onees and the
Flatheads, for their journey to the Missouri. The weather was warm and
sultry, but the only inconvenience which we apprehend is a dearth of
food, of which we had to-day an abundance, having procured a deer, a
goose, one duck and a prairie fowl. On reaching Tower creek we left the
former track of captain Clarke, and began to explore the new route,
which is our last hope of getting out of the mountains. For four miles
the road, which is tolerably plain, led us along Berry creek to some old
Indian lodges where we encamped for the night; the next day,

Sunday, September 1, 1805, we followed the same road which here left the
creek and turned to the northwest across the hills. During all day we
were riding over these hills, from which are many drains and small
streams running into the river to the left, and at the distance of
eighteen miles, came to a large creek called Fish creek emptying into
the Columbia which is about six miles from us. It had rained in the
course of the day, and commenced raining again towards evening. We
therefore determined not to leave the low grounds to night, and after
going up Fish creek four miles formed our encampment. The country over
which we passed is well watered, but poor and rugged or stony, except
the bottoms of Fish creek, and even these are narrow. Two men were sent
to purchase fish of the Indians at the mouth of the creek, and with the
dried fish which they obtained, and a deer and a few salmon killed by
the party, we were still well supplied. Two bear also were wounded but
we could procure neither of them.

Monday 2. This morning all the Indians left us, except the old guide,
who now conducted us up Fish creek: at one mile and a half we passed a
branch of the river coming in through a low ground covered with pine on
the left, and two and a half miles further is a second branch from the
right; after continuing our route along the hills covered with pine, and
a low ground of the same growth, we arrived at the distance of three and
a half miles at the forks of the creek. The road which we were following
now turned up the east side of these forks, and as our guide informed us
led to the Missouri. We were therefore left without any track; but as no
time was to be lost we began to cut our road up the west branch of the
creek. This we effected with much difficulty; the thickets of trees and
brush through which we were obliged to cut our way required great
labour; the road itsel