The Journals of Lewis and Clark
By Meriwether Lewis
and and William Clark, 1804-1806
Note: These
Journals are from May 14, 1804, the day the expedition left
the
arrived back in
Lewis and Clark.
Most of the "courses and distances" and "celestial
observations"
have been omitted. The notes and most of the corrections
of past editors have
been removed. There are a few OCR errors, but most
of the misspellings
are almost 200 years old. The dates with the names
in the brackets are
a little redundent. They are included to provide
the correct date in
a consistent format.
[
May the 14th-Monday
Set out from
the upper point
opposit a Creek on the South Side below a ledge of
limestone rock
Called Colewater, made 41/2 miles, the Party Consisted
of 2, Self one
frenchman and 22 Men in the Boat of 20 ores, 1 Serjt. &
7 french in a large
Perogue, a Corp and 6 Soldiers in a large Perogue.
a Cloudy rainey
day. wind from the N E. men in high Spirits
[
Monday May 14th
1804
Rained the forepart
of the day I determined to go as far as
a french Village 7
Leags. up the Missourie, and wait at that place
untill Capt. Lewis
Could finish the business in which he was obliged to
attend to at
this movement I
calculated that if any alterations in the loading of
the Vestles or
other Changes necessary, that they might be made at St.
Charles I Set out
at 4 oClock P.M. in the presence of many of the
Neighbouring
inhabitents, and proceeded on under a jentle brease up the
Missourie to the
upper Point of the 1st
the
and opposit the
mouth of a Small Creek called Cold water, a heavy rain
this after-noon The
Course of this day nearly West wind from N. E
[Lewis, May 15,
1804]
Tuesday May 15th
It rained during
the greater part of last night and continued untill 7
OCk. A.M. after
which the Prarty proceeded, passed two
incamped on the
Stard. shore at Mr. Fifer's landing opposite an
the evening was
fair. some wild gees with their young brudes were seen
today. the barge
run foul three several times -on logs, and in one
instance it was
with much difficulty they could get her off; happily no
injury was
sustained, tho the barge was several minutes in eminent
danger; this was
cased by her being too heavily laden in the stern.
Persons accustomed
to the navigation of the
precaution to load
their vessels heavyest in the bow when they ascend
the stream in order
to avoid the danger incedent to runing foul of the
concealed timber
which lyes in great quantities in the beds of these
rivers
[
Tuesday 15- rained
all last night and this morning untill 7 oClock, all
our fire
extinguished, Some Provisions on the top of the Perogus wet, I
sent two men to the
Countrey to hunt, & proceed on at 9 oClock, and
proceeded on 9
miles and Camped at a Mr Pip. Landing just below a Coal
Bank on the South
Side the prarie Comes with 1/4 of a mile of the river
on the N. Side I
sent to the Setlements in the Pairie & purchased fowls
&. one of the
Perogue are not Sufficently maned to Keep up.
Refurences from the
15th of May (2) a large
(3) passed a
De Soux and with
11/2 miles of the
Gosselins on the
edge of the river many passing down, Strong water &
wind from the N E-
Passed a Place Lbord Called the Plattes, a flat rock
projecting from the
foot of a hill, where there is a farm, (5) pass an
Small Isld near the
Center of the river, run on Several logs this after
noon, Camped at Mr.
Pipers Landing.
[
May 15th Tuesday
Rained the greater
part of the last night, and this morning untile 7
oClock- at 9 oClock
Set out and proceeded on 9 miles passed two
& incamped on
the Starbd. Side at a Mr. Pipers Landing opposit an
Island, the Boat
run on Logs three times to day, owing her being too
heavyly loaded a
Sturn, a fair after noon, I Saw a number of Goslings
to day on the
Shore, the water excessively rapid, & Banks falling in-.
[
Wednesday May 16th
A fair morning, Set
out at 5 oClock passed the Coal hill (Call by the
natives Carbonear)
this hill appears to Contain great quantytes of
Coal, and also ore
of a rich appearance haveing greatly the resemblance
of Silver Arrived
Opposit St Charles at 12 oClock, this Village is at
the foot of a Hill
from which it takes its real name Peeteite Coete or
the little hill, it
contains about 100 indefferent houses, and abot 450
Inhabetents
principally frinch, those people appear pore and extreemly
kind, the Countrey
around I am told is butifull. interspursed with
Praries &
timber alturnetly and has a number of American Settlers
Took equal altituds
with Sextion M a 68°37'30" Dined with the Comdr. &
Mr. Ducetts family-
(1) Passed an
bank one just
above, two Small ones oposut under the St. Shore, one on
Lb. Side below
[
May 16th Wednesday
a fair morning Set
out at 5 oClk pass a remarkable Coal Hill on the
Larboard Side
Called by the French Carbonere, this hill appear to
Contain great
quantity of Coal & ore of a ____ appearance from this
hill the
arrived at
Indians flocked to
the bank to See the party. This Village is about one
mile in length,
Situated on the North Side of the Missourie at the foot
of a hill from
which it takes its name Petiete Coete or the Little hill
This village
Contns. about 100 houses, the most of them Small and
indefferent and
about 450 inhabitents Chiefly French, those people
appear pore, polite
& harmonious- I was invited to Dine with a Mr.
Ducett this gentleman
was once a merchant from Canadia, from
misfortunes aded to
the loss of a Cargo Sold to the late judge Turner
he has become
Somewhat reduced, he has a Charming wife an eligent
Situation on the
hill Serounded by orchards & a excellent gardain.
