west], they reached a small gap formed by the high
mountains, which recede on each side, leaving room for
the Indian road. From the foot of one of the lowest of
these mountains, which rises with a gentle ascent of about
half a mile, issues the remotest water of the Missouri.

"They had now reached the hidden sources of that
river, which had never yet been seen by civilized man.
As they quenched their thirst at the chaste and icy foun-
tain- as they sat down by the brink of that little rivulet,
which yielded its distant and modest tribute to the
parent ocean--they felt themselves rewarded for all
their labors and all their difficulties.

"They left reluctantly this interesting spot, and, pursu-
ing the Indian road through the interval of the hills,
arrived at the top of a ridge, from which they saw high
mountains, partially covered with snow, still to the west
of them.

"The ridge on which they stood formed the dividing
line between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans. They followed a descent much steeper than
that on the eastern side, and at the distance of three-
quarters of a mile reached a handsome, bold creek of
cold, clear water running to the westward. They stopped
to taste, for the first time, the waters of the Columbia;
and, after a few minutes, followed the road across steep
hills and low hollows, when they came to a spring on the
side of a mountain. Here they found a sufficient quan-
tity of dry willow-brush for fuel, and therefore halted for
the night; and, having killed nothing in the course of
the day, supped on their last piece of pork, and trusted
to fortune for some other food to mix with a little flour
and parched meal, which was all that now remained of
their provisions."

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