Continued our journey at 3 oclock in the morning and arrived at Spokan at 11. Not much snow in the woods & it was so hard that we walked the most of the way without snowshoes. We were well tired. There were some horses on the opposite side of (Schuihoo)[274] plain but we thought it too far to go for them yesterday evening.
Found Mr. Dease & his people all well.
Monday 27
Snowed in the night and the greater part of the day.
It being deemed impracticable to get the property across the portage at present on account of the depth of the snow, without, the risk of losing some of the horses, Mr. Dease had determined to let it remain some time till the snow thaws.—But a man (Chilifaux) was sent off to give the man who was left behind instructions & leave an Indian with him—and at the same time to bring home some of my things, particularly the box containing the papers.—The Indians would not trust their horses to cross the portage.—
Tuesday 28
Cloudy mild weather, some snow. A good deal of the snow that fell yesterday thawed.
Wed.y. 1
Overcast mild weather. The snow thawing.
Mr. Birnie[275] & the men busy packing beaver these two days.—