[
Thursday the 17th
1804 a fine Day 3 men Confined for misconduct, I had
a Court martial
& punishment Several Indians, who informed me that the
Saukees had lately
Crossed to war against the Osage Nation Som
aplicasions, I took
equal altitudes made the m a. to be 84° 39' 15"
measured the
Missouries at this place and made it 720 yards wide, in
Banks. a Boat came
up this evening, I punished Hall agreeable to his
Sentence in part, a
fine after noon; Suped with Mr. Ducett an agreeable
man more agreeable
Lady, this Gentleman has a Delightfull Situation &
garden.
[
May the 17th
Thursday 1804
a fair day
Compelled to punish for misconduct. Several Kickapoos
Indians Visit me to
day, George Drewyer arrive. Took equal altitudes of
Suns L L made it
84° 39' 15" ap T. Measured the river found it to be 720
yards wide, a Keel
Boat Came up to day- Several of the inhabitents Came
abord to day
receved Several Speces of Vegatables from the inhabitents
to day
[Ordway, May 17,
1804]
Orders St. Charles
Thursdy the 17th of May 1804-
a Sergeant and four
men of the Party destined for the Missourri
Expidition will
convene at 11 oClock to day on the quarter Deck of the
Boat, and form
themselves into a Court martial to hear and determine
(in behalf of the
Capt.) the evidences aduced against William Warner &
Hugh Hall for being
absent last night without leave; contrary to
orders;-& John
Collins 1st for being absent without leave- 2nd for
behaveing in an
unbecomeing manner at the Ball last night- 3rdly for
Speaking in a
language last night after his return tending to bring
into disrespect the
orders of the Commanding officer
Signd. W. Clark
Comdg.
Detail for Court
martial
Segt. John Ordway
Prs.
members
R. Fields
R. Windsor
J. Whitehouse
Jo. Potts
The Court convened
agreeable to orders on the 17th of May 1804 Sgt.
John Ordway P.
members Joseph Whitehouse Rueben Fields Potts Richard
William Warner
& Hugh Hall on the following Charges Viz: for being
absent without
leave last night contrary to orders, to this Charge the
Prisoners plead
Guilty. The Court one of oppinion that the Prisoners
Warner & Hall
are Both Guilty of being absent from camp without leave
it being a breach
of the Rules and articles of war and do Sentence them
Each to receive
twentyfive lashes on their naked back, but the Court
recommend them from
their former Good conduct, to the mercy of the
commanding
officer.- at the Same court was tried John Collins Charged
1st for being
absent without leave- 2d. for behaveing in an unbecomming
manner at the ball
last night idly for Speaking in a languguage after
his return to camp
tending to bring into disrespect the orders of the
Commanding officer-
The Prisoner Pleads Guilty to the first Charge but
not Guilty to the
two last chrges.- after mature deliberation &
agreeable to the
evidence aduced. The Court are of oppinion that the
Prisnair is Guilty
of all the charges alledged against him it being a
breach of the rules
& articles of War and do Sentence him to receive
fifty lashes on his
naked back- The Commanding officer approves of the
proceedings &
Desicon of the Court martial and orders that the
punishment of John
Collins take place this evening at Sun Set in the
Presence of the
Party.- The punishment ordered to be inflicted on
William Warner
& Hugh Hall, is remitted under the assurence arriveing
from a confidence
which the Commanding officer has of the Sincerity of
the recommendation
from the Court.- after the punishment, Warner Hall &
Collins will return
to their squads and Duty
The Court is
Disolved.
Sign. Wm. Clark
[
Friday May the 18th
1804 a fine morning took equal altitude and made it
97° 42' 37" M.
A
I had the Boat
& Pierogue reloded So as to Cause them to be heavyer in
bow than asturn
recved of Mr. Lyon 136 lb. Tobacco on act. of Mr.
Choteau Gave out
tin Cups & 3 Knives to the French hands, Mr. Lauriesme
returned from the
for
wrote to Cap Lewis
Mr. Ducett made me a present of rivr Catts & Some
Herbs our french
hands bring me eggs milk &c. &. to day The wind hard
from the S. W. Two
Keel Boats came up to this place to day from
[
May the 18th Friday
1804
a fine morning, I
had the loading in the Boat & perogue examined and
changed So as the
Bow of each may be heavyer laded than the Stern, Mr.
Lauremus who had
been Sent by Cap Lewis to the
business return'd
and after a Short delay proceeded on to
Sent George Drewyer
with a Letter to Capt Lewis Two Keel Boats arrive
from
SW. Took equal
altitudes with Sexetn Made it 97°42' 37" MT.
[
Satturday May the
19th 1804 a Violent Wind last night from the W. S W,
Suckceeded by rain
with lasted Som hours, a Cloudy Morning, many
persons Came to the
boat to day I took equal altitudes. mar time 76° 33'
7"
I heard of my
Brothers illness to day which has given me much Concurn,
I settle with the
men and take receipts for Pay up to the 1st of Decr.
next, I am invited
to a ball in the Village, let Several of the men
go,- R Fields Kill
a Deer George Drewyear returned with a hundred
Dollars, he lost
[
May 19th Satturday
1804
A Violent Wind last
night from the W. S. W. accompanied with rain which
lasted about three
hours Cleared away this morn'g at 8 oClock, I took
receipt for the pay
of the men up to the 1st. of Decr. next, R. Fields
Kill a Deer to day,
I recve an invitation to a Ball, it is not in my
power to go. George
Drewyer return from
Dollars, he lost a
letter from Cap Lewis to me, Seven Ladies visit me
to day
[Lewis, May 20,
1804]
Sunday May 20th
1804
The morning was
fair, and the weather pleasent; at 10 oCk A M. agreably
to an appointment
of the preceeding day, I was joined by Capt.
Stoddard, Lieuts.
