Another disaster, which happened next day, is thus recorded:-- "Two of our men, who had been up the river to trade with the Indians, returned quite unsuccessful.

Nearly opposite the village, their horse fell with his load down a steep cliff into the river, across which he swam.

An Indian on the opposite side drove him back to them; but in crossing most of the articles were lost and the paint melted.
Understanding their intentions, the Indians attempted to come over to them, but having no canoe, were obliged to use a raft, which struck on a rock, upset, and the whole store of roots and bread were destroyed.
This failure completely exhausted our stock of merchandise; but the remembrance of what we suffered from cold and hunger during the passage of the Rocky Mountains makes us anxious to increase our means of subsistence and comfort, since we have again to encounter the same inconvenience." But the ingenuity of the explorers was equal to this emergency.

Having observed that the Indians were very fond of brass buttons, which they fastened to their garments as ornaments, and not for the useful purpose for which buttons are made, the men now proceeded to cut from their shabby United States uniforms those desired articles, and thus formed a new fund for trading purposes.

To these they added some eye-water, some basilicon, and a few small tin boxes in which phosphorus had been kept.
Basilicon, of which mention is frequently made in the journal, was an ointment composed of black pitch, white wax, resin, and olive oil; it was esteemed as a sovereign remedy for all diseases requiring an outward application.