The party mingle in the diversions of the Willetpos Indians,
a tribe hitherto unnoticed--their joy on the prospect of
a return--description of the vegetables growing on the
Rocky mountains--various preparations made to resume their
journey--the party set out, and arrive at Hungry creek--the
serious and desponding difficulties that obstructed their
progress---they are compelled to return, and to wait for
a guide across the mountains--their distress for want of
provisions--they resolve to return to the Quamash flats--they
are at last so fortunate as to procure Indian guides, with whom
they resume their journey to the falls of the Missouri--the
danger of the route described--their scarcity of provisions,
and the danger of their journey, their course lying along the
ridges of the mountains--description of the warm springs, where
the party encamp--the fondness of the Indians for bathing in
them.
Saturday, June 7, 1806. The two young chiefs returned after breakfast
to their village on Commearp creek, accompanied by several of our men,
who were sent to purchase ropes and bags for packing, in exchange for
some parts of an old seine, bullets, old files and pieces of iron. In
the evening they returned with a few strings but no bags. Hohastilpilp
crossed the river in the course of the day, and brought with him a
horse, which he gave one of our men who had previously made him a
present of a pair of Canadian shoes or shoepacks. We were all occupied
in preparing packs and saddles for our journey; and as we intend to
visit the Quamash flats on the tenth, in order to lay in a store of
provisions for the journey over the mountains, we do not suffer the men
to disturb the game in that neighbourhood.
Sunday, 8. The Cutnose visited us this morning with ten or twelve
warriors; among these were two belonging to a band of Chopunnish,
which we had not yet seen, who call themselves Willetpos, and reside
on the south side of Lewis’s river. One of them gave a good horse,
which he rode, in exchange for one of ours, which was unable to cross
the mountain, on receiving a tomahawk in addition. We were also
fortunate in exchanging two other horses of inferior value for others
much better, without giving any thing else to the purchaser. After
these important purchases, several foot races were run between our men
and the Indians: the latter, who are very active, and fond of these
races, proved themselves very expert, and one of them was as fleet
as our swiftest runners. After the races were over, the men divided
themselves into two parties and played prison bass, an exercise which
we are desirous of encouraging, before we begin the passage over the
mountains, as several of them are becoming lazy from inaction. At night
these games were concluded by a dance. One of the Indians informed us
that we could not pass the mountains before the next full moon, or
about the first of July; because, if we attempted it before that time,
the horses would be forced to travel without food three days on the top
of the mountains. This intelligence was disagreeable, as it excited a
doubt as to the most proper time for passing the mountains; but having
no time to lose, we are determined to risk the hazards, and start as
soon as the Indians generally consider it practicable, which is about
the middle of this month.
Monday, 9. Our success yesterday encouraged us to attempt to exchange
some more of our horses, whose backs were unsound, but we could dispose
of one only. Hohastilpilp, who visited us yesterday, left us with
several Indians, for the plains near Lewis’s river, where the whole
nation are about to assemble. The Brokenarm too, with all his people,
stopped on their way to the general rendezvous, at the same place.
The Cutnose, or Neeshnepahkeeook, borrowed a horse, and rode down a
few miles after some young eagles. He soon returned with two of the
gray kind, nearly grown, which he meant to raise for the sake of the
feathers. The young chief, who some time since made us a present of
two horses, came with a party of his people and passed the night with
us. The river, which is about one hundred and fifty yards wide, has
been discharging vast bodies of water, but notwithstanding its depth,
the water has been nearly transparent, and its temperature quite as
cold as our best springs. For several days, however, the river has been
falling, and is now six feet lower than it has been, a strong proof
that the great body of snow has left the mountains. It is, indeed,
nearly at the same height as when we arrived here; a circumstance
which the Indians consider as indicating the time when the mountains
may be crossed. We shall wait, however, a few days, because the roads
must still be wet and slippery, and the grass on the mountains will be
improved in a short time. The men are in high spirits at the prospect
of setting out, and amused themselves during the afternoon with
different games.
