Page:California Historical Society Quarterly vol 22.djvu/208

 seek after the stray horses tho' three of them were his own. I was obhged to knock him down. & give him a beating.

Tuesday 1 1 Fine warm weather. Raised camp & proceeded 4 hours

1 3 miles S.S.W. to another small creek.^" C. Plante was taken ill with the fever yesterday. The rest of the sick men recovering slowly.

Wednesday 12 Sultry warm weather. Continued our route 4 hours

12 miles S.S.W. to another small fork.^^ C. Plante a little better, but one of the women L. Rondeau's wife has relapsed. In the evening a Caiouse [Cay- use] Indian, the Young Chiefs brother came up with us accompanied by another Indian, he is just arrived from the plains, he informs us of two great battles fought with the Blackfeet by the Nezperces & F. Heads and again by these joined by the Americans. The first battle was fought on Salmon river a few days after we left it in the spring, the Blackfeet were very strong, they fought two days & carried off the half of the N. P. & F. H. horses.^^ It was lucky for us that we were off had they come upon us when above the Indian camp we would have most probably lost all our horses & likely the most of ourselves.

Thursday i^ ... Four horses were missing & were not found till

near noon when we raised camp and proceeded up the creek to a small plain in the mountains 4 hours 1 2 miles S.S.E.^^

Friday 14 ... Continued our route across the mountains 4 hours

1 2 miles S.S.E. to a small creek where we encamped among woods.^* I in- tended to have pushed on and got out of the woods, but one of the men J. Toupin had a relapse of the fever and nearly died of thirst on the road, no water to be found near. This man had recovered, but has been ahead and imprudently went in the water which has caused him to fall ill again. Toupin & Pichette who was with him fell in with some Caiouse Indians on Dog's [Day's?] river,^^ from whom they learned that Soteaux was killed by three Snake Indians who laid wait for him as he was passing a rock, laid hold of him & stabbed him with a knife before he had time to fire upon them.

Saturday /y Sharp frost in the morning fine weather afterwards.

Continued our journey 3/2 hours 12 miles S.S.E. to the North branch of Day's river. The two men who were ahead took 7 beaver & i otter.^^

Sunday 16 Raw cold weather for the season. Continued our jour-

ney 4V2 hours 16 miles S.S.E. along the mountains to the head of a small creek, the road very hilly and rugged. We are induced to take this road to avoid the stony road to go round by the forks and certainly this road is not preferable to the other, though a little shorter. A. Longtain and L. Rondeau's wife are again attacked with the fever, tho' they had both recovered of it. Toupin & P. Gilbeau are also very ill with it.

Monday 77 Snowed in the night, squally cold weather with hail &

snow showers and very cold during the day. Continued our journey 4 hours 15 miles S.S.E. on a rugged steep mountain^^ & encamped in a deep ravine