The Explorers Had Now Passed South, Between The Big Belt Range Of Mountains
On The Cast And The Main Chain
Of the Rocky Mountains on the west.
Meagher County, Montana, now lies on the cast of their trail, and on
The west
side of that route is the county of Lewis and Clark. They were now -
still travelling southward - approaching the ultimate sources of the
great Missouri. The journal says: -
"We are delighted to find that the Indian woman recognizes the country;
she tells us that to this creek her countrymen make excursions
to procure white paint on its banks, and we therefore call it
Whiteearth Creek. She says also that the Three Forks of the Missouri
are at no great distance - a piece of intelligence which has cheered
the spirits of us all, as we hope soon to reach the head of that river.
This is the warmest day, except one, we have experienced this summer.
In the shade the mercury stood at eighty degrees, which is
the second time it has reached that height during this season.
We camped on an island, after making nineteen and three quarters miles.
"In the course of the day we saw many geese, cranes, small birds
common to the plains, and a few pheasants. We also observed
a small plover or curlew of a brown color, about the size of a
yellow-legged plover or jack-curlew, but of a different species.
It first appeared near the mouth of Smith's River,
but is so shy and vigilant that we were unable to shoot it.
Both the broad and narrow-leaved willow continue, though the sweet
willow has become very scarce.
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