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Show 210 JOURNAL. and which they took care of and returned to us safe.; All the India· s ft'om the Rocky l\1ountains ~0 the falls of Columbin, nre an honest, ingenuous and well diposed people ; but from the falls to the seacoast and along it, they are a rascally, thieving set. \V ~ were here detained about three hours in crossing, as we had but one canoe to transport ourselves and baggr~ e. \Ve then proceeded over a large hill a~d struck a 5mall creek, about fi \·e miles below the place, where we made our canoes in October last. Here we encamped for the night, accompanied by twc Indians, one of which can speak the Sho-sho·ne or Snake language. \Ve will therefore be able to hold some conversation with the natives in this part of the £otmtry, as our squaw is of the Snake n ation. Thu1·sday 8th. The morning of this day w~s plea~ sant; •md we remained here some time, to endeavour to kill some deer ; and the hunters were sent out.-Here some of the natives came to our camp, and in ~ formed us, that we could not cross the mountains for a moon and an half; as the snow was too deep, and no grass for our horses to subsist on. "\Ve h1ve the m.ountains in view from this place, nil covered wltiie with snow. At noon our hunters came in and had .killt:d four deer and some pheasants. A bout 3 o'clock w_e continued our journey ; passed over a very high h1ll, and en£amped on a small run ; where we mrt o~r other old. chief, who had gone down the river w1th us last fall . H e told us that his men bad found cur saddles, where we had hid them, and thut he had them safe. He also gave us an account of thirty-si>;: of our horse~, and where they were. F 1·iday 9th. Thet·e was a cloudy mornin(l' · some b ' ln~nters went out, and we proceeded on for about six miles, when we came to the old chief's lodO'e, where his ~amily is encamped to gathet· l'oots. W~ are now ~ot mte a part of the country where timber is plenty. chiefly pitch pine. JOURN \L. 21 r lletwecn the t;rcat falls of the C...olumbia and th:s place, we saw more horses, than I ever before saw in the same space of country. They are not of the largest size of horses, but very good and active. At noon two of the I ndians went to look for our horses, .mcl the old chief with one of our men who knew •:here some powder and hall was buried, went to bring ou t· packsaddles. Jn the evening- they all returned with 2 l horses and about as m~my packsaddles. Our horses are generaiiy in gooll order. O ur hu~lte·rs also returned but had killed nothi11g. Saturday 10th. At dark last night the ·weather h~~ ~nme cloudy and it raint:d about an hour ·,,hen t hr r:.1in turned to snow, and it continued snowing all :tight. In the morning the woothe1· becune ch:ar. \ Vhere we are ly.ing in the plains the snc\v is about ;. \·e inches deep ; and amidst snow and f1·ost "·c han: rothing what<.:vt.:r to eat. \Vitho_ut lJreak J~t wcst: Jrted to go to a village of the nanves, wh0 live o.n a branch of the river, about a south coul'se from th1c; place. \Ve travelled through the snow ~,bout 1 ~ 11iles, and tha.n went down a long s teep de'lc ·nt to the branch where the vilbgc is situatl.!d. 'Vhcn we wen: ahout half way do'tvn the hiil there '' ~s. not ~ particle of snow nor the k~st apr eurance of 11. L . was ahout 3 o'clock when we anh,ed at the villag-e, and the Commaruliuo- Officers held a conversation b with the natives, who informed them t hat th ey lw<'. not mol'c provisions and roots, than they wa!1ted l"tn themsd\'cs. T'hey, howeve1·, divided t hc1r stock ,.,·ith us ; and told us what they bad given was all they could spare; but drove up some hol'ses :.lnd told liS to shoot one, which we did. They then offered another, but that was reserved for ru1otlter time, <1ncl we dressed the one we had killed ; and in our ~itua tion find it very g-ood eating . \ Ve remained here all night. One of the huntet:s who hld gone on be> fore the party did not join us yet. ... • • J |