Tuesday, 10. After collecting our horses, which took much time, we set
out at eleven o’clock for the Quamash flats. Our stock is now very
abundant, each man being well mounted, with a small load on a second
horse, and several supernumerary ones, in case of accident or want of
food. We ascended the river hills, which are very high, and three miles
in extent; our course being north 22° east, and then turned to north
15° west, for two miles till we reached Collins’s creek. It is deep and
difficult to cross, but we passed without any injury, except wetting
some of our provisions, and then proceeded due north for five miles
to the eastern edge of the Quamash flats near where we first met the
Chopunnish in the autumn. We encamped on the bank of a small stream, in
a point of woods, bordering the extensive level and beautiful prairie
which is intersected by several rivulets, and as the quamash is now in
blossom, presents a perfect resemblance of lakes of clear water.
A party of Chopunnish, who had overtaken us a few miles above, halted
for the night with us, and mentioned that they too had come down to
hunt in the flats, though we fear they expect that we will provide for
them during their stay.
The country through which we passed is generally free from stone,
extremely fertile, and supplied with timber, consisting of several
species of fir, long-leafed pine and larch. The undergrowth is
chokeberry, near the water courses, and scattered through the country,
black alder, a large species of red root now in bloom, a plant
resembling the paw-paw in its leaf, and bearing a berry with five
valves of a deep purple colour. There were also two species of sumach,
the purple haw, seven bark, serviceberry, gooseberry, the honeysuckle,
bearing a white berry, and a species of dwarf pine, ten or twelve feet
high, which might be confounded with the young pine of the long-leafed
species, except that the former bears a cone of a globular form, with
small scales, and that its leaves are in fascicles of two resembling
in length and appearance the common pitch pine. We also observed two
species of wild rose, both quinquepetalous, both of a damask red
colour, and similar in the stem; but one of them is as large as the
common red rose of our gardens; its leaf too is somewhat larger than
that of the other species of wild rose, and the apex as we saw them
last year, were more than three times the size of the common wild rose.
We saw many sandhill cranes, and some ducks in the marshes near our
camp, and a greater number of burrowing squirrels, some of which
we killed, and found them as tender and well flavoured as our gray
squirrels.
Wednesday, 11. All our hunters set out by daylight; but on their return
to dinner, had killed nothing except a black bear and two deer. Five
of the Indians also begun to hunt, but they were quite unsuccessful,
and in the afternoon returned to their village. Finding that the game
had become shy and scarce, the hunters set out after dinner with orders
to stay out during the night, and hunt at a greater distance from the
camp, in ground less frequented. But the next day they returned with
nothing except two deer. They were therefore again sent out, and about
noon the following day, seven of them came in with eight deer out of a
number, as well as a bear, which they had wounded, but could not take.
In the meantime we had sent two men forward about eight miles to a
prairie on this side of Collins’s creek, with orders to hunt till our
arrival. Two other hunters returned towards night, but they had killed
only one deer, which they had hung up in the morning, and it had been
devoured by the buzzards. An Indian who had spent the last evening
with us, exchanged a horse for one of ours, which being sick, we gave
a small axe and a knife in addition. He seemed very much pleased, and
set out immediately to his village, lest we should change our minds and
give up the bargain, which is perfectly allowable in Indian traffic.
The hunters resumed the chase in the morning, but the game is now so
scarce that they killed only one deer. We therefore cut up and dried
all the meat we had collected, packed up all our baggage, and hobbled
our horses to be in readiness to set out. But in the morning,
Sunday, 15, they had straggled to such a distance, that we could not
collect them without great difficulty, and as it rained very hard, we
waited till it should abate. It soon, however, showed every appearance
of a settled rain, and we therefore set out at ten o’clock. We crossed
the prairie at the distance of eight miles, where we had sent our
hunters, and found two deer which they had hung up for us. Two and a
half miles farther, we overtook the two men at Collins’s creek. They
had killed a third deer, and had seen one large and another white bear.
