"In the morning our horses were so much scattered that, although we
sent out hunters in every direction to range the country for six or
eight miles, nine of them could not be recovered. They were the most
valuable of all our horses, and so much attached to some of their
companions that it was difficult to separate them in the daytime.
We therefore presumed that they must have been stolen by some roving Indians;
and accordingly left a party of five men to continue the pursuit,
while the rest went on to the spot where the canoes had been deposited.
We set out at ten o'clock and pursued a course S. 56'0 E. across the valley,
which we found to be watered by four large creeks, with extensive
low and miry bottoms; and then reached [and crossed] Wisdom River,
along the northeast side of which we continued, till at the distance
of sixteen miles we came to its three branches. Near that place
we stopped for dinner at a hot spring situated in the open plain.
The bed of the spring is about fifteen yards in circumference,
and composed of loose, hard, gritty stones, through which the water
boils in great quantities. It is slightly impregnated with sulphur,
and so hot that a piece of meat about the size of three fingers was
completely done in twenty-five minutes."
Next day, July 8, the party reached the forks of the Jefferson River,
where they had cached their goods in August, 1805; they had now travelled
one hundred and sixty-four miles from Traveller's-rest Creek to that point.
The men were out of tobacco, and as there was some among the goods
deposited in the cache they made haste to open the cache.
They found everything safe, although some of the articles were damp,
and a hole had been made in the bottom of one of the canoes.
Here they were overtaken by Sergeant Ordway and his party with the nine
horses that had escaped during the night of the seventh.
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