Getting very little fresh provisions, the barrier is producing nothing even of the bad salmon. Thursd.y. 15 Sent a man and an Indian off to the Kettle Falls with some provisions & other articles required for the Express. Mr. McLeod's family[163] accompanied them.-- The smith & one man employed making Axes. The other man cleaning up the store & about the Fort. A few Nezperces Indians with a large band of horses arrived from the plains, they had been collecting roots and came on a visit. No furs. Friday 16 Thunder & heavy showers of Rain. The smith making Axes, the other men differently employed about the Fort. Satd.y. 17 Pleasant weather. Had horses brought from the plains to set out to the Kettle Falls tomorrow accompanied by Mr Kittson to send off the canoe with the Express to the Rocky Mountains & see how the people are getting on with the buildings. After dark a man and an Indian arrived from Wallawalla in three days with letters from Fort Vancouver dated on the 5th inst. Some for Mr Ogden & some for the (mountain), with instructions to forward the former by a trusty person to meet Mr Ogden at the Flat Heads or carry them to him if it can be done with safety. I am also directed by Mr McLoughlin to stop the buildings at Kettle Falls till the arrival of the Express from across, because the site[164] pointed out for the Fort is on the South side of the River.-- I wrote to Mr Dease as I have to be off early in the morning, though the man will not get off for a day or two as his horses are fatigued. Sunday 18 Foggy weather in the morning. Mr Kittson & I set out at 1/2 past 5 oclock from Spokane and arrived at the Kettle Falls at 1/2 past 6 in the evening which is good days ride. We had two horses each, we left the ones which we rode in the fore part of the day about half way, though they were not knocked up. We were only two hours from the South end of the long plain[165] to the Kettle Falls. The men who left Spokane on the 15th arrived last night.-- Monday 19 Cloudy weather. Set the Express men to work to gum the boat and sent them off[166] at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The crew consists of 8 men. The boat is not deep laden but a good deal lumbered on account of the passengers, Mr McLeod's wife & 2 children, Mr Ross's wife and 4 children & St. Martin & 1 child. The men have provisions, corn, pease, dry meat & dry salmon for 36 days. The despatches are in Pierre L'Etang's charge.--Two of the Express men were sick one with venereal, two others had to be sent in their place.--