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le　they　were　on　their　way　down　the　Missouri；　we　take　this　extract　from　their　journal：

〃We　again　saw　great　numbers　of　buffalo；　elk；　antelope；　deer；　and　wolves；　also　eagles　and　other　birds；　among　which　were　geese　and　a　solitary　pelican；　neither　of　which　can　fly　at　present；　as　they　are　now　shedding　the　feathers　of　their　wings。　We　also　saw　several　bears；　one　of　them　the　largest；　except　one；　we　had　ever　seen；　for　he　measured　nine　feet　from　the　nose　to　the　extremity　of　the　tail。　　During　the　night　a　violent　storm　came　on　from　the　northeast　with　such　torrents　of　rain　that　we　had　scarcely　time　to　unload　the　canoes　before　they　filled　with　water。　Having　no　shelter　we　ourselves　were　completely　wet　to　the　skin；　and　the　wind　and　cold　air　made　our　situation　very　unpleasant。〃

On　the　twelfth　of　August；　the　Lewis　party　met　with　two　traders　from　Illinois。　　These　men　were　camped　on　the　northeast　side　of　the　river；　they　had　left　Illinois　the　previous　summer；　and　had　been　coming　up　the　Missouri　hunting　and　trapping。　Captain　Lewis　learned　from　them　that　Captain　Clark　was　below；　and　later　in　that　day　the　entire　expedition　was　again　united；　Captain　Clark's　party　being　found　at　a　point　near　where　Little　Knife　Creek　enters　the　Missouri　River。　　We　must　now　take　up　the　narrative　of　Captain　Clark　and　his　adventures　on　the　Yellowstone。



Chapter　XXV

Adventures　on　the　Yellowstone

The　route　of　Captain　Clark　from　the　point　where　he　and　Captain　Lewis　divided　their　party；　was　rather　more　difficult　than　that　pursued　by　the　Lewis　detachment。　　But　the　Clark　party　was　larger；　being　composed　of　twenty　men　and　Sacajawea　and　her　baby。　They　were　to　travel　up　the　main　fork　of　Clark's　River　（sometimes　called　the　Bitter　Root）；　to　Ross's　Hole；　and　then　strike　over　the　great　continental　divide　at　that　point　by　way　of　the　pass　which　he　discovered　and　which　was　named　for　him；　thence　he　was　to　strike　the　headwaters　of　Wisdom　River；　a　stream　which　this　generation　of　men　knows　by　the　vulgar　name　of　Big　Hole　River；　from　this　point　he　was　to　go　by　the　way　of　Willard's　Creek　to　Shoshonee　Cove　and　the　Two　Forks　of　the　Jefferson；　and　thence　down　that　stream　to　the　Three　Forks　of　the　Missouri；　up　the　Gallatin；　and　over　the　divide　to　the　Yellowstone　and　down　that　river　to　its　junction　with　the　Missouri；　where　he　was　to　join　the　party　of　Captain　Lewis。　　This　is　the　itinerary　that　was　exactly　carried　out。　The　very　first　incident　set　forth　in　the　journal　is　a　celebration　of　Independence　Day；　as　follows：

〃Friday；　July　4。　　Early　in　the　morning　three　hunters　were　sent　out。　　The　rest　of　the　party　having　collected　the　horses　and　breakfasted；　we　proceeded　at　seven　o'clock　up　the　valley；　which　is　now　contracted　to　the　width　of　from　eight　to　ten　miles；　with　a　good　proportion　of　pitch…pine；　though　its　low　lands；　as　well　as　the　bottoms　of　the　creeks；　are　strewn　with　large　stones。　We　crossed　five　creeks　of　different　sizes；　but　of　great　depth；　and　so　rapid　that　in　passing　the　last　several　of　the　horses　were　driven　down　the　stream；　and　some　of　our　baggage　was　wet。　Near　this　river　we　saw　the　tracks　of　two　Indians；　whom　we　supposed　to　be　Shoshonees。　　Having　made　sixteen　miles；　we　halted　at　an　hour　for　the　purpose　of　doing　honor　to　the　birthday　of　our　early　country's　independence。　　The　festival　was　not　very　splendid；　for　it　consisted　of　a　mush　made　of　cows　and　a　saddle　of　venison；　nor　had　we　anything　to　tempt　us　to　prolong　it。　　We　therefore　went　on　till　at　the　distance　of　a　mile　we　came　to　a　very　large　creek；　which；　like　all　those　in　the　valley；　had　an　immense　rapidity　of　descent；　we　therefore　proceeded　up　for　some　distance；　in　order　to　select　the　most　convenient　spot　for　fording。　Even　there；　however；　such　was　the　violence　of　the　current　that；　though　the　water　was　not　higher　than　the　bellies　of　the　horses；　the　resistance　made　in　passing　caused　the　stream　to　rise　over　their　backs　and　loads。　　After　passing　the　creek　we　inclined　to　the　left；　and　soon　after　struck　the　road　which　we　had　descended　last　year；　near　the　spot　where　we　dined　on　the　7th　of　September　＇1805＇。　Along　this　road　we　continued　on　the　west　side　of　Clark's　River；　till　at　the　distance　of　thirteen　miles；　during　which　we　passed　three　more　deep；　large　creeks；　we　reached　its　western　branch；　where　we　camped；　and　having　sent　out　two　hunters；　despatched　some　men　to　examine　the　best　ford　across　the　west　fork　of　the　river。　The　game　to…day　consisted　of　four　deer；　though　we　also　saw　a　herd　of　ibex；　or　bighorn。〃

