340 FROM FORT HALL TO HEAD OF HELL GATE RIVER. 



as could be seen, being lined with the cotton-wood, growing to the height of sixty feet. Its 

 width was fifty yards, giving us a ford with water two feet deep. Our camp at night was on the 

 left bank of the stream, about 200 yards below the mouth of the Hooked Man creek, where we 

 found good wood and grass. Our camp was where a large band of Indians had encamped two 

 days previous, judging from the camp-fires, &c. These Indians we supposed to be the Banax, 

 returning from the buffalo hunt, and, from the indication left at the camp, that they had an 

 abundance of game. Our camp lay ten miles northeast of the Rattle Snake cliffs, and twenty 

 miles southwest of the Beaver Head the two prominent and well-known landmarks of the 

 valley of the Jefferson river. The night was exceedingly windy and quite cold. It commenced 

 raining at 8 p. m., but the rain soon changed into snow, with the wind blowing at the time with 

 great force and severity from the southwest. 



December 29, 1853. Commences clear and pleasant. We resumed our march at 8 a. m., 

 which lay north 30 west across the large and beautiful prairie valley of the Jefferson fork of the 

 Missouri, which we left to the right ; it then runs north 25 east magnetic, being traced for 

 many miles by the long line of cotton- wood trees along its banks. The valley referred to on the 

 south is about six or seven miles wide and perfectly level, covered with an excellent growth of 

 bunch-grass. There, however, as throughout the valley, the cactus or prickly pear occurs in 

 the greatest abundance. Our trail at times led through patches of sage, though not at all incon 

 veniencing our travelling, for, although we had no trail, we had a level and beautiful prairie. 

 Alter travelling across the valley tor a distance of twelve miles, we fell upon a small creek coming 

 from the mountains to our left, and bordered with the willow. This creek, as told by our guide, 

 is known as Bonneville creek. It was here where a party of Blackfeet, in 1835, seized upon 

 the goods belonging to a portion of the expedition under Captain (now Colonel) Bonneville, of 

 the army, then trapping in the mountains, and strewed over the prairie what they did not carry 

 off. It is known now among the Flathead and Nez Perces Indians as the spot where Col. Bon- 

 neville s expedition was robbed. Travelling to the north for a distance of five miles, we struck 

 a second creek, running nearly parallel to Bonneville s creek, and both emptying into the Wisdom 

 river; our road during the whole distance being exceedingly level and beautiful. This second 

 creek mentioned is lined with the willow, cotton-wood, and alder. On its right bank occurs a 

 large bed of greenish-colored slate, which is traceable to the mountains to the north, which by its 

 designation gave character to the soil. Leaving the second creek at a distance of two miles, we 

 reached the Wisdom river, the most northern tributary to the Jefferson fork of the Missouri, and is 

 known among the Indians and half-breeds as the Big Hole fork of the Jefferson river. The head 

 waters of this stream we fell upon after crossing the Big Hole mountain, referred to when leaving 

 the Bitter Root valley, and which we travelled down for a distance of twenty-five miles. We 

 found it now to be a bold stream, seventy-five yards wide, with a rocky and pebbly bottom, and 

 a rapid current ; water about two feet deep, though along the margin, where we encamped, 

 frozen over with ice three inches thick. It is timbered with the cotton- wood, growing in great 

 abundance and to the height of fifty and sixty feet. Its valley is about five miles wide, bounded 

 on each side by high ranges of pine-clad mountains; the river bathing the foot of the mountain 

 on the east, leaving the broad valley on its right bank. This valley is characterized by the great 

 abundance of sage or artemesia, prickly pear, and the exceedingly poor, clayey character of its 

 soil. This same soil characterizes the portion of the valley of the Jefferson fork travelled over. 

 Our camp at night was about eight miles above a high rocky range of cliffs, where the river makes 

 a large bend to the northeast. We found at our camp excellent grass, and an abundance of wood. 

 Game to-day was very abundant, consisting of elk, deer, antelope, bear, hare, ducks, and prairie 

 chickens. A large grizzly bear came this morning within a few yards of our camp, but he took to 

 the brush before we could approach him. We succeeded today in killing two elks, which was 

 truly fortunate, as we had not an ounce of meat, and were now eleven days Irom the Bilter Root 

 valley ; so that the night in camp was one of feasting and good cheer. About 300 pounds of meat 



