Friday 24th
Overcast cloudy weather, snow showers.
At daylight set out for Spokan accompanied by an Iroquoy & an Indian, and encamped at 4 oclock in the afternoon between the big hill and the Lake. The snow on the portage is generally from 3 to 4 feet deep and very soft and on account of the smallness and badness of our snowshoes walking through it is very fatiguing, when we encamped we were very tired, & had no water, however, by melting snow on a piece of bark at the fire we soon obtained a sufficiency.—We stopped early having only a small axe to cut firewood.
I am afraid, there is so much snow, it will be a bad job getting the property across.
Saturday 25
Overcast, snow and sleet the greater part of the day.
Proceeded on our route at daylight and reached the plain at 11 oclock and encamped at sunsetting at Campment de Bindash, with J. Finlays[273] sons who were hunting fortunately we fell in with them or we would have had little fire during the night.
The snow continued the same deapth to near the edge of the woods where it was not so deep. There was not much snow on the plains and on the South end we walked without snowshoes.—
Sunday 26
Clear cold weather in the night and mild weather during the day.