hours 19 miles S. along the W. side of the lake to its S. end where we en- camped on a small river.*^ Part of the road very stony. Many of the horses are becoming lame. Several of the people were out hunting but without success except a few ducks & geese.
Saturday 20 Sharp frost in the morning. Continued our journey up
a small creek*^ to near the foot of a small mountain which we have to cross. The hunters were out again today but without success, though they saw both some Blacktail Deer ^^ & grey sheep, but they are very shy. Some of them found some plums** of a pretty good sort, the bushes on which they grow are very small. This is the first fruit of this kind I have seen in the Indn. country. C. Rondeau, L. Rondeau, J. LaRocque & J. Rocquebin killed each a horse to eat. These men have been very imprudent & did not husband their provisions with sufficient economy or they would not have had to kill horses yet.
Sunday 21 Weather not so cold as these days past. Continued our
route across the mountains and along an extensive valley to a small creek near the North end of pit lake,*^ 5^/4 hours 19 miles S. We could find no water which obliged us to march so long. The mountain we crossed is not high but part of the road was stony & hard upon the horses' sore feet. There is a hot spring in the valley a little to the one side of the road Some of the young men went to it, the water is so hot that the finger can be barely endured in it a moment. There are a number of human skulls & some other bones in it, but how they came there there is no knowing.*^
Monday 22 Keen frost in the night. Proceeded on our route 8 miles
S. to past the head of the lake and encamped on a small rivulet which issues from the mountains. Passed two more hot springs*^ which emited an offen- sive sulphurous smell. The people out in pursuit of wildfowl but with little success.
Tuesday 25 Stormy weather. Moved on 6 miles S. along the lake to
another small creek. The water in the lake is not salt but it has an unpleas- ant taste. Several of the people out hunting but without success except Kanota who killed a blacktail deer.
Wednesday 24. Very stormy cold weather. Did not raise camp in
order to allow the horses to feed and rest a little and that the people might go hunting. Several of the men were out in the mountains but without suc- cess. They saw bears, sheep & chivereau but could not come up with them. A few wild fowl were killed. There is another valley with a chain of lakes to the Eastward of the mountains*^. The people gathered plenty of plums yesterday & today.
Thursday 2$ Raw cold weather. The small creek where we passed
last night nearly frozen over in the morning. Continued our journey 2/2 hours 8 miles S. along the lake to a small [illegible word] fork.*^ The people again out hunting but without success. Three of the women & a boy eat a
