thout any shelter from the rain, which
continued till morning,

Friday 7, when at an early hour they continued down the river. The route
was extremely unpleasant, as the wind was high from the N.E. accompanied
with rain, which made the ground so slippery that they were unable to
walk over the bluffs which they had passed on ascending the river. The
land is the most thirsty we have ever seen; notwithstanding all the rain
which has fallen, the earth is not wet for more than two inches deep,
and resembles thawed ground; but if it requires more water to saturate
it than the common soils, on the other hand it yields its moisture with
equal difficulty. In passing along the side of one of these bluffs at a
narrow pass thirty yards in length, captain Lewis slipped, and but for a
fortunate recovery, by means of his espontoon, would then have been
precipitated into the river over a precipice of about ninety feet. He
had just reached a spot where by the assistance of his espontoon he
could stand with tolerable safety, when he heard a voice behind him cry
out, good God captain what shall I do? he turned instantly and found it
was Windsor who had lost his foothold about the middle of the narrow
pass, and had slipped down to the very verge of the precipice where he
lay on his belly, with his right arm and leg over the precipice, while
with the other leg and arm he was with difficulty holding on to keep
himself from being dashed to pieces below. His dreadful situation was
instantly perceived by captain Lewis, who stifling his alarm, calmly
told him that he was in no danger; that he should take his knife out of
his belt with the right hand, and dig a hole in the side of the bluff to
receive his right foot. With great presence of mind he did this, and
then raised himself on his knees; captain Lewis then told him to take
off his moccasins and come forward on his hands and knees, holding the
knife in one hand and his rifle in the other. He immediately crawled in
this way till he came to a secure spot. The men who had not attempted
this passage, were ordered to return and wade the river at the foot of
the bluff, where they found the water breast high. This adventure taught
them the danger of crossing the slippery heights of the river; but as
the plains were intersected by deep ravines almost as difficult to pass,
they continued down the river, sometimes in the mud of the low grounds,
sometimes up to their arms in the water, and when it beca