[Clark, July 6, 1806]
Sunday 6th July 1806 Some frost this morning the last night was so cold that I could not Sleep. we Collected our horses which were much scattered which detained us untill 9 A.M. at which time we Set out and proceeded up the Creek on which we camped 3 Miles and left the road which we came on last fall to our right and assended a ridge with a gentle Slope to the dividing mountain which Seperates the waters from the Middle fork of Clarks river from those and Lewis's river and passed over prosueing the rout of the Oat lash shute band which we met last fall to the head of a branch of Wisdom R and down the Said branch crossing it frequently on each Side of this handsom glades in which I observe great quantities of quawmash just beginning to blume on each side of those glades the timber is small and a great propotion of it Killed by the fires. I observe the appearance of old buffalow roads and some heads on this part of the mountain. The Snow appears to lying in considerable masses on the mountain from which we decended on the 4th of Septr. last. I observe great numbers of the whistleing Squirel which burrows their holes Scattered on each Side of the glades through which we passed. Shields killed a hare of the large mountain Species. the after part of the day we passed on the hill Side N of the Creek for 6 Ms. Creek and entered an extensive open Leavel plain in which the Indian trail Scattered in Such a manner that we Could not pursue it. the Indian woman wife to Shabono informed me that she had been in this plain frequently and knew it well that the Creek which we decended was a branch of Wisdom river and when we assended the higher part of the plain we would discover a gap in the mountains in our direction to the Canoes, and when we arived at that gap we would See a high point of a mountain covered with snow in our direction to the canoes. we proceeded on 1 mile and Crossd. a large Creek from the right which heads in a Snow Mountain and Fish Creek over which there was a road thro a gap. we assended a Small rise and beheld an open boutifull Leavel Vally or plain of about 20 Miles wide and near 60 long extending N & S. in every direction around which I could see high points of Mountains Covered with Snow. I discovered one at a distance very high covered with Snow which bore S. 80° E. The Squar pointed to the gap through which she said we must pass which was S. 56° E. She said we would pass the river before we reached the gap. we had not proceeded more than 2 Miles in the last Creek, before a violent Storm of wind accompand. with hard rain from the S W. imediately from off the Snow Mountains this rain was Cold and lasted 11/2 hours. I discovd. the rain wind as it approached and halted and formd. a solid column to protect our Selves from the Violency of the gust. after it was over I proceeded on about 5 Miles to Some Small dry timber on a Small Creek and encampd. made large fires and dryed our Selves. here I observed Some fresh Indian Signs where they had been gathering quawmash.
[Clark, July 7, 1806]
Monday 7th July 1806 This morning our horses were very much Scattered; I Sent out men in every direction in Serch of them. they brought all except 9 by 6 oClock and informed me that they could not find those 9. I then ordered 6 men to take horses and go different directions and at a greater distance those men all returned by 10 A.M. and informed me that they had circles in every direction to 6 or 8 miles around Camp and could not See any Signs of them, that they had reasons to believe that the indians had Stolen them in the course of the night, and founded their reasons on the quallity of the horses, all being the most valuable horses we had, and Several of them so attached to horses of inferior quallity which we have they could not be Seperated from each other when driveing with their loads on in the course of the day. I thought it probable that they might be stolen by Some Skulking Shoshones, but as it was yet possible that they may have taken our back rout or rambled to a greater distance I deturmined to leave a Small party and hunt for them to day, and proceed on with the main party and all the baggage to the Canoes, raise them out of the water and expose them to the sun to dry by the time this party Should overtake me. I left Sergt. Ordway, Shannon, Gibson Collins & Labeech with directions to hunt this day for the horses without they Should discover that the Inds. had taken them into the Mountains, and prosue our trail &c. at 1/2 past 10 A M I set out and proceeded on through an open rich vally crossing four large Creeks with extensive low and mirey bottoms, and a Small river keeping the Course I had set out on S. 56° E after crossing the river I kept up on the N E. side, Sometimes following an old road which frequently disappeared, at the distance of 16 miles we arived at a Boiling Spring Situated about 100 paces from a large Easterly fork of the Small river in a leavel open vally plain and nearly opposit & E. of the 3 forks of this little river which heads in the Snowey Mountains to the S E. & S W of the Springs. this Spring contains a very considerable quantity of water, and actually blubbers with heat for 20 paces below where it rises. it has every appearance of boiling, too hot for a man to endure his hand in it 3 seconds. I directt Sergt. Pryor and John Shields to put each a peice of meat in the water of different Sises. the one about the Size of my 3 fingers Cooked dun in 25 minits the other much thicker was 32 minits before it became Sufficiently dun. this water boils up through some loose hard gritty Stone. a little sulferish after takeing dininer and letting our horses graize 1 hour and a half we proceeded on Crossed this easterly branch and up on the N. Side of this middle fork 9 miles crossed it near the head of an Easterly branch and passed through a gap of a mountain on the Easterly Side of which we encamped near some butifull which fall into Willards Creek. I directed that the rambling horses should be hobbled, and the Sentinal to examine the horses after the moon rose. Emence beaver sign.
This extensive vally Surround with covered with snow is extreemly fertile covered esculent plants &c and the Creeks which pass through it contains emence numbers of beaver &c. I now take my leave of this butifull extensive vally which I call the hot spring Vally, and behold one less extensive and much more rugid on Willards Creek for near 12 miles in length. remarkable Cold night
[Clark, July 8, 1806]
Tuesday July 8th 1806 Our horses being Scattered we were detained unill 8 A. M before we Set out. we proceeded on down Willards Creek on the S.W. Side about 11 miles near which the Creek passes through the mountain we then Steared S. 20° E. to the West branch of Jeffersons river in Snake Indian cove about 7 miles and halded two hours to let the horses graize. after dinner we proceeded on down the forke which is here but Small 9 Miles to our encampment of 17 Augt. at which place we Sunk our Canoes & buried Some articles, as before mentioned the most of the Party with me being Chewers of Tobacco become So impatient to be chewing it that they Scercely gave themselves time to take their Saddles off their horses before they were off to the deposit. I found every article Safe, except a little damp. I gave to each man who used tobacco about two feet off a part of a role took one third of the ballance myself and put up 2/3 in a box to Send down with the most of the articles which had been left at this place, by the Canoes to Capt. Lewis. as it was late nothing Could be done with the Canoes this evening. I examined them and found then all Safe except one of the largest which had a large hole in one Side & Split in bow. The Country through which we passed to day was diversified high dry and uneaven Stoney open plains and low bottoms very boggy with high mountains on the tops and North sides of which there was Snow, great quantities of the Species of hysoop & shrubs common to the Missouri plains are Scattered in those Vallys and hill Sides. The road which we have traveled from travellers rest Creek to this place an excellent road. and with only a few trees being cut out of the way would be an excellent waggon road one Mountain of about 4 miles over excepted which would require a little digging The distance is 164 Miles-. Shields killed an antelope