Clark: July 26, 1805

July 26th Friday 1805 I deturmined to leave Shabono & one man who had
Sore feet to rest & proceed on with the other two to the top of a
mountain 12 miles distant west and from thence view the river &
vallies a head, we with great dificuelty & much fatigue reached the
top at 11 oClock from the top of this mountain I could see the Course of
the North fork about 10 miles meandering through a Vallie but Could
discover no Indians or Sign which was fresh. I could also See Some
distance up the Small River below, and also the middle fork after
Satisfying my Self returned to the two men by an old Indian parth, on this
parth & in the Mountain we Came to a Spring of excessive Cold water,
which we drank reather freely of as we were almost famished; not with
Standing the precautions of wetting my face, hands, & feet, I Soon
felt the effects of the water. We Contind. thro a Deep Vallie without a
Tree to Shade us Scorching with heat to the men who had killed a pore
Deer, I was fatigued my feet with Several blisters & Stuck with
prickley pears. I eate but verry little deturmined to Cross to the middle
fork and examine that. we Crossed the Missouri which was divided by a
verry large Island, the first Part was knee deep, the other waste deep
& verry rapidI felt my Self verry unwell & took up Camp on
the little river 3 miles above its mouth & near the place it falls
into the bottom a fiew Drops of rain this evening

we killed 2 bear which was imediately in our way. both pore emence number
of Beaver and orter in this little river which forks in the bottom