Milford & Worrell together with Messrs. A. Chouteau,
C. Gratiot, and
many other respectable inhabitants of
had engaged to
accompany me to the Vilage of St. Charles; accordingly
at 12 Oclk after
bidding an affectionate adieu to my Hostis, that
excellent woman the
spouse of Mr. Peter Chouteau, and some of my fair
friends of
my friend companion
and fellow labourer Capt. William Clark who had
previously arrived
at that place with the party destined for the
discovery of the
interior of the continent of
miles of our rout
laid through a beatifull high leavel and fertile
prarie which
incircles the town of
lands through which
we then passed are somewhat broken up fertile the
plains and
woodlands are here indiscriminately interspersed untill you
arrive within three
miles of the vilage when the woodland commences and
continues to the
after one P.M. our
progress was interrupted the near approach of a
violent thunder
storm from the N. W. and concluded to take shelter in a
little cabbin hard
by untill the rain should be over; accordingly we
alighted and
remained about an hour and a half and regailed ourselves
with a could
collation which we had taken the precaution to bring with
us from
The clouds
continued to follow each other in rapaid succession,
insomuch that there
was but little prospect of it's ceasing to rain
this evening; as I
had determined to reach
knowing that there
was now no time to be lost I set forward in the
rain, most of the
gentlemen continued with me, we arrived at half after
six and joined Capt
Clark, found the party in good health and sperits.
suped this evening
with Monsr. Charles Tayong a Spanish Ensign & late
Commandant of
the barge-
Miles above it's
junction with the
distance N. W. from
about a mile in
length runing nearly parrallel with the river, the
plain on which it
stands-is narrow tho sufficiently elivated to secure
it against the
annual inundations of the river, which usually happen in
the month of June,
and in the rear it is terminated by a range of small
hills, hence the
appellation of petit
is better known to
the French inhabitants of the
houses, and about
450 inhabitants; their houses are generally small and
but illy constructed;
a great majority of the inhabitants are miserably
pour, illiterate
and when at home excessively lazy, tho they are polite
hospitable and by
no means deficient in point of natural genious, they
live in a perfect
state of harmony among each other; and plase as
implicit confidence
in the doctrines of their speritual pastor, the
Roman Catholic
priest, as they yeald passive obedience to the will of
their temporal
master the commandant. a small garden of vegetables is
the usual extent of
their cultivation, and this is commonly imposed on
the old men and
boys; the men in the vigor of life consider the
cultivation of the
earth a degrading occupation, and in order to gain
the necessary
subsistence for themselves and families, either undertake
hunting voyages on their
own account, or engage themselves as hirelings
to such persons as
possess sufficient capital to extend their traffic
to the natives of
the interior parts of the country; on those voyages
in either case,
they are frequently absent from their families or homes
the term of six
twelve or eighteen months and alwas subjected to severe
and incessant
labour, exposed to the ferosity of the lawless savages,
the vicissitudes of
weather and climate, and dependant on chance or
accident alone for
food, raiment or relief in the event of malady.
These people are
principally the decendants of the Canadian French, and
it is not an
inconsiderable proportian of them that can boast a small
dash of the pure
blood of the aboriginees of
with my friend
Capt. C. I found it necessary that we should pospone our
departure untill 2
P M. the next day and accordingly gave orders to the
party to hold
themselves in readiness to depart at that hour.
Captn.
the Barge and
perogues on the evening of the 13th of May he determined
to leave our winter
cantainment at the mouth of River Dubois the next
day, and to ascend
the
where as it had
been previously concerted between us, he was to wait my
arrival; this
movement while it advanced us a small distance on our
rout, would also
enable him to determine whether the vessels had been
judiciously loaded
and if not timely to make the necessary alterations;
accordingly at 4
P.M. on Monday the 14th of May 1804, he embarked with
the party in the
presence of a number of the neighbouring Citizens who
had assembled to
witness his departure. during the fore part of this
day it rained
excessively hard. In my last letter to the President
dated at
Dubois on the 15th
Inst, which was the day that had been calculated on,
but having
completed the arrangements a day earlyer he departed on the
14th as before mentioned.
On the evening of the 14th the party halted
and encamped on the
upper point of the first
Larbord shore, on
the same side and nearly opposite the center of this
Island a small
Creek disimbogues called Couldwater.
The course and
distance of this day was West 4 Miles the Wind from N. E.
[
Sunday 20th May
a Cloudy morning
rained and a hard wind last night I continue to write
Rolls, Send 20 men
to Church to day one man Sick Capt Lewis and Several
Gentlemen arrive
from
of the party go to
the Church.
[
Sunday 20th May
A Cloudy morning
rained and hard wind from the ____ last night, The
letter George lost
yesterday found by a Country man, I gave the party
leave to go and
hear a Sermon to day delivered by Mr. ____ a romon
Carthlick Priest at
3 oClock Capt. Lewis Capt. Stoddard accompanied by
the Officers &
Several Gentlemen of St Louis arrived in a heavy Showr
of Rain Mssr.
Lutenants Minford & Werness. Mr. Choteau Grattiot,
Deloney, Laber
evening. Suped with
Mr. Charles Tayon, the late Comdt. of St Charles a
Spanish Ensign.
[
Monday 21st May
Dine with Mr.
Ducete & Set out from
getting every
matter arranged, proceeded on under a jentle Breese, at
one mile a Violent
rain with Wind from the S. W. we landed at the upper
point of the first
commenced raining
& continued the greater part of the night; 3 french
men got leave to
return to Town, and return early (refur to Fig. 2.)
25st refured to
fig.
13/4 Ms N 52°W to
the upper point of the
which had been
falling half an hour, opposit this Isd. Corns in a Small
creek on the St.
Sd. and at the head one on the Ld. Side rains
powerfully.
