second time it has reached
that height during this season. We encamped on an island after making
nineteen and three quarter miles.

In the course of the day we saw many geese, cranes, small birds common
to the plains, and a few pheasants: we also observed a small plover or
curlew of a brown colour, about the size of the yellow-legged plover or
jack curlew, but of a different species. It first appeared near the
mouth of Smith's river, but is so shy and vigilant that we were unable
to shoot it. Both the broad and narrow-leafed willow continue, though
the sweet willow has become very scarce. The rosebush, small
honeysuckle, the pulpy-leafed thorn, southern wood, sage and box-alder,
narrow-leafed cottonwood, redwood, and a species of sumach, are all
abundant. So too are the red and black gooseberries, serviceberries,
chokecherry, and the black, red, yellow, and purple currant, which last
seems to be a favourite food of the bear. Before encamping we landed and
took on board captain Clarke with the meat he had collected during this
day's hunt, which consisted of one deer and an elk: we had ourselves
shot a deer and an antelope. The musquitoes and gnats were unusually
fierce this evening.

Tuesday, 23. Captain Clarke again proceeded with four men along the
right bank. During the whole day the river divided by a number of
islands, which spread it out sometimes to the distance of three miles:
the current is very rapid and has many ripples; and the bed formed of
gravel and smooth stones. The banks along the low grounds are of a rich
loam, followed occasionally by low bluffs of yellow and red clay, with a
hard red slatestone intermixed. The low grounds are wide, and have very
little timber but a thick underbrush of willow, and rose and currant
bushes: these are succeeded by high plains extending on each side to the
base of the mountains, which lie parallel to the river about eight or
twelve miles apart, and are high and rocky, with some small pine and
cedar interspersed on them. At the distance of seven miles a creek
twenty yards wide, after meandering through a beautiful low ground on
the left for several miles parallel to the river, empties itself near a
cluster of small islands: the stream we called Whitehouse creek after
Joseph Whitehouse one of the party, and the islands from their number
received the name of the "Ten islands." About ten o'clock we came up
with Drewyer, who had gone out to hunt yesterday, and not being able