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 2

Page 173

31~ .Leww o;zd Clal·ke's l~:rprd1f1 o n lwrsr~, mauy of which frll nu·ou~l· without suih.'l'in~ an~ injul'y. The eountry ih ·ough whi<·h we Jlassrll has a tbit·k g1·owth of long-lrafrd J)ine. with some l'itch-pine. la.•·ch, white-pine. wllite crda1· or al'bor-,•itre of 1nrge siz<·, ~1nd a "a1'icty oi' fhs. The umlr•·growth consisi s chiefly or l'cecl root. f1·om 'it X to tf."n feet in l1cir;ht. with the othm· sprcirn ah·eacly rnumet·a1 ed. 'rhc soil is in genet·al goo(l, ~tntl has somewhat of a red east, lik<' Hao:-e nea1· the southwc t mou 1t ain in Virginia. "'"(~ ~aw in tlH' course of out• t·ido the spcddcd woodpc<. lH•t·, the lo~eol'l~ ot• laql'f' woodpccl er, the bee mat~tin. antl f01md t ht• nest of a hu JHJHin{j bil'd, which ltatl j n s t lH·M~\.11 to lay its ('ggs. l\1ondaJ. 16 'Vc n':ulily collected our horsrs, anti ha.v· in~ taken IH'eakfasf, prooc(·detl at six o'clocl( up the cl'cck, tlu·ou~h hand ·omc nwa.tlows of line gt·a._s, and a ~t'<'at abun­danre or quama ·h. At tlu.· distanCl' or two miJrs we Cl'OS~· ('d thC' ct·t·eli, and asN•n<h·d a t•itl~~ in a dirl•etion to" aHls the> not•thrasi. Fallen timhct· still ohstrutted our "ay o mut·h, that it w~s eleven o'(~lock lJcfot·c we hall made seven miles, to a small ht•anch or llnngt·y CJ'eck. In the hollows aml on the north side of the hills la.•·gc quantities of sno\\ still remain, in some lllacrs to the depth ol' two or thrct• fet·t. V egl•tation too is pr·oportionally retal'drd, the dog tooth violet bring just in ulnom. anrl the honcysu<•ldc, h c kldH·t'l'), ~mc.l a small S}H' rics of whif o maple, lJcginniug tu lHit t'ot·l h tht'it· leaves. These appearanc,·s in a 1 art oi tlw country compat·at ivdy low, at·e ill omens of the pt·ar.ticaiJili· ty of passing f he mountains. But being determined to pl'O· cet.•d. w~ l•altt·tl uwrel) to tali t' a hasty meal, while theltol·scs were graztn~. and I hNl resumN1 out· march. The route was tlH·ough thick woods a1d ovet· high hills, intersected IJy dt•rp t•avines aud obstt·u<~ted lJy fallen timber. 'Ve found much (\ifficnlty also in following the road, the gt·catcr }lat·t of it being nuw covet'(•tl with ~now, which lies in gf'cat mas!Ses eight or ten feet (}('(~(l. anti woultllw impassalJJc were it oot so fi1·m as to beat• om' hor es. l::U'Jy in the eveniug Up t11e .,TflLsso Ill' I. .31!i "r reaeh ''II un~t·y Ct'r('l(, at. th<> place "herl' raptaiu Clarh.c had h·ft a l10r~H~ fol' us as '(' va::;scd iu St'JltcmlJf't', and liiHl · m~ a-small gladt• with :)om<~ gt·a:,s, tl1011!!;h uot. cnou~h for om· IWI'!lCS, we thonghl it bettct• 1o halt fur the nigl t. lt•.,t by going fm·ther we sh ould find nothinr; for the hol'st·s to eat. Hungry crt.>ck is sma 11 at this placr-, but is d<·<·p, ant.l dis<·hrtrgt·s a tol'nnt of watet·, tWI'I t·t't ly transpm·t·nt, ~uttl rold as icc. Dut·iug the fifteen milt•s or 0111' 1 out . to -day. t IIC (H·ineipal (imhcr was the pitch-pine," hite-pitw, la.rt h. nnd fit•. The Iong-l eat'ed pine extends lJut a srn.all clb~anl'£' on this :~ide of Collins's creek, and the white C('tlal' dol'S not. t·rad• beyond the braneh of Hungt·y Cl'l'f•k on which we (lim·d. In the c:wly p~u·t of thl· day we saw thr t•olumhinc, tlw blue­bell, and the yellow tlowcrin~ l>Ca in bloom. 'l'ht•t·c is also in these mountain' a great quantify of anhdi(•a, S(I'Oilf.;C'I' tO 1he taste. and mort• highly St.>t•nted than that c·ommou in 1he lTuitrd States. The smell is V<'l'Y pleasant. aHtl the natives, n.ftet· ch·ying aud cu U ing tlwm into small piN·cs, we at· them iu stl'iu~s m·outHl thcia· nt>cks. F1·iday 17. 'V e find lat(•ly that the a it· is pl('as!Hlt in the COUl'Se of the day, but UOt\\ ithstarunng the ~-JhOl'lllt' SS ol' (he night., hccomcs vet·y cold bl'fo•·c mo1·ninh. At :.w cady hom we collcct<·tl om· horses, and pt•uceeclt..·d down tlar. crt•t.•l\, which W<~ ct·osscd twice with much c.liiTiculty aud d~~ngel', in c(msecptrnce of its depth and rapidity. \~·e a oidcd h\ o other ero~siugs of the same kind. by crossing over a !)tt•ep .l.mll'O(•h.y hill. At the di stance of Sl'Vt'n miles, the t·o~Hl lh·gins the asc,ent or the main ri<lgt·s ,vhich divhlc the "a­t el'S or the Cllopunnish amll~oo~ l~oo~l cc l'ivm·s. \Vc fol­Jowcd it up a mountain for auout tht·ce miles, when \\ e fouml ourselves enYclOlled iu snow, ft·om t.wdv<' to liftren feet in d<.~pth, even on the south side of the mountain, '' ilh the fullest exposure to tbc sun. 'l'hc wiutt.>r now pl'rscnted ilselrin all its rigours, the ait• was kf'cn anc.l cold. no vcs­tir, c of vegctatiou was to he seen, and ou1· hands and ft•ct were benumlJcd. 'Ve halted at thr- !:light ol' this new dif­tic~ tlty. 'V c Rlready knc w, that to w~~it till the sno we