reached the mouth of a large creek which empties itself in
the centre of a bend on the left side: it is a bold running stream
fifteen yards wide, and received the name of Howard creek after John P.
Howard one of the party. One mile beyond it is a small run which falls
in on the same side just above a rocky cliff. Here the mountains recede
from the river, and the valley widens to the extent of several miles.
The river now becomes crowded with islands of which we passed ten in the
next thirteen and three quarter miles, then at the distance of eighteen
miles we encamped on the left shore near a rock in the centre of a bend
towards the left, and opposite to two more islands. This valley has wide
low grounds covered with high grass, and in many with a fine turf of
green sward. The soil of the highlands is thin and meagre, without any
covering except a low sedge and a dry kind of grass which is almost as
inconvenient as the prickly pear. The seeds of it are armed with a long
twisted hard beard at their upper extremity, while the lower part is a
sharp firm point, beset at its base with little stiff bristles, with the
points in a direction contrary to the subulate point to which they
answer as a barb. We see also another species of prickly pear. It is of
a globular form, composed of an assemblage of little conic leaves
springing from a common root to which their small points are attached
as a common centre, and the base of the cone forms the apex of the leaf
which is garnished with a circular range of sharp thorns like the
cochineal plant, and quite as stiff and even more keen than those of the
common flat-leafed species. Between the hills the river had been
confined within one hundred and fifty or two hundred yards, but in the
valley it widens to two hundred or two hundred and fifty yards, and
sometimes is spread by its numerous islands to the distance of three
quarters of a mile. The banks are low, but the river never overflows
them. On entering the valley we again saw the snow-clad mountains before
us, but the appearance of the hills as well as of the timber near us is
much as heretofore.

Finding Chaboneau unable to proceed captain Clarke left him with one of
the men, and accompanied by the other went up the river about twelve
miles to the top of a mountain. Here he had an extensive view of the
river valley upwards and saw a large creek which flowed in on the right
side. He however discovered no fresh sign of the Indians, an