Lewis: July 22, 1806

Tuesday July 22ed 1806. We set out very early this morning as usual and
proceeded up the river. for the first seven miles of our travel this
morning the country was broken the land poor and intermixed with a greater
quantity of gravel than usual; the ravines were steep and numerous and our
horses feet have become extreemly soar in traveling over the gravel we
therefore traveled but slow. we met with a doe Elk which we wounded but
did not get her. the river is confined closely between clifts of
perpendicular rocks in most parts. after the distance of seven miles the
country became more level les gravly and some bottoms to the river but not
a particle of timber nor underbush of any discription is to be seen. we
continued up the river on it’s South side for 17 miles when we halted to
glaize our horses and eat; there being no wood we were compelled to make
our fire with the buffaloe dung which I found answered the purpose very
well. we cooked and eat all the meat we had except a small peice of
buffaloe meat which was a little tainted. after dinner we passed the river
and took our course through a level and beautifull plain on the N. side.
the country has now become level, the river bottoms wide and the adjoining
plains but little elivated above them; the banks of the river are not
usually more than from 3 to four feet yet it dose not appear ever to
overflow them. we found no timber untill we had traveled 12 miles further
when we arrived at a clump of large cottonwood trees in a beautifull and
extensive bottom of the river about 10 miles below the foot of the rocky
mountains where this river enters them; as I could see from hence very
distinctly where the river entered the mountains and the bearing of this
point being S of West I thought it unnecessary to proceed further and
therefore encamped resolving to rest ourselves and horses a couple of days
at this place and take the necessary observations. this plain on which we
are is very high; the rocky mountains to the S. W. of us appear but low
from their base up yet are partially covered with snow nearly to their
bases. there is no timber on those mountains within our view; they are
very irregular and broken in their form and seem to be composed
principally of clay with but little rock or stone. the river appears to
possess at least double the vollume of water which it had where we first
arrived on it below; this no doubt proceeds from the avapparation caused
by the sun and air and the absorbing of the earth in it’s passage through
these open plains. The course of the mountains still continues from S. E.
to N. W. the front rang appears to terminate abrubtly about 35 ms. to the
N. W. Of us. I believe that the waters of the Suskashawan apporoach the
borders of this river very nearly. I now have lost all hope of the waters
of this river ever extending to N Latitude 50° though I still hope and
think it more than probable that both white earth river and milk river
extend as far north as latd. 50°we have seen but few buffaloe today
no deer and very few Antelopes; gam of every discription is extreemly wild
which induces me to beleive that the indians are now, or have been lately
in this neighbourhood. we wounded a buffaloe this evening but our horses
were so much fatiegued that we were unable to pursue it with success.-