After dining we proceeded up the creek about half a mile, then crossing
through a high broken country for about ten miles, reached an eastern
branch of the same creek, near which we encamped in the bottom, after a
ride of twenty-two miles. The rains during the day made the roads very
slippery, and joined to the quantity of fallen timber, rendered our
progress slow and laborious to the horses, many of which fell through
without suffering any injury. The country through which we passed
has a thick growth of long-leafed pine, with some pitch-pine, larch,
white-pine, white cedar or arbor-vitæ of large size, and a variety of
firs. The undergrowth consists chiefly of reed root, from six to ten
feet in height, with the other species already enumerated. The soil is
in general good, and has somewhat of a red cast, like those near the
southwest mountain in Virginia. We saw in the course of our ride the
speckled woodpecker, the logcock or large woodpecker, the bee martin,
and found the nest of a humming bird, which had just begun to lay its
eggs.
Monday, 16. We readily collected our horses, and having taken
breakfast, proceeded at six o’clock up the creek, through handsome
meadows of fine grass, and a great abundance of quamash. At the
distance of two miles we crossed the creek, and ascended a ridge in a
direction towards the northeast. Fallen timber still obstructed our way
so much, that it was eleven o’clock before we had made seven miles, to
a small branch of Hungry creek. In the hollows and on the north side of
the hills large quantities of snow still remain, in some places to the
depth of two or three feet. Vegetation too is proportionally retarded,
the dog-tooth violet being just in bloom, and the honeysuckle,
huckleberry, and a small species of white maple, beginning to put forth
their leaves. These appearances in a part of the country comparatively
low, are ill omens of the practicability of passing the mountains.
But being determined to proceed, we halted merely to take a hasty
meal, while the horses were grazing, and then resumed our march. The
route was through thick woods and over high hills, intersected by deep
ravines and obstructed by fallen timber. We found much difficulty also
in following the road, the greater part of it being now covered with
snow, which lies in great masses eight or ten feet deep, and would be
impassable were it not so firm as to bear our horses. Early in the
evening we reached Hungry creek, at the place where captain Clarke
had left a horse for us as we passed in September, and finding a small
glade with some grass, though not enough for our horses, we thought
it better to halt for the night, lest by going further we should find
nothing for the horses to eat. Hungry creek is small at this place,
but is deep, and discharges a torrent of water, perfectly transparent,
and cold as ice. During the fifteen miles of our route to-day, the
principal timber was the pitch-pine, white-pine, larch, and fir. The
long-leafed pine extends but a small distance on this side of Collins’s
creek, and the white cedar does not reach beyond the branch of Hungry
creek on which we dined. In the early part of the day we saw the
columbine, the bluebell, and the yellow flowering pea in bloom. There
is also in these mountains a great quantity of angelica, stronger to
the taste, and more highly scented than that common in the United
States. The smell is very pleasant, and the natives, after drying and
cutting them into small pieces, wear them in strings around their necks.
Tuesday 17. We find lately that the air is pleasant in the course of
the day, but notwithstanding the shortness of the night, becomes very
cold before morning. At an early hour we collected our horses, and
proceeded down the creek, which we crossed twice with much difficulty
and danger, in consequence of its depth and rapidity. We avoided two
other crossings of the same kind, by crossing over a steep and rocky
hill. At the distance of seven miles, the road begins the ascent of the
main ridges which divide the waters of the Chopunnish and Kooskooskee
rivers. We followed it up a mountain for about three miles, when
we found ourselves enveloped in snow, from twelve to fifteen feet
in depth, even on the south side of the mountain, with the fullest
exposure to the sun. The winter now presented itself in all its
rigours, the air was keen and cold, no vestige of vegetation was to
be seen, and our hands and feet were benumbed. We halted at the sight
of this new difficulty. We already knew, that to wait till the snows
of the mountains had dissolved, so as to enable us to distinguish
the road, would defeat our design of returning to the United States
this season. We now found also that as the snow bore our horses very
well, travelling was infinitely easier than it was last fall, when the
rocks and fallen timber had so much obstructed our march. But it would
require five days to reach the fish-weirs at the mouth of Colt creek,
even if we were able to follow the proper ridges of the mountains; and
the danger of missing our direction is exceedingly great, while every
track is covered with snow. During these five days too we have no
chance of finding either grass or underwood for our horses, the snow
being so deep. To proceed, therefore, under such circumstances, would
be to hazard our being bewildered in the mountains, to insure the loss
of our horses, and should we even be so fortunate as to escape with our
lives, we might be obliged to abandon all our papers and collections.
