Lewis and Clark

we collected our horses and after an early brackft at 8 A M Set out and proceeded up the branch to the head thence over a low gap in the mountain thence across the heads of the N E. branch of the [NB: Easterly] fork of Gallitins river which we Camped near last night passing over a low dividing ridge to the head of a water Course which runs into the Rochejhone, prosueing an old buffalow road which enlargenes by one which joins it from the most Easterly [NB: Northerly] branch of the East fork of Galetins R. [Clark went easterly up Kelly Creek, then crossed Jackson Creek and went through Bozeman Pass in the Bridger Range.] proceeding down the branch a little to the N. of East keeping on the North Side of the branch to the River rochejhone at which place I arrived at 2 P M. [He went east down the north side of Billman Creek, reaching the Yellowstone River at Livingston, MT.] The Distance from the three forks of the Easterly fork of Galletines river (from whence it may be navigated down with Small Canoes) to the river Rochejhone is 18 Miles on an excellent high dry firm road with very inco[nsi]derable hills. from this river to the nearest part of the main fork of Gallitine is 29 miles mostly through a leavel plain. from the head of the Missouri at the 3 forks 48 miles through a leavel plain the most of the way as may be seen by the remarks

[Here Clark inserts his cumulative courses and distances from the Three Forks to the Yellowstone for July 13-15, 1806.]

Course Distance & Remarks from the Three forks of Missouri to the Rive
Rochejhone where it enters the Rocky Mounts.
S 85^o E	6	Miles through an open plain crossing a ridge to galletines river, it haveing made a bend to the S W. campd. the hill Sides over which we passed contain a hard white rock which lies in an inclined position and shows only in Stratus. [The strata described here was the limestone observed on July 13, 1806.] Several roads leading to the Gap in the mountain to my left.
S. 78^o E.	6	Miles to a part of the river which is divided by numbers of beaver dams on one channel of the river. passed through an open leavel butifull plain covered with low grass. river makeing a bend to the N.E. from the place I crossed it this morning. passed numbers of buffalow roads which do not appear to be very old leading to the before mentioned gap.
S. 70^o E.	6	Miles to the main principal Stream of the river which we crossed having crossed Several Streams near the Crossing. a leavel firm plain on the Island.
S. 78^o E.	12	Miles to the most Southerly of the three easterly branches of the Easterly for of Galletines river. passed through an open leavel plain in which there is three Small Streams of water from the Snow Mountains to the South. [Hyalite, McDonald, and Baxter Creeks, west of Bozeman, coming from the Gallatin Mountains.] Great quantities of Snow yet remains on the Mountains to the S. E South, S W. West, and at a distance to the N W. a very small quantity is also to be Seen on a nacked mountain to the East marked my W. C July 14th. 1906 with powder on a cotton tree at the river.
N. 80^o E.	3	Miles to the enterance of a Small branch which falls into the Middle branch of the East fork of Galletine River having Crossed the middle branch at 2 miles, passed great numbers of beaver dams and ponds on the branch, and encamped. here the mountain forms a kind of half circle in which the three branches enter them. from which the mountains appear to run N W. from one extremity and w. from the othr
N. 45^o E	3	Miles to the top of the mountain in a low gap passing up the branch on which we encamped last night, on a well beaten buffalow road, through Some thick under growth Such as young Cottonwood & thorn. Several beaver dams across this branch. the assent gradual.
East	3	Miles to the top of the dividing ridge between the waters of the Missouri form those of the river Rochehone. passing down a Small branch and at 2 1/2 miles crossing a larger branch of the middle fork of the East fork of Galletins about 1/2 a Mile above the branch I came down, running to the right a road coms in from the left, which passes through a low gap of the mtn. from the most easterly branch of the East fork.
S. 45^o E.	1	Miles down a Small branch crossed two runs from the left [Quinn Creek and an unnamed stream.] passing on the hill Side to the left of the branch. the road firm and through an open country. high mountins on each side partially Covered with pine.
N. 75^o E	8	Miles to the River Rochejhone passing down on the Northerly side of the Same branch across which there is Several beaver dams. Crossed three Small Streams from the left with running water one of which is crouded with beaver dams. [Flynn Creek, Area Creek, and an unnamed stream.] a Small stream coms in on the right at 6 ms. [Miner Creek.] Struck the Rochejhone 1/2 a mile below the branch we came down & 1 1/2 ms. below where it passes out of the Rocky mountains. river 120 yds wide bold, rapid and deep.
ms.	48

in the evening after the usial delay of 3 hours to give the horses time to feed and rest and allowing our Selves time also to Cook and eate Dinner, I proceeded on down the river on an old buffalow road at the distance of 9 miles below the mountains Shield River discharges itself into the Rochejhone on it's N W. side above a high rocky Clift, this river is 35 yards wide deep and affords a great quantity of water it heads in those Snowey Mountains to the N W with Howards Creek [Shields River heads in the Crazy Mountains near there is the had of Sixteenmile Creek, the captians' Howard's Creek, which flows west to meet the Missouri River.], it contains some Timber Such as Cotton & willow in it's bottoms, and Great numbers of beaver the river also abounds in those animals as far as I have Seen. passed the creek and over a high rocky hill and encamped in the upper part of a large bottom. [Clark camped on the north side of the Yellowstone River south of Sheep Mountain and approximately three miles below the mouth of Shields River.] The horses feet are very sore many of them Can Scercely proceed on over the Stone and gravel in every other respect they are Sound and in good Sperits. I saw two black bear on the side of the mountains this morning. Several gangs of Elk from 100 to 200 in a gangue on the river, great numbers of Antelopes. one Elk only killed to day.

The Roche passes out of a high rugid mountain covered with snow. [From this location the Yellowstone emerged from between the Gallatin Range on the west and the Absaroka Range on the east.] the bottoms are narrow within the mountains but widen from 1/2 a m. to 2 ms. in the Vally below, those bottoms are Subject to over flow, they contain Some tall Cotton wood, and willow rose bushes & rushes Honey suckle &c. a Second bottom on the N E. Side which rises to about 20 feet higher the first & is 1 m. wide this bottom is coars gravel pebils & Sand with Some earth on which the grass grow very Short and at this time is quit dry this 2d bottom over flows in high floods on the opposit Side of the river the plain is much higher and extendes quite to the foot of the mountain. The mountains to the S.S.E on the East side of the river is rocky rugid and on them are great quantities of Snow. [The Absaroka Range and the Beartooth Mountains to the east of them.] a bold Snow mountain which bears East [This is impossible from Clark's position on the Yellowstone, but if he means "west," then Saddle Peak in the Bridger Range could be the mountain.] & is imediately at & N W of the 3 forks of the East fork of Gallitins river may be Seen, there is also a high rugid Mtn. on which is Snow bearing North 15 or 20 Miles [The Crazy Mountains.] but fiew flowers to be Seen in those plains. low grass in the high plains, and the Common corse grass, rushes and a species of rye [This area is dominated by Blue Grama, Bouteloua gracilis and Buffalo-Grass, Buchloe dactyloides. The rye is probably Basin Wildrye, Elymus cinereus.] is the growth of the low bottoms. the mountains have Some scattering pine on them, and on the Spurs and hill Sides there is some scrubby pine. I can See no timber Sufficient[ly] large for a Canoe which will Carry more than 3 men and Such a one would be too Small to answer my purpose