f the pole, while its bed is
formed of smooth stones and some large rocks, as it has been indeed
since we entered the mountains: it is also divided by a number of
islands some of which are large near the northern shore. The soil of the
valley is a rich black loam apparently very fertile, and covered with a
fine green grass about eighteen inches or two feet in height; while that
of the high grounds is perfectly dry and seems scorched by the sun. The
timber though still scarce is in greater quantities in this valley than
we have seen it since entering the mountains, and seems to prefer the
borders of the small creeks to the banks of the river itself. We
advanced three and a half miles in this valley and encamped on the left
side, having made in all fifteen and a half miles.

Our only large game to-day was one deer. We saw however two pheasants of
a dark brown colour, much larger than the same species of bird in the
United States. In the morning too, we saw three swans which, like the
geese, have not yet recovered the feathers of the wing, and were unable
to fly: we killed two of them, and the third escaped by diving and
passing down the current. These are the first we have seen on the river
for a great distance, and as they had no young with them, we presume
that they do not breed in this neighbourhood. Of the geese we daily see
great numbers, with their young perfectly feathered except on the wings,
where both young and old are deficient; the first are very fine food,
but the old ones are poor and unfit for use. Several of the large brown
or sandhill crane are feeding in the low grounds on the grass which
forms their principal food. The young crane cannot fly at this season:
they are as large as a turkey, of a bright reddish bay colour. Since the
river has become shallow we have caught a number of trout to-day, and a
fish, white on the belly and sides, but of a bluish cast on the back,
and a long pointed mouth opening somewhat like that of the shad.

This morning captain Clarke wishing to hunt but fearful of alarming the
Indians, went up the river for three miles, when finding neither any of
them nor of their recent tracks returned, and then his little party
separated to look for game. They killed two bucks and a doe, and a young
curlew nearly feathered: in the evening they found the musquitoes as
troublesome as we did: these animals attack us as soon as the labours
and fatigues of the day require some rest, and annoy us