It was therefore decided not to venture any further; to deposit here
all the baggage and provisions, for which we had no immediate use, and
reserving only subsistence for a few days, return while our horses were
yet strong, to some spot where we might live by hunting, till a guide
could be procured to conduct us across the mountains. Our baggage was
placed on scaffolds and carefully covered, as were also the instruments
and papers, which we thought it safer to leave than to risk them over
the roads and creeks by which we came. Having completed this operation,
we set out at one o’clock, and treading back our steps, reached Hungry
creek, which we ascended for two miles, and finding some scanty grass,
we encamped. The rain fell during the greater part of the evening, and
as this was the first time that we have ever been compelled to make any
retrograde movement, we feared that it might depress the spirits of
the men; but though somewhat dejected at the circumstance, the obvious
necessity precluded all repining. During the night our horses straggled
in search of food to a considerable distance among the thick timber on
the hill sides, nor could we collect them till nine o’clock the next
morning,
Wednesday, 18. Two of them were however still missing, and we therefore
directed two of the party to remain and hunt for them. At the same
time, we despatched Drewyer and Shannon to the Chopunnish, in the
plains beyond the Kooskooskee, in order to hasten the arrival of the
Indians who had promised to accompany us; or at any rate, to procure
a guide to conduct us to Traveller’s-rest. For this purpose they took
a rifle, as a reward to any one who would engage to conduct us, with
directions to increase the reward, if necessary, by an offer of two
other guns, to be given immediately, and ten horses, at the falls of
the Missouri: we then resumed our route. In crossing Hungry creek, one
of the horses fell, and rolling over with the rider, was driven for
a considerable distance among the rocks; but he fortunately escaped
without losing his gun or suffering any injury. Another of the men was
cut very badly, in a vein in the inner side of the leg, and we had
great difficulty in stopping the blood. About one o’clock we halted for
dinner at the glade, on a branch of Hungry creek, where we had dined on
the 16th. Observing much track of deer, we left two men at this place
to hunt, and then proceeded to Collins’s creek, where we encamped in
a pleasant situation, at the upper end of the meadows two miles above
our encampment of the 15th inst. The hunters were immediately sent out,
but they returned without having killed any thing, though they saw
some few tracks of deer, very great appearance of bear, and what is of
more importance, a number of what they thought were salmon-trout, in
the creek. We therefore hope, by means of these fish and other game to
subsist at this place without returning to the Quamash flats, which we
are unwilling to do, since there are in these meadows great abundance
of good food for our horses.
Thursday 19. The hunters renewed the chase at a very early hour, but
they brought only a single fish at noon. The fishermen were more
unsuccessful, for they caught no fish, and broke their two Indian
gigs. We, however, mended them with a sharp piece of iron, and towards
evening they took a single fish, but instead of finding it the salmon
of this spring’s arrival, which would of course have been fine, it
proved to be a salmon trout of the red kind, which remain all winter
in the upper parts of the rivers and creeks, and are generally poor at
this season. In the afternoon, the two men who were left behind, in
search of the horses, returned without being able to find them, and
the other two hunters arrived from Hungry creek with a couple of deer.
Several large morels were brought in to-day, and eaten, as we were now
obliged to use them without either salt, pepper or grease, and seemed a
very tasteless insipid food. Our stock of salt is now wholly exhausted,
except two quarts, which we left on the mountain. The musquitoes have
become very troublesome since we arrived here, particularly in the
evening.
