e cause of his anxiety, but he at length told us
that about a mile and a half below he had shot a brown bear which
immediately turned and was in close pursuit of him; but the bear being
badly wounded could not overtake him. Captain Lewis with seven men
immediately went in search of him, and having found his track followed
him by the blood for a mile, and found him concealed in some thick
brushwood, and shot him with two balls through the skull. Though
somewhat smaller than that killed a few days ago, he was a monstrous
animal and a most terrible enemy: our man had shot him through the
centre of the lungs, yet he had pursued him furiously for half a mile,
then returned more than twice that distance, and with his talons had
prepared himself a bed in the earth two feet deep and five feet long,
and was perfectly alive when they found him, which was at least two
hours after he received the wound. The wonderful power of life which
these animals possess render them dreadful: their very track in the mud
or sand, which we have sometimes found eleven inches long and seven and
a quarter wide, exclusive of the talons, is alarming; and we had rather
encounter two Indians than meet a single brown bear. There is no chance
of killing them by a single shot unless the ball goes through the
brains, and this is very difficult on account of two large muscles
which cover the side of the forehead, and the sharp projection of the
centre of the frontal bone, which is also thick. Our encampment was on
the south at the distance of sixteen miles from that of last night; the
fleece and skin of the bear were a heavy burden for two men, and the oil
amounted to eight gallons.

Sunday, 12th. The weather being clear and calm, we set out early. Within
a mile we came to a small creek, about twenty yards wide, emptying
itself on the south. At eleven and three quarter miles we reached a
point of woodland on the south, opposite to which is a creek of the same
width as the last, but with little water, which we called Pine creek. At
eighteen and three quarter miles we came to on the south opposite to the
lower point of a willow island, situated in a deep bend of the river to
the southeast: here we remained during the day, the wind having risen at
twelve so high that we could not proceed: it continued to blow violently
all night, with occasional sprinklings of rain from sunset till
midnight. On both sides of the river the country is rough and broken,
the low gr