[
May 21st 1804
Monday
All the forepart of
the Day Arranging our party and prcureing the
different articles
necessary for them at this place- Dined with Mr.
Ducett and Set out
at half passed three oClock under three Cheers from
the gentlemen on
the bank and proceeded on to the head of the
(which is Situated
on the Stbd Side) 3 miles Soon after we Set out to
day a hard Wind
from the W. S W accompanied with a hard rain, which
lasted with Short
intervales all night, opposit our Camp a Small creek
corns in on the Lbd
Side-
[
Tuesday May 22nd
delayed a Short
time for the three french men who returned and we Set
out at 6 oClock a
Cloudy morning rained Violently hard last night Saw
Several people on
the bank to day & passed Several Small farms. Capt.
Lewis walk on Shore
a little & passed a Camp of Kickapoo Indians, &
incamped in the
mouth of a Small Creek in a large
[
May 22nd Tuesday
1804
a Cloudy morning
Delay one hour for 4 french men who got liberty to
return to arrange
Some business they had forgotten in Town, at 6 oClock
we proceeded on,
passed Several Small farms on the bank, and a large
creek on the Lbd.
Side Called Bonom a Camp of Kickapoos on the St. Side
Those Indians told
me Several days ago that they would Come on & hunt
and by the time I
got to their Camp they would have Some Provisions for
us, we Camped in a
too the Indians
arrived with 4 Deer as a Present, for which we gave
them two qts. of
whiskey-
This Day we passed
Several Islands, and Some high lands on the
Starboard Side,
Verry hard water.
[
Wednesday May 23rd
8 Indians Kick. Came to Camp with meat we recved
their pesents of 3
Deer & gave them Whisky.
Set out early run
on a log under water and Detained one hour proceeded
on the Same Course
of last night, (2 miles) passed the mouth of a creek
on the Sbd. Side
called Woman of
abounding in fish,
Stoped one hour where their was maney people
assembled to See
us, halted at an endented part of a Rock which juted
over the water,
Called by the french the tavern which is a Cave 40 yds.
long with the river
4 feet Deep & about 20 feet high, this is a place
the Indians &
french Pay omage to, many names are wrote up on the rock
Mine among others,
at one mile above this rock coms in a small Creek
called Tavern
Creek, abov one other Small Creek, camped at 6 oClock
(after expirencing
great dificuselty in passing Some Drifts) on the Stb
Side, examined the
mens arms found all in good order except the
Detachment of Solds
in the Perogue- R Field Killed a Deer.
[
May 23rd Course of
last night S 75 W Contined 2 miles to the Said point
St. Side passed the
upper Point of the Island Thence S 52° W. 7 Miles to
a pt. on St. Sd.
passing
Tavern, Lbd Side at
5 m. Situated in the Clifts, opposit a
on the Stbd Side
(R. & Jo. Fields came in) with many people, passed the
projecting in raged
points to the river, and was near falling from a
Peninsulia hard
water all Day Saved himself by the assistance of his
Knife, passed a
Creek 15 yds. wide at 1 mile called Creek of the Tavern
on the Lbd. Side,
Camped opposit the pt. which the Last Course was to.
one man Sick.
[
May 23rd Wednesday
1804
We Set out early
ran on a Log and detained one hour, proceeded the
Course of Last
night 2 Miles to the mouth of a Creek on the Stbd. Side
Called Osage Womans
R, about 30 yds. wide, opposit a large
Settlement. (on
this Creek 30 or 40 famlys are Settled) Crossed to the
Settlemt. and took
in R & Jo. Fields who had been Sent to purchase Corn
& Butter
&c. many people Came to See us, we passed a large Cave on the
Lbd. Side about 120
feet wide 40 feet Deep & 20 feet high many
different immages
are Painted on the Rock at this place. the Inds &
French pay omage.
many hams are wrote on the rock, Stoped about one
mile above for Capt
Lewis who had assended the Clifts which is at the
Said Cave 300 fee
high, hanging over the Water, the water excessively
Swift to day, we
incamped below a Small Isld. in the Meadle of the
river, Sent out two
hunters, one Killed a Deer
This evening we
examined the arms and amunition found those mens arms
in the perogue in
bad order a fair evening Capt. Lewis near falling
from the Pencelia
of rocks 300 feet, he caught at 20 foot.
[Clark, May 24,
1804]
Thursday May the
24th 1804 Set out early passed a Small Isd in the
Midlle of the
river, opposit the on the Lbd. Side is projecting Rock of
1/2 a mile in
extent against which the Current runs, this place is
called the Devils
race grounds,1 above this Coms in a Small Creek
called the little
quiver, a Sand Island on the Stbd Side, passed
Several Islands
& 2 creeks, on the Stbd Side a Small Island on the Lbd
Side above we wer
verry near loseing our Boat in Toeing She Struck the
Sands the Violence
of the Current was so great that the Toe roap Broke,
the Boat turned
Broadside, as the Current Washed the Sand from under
her She wheeled
& lodged on the bank below as often as three times,
before we got her
in Deep water, nothing Saved her but
[Clark, May 24,
1804]
May 24th Set out
early, Killed a Deer last night. examined the mens
arms, & Saw
that all was prepared for action, passed an Island in the
M. R, opposit a
hard place of water called the Devill race grown, S 63° W
4 miles to a point
on the Sd. Starboard Side N 68 W to a point on Lbd
Side 3 ms. Passd. a
Small Willow Island on the Lbd. Side to the point
of a Isd. L Side- S
75° W to a point on Stbd Side 3 Miles, Passed the
upper point of the
Island. Crossed and in a verry bad place we got our
Boat a ground &
She Bocke the Toe Roap & turned the Land, the in
Wheeling three
times, got off returned to the head of the aforesaid
Island, and Came up
under a falling Bank. hard water this place being
the worst I ever
Saw, I call it the retregrade bend. Camped at an old
house.
