Tuesday 24, the weather was fair.  We sent back Colter in search of the horses lost in the mountains, and having collected the rest set out at ten o’clock along the same route already passed by captain Clarke towards the river.  All round the village the women are busily employed in gathering and dressing the pasheco root, of which large quantities are heaped up in piles over the plain.  We now felt severely the consequence of eating heartily after our late privations:  captain Lewis and two of the men were taken very ill last evening, and to-day he could scarcely sit on his horse, while others were obliged to be put on horseback, and some from extreme weakness and pain, were forced to lie down along side of the road for some time.  At sunset we reached the island where the hunters had been left on the 22d.  They had been unsuccessful, having killed only two deer since that time, and two of them are very sick.  A little below this island is a larger one on which we encamped, and administered Rush’s pills to the sick.

Wednesday 25.  The weather was very hot, and oppressive to the party, most of whom are now complaining of sickness.  Our situation indeed, rendered it necessary to husband our remaining strength, and it was determined to proceed down the river in canoes.  Captain Clarke therefore set out with the Twisted-hair and two young men, in quest of timber for canoes.  As he went down the river he crossed at the distance of a mile a creek from the right, which from the rocks that obstructed its passage, he called Rockdam river.  The hills along the river are high and steep:  the low grounds are narrow, and the navigation of the river embarrassed by two rapids.  At the distance of three miles further he reached two nearly equal forks of the river, one of which flowed in from the north.  Here he rested for an hour, and cooked a few salmon which one of the Indians caught with a gig.  Here too, he was joined by two canoes of Indians from below:  they were long, steady, and loaded with the furniture and provisions of two families.  He now crossed the south fork, and returned to the camp on the south side, through a narrow pine bottom the greater part of the way, in which was found much fine timber for canoes.  One of the Indian boats with two men, set out at the same time, and such was their dexterity in managing the pole, that they reached camp within fifteen minutes after him, although they had to drag the canoe over three rapids.  He found captain Lewis, and several of the men still very sick; and distributed to such as were in need of it, salts and tartar emetic.

Thursday 26.  Having resolved to go down to some spot calculated for building canoes, we set out early this morning and proceeded five miles, and encamped on low ground on the south, opposite the forks of the river.  But so weak were the men that several were taken sick in coming down; the weather being oppressively hot.  Two chiefs and their families followed us, and encamped with a great number of horses near us:  and soon after our arrival we were joined by two Indians, who came down the north fork on a raft.  We purchased some fresh salmon, and having distributed axes, and portioned off the labour of the party, began,