Monday, 13th.  The wind was so strong that we could not proceed till about one o’clock, when we had to encounter a current rather stronger than usual.  In the course of a mile and a half we passed two small creeks on the south, one of eighteen the other of thirty yards width, but neither of them containing any water, and encamped on the south at a point of woodland, having made only seven miles.  The country is much the same as yesterday, with little timber in the low grounds, and a small quantity of pine and cedar on the northern hills.  The river however continues to grow clearer, and this as well as the increased rapidity induces us to hope for some change of country.  The game is as usual so abundant that we can get without difficulty all that is necessary.

Tuesday, 14th.  There was some fog on the river this morning, which is a very rare occurrence.  At the distance of a mile and a half we reached an island in a bend on the north, which continued for about half a mile, when at the head of it a large creek comes in on the north, to which we gave the name of Gibson’s creek.  At seven and a half miles is a point of rocks on the south, above a creek on the same side, which we called Sticklodge creek:  five miles further is a large creek on the south, which like the two others has no running water; and at sixteen and a half miles a timbered point on the north, where we encamped for the night.  The country is like that of yesterday, except that the low grounds are wider; there are also many high black bluffs along the banks:  the game too is in great abundance.  Towards evening the men in the hindmost canoes discovered a large brown bear lying in the open grounds, about three hundred paces from the river:  six of them, all good hunters, immediately went to attack him, and concealing themselves by a small eminence came unperceived within forty paces of him:  four of the hunters now fired, and each lodged a ball in his body, two of them directly through the lungs:  the furious animal sprung up and ran openmouthed upon them; as he came near, the two hunters who had reserved their fire gave him two wounds, one of which breaking his shoulder retarded his motion for a moment; but before they could reload he was so near that they were obliged to run to the river, and before they reached it he had almost overtaken them:  two jumped into the canoe; the other four separated, and concealing themselves in the willows fired as fast as each could reload:  they struck him several times, but instead of weakening the monster each shot seemed only to direct him towards the hunter, till at last he pursued two of them so closely, that they threw aside their guns and pouches, and jumped down a perpendicular bank of twenty feet into the river; the bear sprang after them, and was within a few feet of the hindmost, when one of the hunters on shore shot him in the head and finally killed him:  they dragged him to the shore, and found that eight balls had passed through him