[Clark, May 24,
1804]
May 24th Thursday
1804
Set out early
passed a Verry bad part of the River Called the Deavels
race ground, this
is where the Current Sets against Some projecting
rocks for half a
mile on the Labd. Side, above this place is the mouth
of a Small Creek
Called queivere, passed Several Islands, two Small
Creeks on the Stbd.
Side, and passed between a Isld. an the Lbd. Shore
a narrow pass above
this Isld is a Verry bad part of the river, we
attempted to pass
up under the Lbd. Bank which was falling in So fast
that the evident
danger obliged us to Cross between the Starbd. Side
and a Sand bar in
the middle of the river, we hove up near the head of
the Sand bar, the
Sand moveing & banking caused us to run on the Sand.
The Swiftness of
the Current wheeled the boat, Broke our Toe rope, and
was nearly over
Setting the boat, all hand jumped out on the upper Side
and bore on that
Side untill the Sand washed from under the boat and
wheeled on the next
bank by the time She wheeled a 3rd Time got a rope
fast to her Stern
and by the means of Swimmers was Carred to Shore and
when her Stern was
down whilst in the act of Swinging a third time into
Deep water near the
Shore, we returned, to the Island where we Set out
and assended under
the Bank which I have just mentioned, as falling in,
here George Drewyer
& Willard, two of our men who left us at St.
Charles to Come on
by land joined us, we Camped about 1 mile above
where we were So
nearly being lost, on the Labd Side at a Plantation.
all in Spirits.
This place I call the retragrade bend as we were
obliged to fall
back 2 miles
[Clark, May 25,
1804]
25 May
Set out early
Course West to a Point on Sbd. Side at 2 Miles passd a
Willow Isd. in a
Bend to the Lbd. a creek called wood rivr Lbd. Side N
57° W. to a pt. on
the Sb. Side 3 Miles passed the Mouth of a Creek St.
Side Called Le
quever, this Same course continued to a Point Ld. Side
21/2 Miles further.
opposit a Isd. on Sd Side Passed a Creek Called R.
La freeau at the
pt. N 20° W 2 miles To a Small french Village called La
Charatt of five
families only, in the bend to the Starbord This is the
Last Settlement of
Whites, an Island opposit
[Clark, May 25,
1804]
May 25th Friday 1804
rain last night
river fall Several inches, Set out early psd. Several
Islands passed wood
River on the Lbd Side at 2 miles passed Creek on
the St. Side Called
La Querer at 5 miles passed a Creek at 8 mile,
opsd. an Isd. on
the Lbd Side, Camped at the mouth of a Creek called
River a Chauritte,
above a Small french Village of 7 houses and as many
families, Settled
at this place to be convt. to hunt, & trade with the
Indians, here we
met with Mr. Louisell imedeately down from the Seeeder
Isld. Situated in
the Countrey of the Suxex 400 Leagues up he gave us a
good Deel of
information Some letters he informed us that he Saw no
Indians on the
river below the Poncrars- Some hard rain this evening
The people at this
Village is pore, houses Small, they Sent us milk &
eggs to eat.
[Clark, May 26,
1804]
May 26th 1804. Set
out at 7 oClock after a hard rain & Wind, & proceed
on verry well under
Sale. Wind from the E N E
The wind favourable
to day we made 18 miles a Cloud rais & wind & rain
Closed the Day
[Clark, May 26,
1804]
May the 26th
Sattarday 1804.
Set out at 7 oClock
after a heavy Shour of rain (George Drewyer & John
Shields, Sent by
Land with the two horses with directions to proceed on
one day & hunt
the next) The wind favourable from the E N E passed Beef
Island and river on
Lbd Side at 31/2 Ms Passed a Creek on the Lbd. Side
Called Shepperds
Creek, passed Several Islands to day great Deal of
Deer Sign on the
Bank one man out hunting, w Camped on an Island on the
Starboard Side near
the Southern extrem of Luter Island.
[Lewis, May 26,
1804]
Detatchment Orders.
May 26th 1804.
The Commanding
Officers direct, that the three Squads under the command
of Sergts. Floyd
Ordway and Pryor heretofore forming two messes each,
shall untill
further orders constitute three messes only, the same
being altered and
organized as follows (viz)
1 Sergt. Charles
Floyd. (1)
Privates:
2 Hugh McNeal
3 Patric Gass
4 Reubin Fields (2)
5 John B Thompson
+ 6 John Newman
7 Richard Winsor
+ Francis Rivet
&
8 Joseph Fields (3)
9 Sergt. John
Ordway.
Privates.
10 William Bratton
(4)
11 John Colter (5)
X 12 Moses B. Reed
13 Alexander
Willard
14 William Warner
15 Silas Goodrich
16 John Potts &
17 Hugh Hall
18 Sergt. Nathaniel
Pryor. (6)
Privates.
19 George Gibson
(7)
20 George Shannon
(8)
21 John Shields (9)
22 John Collins
23 Joseph
Whitehouse
24 Peter Wiser
F 25 Peter Crusat
&
F 26 Francis
Labuche
The commanding
officers further direct that the remainder of the
detatchmen shall
form two messes; and that the same be constituded as
follows. (viz)
Patroon, Baptist
Dechamps
Engages
Etienne Mabbauf
Paul Primaut
Charles Hébert
Baptist La Jeunesse
Peter Pinaut
Peter Roi &
Joseph Collin
1 Corpl. Richard
Warvington.
Privates.
