remembering that his hopes of assistance rested on
better foundations than their generosity--their avarice, and their
curiosity. He had promised liberal exchanges for their horses; but what
was still move seductive, he had told them that one of their
country-women who had been taken with the Minnetarees accompanied the
party below; and one of the men had spread the report of our having with
us a man perfectly black, whose hair was short and curled. This last
account had excited a great degree of curiosity, and they seemed more
desirous of seeing this monster than of obtaining the most favourable
barter for their horses.

In the meantime we had set out after breakfast, and although we
proceeded with more ease than we did yesterday, the river was still so
rapid and shallow as to oblige us to drag the large canoes during the
greater part of the day. For the first seven miles the river formed a
bend to the right so as to make our advance only three miles in a
straight line; the stream is crooked, narrow, small, and shallow, with
highlands occasionally on the banks, and strewed with islands, four of
which are opposite to each other. Near this place we left the valley, to
which we gave the name of Serviceberry valley, from the abundance of
that fruit now ripe which is found in it. In the course of the four
following miles we passed several more islands and bayous on each side
of the river, and reached a high cliff on the right. Two and a half
miles beyond this the cliffs approach on both sides and form a very
considerable rapid near the entrance of a bold running stream on the
left. The water was now excessively cold, and the rapids had been
frequent and troublesome. On ascending an eminence captain Clarke saw
the forks of the river and sent the hunters up. They must have left it
only a short time before captain Lewis's arrival, but fortunately had
not seen the note which enabled him to induce the Indians to stay with
him. From the top of this eminence he could discover only three trees
through the whole country, nor was there along the sides of the cliffs
they had passed in the course of the day, any timber except a few small
pines: the low grounds were supplied with willow, currant bushes, and
serviceberries. After advancing half a mile further we came to the lower
point of an island near the middle of the river, and about the centre of
the valley: here we halted for the night, only four miles by land,
though ten by water,