Lewis: February 14, 1806

Friday February 14th 1806. We are very uneasy with rispect to our sick men
at the salt works. Sergt. Pryor and party have not yet returned nor can we
conceive what causes their delay. Drewyer visited his traps today and
caught a very fine fat beaver on which we feasted this evening. on the
11th inst. Capt Clark completed a map of the country through which we have
been passing from Fort Mandan to this place. in this map the Missouri
Jefferson’s river the S. E. branch of the Columbia, Kooskooske and
Columbia from the entrance of the S. E. fork to the pacific Ocean as well
as a part of Flathead river and our tract across the Rocky Mountains are
laid down by celestial observation and survey. the rivers are also
connected at their sources with other rivers agreeably to the information
of the natives and the most probable conjecture arrising from their
capacities and the relative positions of their rispective entrances which
last have with but few exceptions been established by celestial
observation. we now discover that we have found the most practicable and
navigable passage across the Continent of North America; it is that which
we traveled with the exception of that part of our rout from the
neighbourhood of the entrance of Dearborn’s River untill we arrived on
Clarks river at the entrance of Traveler’s rest creek; the distance
between those two points would be traveled more advantageously by land as
the navigation of the Missouri above the river Dearborn is laborious and
420 miles distant by which no advantage is gained as the rout which we are
compelled to travel by land from the source of Jefferson’s river to the
entrance of Travelers rest Creek is 220 miles being further by 500 miles
than that from the entrance of Dearborn’s river to the last mentioned
point and a much worse rout if Indian information is to be relyed on; from
the same information the Flathead river like that of the S. E. fork of the
Columbia which heads with Jefferson’s and Maddison’s Rivers can not be
navigated through the Rocky Mountains in consequence of falls &
rappids and as a confermation of this fact, we discovered that there were
no salmon in the Flathead river, which is the case in the S. E. branch of
the Columbia although it is not navigable. added to this, the Indians
further inform us, that the Flathead river runs in the direction of the
Rocky Mountains for a great distance to the North before it discharges
itself into the Columbia river, which last from the same information from
the entrance of the S. E. fork to that of Flathead river is obstructed
with a great number of difficult and dangerous rappids. considering
therefore the danger and difficulties attending the navigation of the
Columbia in this part, as well as the circuitous and distant rout formed
by itself and the Flathead river we conceive that even admitting the
Flathead river contrary to information to be as navigable as the Columbia
river below it’s entrance, that the tract by land over the Rocky Mountains
usually traveled by the natives from the Entrance of Traveller’s-rest
Creek to the forks of the Kooskooske is preferable; the same being a
distance of 184 Miles. The inferrence therefore deduced from those
premices are that the best and most Practicable rout across the Continent
is by way of the Missouri to the entrance of Dearborn’s river or near that
place; from thence to flathead river at the entrance of Traveller’s rest
Creek, from thence up Traveller’s rest creek to the forks, from whence you
pursue a range of mounttains which divides the waters of the two forks of
this creek, and which still continuing it’s West wardly course divides the
waters of the two forks of the Kooskooske river to their junction; from
thence to decend this river by water to the S. E. branch of the Columbia,
thence down that river to the Columbia and with the latter to the Pacific
Ocean.