Embarked at an early hour & reached the portage at noon,--where we got the property all safely laid up & the canoe gummed for for me to return with her tomorrow morning while I start with one man & an Indian to the fort & leave one man to take care of the property, till people & horses come for it.--I am afraid the horses will have a bad job of it as the snow here is very deep. The ice in different parts of the river has not been long broke up. Passed two Indian camps and lodges and loaded 3 pr. of small snow shoes from them.--The badness of the weather prevented me from setting out for the fort immediately. Friday 24th Overcast cloudy weather, snow showers. At daylight set out for Spokan accompanied by an Iroquoy & an Indian, and encamped at 4 oclock in the afternoon between the big hill and the Lake. The snow on the portage is generally from 3 to 4 feet deep and very soft and on account of the smallness and badness of our snowshoes walking through it is very fatiguing, when we encamped we were very tired, & had no water, however, by melting snow on a piece of bark at the fire we soon obtained a sufficiency.--We stopped early having only a small axe to cut firewood. I am afraid, there is so much snow, it will be a bad job getting the property across. Saturday 25 Overcast, snow and sleet the greater part of the day. Proceeded on our route at daylight and reached the plain at 11 oclock and encamped at sunsetting at Campment de Bindash, with J. Finlays[273] sons who were hunting fortunately we fell in with them or we would have had little fire during the night. The snow continued the same deapth to near the edge of the woods where it was not so deep. There was not much snow on the plains and on the South end we walked without snowshoes.-- Sunday 26 Clear cold weather in the night and mild weather during the day. Continued our journey at 3 oclock in the morning and arrived at Spokan at 11. Not much snow in the woods & it was so hard that we walked the most of the way without snowshoes. We were well tired. There were some horses on the opposite side of (Schuihoo)[274] plain but we thought it too far to go for them yesterday evening. Found Mr. Dease & his people all well. Monday 27 Snowed in the night and the greater part of the day. It being deemed impracticable to get the property across the portage at present on account of the depth of the snow, without, the risk of losing some of the horses, Mr. Dease had determined to let it remain some time till the snow thaws.--But a man (Chilifaux) was sent off to give the man who was left behind instructions & leave an Indian with him--and at the same time to bring home some of my things, particularly the box containing the papers.--The Indians would not trust their horses to cross the portage.-- Tuesday 28 Cloudy mild weather, some snow. A good deal of the snow that fell yesterday thawed. Wed.y. 1 Overcast mild weather. The snow thawing.