Friday, 20. The scantiness of our subsistence was now such that we were
determined to make one effort to ascertain if it be possible to remain
here. The hunters therefore set out very early. On their return in the
evening, they brought one deer, and a brown bear of the species called
by the Chopunnish yahhar, the talons of which were remarkably short,
broad at the base, and sharply pointed. It was in bad order, and the
flesh of bear in this situation is much inferior to lean venison or
elk. We also caught seven trout. But the hunters now reported that game
was so scarce, and so difficult to be approached, in consequence of
thick underbrush and fallen timber, that with their utmost exertions,
they could not procure us subsistence for more than one or two days
longer. We determined, therefore, to set out in the morning for the
Quamash flats, where we should hear sooner from the Chopunnish on
the subject of our guide, and also renew our stock of food, which is
now nearly exhausted. Determined, as we now are, to reach the United
States, if possible, this winter, it would be destructive to wait
till the snows have melted from the road. The snows have formed a hard
coarse bed without crust, on which the horses walk safely without
slipping; the chief difficulty, therefore, is to find the road. In this
we may be assisted by the circumstance, that, although, generally ten
feet in depth, the snow has been thrown off by the thick and spreading
branches of the trees, and from round the trunk: the warmth of the
trunk itself, acquired by the reflexion of the sun, or communicated by
natural heat of the earth, which is never frozen under these masses,
has dissolved the snow so much, that immediately at the roots, its
depth is not more than one or two feet. We therefore hope, that the
marks of the baggage rubbing against the trees, may still be perceived,
and we have decided, in case the guide cannot be procured, that one
of us will take three or four of our most expert woodsmen, and with
several of our best horses, and an ample supply of provisions, go on
two days’ journey in advance, and, endeavour to trace the route by
the marks of the Indian baggage on the trees, which they would then
mark more distinctly, with a tomahawk. When they should have reached
two days’ journey beyond Hungry creek, two of the men were to be sent
back, to apprise the rest of their success, and if necessary, cause
them to delay there, lest, by advancing too soon, they should be
forced to halt where no food could be obtained for the horses. If the
trace of the baggage is too indistinct, the whole party is to return
to Hungry creek, and we will then attempt the passage by ascending
the main southwest branch of Lewis’s river through the country of the
Shoshonees, over to Madison or Gallatin rivers. On that route, the
Chopunnish inform us, there is a passage not obstructed by snow at
this period of the year. That there is such a passage, we learnt from
the Shoshonees, whom we first met on the east fork of Lewis’s river;
but they also represented it as much more difficult than that by which
we came, being obstructed by high steep ragged mountains, followed
by an extensive plain, without either wood or game. We are, indeed,
inclined to prefer the account of the Shoshonees, because they would
have certainly recommended that route had it been better than the
one we have taken; and because there is a war between the Chopunnish
and the Shoshonees, who live on that route, the former are less able
to give accurate information of the state of the country. This route
too, is so circuitous, that it would require a month to perform it,
and we therefore consider it as the extreme resource. In hopes of
soon procuring a guide to lead us over a more practicable route, we
collected our horses at an early hour in the morning,
Saturday, 21, and proceeded towards the flats. The mortification of
being obliged to tread back our steps, rendered still more tedious a
route always so obstructed by brush and fallen timber, that it could
not be passed without difficulty and even danger to our horses. One of
these poor creatures wounded himself so badly in jumping over fallen
logs that he was rendered unfit for use, and sickness has deprived us
of the service of a second. At the pass of Collins’s creek we met two
Indians, who returned with us about half a mile, to the spot where we
had formerly slept in September, and where we now halted to dine and
let our horses graze. These Indians had four supernumerary horses,
and were on their way to cross the mountains. They had seen Drewyer
and Shannon, who they said would not return for two days. We pressed
them to remain with us till that time, in order to conduct us over
the mountains, to which they consented, and deposited their stores of
roots and bread in the bushes at a little distance. After dinner we
left three men to hunt till our return, and then proceeded; but we had
not gone further than two miles when the Indians halted in a small
prairie, where they promised to remain at least two nights, if we did
not overtake them sooner. We left them, and about seven in the evening
found ourselves at the old encampment on the flats; and were glad to
find that four hunters whom we had sent ahead, had killed a deer for
supper.
