number of the men have become quite discouraged and talk of turning back lest themselves & horses die of thirst. They have taken it into their heads that the lake the next usual station is also dried up & that the horses will not be able to go on to the next station where they also doubt whether there is any water at this season. None of them thought of giving me this information before I left our last station. L. Kanota, on whose information I can place most reliance assures me I will find water tomorrow, I am there- fore determined to proceed. Some of the people took the precaution to bring some water from our last station. A small hole is dug where some of the people obtain a small quantity of muddy water taken up in spoonfulls. Two horses gave up on the way and were left behind. Two of the men, A. Longtain and J. Toupin who had recovered of the fever relapsed today & were very ill, the long day's journeys with the thirst & dust to which they are exposed is very hard upon them.^^
Friday 12 Sharp frost in the night, fine weather during the day.
Had all hands at work loading the horses by break of day, proceeded on our journey at sunrise and in 5/2 hours 18 miles S.S.E. across a hill and along a valley reached a small lake or rather the end of a chain of lakes^^ where we encamped, the water is a little brackish but can be used. I was really glad to find it. We have also good feeding here for the horses. The sick meil again shaking with the fever.
Saturday i^ Fine weather. Did not raise camp. Took L. Kanota
with me and ascended a ridge of rocky hills of considerable height," to the S.E. of our camp in order to ascertain the appearance of the country on both sides of the hills. The valley where we are encamped & where some of the old hands who have passed here twice were afraid of dying for want of water, is a continuation of lakes close to each other as far as the eyes can reach tho we proceeded a considerable distance to the Southward, and might with propriety be called the valley of lakes, the first below our camp is brackish but in those farther down the water is fresh & good. Beyond the hills there is another extensive valley with a small creek running to the Northward, here we expected to find beaver as it is well wooded towards the hills, but there is none. The Salt lake which we left on the morning of the loth, is probably close too here & had we proceeded due South our road would have likely been much shorter and likely no want of water. It was long after dark when we reached the camp. There are the tracks of Indians quite fresh in the hills and along the lake but none of them have returned to visit us yet. There is a beaten track along the lake frequented by horses as well as foot people. We observed some fresh tracks of sheep"^^ on the hills. The lakes and swamps in the valley are well stocked with wild fowl, the people were out hunting & killed several.
Sunday i^ Stormy part of the day. Did not raise camp. Took C.
Plante and J. Favel with me and went 25 to 30 miles South down the valley
