31 m. Seamans Creek passing a creek at 1 m. 8 yds. wide. this course
with the river, the road passing through an extensive high prarie
rendered very uneven by a vast number of little hillucks and sinkholes
at the heads of these two creeks high broken mountains stand at the
distance of 10 m. forming a kind of Cove generally of open untimbered
country.--we encamped on the lower side of the last creek just above
it's entrance. here a war party had encamped about 2 months since and
conceald their fires.-
[Lewis, July 6, 1806]
July 6th 1806.
Set out a little after sunrise passed the creek a little above our
encampment.
East 14 M. to the point at which the river leaves the extensive plains
and enters the mountains these plains I called the prarie of the knobs
from a number of knobs being irregularly scattered through it. passed
the N. fork 1 of the Cokahlarishkit Rivers at 7 M. it is 45 yds. wide
deep and rapid. had some difficulty in passing it. passed a large
crooked pond at 4 ms. further. great Number of the burrowing squirrls
in this prarie of the speceis common to the plains of Columbia. saw
some goats and deer. the hunters killed one of the latter. the trail
which we take to be a returning war-party of the Minnetares of Fort de
prarie becomes much fresher. they have a large pasel of horses. saw
some Curloos, bee martains woodpeckers plover robins, doves, ravens,
hawks and a variety of sparrows common to the plains also some ducks.
the North fork is terbid as is also the main branch which is about 50
yds. wide the other streams are clear. these plains continue their
course S 75 E. and are wide where the river leaves them. up this valley
and creek a road passes to Dearbourn's river and thence to the Missouri.
N. 60 E 11/2 up the river. here we halted and dine and our hunters
overtook us with a deer which they had killed. river bottoms narrow and
country thickly timbered. Cottonwood and pine grow intermixed in the
river bottoms musquitoes extreemely troublesome. we expect to meet with
the Minnetares and are therefore much on our guard both day and night.
the bois rague in blume.--saw the common small blue flag and
peppergrass. the southern wood and two other speceis of shrub are
common in the prarie of knobs. preserved specemines of them. passed
several old indian encampments of brush lodges.-
S 80 E 2 m. to two nearly equal forks of the river here the road forks
also one leading up each branch these are the forks of which I presume
the indians made mention. passed a creek on N. side 12 yds. wide
shallow and clear.