The two other springs are much
hotter, the temperature being equal to that of the warmest of the hot
springs in Virginia. Our men, as well as the Indians, amused themselves
with going into the bath; the latter, according to their universal
custom, going first into the hot bath, where they remain as long as they
can bear the heat, then plunging into the creek, which is now of an icy
coldness, and repeating this operation several times, but always ending
with the warm bath."
Traveller's-rest Creek, it will be recollected, is on the summit of the
Bitter Root Mountains, and the expedition had consequently passed from
Idaho into Montana, as these States now exist on the map; but they were
still on the Pacific side of the Great Divide, or the backbone of
the continent. Much game was seen in this region, and after reaching
Traveller's-rest Creek, the hunters killed six deer; great numbers of
elk and bighorn were also seen in this vicinity. On the thirtieth of
July the party were at their old camp of September 9 and 10, 1805,
having made one hundred and fifty-six miles from Quamash flats to the
mouth of the creek where they now camped. Here a plan to divide and
subdivide the party was made out as follows:--
"Captain Lewis, with nine men, is to pursue the most direct route to the
falls of the Missouri, where three of his party (Thompson, Goodrich, and
McNeal) are to be left to prepare carriages for transporting the baggage
and canoes across the portage. With the remaining six, he will ascend
Maria's River to explore the country and ascertain whether any branch
of it reaches as far north as latitude 50'0, after which he will descend
that river to its mouth.
Pages:
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342