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us　to　distinguish　the　road；　would　defeat　our　design　of　returning　to　the　United　States　this　season。　We　now　found　also　that　as　the　snow　bore　our　horses　very　well；　travelling　was　infinitely　easier　than　it　was　last　fall；　when　the　rocks　and　fallen　timber　had　so　much　obstructed　our　march。　But　it　would　require　five　days　to　reach　the　fish…weirs　at　the　mouth　of　Colt　＇…killed＇　Creek；　even　if　we　were　able　to　follow　the　proper　ridges　of　the　mountains；　and　the　danger　of　missing　our　direction　is　exceedingly　great　while　every　track　is　covered　with　snow。　During　these　five　days；　too；　we　have　no　chance　of　finding　either　grass　or　underwood　for　our　horses；　the　snow　being　so　deep。　To　proceed；　therefore；　under　such　circumstances；　would　be　to　hazard　our　being　bewildered　in　the　mountains；　and　to　insure　the　loss　of　our　horses；　even　should　we　be　so　fortunate　as　to　escape　with　our　lives；　we　might　be　obliged　to　abandon　all　our　papers　and　collections。　It　was　therefore　decided　not　to　venture　any　further；　to　deposit　here　all　the　baggage　and　provisions　for　which　we　had　no　immediate　use；　and；　reserving　only　subsistence　for　a　few　days；　to　return　while　our　horses　were　yet　strong　to　some　spot　where　we　might　live　by　hunting；　till　a　guide　could　be　procured　to　conduct　us　across　the　mountains。　Our　baggage　was　placed　on　scaffolds　and　carefully　covered；　as　were　also　the　instruments　and　papers；　which　we　thought　it　safer　to　leave　than　to　risk　over　the　roads　and　creeks　by　which　we　came。〃

There　was　nothing　left　to　do　but　to　return　to　Hungry　Creek。　　Finding　a　scanty　supply　of　grass；　they　camped　under　most　depressing　circumstances；　their　outlook　now　was　the　passing　of　four　or　five　days　in　the　midst　of　snows　from　ten　to　fifteen　feet　deep；　with　no　guide；　no　road；　and　no　forage。　In　this　emergency；　two　men　were　sent　back　to　the　Chopunnish　country　to　hurry　up　the　Indians　who　had　promised　to　accompany　them　over　the　mountains；　and；　to　insure　a　guide；　these　men　were　authorized　to　offer　a　rifle　as　a　reward　for　any　one　who　would　undertake　the　task。　For　the　present；　it　was　thought　best　to　return　to　Quamash　flats。



Chapter　XXIII

Crossing　the　Bitter　Root　Mountains

Disasters　many　kept　pace　with　the　unhappy　explorers　on　their　way　back　to　Quamash　flats　after　their　rebuff　at　the　base　of　the　Bitter　Root　Mountains。　　One　of　the　horses　fell　down　a　rough　and　rocky　place；　carrying　his　rider　with　him；　but　fortunately　neither　horse　nor　man　was　killed。　　Next；　a　man；　sent　ahead　to　cut　down　the　brush　that　blocked　the　path；　cut　himself　badly　on　the　inside　of　his　thigh　and　bled　copiously。　The　hunters　sent　out　for　game　returned　empty…handed。　The　fishermen　caught　no　fish；　but　broke　the　two　Indian　gigs；　or　contrivances　for　catching　fish；　with　which　they　had　been　provided。　The　stock　of　salt　had　given　out；　the　bulk　of　their　supply　having　been　left　on　the　mountain。　　Several　large　mushrooms　were　brought　in　by　Cruzatte；　but　these　were　eaten　without　pepper；　salt；　or　any　kind　of　grease；〃a　very　tasteless；　insipid　food；〃　as　the　journal　says。　To　crown　all；　the　mosquitoes　were　pestilential　in　their　numbers　and　venom。

Nevertheless；　the　leaders　of　the　expedition　were　determined　to　press　on　and　pass　the　Bitter　Root　Mountains　as　soon　as　a　slight　rest　at　Quamash　flats　should　be　had。　　If　they　should　tarry　until　the　snows　melted　from　the　trail；　they　would　be　too　late　to　reach　the　United　States　that　winter　and　would　be　compelled　to　pass　the　next　winter　at　some　camp　high　up　on　the　Missouri；　as　they　had　passed　one　winter　at　Fort　Mandan；　on　their　way　out。　This　is　the　course　of　argument　which　Captain　Lewis　and　Clark　took　to　persuade　each　other　as　to　the　best　way　out　of　their　difficulties：

〃The　snows　have　formed　a　hard；　coarse　bed　without　crust；　on　which　the　horses　walk　safely　without　slipping；　the　chief　difficulty；　therefore；　is　to　find　the　road。　　In　this　we　may　be　assisted　by　the　circumstance　that；　though　generally　ten　feet　in　depth；　the　snow　has　been　thrown　off　by　the　thick　and　spreading　branches　of　the　trees；　and　from　round　the　trunk；　while　the　warmth　of　the　trunk　itself；　acquired　by　the　reflection　of　the　sun；　or　communicated　by　natural　heat　of　the　earth；　which　is　never　frozen　under　these　masses；　has　dissolved　the　snow　so　much　that　immediately　at　the　roots　its　depth　is　not　more　than　one　or　two　feet。　　We　therefore　hope　that　the　marks　of　the　baggage　rubbing　against　the　trees　may　still　be　perceived；　and　we　have　decided；　in　case　the　guide　cannot　be　procured；　that　one　of　us　will　take　three　or　four　of　our　most　expert　woodsmen；　several　of　our　best　horses；　and　an　ample　supply　of　provisions；　go　on　two　days'　journey　in　advance；　and　endeavor　to　trace　the　route　by　the　marks　of　the　Indian　baggage　on　the　trees；　which　we　would　then　mark　more　distinctly　with　a　tomahawk。　When　they　should　have　reached　two　days'　journey　beyond　Hungry　Creek；　two　of　the　men　were　to　be　sent　back　to　apprise　the　rest　of　their　success；　and　if　necessary　to　cause　them　to　delay　there；　lest；　by　advancing　too　soon；　they　should　be　forced　to　halt　where　no　food　could　be　obtained　for　the　horses。　If　the　traces　of　the　baggage　be　too　indistinct；　the　whole　party　is　to　return　to　Hungry　Creek；　and　we　will　then　attempt　the　passage　by　ascending　the　main　southwest　branch　of　Lewis'　River　through　the　country　of　the　Shoshonees；　over　to　Madison　or　Gallatin　River。　　On　that　route；　the　Chopunnish　inform　us；　there　is　a　passage　not　obstructed　by　snow　at　this　period　of　the　year。〃