Two　days　later　they　were　high　up　among　the　mountains；　although　the　ascent　was　not　very　steep。　　At　that　height　they　found　the　weather　very　cool；　so　much　so　that　on　the　morning　of　the　sixth　of　July；　after　a　cold　night；　they　had　a　heavy　white　frost　on　the　ground。　Setting　out　on　that　day；　Captain　Clark　crossed　a　ridge　which　proved　to　be　the　dividing　line　between　the　Pacific　and　the　Atlantic　watershed。　At　the　same　time　he　passed　from　what　is　now　Missoula　County；　Montana；　into　the　present　county　of　Beaver　Head；　in　that　State。　　〃Beaver　Head；〃　the　reader　will　recollect；　comes　from　a　natural　elevation　in　that　region　resembling　the　head　of　a　beaver。　　These　points　will　serve　to　fix　in　one's　mind　the　route　of　the　first　exploring　party　that　ever　ventured　into　those　wilds；　descending　the　ridge　on　its　eastern　slope；　the　explorers　struck　Glade　Creek；　one　of　the　sources　of　the　stream　then　named　Wisdom　River；　a　branch　of　the　Jefferson；　and　the　Jefferson　is　one　of　the　tributaries　of　the　mighty　Missouri。　　Next　day　the　journal　has　this　entry：

〃In　the　morning　our　horses　were　so　much　scattered　that；　although　we　sent　out　hunters　in　every　direction　to　range　the　country　for　six　or　eight　miles；　nine　of　them　could　not　be　recovered。　　They　were　the　most　valuable　of　all　our　horses；　and　so　much　attached　to　some　of　their　companions　that　it　was　difficult　to　separate　them　in　the　daytime。　We　therefore　presumed　that　they　must　have　been　stolen　by　some　roving　Indians；　and　accordingly　left　a　party　of　five　men　to　continue　the　pursuit；　while　the　rest　went　on　to　the　spot　where　the　canoes　had　been　deposited。　We　set　out　at　ten　o'clock　and　pursued　a　course　S。　56'0　E。　across　the　valley；　which　we　found　to　be　watered　by　four　large　creeks；　with　extensive　low　and　miry　bottoms；　and　then　reached　＇and　crossed＇　Wisdom　River；　along　the　northeast　side　of　which　we　continued；　till　at　the　distance　of　sixteen　miles　we　came　to　its　three　branches。　　Near　that　place　we　stopped　for　dinner　at　a　hot　spring　situated　in　the　open　plain。　The　bed　of　the　spring　is　about　fifteen　yards　in　circumference；　and　composed　of　loose；　hard；　gritty　stones；　through　which　the　water　boils　in　great　quantities。　　It　is　slightly　impregnated　with　sulphur；　and　so　hot　that　a　piece　of　meat　about　the　size　of　three　fingers　was　completely　done　in　twenty…five　minutes。〃

Next　day；　July　8；　the　party　reached　the　forks　of　the　Jefferson　River；　where　they　had　cached　their　goods　in　August；　1805；　they　had　now　travelled　one　hundred　and　sixty…four　miles　from　Traveller's…rest　Creek　to　that　point。　The　men　were　out　of　tobacco；　and　as　there　was　some　among　the　goods　deposited　in　the　cache　they　made　haste　to　open　the　cache。　They　found　everything　safe；　although　some　of　the　articles　were　damp；　and　a　hole　had　been　made　in　the　bottom　of　one　of　the　canoes。　Here　they　were　overtaken　by　Sergeant　Ordway　and　his　party　with　the　nine　horses　that　had　escaped　during　the　night　of　the　seventh。

That　night　the　weather　was　so　cold　that　water　froze　in　a　basin　to　a　thickness　of　three…quarters　of　an　inch；　and　the　grass　around　the　camp　was　stiff　with　frost；　although　the　month　of　July　was　nearly　a　week　old。　The　boats　taken　from　the　cache　were　now　loaded；　and　the　explorers　were　divided　into　two　bands；　one　to　descend　the　river　by　boat　and　the　other　to　take　the　same　general　route　on　horseback；　the　objective　point　being　the　Yellowstone。　　The　story　is　taken　tip　here　by　the　journal　in　these　lines：

〃After　breakfast　＇July　10＇　the　two　parties　set　out；　those　on　shore　skirting　the　eastern　side　of　Jefferson　River；　through　Service　＇…berry＇　Valley　and　over　Rattlesnake　Mountain；　into　a　beautiful　and　extensive　country；　known　among　the　Indians　by　the　name　of　Hahnahappapchah；　or　Beaverhead　Valley；　from　the　number　of　those　animals　to　be　found　in　it；　and　also　from　the　point　of　land　resembling　the　head　of　a　beaver。　It　＇the　valley＇　extends　from　Rattlesnake　Mountain　as　low　as　Frazier's　Creek；　and　is　about　fifty　miles　in　length　in　direct　line；　while　its　width　varies　from　ten　to　fifteen　miles；　being　watered　in　its　whole　course　by　Jefferson　River　and　six　different　creeks。　The　valley　is　open　and　fertile；　besides　the　innumerable　quantities　of　beaver　and　otter　with　which　its　creeks　are　supplied；　the　bushes　of　the　low　grounds　are　a　favorite　resort　for　deer；　while　on　the　higher　parts　of　the　valley　are　seen　scattered　groups　of　antelopes；　and　still　further；　on　the　steep　sides　of　the　mountains；　are　observed　many　bighorns；　which　take　refuge　there　from　the　wolves　and　bears。　At　the　distance　of　fifteen　miles　the　two　parties　stopped　to　dine；　when　Captain　Clark；　finding　that　the　river　became　wider　and　deeper；　and　that　the　canoes　could　advance　more　rapidly　than　the　horses；　determined　to　go　himself　by　water；　leaving　Sergeant　Pryor　with　six　men　to　bring　on　the　horses。　　In　this　way　they　resumed　their　journey