et deep apparently, as well as the
mineral salts which we have already mentioned on the Missouri. They saw
many deer, antelopes, ducks, geese, some beaver, and great traces of
their work, and the small birds and curlews as usual. The only fish
which they observed in this part of the river is the trout and a species
of white fish, with a remarkably long small mouth, which one of our men
recognize as the fish called in the eastern states the bottlenose.

On setting out with the canoes we found the river as usual much crowded
with islands, the current more rapid as well as shallower, so that in
many places they were obliged to man the canoes double, and drag them
over the stone and gravel of the channel. Soon after we set off captain
Clarke who was walking on shore observed a fresh track which he knew to
be that of an Indian from the large toes being turned inwards, and on
following it found that it led to the point of a hill from which our
camp of last night could be seen. This circumstance strengthened the
belief that some Indian had strayed thither, and had run off alarmed at
the sight of us. At two and a quarter miles, is a small creek in a bend
towards the right, which runs down from the mountains at a little
distance; we called it Panther creek from an animal of that kind killed
by Reuben Fields at its mouth. It is precisely the same animal common to
the western parts of the United States, and measured seven and a half
feet from the nose to the extremity of the tail. Six and three quarter
miles beyond this stream is another on the left formed by the drains
which convey the melted snows from a mountain near it, under which the
river passes, leaving the low grounds on the right side, and making
several bends in its course. On this stream are many large beaver dams.
One mile above it is a small run on the left, and after leaving which
begins a very bad rapid, where the bed of the river is formed of solid
rock: this we passed in the course of a mile, and encamped on the lower
point of an island. Our journey had been only thirteen miles, but the
badness of the river made it very laborious, as the men were compelled
to be in the water during the greater part of the day. We saw only deer,
antelopes, and the common birds of the country.

Saturday 4. This morning captain Lewis proceeded early, and after going
southeast by east for four miles, reaching a bold running creek, twelve
yards wide, with clear cold water, furnished a