Very Cold Haveing Snowed a little In the fore part of the night Sent for the two Bever traps—the River Had frosen over them So that We Caught nothing—Seen two men on Hors Back at a great distance Soposed to be Indeans—the Road off as fast as their Horses Cold Carry them—We this day Seen Six Wild Horses tho two of them must Have been In Hands as their tails Ware Bobed Short—We find no game yet and our Stock of provetion Is nearly out—
monday 18th Feby 1822
We Sot out Early up the River and at about 12 miles Came to the upper Eand of the High Rocks[105] and going down a gradual decent three or four Hunderd yds Came to a low Bottom on the River the Bank being low not more than six or Eight [feet] High the River butifull and a bout one Hundred yds Wide—But all frosen up tite—We Heare got Watter for the Horses—it Is Heare proper to Remark that the River as far as We Have Seen it pasing down betwen the High Rocks or mountains—dose not move In a very gentle manner as It appeers much Impeded by the Rocks falling from Each Side. and is forsed forward dashing from one Rock over others In almost one Continued foam the Hole distance threw the mountains Which from What I Can larn is about seventy miles When it appeers below In an oppen Cuntry—I Have no doubt but the River from the Head of those Rocks up for about one Hundred miles Has once been a lake of about from forty to fifty miles Wide and about two Hunderd feet deep—and that the running and dashing of the Watter Has Woren a Way the Rocks So as to form the present Chanel—We this day Crosed a dry Branch. But Have not Seen one Streem of Watter In all the distance We Have Came up on the [west] Side We travled nor Cold our Horses get one drop of Watter in all that distance but the Eat Snow When the Cold get it—We Went up the River a bout Six miles further and Camped on the East Side in a Small grove of Cotten Wood trees the Ice In [is] now so Strong the Horses Can Cross at pleasure—We find nothing to kill Exsept two of the Big Horned Sheep [Ovis montana] one of Which Robert Fowler shot but Cold not git it—
We this day maid Eighteen miles our Corse about north all the Way up the River—North 54 miles[106]
tusday 19th Feby 1822
We Set out Early up along the West Side of the River and at two miles Came to High Short Hills Which Put In Cloce to the River on both Sides and Continu for about three miles Wheare We find Wide and low Bottoms—Heare We See timber a Head Wheare We Will Indevour to Camp this night—and at ten miles We Came to Slovers party In Camped about two miles up Pikes forke of the Delnort and about three miles below His Block House Wheare He Was taken by the Spanierds—this fork Is oppen ocationed by the large Warm Spring Spoken of In Pikes Jurnal this party Has Caught Some Bever and their Is Sign of more in the River our Cors this day Was north 30 West ten miles—there is plenty of Cotten Wood trees and Willowes along this but Scarce a tree on the main River
N 30 West 10 miles[107]
Wensday 20th Feby 1822
We moved up the River threw the Bottom Which is about fifty miles Wide In Cluding the second Bottom leavel and Rich and not a tree to be Seen Exsept a few along the River bank—We maid twelve miles. and Camped on the East Side among Some Willows and geathered drift Wood for our fier—the Weather Is very Cold the Snow fell last night about two Inches deep—Cors north 12 miles[108] See nothing to kill