h, and the travels of Mr. Fidler forbid us to believe that it could
have been obtained from the mountains towards the northwest.

These observations which satisfied our mind completely we communicated
to the party: but every one of them were of a contrary opinion; and much
of their belief depended on Crusatte, an experienced waterman on the
Missouri, who gave it as his decided judgment that the north fork was
the genuine Missouri. The men therefore mentioned that although they
would most cheerfully follow us wherever we should direct, yet they were
afraid that the south fork would soon terminate in the Rocky mountains
and leave us at a great distance from the Columbia. In order that
nothing might be omitted which could prevent our falling into an error,
it was agreed that one of us should ascend the southern branch by land
until we reached either the falls or the mountains. In the meantime in
order to lighten our burdens as much as possible, we determined to
deposit here one of the periogues and all the heavy baggage which we
could possibly spare, as well as some provision, salt, powder, and
tools: this would at once lighten the other boats, and give them the
crew which had been employed on board the periogue.

Monday, 10. The weather being fair and pleasant we dried all our baggage
and merchandize and made our deposit. These holes or _caches_ as they
are called by the Missouri traders are very common, particularly among
those who deal with the Sioux, as the skins and merchandize will keep
perfectly sound for years, and are protected from robbery: our cache is
built in this manner: In the high plain on the north side of the
Missouri and forty yards from a steep bluff, we chose a dry situation,
and then describing a small circle of about twenty inches diameter,
removed the sod as gently and carefully as possible: the hole is then
sunk perpendicularly for a foot deep, or more if the ground be not firm.
It is now worked gradually wider as they descend, till at length it
becomes six or seven feet deep, shaped nearly like a kettle or the lower
part of a large still with the bottom somewhat sunk at the centre. As
the earth is dug it is handed up in a vessel and carefully laid on a
skin or cloth, in which it is carried away and usually thrown into the
river or concealed so as to leave no trace of it. A floor of three or
four inches in thickness is then made of dry sticks, on which is thrown
hay or a hide perfectly dry. The goo