Sunday, 22. At daylight all the hunters set out, and having chased
through the whole country, were much more successful than we even
hoped, for they brought in eight deer and three bear. Hearing too that
the salmon was now abundant in the Kooskooskee, we despatched a man to
our old encampment above Collins’s creek, for the purpose of purchasing
some with a few beads, which were found accidentally in one of our
waistcoat pockets. He did not return in the evening, nor had we heard
from Drewyer and Shannon, who we begin to fear have had much difficulty
in engaging a guide, and we were equally apprehensive that the two
Indians might set out to-morrow for the mountains. Early in the morning,
Monday, 23, therefore, we despatched two hunters to prevail on them,
if possible, to remain a day or two longer, and if they persisted in
going on, they were to accompany them with the three men at Collins’s
creek, and mark the route, as far as Traveller’s rest, where they were
to remain till we joined them by pursuing the same road.
Our fears for the safety of Drewyer, Shannon, and Whitehouse, were
fortunately relieved by their return in the afternoon. The former
brought three Indians, who promised to go with us to the falls of
the Missouri, for the compensation of two guns. One of them is the
brother of the Cutnose, and the other two had each given us a horse,
at the house of the Brokenarm, and as they are men of good character,
and respected in the nation, we have the best prospect of being well
served. We therefore secured our horses near the camp, and at an early
hour next morning,
Tuesday 24, set out on a second attempt to cross the mountains. On
reaching Collins’s creek, we found only one of our men, who informed us
that a short time before he arrived there yesterday, the two Indians,
tired of waiting, had set out, and the other four of our men had
accompanied them as they were directed. After halting, we went on
to Fish creek, the branch of Hungry creek, where we had slept on the
nineteenth instant. Here we overtook two of the party who had gone on
with the Indians, and had now been fortunate enough to persuade them
to wait for us. During their stay at Collins’s creek, they had killed
a single deer only, and of this they had been very liberal to the
Indians, whom they were prevailing upon to remain, so that they were
without provisions, and two of them had set out for another branch of
Hungry creek, where we shall meet them to-morrow.
In the evening the Indians, in order as they said to bring fair weather
for our journey, set fire to the woods. As these consist chiefly of
tall fir trees, with very numerous dried branches, the blaze was almost
instantaneous, and as the flame mounted to the tops of the highest
trees, resembled a splendid display of fire-works. In the morning,
Wednesday, 25, one of our guides complained of being sick, a symptom by
no means pleasant, for sickness is generally with an Indian the pretext
for abandoning an enterprise which he dislikes. He promised, however,
to overtake us, and we therefore left him with his two companions, and
set out at an early hour. At eleven o’clock we halted for dinner at
the branch of Hungry creek, where we found our two men, who had killed
nothing. Here too we were joined, rather unexpectedly by our guides,
who now appeared disposed to be faithful to their engagements. The
Indian was indeed really sick, and having no other covering except a
pair of moccasins and an elk skin dressed without the hair, we supplied
him with a buffaloe robe.
In the evening we arrived at Hungry creek, and halted for the night
about a mile and a half below our encampment of the sixteenth.
