142 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



course, and forces a passage through the 

 lofty ridge of mountains, to which it has 

 run parallel for the last thirty miles. As 

 the Indians travel from hence, with their 

 families, in three days to the point where 

 they have proposed staying for us, the dis- 

 tance, I think, cannot exceed forty miles; 

 and admitting the course to be due west, 

 which is the direction the guide pointed, it 

 would place the eastern part of Bear Lake 

 in 118|° W. longitude. 



Beyond this spot the river is diminished 

 in breadth and a succession of rapids are 

 formed ; but as the water was deep, we 

 passed through them without discharging 

 any part of the cargoes. It still runs be- 

 tween high ranges of mountains, though its 

 actual boundaries are banks of mud mixed 

 with clay, which are clothed with stunted 

 pines. We picked up a deer which the 

 hunters had shot, and killed another from 

 the canoe ; and also received an addition to 

 our stock of provision of seven young 

 geese, which the hunters had beaten down 

 with their sticks. About six P.M. we per- 



