tusday 12th march 1822
Robert and myself Set out Early to Hunt and Haveing been Informed that a Hot Spring Had been found up the Crick Which put In to the River from the West [south] Side a little above our Cam[p]—We Went to the Spring about one and a Half miles up the Crick—But the Smoke appeered like that of a Salt furnis—as Soon as We Came In vew of it—the Snow Was now about Six Inches deep over the valley of the Crick But the Hot Watter Head kept the ground Cleane for a few Rods Round the Spring—but What appeered Straing to look at Was to see Ice Exstended about three feet from the Shore over the Watter—tho a boiling up In the middle of the Pon[d] Which Was about three Rods a Cross and nearly Round the Spert of Watter Rose up Some distance above the leavel of the Watter In the Pon and Was about the Size of a flour Barrel—now the question Was How Can the Ice Existe on Hot Watter. I Caught hold of the Ice as I Soposed—and [was] not only Scalded With the Watter but the [was] Burned With the Ice it being nearly as Hot as the Watter—bout on a farther Examination I found it Was a mineral Substan that Had Congeled on the Watter of Which there Ware vast quantitys laying below the Spring In the Crick Which Run from it—We then Went up the mountain till the Snow got So deep We Ware obliged to Return—killed nothing—this forke [Hot Spring creek] of the River Heads nearly [south] in the High mountains—the main River Heading north[115] and from appeerence the mountains Seperates and be Comes Lower as you go up the River leaveing a large valley—and low Bottoms along the River—the two Spanierds tell us it is about one days travel to the Head of the River—the Cuntry is low a Crass to the arkensaw—about twenty miles north [west] from Heare and Six East [north] of this River there Is a large lake[116] or Bodey of Watter that Has no out let that there is Some Island In it With trees on them—the all So State that this lake lyes be twen the Delnort and the arkensaw and that the Cuntry is low all the Way betwen the two Rivers—