Friday 6.  We continued this morning with the Ootlashoots, from whom we purchased two more horses, and procured a vocabulary of their language.  The Ootlashoots set off about two o’clock to join the different bands who were collecting at the three forks of the Missouri.  We ourselves proceeded at the same time, and taking a direction N. 30 W. crossed within the distance of one mile and a half, a small river from the right, and a creek coming in from the north.  This river is the main stream, and when it reaches the end of the valley, where the mountains close in upon it, is joined by the river on which we encamped last evening, as well as by the creek just mentioned.  To the river thus formed we gave the name of captain Clarke, he being the first white man who had ever visited its waters.  At the end of five miles on this course we had crossed the valley, and reached the top of a mountain covered with pine; this we descended along the steep sides and ravines for a mile and a half, when we came to a spot on the river, where the Ootlashoots had encamped a few days before.  We then followed the course of the river, which is from twenty-five to thirty yards wide, shallow, stony, and the low grounds on its borders narrow.  Within the distance of three and a half miles, we crossed it several times, and after passing a run on each side, encamped on its right bank, after making ten miles during the afternoon.  The horses were turned out to graze, but those we had lately bought were secured and watched, lest they should escape, or be stolen by their former owners.  Our stock of flour was now exhausted, and we had but little corn, and as our hunters had killed nothing except two pheasants, our supper consisted chiefly of berries.

Saturday, 7.  The greater part of the day the weather was dark and rainy:  we continued through the narrow low grounds along the river, till at the distance of six miles we came to a large creek from the left, after which the bottoms widen.  Four miles lower is another creek on the same side, and the valley now extends from one to three miles, the mountains on the left being high and bald, with snow on the summits, while the country to the right is open and hilly.  Four miles beyond this is a creek running from the snow-top’d mountains, and several runs on both sides of the river.  Two miles from this last is another creek on the left.  The afternoon was now far advanced, but not being able to find a fit place to encamp we continued six miles further till after dark, when we halted for the night.  The river here is still shallow and stony, but is increased to the width of fifty yards.  The valley through which we passed is of a poor soil, and its fertility injured by the quantity of stone scattered over it.  We met two horses which had strayed from the Indians and were now quite wild.  No fish was to be seen in the river, but we obtained a very agreeable supply of two deer, two cranes, and two pheasants.