a few miles by a place where the Tansy breaks through
a high ridge on its north side and encamped.

The next day, 6th, the weather was cold, raw and cloudy, with a high
northeast wind. They set out early, down the Tansy, whose low grounds
resemble precisely, except as to extent, those of the Missouri before it
branches, containing a great proportion of a species of cottonwood, with
a leaf like that of the wild cherry. After halting at twelve o'clock for
dinner, they ascended the plain, and at five o'clock reached the camp
through the rain, which had fallen without intermission since noon.
During his absence the party had been occupied in dressing skins, and
being able to rest themselves were nearly freed from their lameness and
swollen feet. All this night and the whole of the following day, 7th, it
rained, the wind being from the southwest off the mountains: yet the
rivers are falling, and the thermometer 40 degrees above 0. The rain
continued till the next day, 8th, at ten o'clock, when it cleared off,
and the weather became fine, the wind high from the southwest. The
rivers at the point have now fallen six inches since our arrival, and
this morning the water of the south fork became of a reddish brown
colour, while the north branch continued of its usual whitish
appearance. The mountains to the south are covered with snow.

Sunday, 9th. We now consulted upon the course to be pursued. On
comparing our observations, we were more than ever convinced of what we
already suspected, that Mr. Arrowsmith is incorrect in laying down in
the chain of Rocky mountains one remarkable mountain called the Tooth,
nearly as far south as 45 degrees, and said to be so marked from the
discoveries of Mr. Fidler. We are now within one hundred miles of the
Rocky* mountains and in the latitude of 47 degrees 24' 12" 8, and
therefore it is highly improbable that the Missouri should make such a
bend to the south before it reaches the Rocky mountains, as to have
suffered Mr. Fidler to come as low as 45 degrees along the eastern
borders without touching that river: yet the general course of Maria's
river from this place for fifty-nine miles, as far as captain Lewis
ascended, was north 69 degrees west, and the south branch, or what we
consider the Missouri, which captain Clarke had examined as far as
forty-five miles in a straight line, ran in a course south 29 degrees
west, and as far as it could be seen went considerably west of south,
whence w