rt of the mountain
where was a spring of water, at which we halted two hours to refresh our
horses.

On leaving the spring the road continued as bad as it was below, and the
timber more abundant. At four miles we reached the top of the mountain,
and foreseeing no chance of meeting with water, we encamped on the
northern side of the mountain, near an old bank of snow, three feet
deep. Some of this we melted, and supped on the remains of the colt
killed yesterday. Our only game to-day was two pheasants, and the horses
on which we calculated as a last resource begin to fail us, for two of
them were so poor, and worn out with fatigue, that we were obliged to
leave them behind. All around us are high rugged mountains, among which
is a lofty range from southeast to northwest, whose tops are without
timber, and in some places covered with snow. The night was cloudy and
very cold, and three hours before daybreak,

Monday 16, it began to snow, and continued all day, so that by evening
it was six or eight inches deep. This covered the track so completely,
that we were obliged constantly to halt and examine, lest we should lose
the route. In many places we had nothing to guide us except the
branches of the trees which, being low, have been rubbed by the burdens
of the Indian horses. The road was, like that of yesterday, along steep
hill sides, obstructed with fallen timber, and a growth of eight
different species of pine, so thickly strewed that the snow falls from
them as we pass, and keeps us continually wet to the skin, and so cold,
that we are anxious lest our feet should be frozen, as we have only thin
moccasins to defend them.

At noon we halted to let the horses feed on some long grass on the south
side of the mountains, and endeavoured by making fires to keep ourselves
warm. As soon as the horses were refreshed, captain Clarke went ahead
with one man, and at the distance of six miles reached a stream from the
right, and prepared fires by the time of our arrival at dusk. We here
encamped in a piece of low ground, thickly timbered, but scarcely large
enough to permit us to lie level. We had now made thirteen miles. We
were all very wet, cold, and hungry: but although before setting out
this morning, we had seen four deer, yet we could not procure any of
them, and were obliged to kill a second colt for our supper.

Tuesday 17. Our horses became so much scattered during the night, that
we were detained till one o'clock bef