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September 15, 1805
Sunday 15. At an early
hour we proceeded along the right side of the Kooskooskee over
steep rocky points of land, till at the distance of four miles
we reached an old Indian fishing place: the road here turned
to the right of the water, and began to ascend a mountain: but
the fire and wind had prostrated or dried almost all the timber
on the south side, and the ascents were so steep that we were
forced to wind in every direction round the high knobs which
constantly impeded our progress. Several of the horses lost
their foot-hold and slipped: one of them which was loaded with
a desk and small trunk, rolled over and over for forty yards,
till his fall was stopped by a tree. The desk was broken; but
the poor animal escaped without much injury. After clambering
in this way for four miles, we came to a high snowy part 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,
September
16, 1805
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 endeavored 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.
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