2 Robert Frasier
3 John Boleye
4 John Dame
5 Ebinezer Tuttle
&
6 Isaac White
The Commanding
officers further direct that the messes of Sergts.
Floyd, Ordway and
Pryor shall untill further orders form the crew of
the Batteaux; the
Mess of the Patroon La Jeunesse will form the
permanent crew of
the red Perogue; Corpl. Warvington's mess forming
that of the white
perogue.
Whenever by any
casualty it becomes necessary to furnish additional men
to assist in
navigating the Perogues, the same shall be furnished by
daily detale from
the Privates who form the crew of Batteaux, exempting
only from such
detale, Thomas P. Howard and the men who are assigned to
the two bow and the
two stern oars.- For the present one man will be
furnished daily to
assist the crew of the white perogue; this man must
be an expert
boatman.
The posts and
duties of the Sergts. shall be as follows (viz)- when the
Batteaux is under
way, one Sergt. shall be stationed at the helm, one
in the center on
the rear of the Starboard locker, and one at the bow.
The Sergt. at the
helm, shall steer the boat, and see that the baggage
on the quarterdeck
is properly arranged and stowed away in the most
advantageous
manner; to see that no cooking utensels or loos lumber of
any kind is left on
the deck to obstruct the passage between the
burths- he will
also attend to the compas when necessary.
The Sergt at the
center will command the guard, manage the sails, see
that the men at the
oars do their duty; that they come on board at a
proper season in
the morning, and that the boat gets under way in due
time; he will keep
a good lookout for the mouths of all rivers, creeks,
Islands and other
remarkable places and shall immediately report the
same to the
commanding officers; he will attend to the issues of
sperituous liquors;
he shall regulate the halting of the batteaux
through the day to
give the men refreshment, and will also regulate the
time of her
departure taking care that not more time than is necessary
shall be expended
at each halt- it shall be his duty also to post a
centinel on the
bank, near the boat whenever we come too and halt in
the course of the
day, at the same time he will (acompanied by two his
guard) reconnoiter
the forrest arround the place of landing to the
distance of at
least one hundred paces. when we come too for the
purpose of
encamping at night, the Sergt. of the guard shall post two
centinels
immediately on our landing; one of whom shal be posted near
the boat, and the
other at a convenient distance in rear of the
encampment; at
night the Sergt. must be always present with his guard,
and he is
positively forbidden to suffer any man of his guard to absent
himself on any
pretext whatever; he will at each relief through the
night, accompanyed
by the two men last off their posts, reconnoiter in
every direction
around the camp to the distance of at least one hundred
and fifty paces,
and also examine the situation of the boat and
perogues, and see
that they ly safe and free from the bank
It shall be the
duty of the sergt. at the bow, to keep a good look out
for all danger
which may approach, either of the enimy, or obstructions
which may present
themselves to passage of the boat; of the first he
will notify the
Sergt. at the center, who will communicate the
information to the
commanding officers, and of the second or
obstructions to the
boat he will notify the Sergt. at the helm; he will
also report to the
commanding officers through the Sergt. at the center
all perogues boats
canoes or other craft which he may discover in the
river, and all
hunting camps or parties of Indians in view of which we
may pass. he will
at all times be provided with a seting pole and
assist the bowsman
in poling and managing the bow of the boat. it will
be his duty also to
give and answer all signals, which may hereafter be
established for the
government of the perogues and parties on shore.
The Sergts. will on
each morning before our departure relieve each
other in the
following manner- The Sergt. at the helm will parade the
new guard, relieve
the Sergt. and the old guard, and occupy the middle
station in the
boat; the Sergt. of the old guard will occupy the
station at the bow,
and the Sergt. who had been stationed the
preceeding day at
the bow will place himself at the helm.- The sergts.
in addition to
those duties are directed each to keep a seperate
journal from day
today of all passing occurences, and such other
observations on the
country &c. as shall appear to them worthy of notice
The Sergts. are
relieved and exempt from all labour of making fires,
pitching tents or
cooking, and will direct and make the men of their
several messes
perform an equal propotion of those duties.
The guard shall
hereafter consist of one sergeant and six privates &
engages.
Patroon, Dechamp,
Copl. Warvington, and George Drewyer, are exempt from
guad duty; the two
former will attend particularly to their perogues at
all times, and see
that their lading is in good order, and that the
same is kept
perfectly free from rain or other moisture; the latter
will perform
certain duties on shore which will be assigned him from
time to time. all
other soldiers and engaged men of whatever
discription must
perform their regular tour of guad duty.
All detales for
guard or other duty will be made in the evening when we
encamp, and the
duty to be performed will be entered on, by the
individuals so
warned, the next morning.- provision for one day will be
issued to the party
on each evening after we have encamped; the same
will be cooked on
that evening by the several messes, and a proportion
of it reserved for
the next day as no cooking will be allowed in the
day while on the
mach
Sergt. John Ordway
will continue to issue the provisions and make the
detales for guard
or other duty.- The day after tomorrow lyed corn and
grece will be
issued to the party, the next day Poark and flour, and
the day following
indian meal and poark; and in conformity to that
ratiene provisions
will continue to be issued to the party untill
further orders.-
should any of the messes prefer indian meal to flour
they may recieve it
accordingly- no poark is to be issued when we have
fresh meat on hand.
Labuche and Crusat
will man the larboard bow oar alternately, and the
one not engaged at
the oar will attend as the Bows-man, and when the
attention of both
these persons is necessary at the bow, their oar is
to be maned by any
idle hand on board.
Meriwether Lewis
Capt.
Wm. Clark Cpt.
