ame up and fortunately shot the animal
through the head.

At six and at half miles we reached an island on the northern side; one
mile and a quarter thence is a timbered low ground on the south: and in
the next two and three quarter miles we passed three small islands, and
came to a dark bluff on the south: within the following mile are two
small islands on the same side. At three and a quarter miles we reached
the lower part of a much larger island near a northern point, and as we
coasted along its side, within two miles passed a smaller island, and
half a mile above reached the head of another. All these islands are
small, and most of them contain some timber. Three quarters of a mile
beyond the last, and at the distance of eighteen miles from our
encampment, we came to for the night in a handsome low cottonwood plain
on the south, where we remained for the purpose of making some celestial
observations during the night, and of examining in the morning a large
river which comes in opposite to us. Accordingly at an early hour,

Monday, 3d, we crossed and fixed our camp in the point, formed by the
junction of the river with the Missouri. It now became an interesting
question which of these two streams is what the Minnetarees call
Ahmateahza or the Missouri, which they described as approaching very
near to the Columbia. On our right decision much of the fate of the
expedition depends; since if after ascending to the Rocky mountains or
beyond them, we should find that the river we were following did not
come near the Columbia, and be obliged to return; we should not only
lose the travelling season, two months of which had already elapsed, but
probably dishearten the men so much as to induce them either to abandon
the enterprise, or yield us a cold obedience instead of the warm and
zealous support which they had hitherto afforded us. We determined,
therefore, to examine well before we decided on our future course; and
for this purpose despatched two canoes with three men up each of the
streams with orders to ascertain the width, depth, and rapidity of the
current, so as to judge of their comparative bodies of water. At the
same time parties were sent out by land to penetrate the country, and
discover from the rising grounds, if possible, the distant bearings of
the two rivers; and all were directed to return towards evening. While
they were gone we ascended together the high grounds in the fork of
these two rivers, whence