On　their　return　to　Quamash　flats　the　party　met　two　Indians　who；　after　some　parley；　agreed　to　pilot　them　over　the　mountains；　these　camped　where　they　were；　and　the　party　went　on　to　the　flats；　having　exacted　a　promise　from　the　Indians　that　they　would　wait　there　two　nights　for　the　white　men　to　come　along。　When　the　party　reached　their　old　camp；　they　found　that　one　of　their　hunters　had　killed　a　deer；　which　was　a　welcome　addition　to　their　otherwise　scanty　supper。　　Next　day；　the　hunters　met　with　astonishing　luck；　bringing　into　camp　eight　deer　and　three　bears。　Four　of　the　men　were　directed　to　go　to　the　camp　of　the　two　Indians；　and　if　these　were　bent　on　going　on；　to　accompany　them　and　so　mark；　or　blaze；　the　trees　that　the　rest　of　the　party　would　have　no　difficulty　in　finding　the　way；　later　on。

Meanwhile；　the　men　who　had　been　sent　back　for　guides　returned；　bringing　with　them　the　pleasing　information　that　three　Indians　whom　they　brought　with　them　had　consented　to　guide　the　party　to　the　great　falls　of　the　Missouri；　for　the　pay　of　two　guns。　Accordingly；　once　more　（June　26）；　they　set　out　for　the　mountains；　travelling　for　the　third　time　in　twelve　days　the　route　between　Quamash　flats　and　the　Bitter　Root　range。　For　the　second　time　they　ran　up　against　a　barrier　of　snow。　They　measured　the　depth　of　the　snow　at　the　place　where　they　had　left　their　luggage　at　their　previous　repulse　and　found　it　to　be　ten　feet　and　ten　inches　deep；　and　it　had　sunk　four　feet　since　they　had　been　turned　back　at　this　point。　Pressing　on；　after　they　reached　their　old　camp；　they　found　a　bare　spot　on　the　side　of　the　mountain　where　there　was　a　little　grass　for　their　horses；　and　there　they　camped　for　the　night。　They　were　fortunate　in　having　Indian　guides　with　them；　and　the　journal　says：

〃The　marks　on　the　trees；　which　had　been　our　chief　dependence；　are　much　fewer　and　more　difficult　to　be　distinguished　than　we　had　supposed。　　But　our　guides　traverse　this　trackless　region　with　a　kind　of　instinctive　sagacity；　they　never　hesitate；　they　are　never　embarrassed；　and　so　undeviating　is　their　step；　that　wherever　the　snow　has　disappeared；　for　even　a　hundred　paces；　we　find　the　summer　road。　　With　their　aid　the　snow　is　scarcely　a　disadvantage；　for　though　we　are　often　obliged　to　slip　down；　yet　the　fallen　timber　and　the　rocks；　which　are　now　covered；　were　much　more　troublesome　when　we　passed　in　the　autumn。　Travelling　is　indeed　comparatively　pleasant；　as　well　as　more　rapid；　the　snow　being　hard　and　coarse；　without　a　crust；　and　perfectly　hard　enough　to　prevent　the　horses　sinking　more　than　two　or　three　inches。　After　the　sun　has　been　on　it　for　some　hours　it　becomes　softer　than　it　is　early　in　the　morning；　yet　they　are　almost　always　able　to　get　a　sure　foothold。〃

On　the　twenty…ninth　of　June　the　party　were　well　out　of　the　snows　in　which　they　had　been　imprisoned；　although　they　were　by　no　means　over　the　mountain　barrier　that　had　been　climbed　so　painfully　during　the　past　few　days。　　Here　they　observed　the　tracks　of　two　barefooted　Indians　who　had　evidently　been　fleeing　from　their　enemies；　the　Pahkees。　　These　signs　disturbed　the　Indian　guides；　for　they　at　once　said　that　the　tracks　were　made　by　their　friends；　the　Ootlashoots；　and　that　the　Pahkees　would　also　cut　them　（the　guides）　off　on　their　return　from　the　trip　over　the　mountains。　On　the　evening　of　the　day　above　mentioned；　the　party　camped　at　the　warm　springs　which　fall　into　Traveller's…rest　Creek；　a　point　now　well　known　to　the　explorers；　who　had　passed　that　way　before。　Of　the　springs　the　journal　says：

〃These　warm　springs　are　situated　at　the　foot　of　a　hill　on　the　north　side　of　Traveller's…rest　Creek；　which　is　ten　yards　wide　at　this　place。　They　issue　from　the　bottoms；　and　through　the　interstices　of　a　gray　freestone　rock；　which　rises　in　irregular　masses　round　their　lower　side。　The　principal　spring；　which　the　Indians　have　formed　into