr, elk, ot• antelope, on which we can rely for suL>sistcncc. The horses at·c vct·y poor at this season, aucl tJJc do;;s must be in the same condition jf their food the fish have fai lcll, so that we had calculated entirely on purchasing fish . On the othet· hand it is obviously inexpedient to wait f01· the return of the salmon, since in that. case we m.ight not reach the Missouri before the icc would pt·event our navigatiug it. We miglat besides ha7.ard the los() of our horse~. frH' tlu • |