[Clark, May 27,
1804]
Sunday May 27th as
we were Setting out this morning two Canoos loaded
with Bever elk Deer
Skins & Buffalow Robes, from the Mahars nation,
they inform that
they left that place 2 months, a gentle Breese from
the S. E, we camped
on an Isd in the mouth of Gasconade R, this river
is 157 yards wide a
butifull stream of clear water. 19 foot Deep Hills
on the lower Side
[Clark, May 27,
1804]
May 27th Sunday
1804
as we were pushing
off this Morning two Canoos Loaded with fur &c. Came
to from the Mahars
nation, which place they had left two months, at
about 10 oClock 4
Cajaux or rafts loaded with furs and peltres came too
one from the
Paunees, the other from Grand Osage, they informed nothing
of Consequence,
passed a Creek on the Lbd Side Called ash Creek 20 yds
wide, passed the
upper point of a large Island on the Stbd Side back of
which Comes in
three Creeks one Called Orter Creek, her the men we left
hunting Came in we
camped on a Willow Island in the mouth of Gasconnade
River. George
Shannon Killed a Deer this evening
[Clark, May 28,
1804]
Monday 28th May
rained hard all the
last night Some wind from the S W, one Deer Killed
to day, one Man
fell in with Six Indians hunting, onloaded the perogue,
& found Several
articles Wet, Some Tobacco Spoiled. river begin to rise
[Clark, May 28,
1804]
May 28th Munday
1804 Gasconnade
Rained hard all
last night Some thunder & lightening hard wind in the
forepart of the
night from the S W. Ruben Fields Killed a Deer Several
hunter out to day I
measured the river found the Gasconnade to be 157
yds. wide and 19
foot Deep the Course of this R. is S 29° W, one of the
hunters fell in
with 6 Inds. hunting, onloaded the large Perogue on
board of which was
8 french hands found many things wet by their
cearlenessness, put
all the articles which was wet out to Dry- this day
So Cloudy that no
observations could be taken, the river begin to rise,
examine the mens
arms and equapage, all in Order
[Clark, May 29,
1804]
Tuesday 29th May
Sent out hunters, got a morning obsvtn and one at 12
oClock, rained last
night, the river rises fast The Musquetors are
verry bad, Load the
pierogue
[Clark, May 29,
1804]
May 29th 1804 Set
out from the mouth of the gasconnade, where we took
obsevn &c. left
a Perogue for a man lost in the woods, Course N. 54 W 2
m to a point Lb.
Side. Passed the Isd. on which we Camped, river still
rised, water verry
muddey N. 78° W 2 Ms. to a pt. on Lb Side passed two
willow Islands
first Smaller and a Creek on Lbd. called Deer Creek one
oposit the point
St. Side and incamped on the Lb Side rain all night
the tents together
along the N; 76 W 25 Poles S 26 W, to the point
above- S 19° to the
pot below the River
[Clark, May 29,
1804]
May 29th Tuesday
rained last night, Cloudy morning 4 hunters Sent out
with Orders to
return at 12 oClock Took equal altitudes of Suns Lower
limb found it 105°
31' 45"
Cap Lewis observed
meridean altitude of sun U L-back observation with
the octant &
artificeal horozen- gave for altitude on the Limb 38° 44'
00" sun octant
Error 2 0 0 +
had the Perogues
loaded and all perpared to Set out at 4 oClock after
finishing the
observations & all things necessary found that one of the
hunters had not
returned, we deturmined to proceed on & leave one
perogue to wate for
him, accordingly at half past four we Set out and
came on 4 miles
& camped on the Lbd Side above a Small Creek Called
Deer Creek, Soon
after we came too we heard Several guns fire down the
river, we answered
them by a Discharge of a Swivile on the Bow
[Clark, May 30,
1804]
May 30th,
Wednesday, Set out at 7 oClock after a heavy rain, rained all
last night, a
little after Dark last night Several guns were herd
below, I expect the
French men fireing for Whitehous who was lost in
the woods.
[Clark, May 30,
1804]
May 30th Wednesday
1804
Rained all last
night Set out at 6 oClock after a heavy Shower, and
proceeded on,
passed a large Island a Creek opposit on the St. Side
just abov a Cave
Called Monbrun Tavern & River, passed a Creek on the
Lbd. Side Call Rush
Creek at 4 Miles Several Showers of rain the
Current Verry Swift
river riseing fast Passed Big Miry River at 11
Miles on the
Starboard Side, at the lower point of a Island, this River
is about 50 yards
Wide, Camped at the mouth of a Creek on Lbd Sd of abt
25 yds. Wide Called
Grinestone Creek, opposit the head of a Isd. and
the mouth of Little
Miry River on the St Side, a heavy wind accompanied
with rain &
hail we Made 14 miles to day, the river Continue to rise,
the County on each
Side appear full of Water.
[Clark, May 31,
1804]
May 31st Thursday
1804
rained the greater
part of last night, the wind from the West raised
and blew with great
force untile 5 oClock p.m.which obliged us to lay
by a Cajaux of Bear
Skins and pelteries came down from the Grand
Osarge, one french
man one Indian, and a Squar, they had letters from
the man Mr. Choteau
Sent to that part of the Osarge Nation Settled on
Arkansa River
mentioning that his letter was Commited to the flaims,
the Inds. not
believeing that the Americans had possession of the
Countrey they
disregarded St Louis & their Supplies &c.- Several rats
of Considerable
Size was Cought in the woods to day- Capt Lewis went
out to the woods
& found many curious Plants & Srubs, one Deer killed
this evening
[Clark, June 1,
1804]
June 1st Friday
1804 Set out early, the Same Course S 48° W of Wednesday
contd. 4 ms passed
the Mouth of Little Miry on the Stb & high rich Land
on the Lb Side, S.
