m / jOURNAU 
Wednesday ^th. A considerable quantity of sno^f 
fell last night, and the morning was cloudy. After 
eating a few grains of parched corn, \ve set out at 8 
o'clock ; crossed a larsre mountain and hit on the 
creek and small valley, which were wished for by our 
guide. W e killed some pheasants on our way, and 
were about to make use of the last of our flour, when, 
to our great joy, one of our hunters killed a fine deer. 
So we dined upon that and proceeded down a small 
valley about a mile wide, with )a rich black soil ; in 
which there are a great quantity of sweet roots and 
herbs, such as sweet myrrh, angelica and several 
other, that the natives make use of, and of the names 
of which I am unacquainted. There is also timothy 
grass growing in it ; and neither the valley nor the 
hills are so thickly timbered, as the mountains we 
bad lately passed. What timber there is, is mostly 
pitch pine. We kept down the valley about 5 miles, 
and came to the Tussapa band of the Flathead nation 
of Indians, or a part of them. We found them en- 
camped on the creek and we encamped with them.* 
Thursday 5th. This was a fine morning with a 
great white frost. The Indian dogs are so hungry 
and ravenous, that they eat 4 or 5 pair of our mock- 
asons last night. We remained here all day, and 
recruited our horses to 40 and 3 colts ; and made 4 
or 5 of this nation of Indians chiefs. They are ^ 
very friendly people ; have plenty of robes and skins 
for covering, and a large slock of horses, some 
of which are very good ; but they have nothing to 
eat;^ but berries, roots and such articles of food. 
* Captain Clarke in his letter to bis brother, calls them 
tlie OleariisliQot band the Tucknapax. l\ is of no very 
f.n-eat importance, at present, to knov/ by wliat names the 
several tribes and bands are distlnguislied ; and Mr. Gass 
s^ays tl^at without an interpreter it was vary diflicult to aS' 
ceVtaia tkem with any degree of certainty. 
