On That Route, The Chopunnish Inform Us,
There Is A Passage Not Obstructed By Snow At This Period Of The Year."
On their return to Quamash flats the party met two Indians who,
after some parley, agreed to pilot them over
The mountains;
these camped where they were, and the party went on to the flats,
having exacted a promise from the Indians that they would
wait there two nights for the white men to come along.
When the party reached their old camp, they found that one of
their hunters had killed a deer, which was a welcome addition
to their otherwise scanty supper. Next day, the hunters met with
astonishing luck, bringing into camp eight deer and three bears.
Four of the men were directed to go to the camp of the two Indians,
and if these were bent on going on, to accompany them and so mark,
or blaze, the trees that the rest of the party would have no
difficulty in finding the way, later on.
Meanwhile, the men who had been sent back for guides returned,
bringing with them the pleasing information that three Indians
whom they brought with them had consented to guide the party
to the great falls of the Missouri, for the pay of two guns.
Accordingly, once more (June 26), they set out for
the mountains, travelling for the third time in twelve days
the route between Quamash flats and the Bitter Root range.
For the second time they ran up against a barrier of snow.
They measured the depth of the snow at the place where they
had left their luggage at their previous repulse and found
it to be ten feet and ten inches deep; and it had sunk
four feet since they had been turned back at this point.
Pressing on, after they reached their old camp, they found
a bare spot on the side of the mountain where there was a little
grass for their horses; and there they camped for the night.
They were fortunate in having Indian guides with them;
and the journal says:
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