In the morning, pleasant, cool in the early hours; slightly overcast sky. The region was varied [and] had much cottonwood forest and willows along the banks. The mountains were heavily overgrown with grass and pines; the whole region was not rough, bare, [or] sterile [in] appearance but [exhibited] much ruggedness. At 5:45 we reached a creek to the right that was dry: undoubtedly Lewis and Clark’s Grouse Creek. The men on the cordelle were able to walk through its bed. Soon afterward we were aground near the bank. The rim of the bank was completely covered below with rocky debris, a change that indicated we were approaching the rocky regions. Some of our hunters, including Dreidoppel and Bodmer, were hunting.

We passed rugged hills where doves and swallows were flying about. On the high bank of the prairie, we found a stake erected with a piece of paper near to which lay a young spike buck. Dreidoppel had shot it. At the end of a promontory, some of the hunters returned. Bodmer and Dreidoppel brought a young rabbit (Lepus americanus) and Picus varius; they had also seen the waxwing (Bombycilla) with the yellow belly. Deschamps was not yet back. Papin now left. At 7:30, 70°F [21.1°C]; soon after, very warm. The Monarda [— —] with beautiful violet flowers grew along the steep left bank; I had already found it several times in shady forests. The gooseberry shrub (Ribes [— —]) grew just as abundantly in the area. Our men collected its branches in large numbers in order to eat the berries.

We reached two islands—the first one very small, the second one long—and passed to the left of them. Perhaps they are Lewis and Clark’s Pot Island. The previously mentioned creek was not Grouse Creek but rather Lewis and Clark’s Teapot Creek. We [must have] missed Grouse Creek, which is certainly possible, since they made a note of all small dry waterways, but I do not believe so. Today, we passed many large, beautiful woodlands. On the hills, pines, [sometimes] completely covering entire hillsides. Wild geese (Anser canadensis) in several places, ten to twelve at times. Summer flora are already appearing; Solidago with [its] golden rods was blooming here and there along the bank. A pleasant sailing wind had come up, which propelled us a little; at the same time, our men pushed the boat with their poles provided with pointed iron ferrules. Beautiful butterflies, including the big, bright yellow Papilio turnus with its black stripes, were flying in a tall, sparse forest to the right. The beautiful, bright yellow Rudbeckia columnaris, with its reflexed petals, was blooming here. For about ten days [it] had been growing abundantly in this whole upper region; farther downstream, however, I [did] not encounter it. Grapevines and other climbing plants had already come to an end before Fort Union.

We crossed the river to the left bank. Above the forest on the right bank, the gray-green mountains, overgrown with pines on their lower areas, approached the river, which had steeply eroded the bank. The hills on the left bank, behind the willow and cottonwood thickets, were also overgrown with conifers. The willows everywhere are mostly of the species with narrow leaves (Salix [— —]) and so dense that one can scarcely push one’ s way through them. To the right we saw several pretty valleys adorned by dark conifers and light green cottonwoods. Behind them, hills towered up manifold. To the left, a small creek, now dry; along its banks flew the pretty yellow goldfinch (Fringilla tristis), whose pure yellow plumage produces a beautiful effect. From 10:30 to 11:45, the boat was pushed up the river with poles. Dark clouds gather and partially conceal the sun. On the hills to the right, one sees many dead, broken conifer trunks; much dry timber lies about everywhere. The final high walls of these hills, worn by landslides, were marked underneath with a snow-white layer inclined at an angle of 20°, undoubtedly a pure white clay. 128 At twelve o’clock, 80°F [26.7°C]. The river turned left again, away from [these hills].

We put in about twelve o’clock along the high bank of the forest to the left and put the crew on the cordelle again. On the bank in the forest grew the broad-leaved Asclepias and the yellow Rudbeckia columnaris with reflexed petals. As usual, the whole forest had a dense understory of roses on which, however, one saw only [a] very few isolated flowers still blooming. On the prairie that followed, we saw the beautifully violet-red [— —], with its flowers piled up underneath. Before the forest on the sandbar along the right bank, wild geese swiftly hurried away ahead of us. On the left bank, a deposit of driftwood produced a strong current, which we fortunately overcame. We were now approaching the mountains on the left bank, which were high, gray-green, and partially overgrown with conifers. The men on the cordelle killed a rattlesnake (Crotalus tergeminus). Somewhat farther on, Papin came in for the second time; he had shot a buffalo.

We steered to the right bank around the bend of the river to the right, and here, between one and two o’clock, saw a buffalo bull walking in the sparse cottonwood forest. Papin and another man immediately sprang ashore and killed the animal with seven shots. We watched it fleeing wounded through the prairie to the base of the hills, where it was killed. Part of the meat was brought on board. Mr. Mitchell had also gone out [and] stayed longer. Today the river water is extremely cloudy and dirty, probably because of rains that fell high up on the tributaries. On land, the light vermilion-colored Cristaria coccinea, so often mentioned earlier, was blooming in full splendor; in all the prairies seen up to now, it generally covers the ground. I had never seen it so full, tall, and ramified. I believe [that] the prairie dogs, in part, feed on it; at least, I saw prairie dog villages where almost nothing but this plant grew and where much of it had been gnawed off. We put in at a promontory to the right, and the men on the cordelle were relieved, since it was four o’clock. The buzzing sound of cicadas (locusts) was heard in the cottonwood forest. Mr. Mitchell returned without having seen anything. With their coniferous trees, the mountains before and around us now bore a close resemblance to the foothills of Switzerland. In the ravines, especially, one saw scenes, the sight of which could often transpose one into that interesting country.

Between six and seven o’clock, while we were navigating in glorious evening weather, a canoe with four men approached us; [they] were coming down from Fort McKenzie. With them was Deschamps, who today had shot three buffalo, a deer, and a bear. The latter had been carried away by the river. In the canoe were the interpreter Doucette and two men from Fort McKenzie. They had left three days ago in a small canoe. A large number of Blackfoot Indians, about 150 [tipis], were there now, and the remaining Indians were scattered along the Marias River. On the Judith River, about halfway between here and the fort, the Gros Ventres of the Prairie were encamped to await the keelboat. They had nothing to barter but were expecting gifts, and Mr. Mitchell did not have enough to give them some. He expected nothing good from them. The two horsemen, Berger and Harvey, had gone to Fort McKenzie in a week, the fastest journey that has yet been made there. Those in the canoe had shot a very large bear today, not far from here, which we will find tomorrow and, if possible, hang up in a tree [so that I may] find its skeleton on the journey downriver. We navigated to the right bank and put in there for the night. Evening calm, warm, and very pleasant.