Thursday, 26. Having collected our horses, and taken breakfast, we set
out at six o’clock, and pursuing our former route, at length began to
ascend, for the second time, the ridge of the mountains. Near the
snowy region we killed two of the small black pheasants, and one of
the speckled pheasant. These birds generally inhabit the higher parts
of the mountains, where they feed on the leaves of pines and firs;
but both of them seem solitary and silent birds, for we have never
heard either of them make a noise in any situation, and the Indians
inform us that they do not in flying drum or produce a whirring sound
with their wings. On reaching the top of the mountain, we found our
deposit perfectly untouched. The snow in the neighbourhood has melted
nearly four feet since the seventeenth. By measuring it accurately,
and comparing it by a mark which we then made, the general depth we
discover to have been ten feet ten inches, though in some places still
greater; but at this time it is about seven feet. It required two
hours to arrange our baggage and to prepare a hasty meal, after which
the guides urged us to set off, as we had a long ride to make before
reaching a spot where there was grass for our horses. We mounted, and
following their steps, sometimes crossed abruptly steep hills, and then
wound along their sides, near tremendous precipices, where, had our
horses slipped, we should have been lost irrecoverably. Our route lay
on the ridgy mountains which separate the waters of the Kooskooskee
and Chopunnish, and above the heads of all the streams, so that we
met no running water. The whole country was completely covered with
snow, except that occasionally we saw a few square feet of earth,
at the roots of some trees, round which the snow had dissolved. We
passed our camp of September 18, and late in the evening reached
the deserted spot, and encamped near a good spring of water. It was
on the steep side of a mountain, with no wood and a fair southern
aspect, from which the snow seems to have melted for about ten days,
and given place to an abundant growth of young grass, resembling the
green sward. There is also another species of grass, not unlike a flag,
with a broad succulent leaf which is confined to the upper parts of
the highest mountains. It is a favourite food of the horses, but at
present is either covered with snow, or just making its appearance.
There is a third plant peculiar to the same regions, and is a species
of whortleberry. There are also large quantities of a species of
bear-grass, which, though it grows luxuriantly over all these
mountains, and preserves its verdure during the whole winter, is never
eaten by horses.
In the night there came to the camp a Chopunnish, who had pursued us
with a view of accompanying us to the falls of the Missouri. We now
learnt that the two young Indians whom we had met on the twenty-first,
and detained several days, were going merely on a party of pleasure to
the Ootlashoots, or as they call them, Shallees, a band of Tushepahs,
who live on Clarke’s river, near Traveller’s-rest. Early the next
morning,
Friday, 27, we resumed our route over the heights and steep hills of
the same great ridge. At eight miles distance we reached an eminence
where the Indians have raised a conic mound of stone, six or eight
feet high, on which is fixed a pole made of pine, about fifteen feet.
Here we halted and smoked for some time at the request of the Indians,
who told us, that in passing the mountains with their families, some
men are usually sent on foot from this place to fish at the entrance
of Colt creek, whence they rejoin the main party at the Quamash glade
on the head of the Kooskooskee. From this elevated spot we have a
commanding view of the surrounding mountains, which so completely
inclose us, that although we have once passed them, we almost despair
of ever escaping from them without the assistance of the Indians. The
marks on the trees, which had been our chief dependence, are much
fewer and more difficult to be distinguished than we had supposed; but
our guides traverse this trackless region with a kind of instinctive
sagacity; they never hesitate, they are never embarrassed; yet so
undeviating is their step, that wherever the snow has disappeared, for
even a hundred paces, we find the summer road. With their aid the snow
is scarcely a disadvantage, for although we are often obliged to slip
down, yet the fallen timber and the rocks, which are now covered, were
much more troublesome when we passed in the autumn. The travelling
road is indeed comparatively pleasant, as well as more rapid, the snow
being hard and coarse, without a crust, and perfectly hard enough to
prevent the horses sinking more than two or three inches. After the
sun has been on it for some hours it becomes softer than early in
the morning, yet they are almost always able to get a sure foothold.
After some time we resumed our route, and at the distance of three
miles descended a steep mountain, then crossing two branches of the
Chopunnish river, just above their forks, began to mount a second
ridge. Along this we proceeded for some time, and then, at the distance
of seven miles, reached our camp of the sixteenth of September. Near
this place we crossed three small branches of the Chopunnish, and then
ascended a second dividing ridge, along which we continued for nine
miles, when the ridge became somewhat lower, and we halted for the
night on a position similar to that of our encampment last evening.
We had now travelled twenty-eight miles without taking the loads from
our horses or giving them any thing to eat, and as the snow where we
halted has not much dissolved, there was still but little grass. Among
the vegetation we observed great quantities of the white lily, with
reflected petals, which are now in bloom, and in the same forwardness
as they were in the plains on the tenth of May. As for ourselves, the
whole stock of meat being gone, we distributed to each mess a pint of
bear’s oil, which, with boiled roots, made an agreeable dish. We saw
several black-tailed or mule-deer, but could not get a shot at them,
and were informed that there is an abundance of elk in the valley,
near the fishery, on the Kooskooskee. The Indians also assert that on
the mountains to our right are large numbers of what they call white
buffaloe or mountain sheep. Our horses strayed to some distance to look
for food, and in the morning,
Saturday, 28, when they were brought up, exhibited rather a gaunt
appearance. The Indians, however, promised that we should reach some
good grass at noon, and we therefore set out after an early breakfast.
Our route lay along the dividing ridge, and across a very deep hollow,
till at the distance of six miles we passed our camp of the fifteenth
of September. A mile and a half further we passed the road from the
right, immediately on the dividing ridge, leading by the fishery.
We went on as we had done during the former part of the route over
deep snows, when having made thirteen miles we reached the side of
a mountain, just above the fishery, which having no timber, and a
southern exposure, the snow had disappeared, leaving an abundance of
fine grass. Our horses were very hungry as well as fatigued, and as
there was no other spot within our reach this evening, where we could
find any food for them, we determined to encamp, though it was not yet
midday. But as there was no water in the neighbourhood, we melted snow
for cooking, and early in the morning,
Sunday, 29, continued along the ridge which we have been following
for several days, till at the end of five miles it terminated; and
now bidding adieu to the snows in which we have been imprisoned, we
descended to the main branch of the Kooskooskee. On reaching the water
side, we found a deer which had been left for us by two hunters who
had been despatched at an early hour to the warm springs, and which
proved a very seasonable addition to our food; for having neither meat
nor oil, we were reduced to a diet of roots, without salt or any other
addition. At this place, about a mile and a half from the spot where
Quamash creek falls in from the northeast, the Kooskooskee is about
thirty yards wide, and runs with great velocity over a bed, which,
like those of all the mountain streams, is composed of pebbles. We
forded the river, and ascended for two miles the steep acclivities of a
mountain, and at its summit found coming in from the right the old road
which we had passed on our route last autumn. It was now much plainer
and more beaten, which the Indians told us was owing to the frequent
visits of the Ootlashoots, from the valley of Clarke’s river to the
fishery; though there was no appearance of their having been here this
spring. Twelve miles from our camp we halted to graze our horses on
the Quamash flats, on the creek of the same name. This is a handsome
plain of fifty acres in extent, covered with an abundance of quamash,
and seems to form a principal stage or encampment for the Indians in
passing the mountains. We saw here several young pheasants, and killed
one of the small black kind, which is the first we have observed below
the region of snow. In the neighbourhood were also seen the tracks of
two barefoot Indians, which our companions supposed to be Ootlashoots,
who had fled in distress from the Pahkees. Here we discovered that
two of the horses were missing. We therefore sent two men in quest
of them, and then went on seven miles further to the warm springs,
where we arrived early in the afternoon. The two hunters who had been
sent forward in the morning had collected no game, nor were several
others, who went out after our arrival, more successful. We therefore
had a prospect of continuing our usual diet of roots, when late in the
afternoon the men returned with the stray horses and a deer for supper.
These warm springs are situated at the foot of a hill, on the north
side of Traveller’s-rest creek, which is ten yards wide at this place.
They issue from the bottoms, and through the interstices of a gray
freestone rock, which rises in irregular masses round their lower side.
The principal spring, which the Indians have formed into a bath by
stopping the run with stone and pebbles, is about the same temperature
as the warmest bath used at the hot springs in Virginia. On trying,
captain Lewis could with difficulty remain in it nineteen minutes, and
then was affected with a profuse perspiration. The two other springs
are much hotter, the temperature being equal to that of the warmest of
the hot springs in Virginia. Our men as well as the Indians amused
themselves with going into the bath; the latter, according to their
universal custom, going first into the hot bath, where they remain as
long as they can bear the heat, then plunging into the creek, which is
now of an icy coldness, and repeating this operation several times, but
always ending with the warm bath.