45°W to an Island opposit a hill on the S. Sd. 6 Ms.
this Isd is on the
Lbd. passed the Mo. of Bear creek 25 yds wide at 2
ms. & three
Small Isd., Some Swift water and banks falling in, Wind a
head from the West,
S 39° W 3 ms. to the Pt. above the mouth of Osage
River Larb Side,
Camped fell a number of Trees in the Point to take
observation a fair
after noon, Sit up untill 1 oClock to take Som
observations
&c.
[Clark, June 1,
1804]
June 1st 1804
Friday
Set out early a
fair morning Passed the mouth Bear Creek 25 yds. Wide
at 6 Miles, Several
Small Islands in the river the wind a head from the
West the Current
exceedingly rapid Came to on the point of the Osarges
River on the Labd
Side of Missouries this osages river Verry high,
felled all the
Trees in the point to Make observations Sit up untill 12
oClock taken
oservation this night
[Clark, June 2,
1804]
June 2nd- Took the
Dirts. of Son & moon &c &c. I measured the Osage &
Missouris at this
place made ther width as follows, the Missoure 875
yd. wide The Osage
R 397 yds. wide, the distance between the 2 rivers
80 poles up is 40
Ps. Took equal altitudes & Mredian altitude also-and
made them ____ I
assended the hill in the point 80 ps. from the pt.
found it about 100
foot high, on the top is 2 graves, or mouns, a
Delightfull
prospect from this hill which Comds. both rivers
Drewyer &
Shields came to the opposit Side to day at SunSet we sent
across &
brought them over, they had been absent 7 Days Swam many
creeks, much
worsted. They informed us that the Countrey on both Sides
of muddy river's to
the hill called by the french ____ 3 ms. below this
place, a Small
Praries below the hill, 4 Deer Killed to day I assend a
hill &. after measuring
the river &c. &c. &c.
[Clark, June 2,
1804]
June 2nd Satturday
Cap Lewis Took the Time & Distance of suns & moons
nearest limbs, the
Sun East- and Meridean altitude of Suns U. L. with
Octant, back
observation gave for altitude 37° 28"00".
Error of Octant 2°
00' 00" +. made Several other observations- I made an
angle for the Wedth
of the two rivers. The Missourie from the Point to
the N. Side is 875
yards wide the Osage River from the point to the S.
E Side is 397 yards
wide, the destance between the two rivers at the
pt. of high Land
(ioo foot above the bottom) and 80 poles up the
Missouries from the
point is 40 poles, on the top of this high land
under which is a
limestone rock two Mouns or graves are raised- from
this pt. which
Comds both rivers I had a delightful) prospect of the
Missouries up &
down, also the Osage R. up. George Drewyer & John
Shields who we had
Sent with the horses by Land on the N Side joined us
this evening much
worsted, they being absent Seven Days depending on
their gun, the
greater part of the time rain, they were obliged to raft
or Swim many
Creeks, those men gave a flattering account of the
Countrey Commencing
below the first hill on the N Side and extendg
Parrelal with the
river for 30 or 40 Ms. The Two Muddey river passing
Thro & som fine
Springs & Streams our hunters kill Several Deer to day,
Some Small licks on
the S E of the Osage River.
[Clark, June 3,
1804]
June Sunday 3rd
1804
the fore part of
the day fair I attempted to take equal alltitudes, & M
Altitudes, but was
disapointed, the Clouds obsured the Sun, took the D.
of sun & moon
Capt Lewis & George Drewyer went out & Killed a Deer, We
Set out at 5 oClock
P M Cloudy & rain, West 5 Ms. to the mo. of Murrow
Creek Lb Sd. a pt.
St. Side Keeping along the Lbd Side 1 Ms., passed
the mouth of a
Creek on Lbd Side 3 ms., I call Cupboard, Creek, mouths
behind a rock which
projects into the river, Camped in the mouth of the
Creek aforesaid, at
the mouth of this Creek I saw much fresh Signs of
Indians, haveing Crossed
2 Deer Killed to day. I have a verry Sore
Throat, & am
Tormented with Musquetors & Small ticks.
[Clark, June 3,
1804]
June 3rd Sunday
1804
The forepart of the
day fair Took meridional altitude of suns U:L with
the Octant and
Glass Horrison adjusted back observation. the instrument
gave 38° 2'
00"- it was Cloudy and the Suns disk much obsured, and Cannot
be Depended on.
We made other
Observations in the evening after the return of Capt
Lewis from a walk
of three or four ms. round- We Set out at 5 oClock
P.M. proceeded on
five miles to the mouth of a Creek on the L. S. 20
yds. wide Called
Murow, passed a Creek at 3 ms. which I call Cupbord
Creek as it Mouths
above a rock of that appearance. Several Deer Killed
to dayat the mouth
of the Murow Creek I Saw much Sign of war parties of
Inds. haveing
Crossed from the mouth of this Creek. I have a bad Cold
with a Sore throat.
Near West 5 Miles
[Clark, June 4,
1804]
June 4th 1804
Monday, a fair Day Sent out 3 hunters, our mast broke by
the boat running
under a tree Passed an Islands on Stbd Side on which
grow Seeder a Creek
at ____ miles on the Starbd Sd. Course N. 30° W 4 ms.
to pt. on St. Side
below 2d Isd. passed a Creek on Lbd Side 15 yd.
wide, I call
Nightingale Creek. this Bird Sang all last night and is
the first of the
kind I ever herd, below this Creek and the last Passed
a Small Isd on the
Stbd. N. 25 W. 3 ms. to a pt. on St. Sd. passed a
Sm. Isd. on St. Sd.
and Seeder Creek on the Same Side 20 yds wide
passed a Creek on
Lbd Sd. 20 yd wide, I call Mast Creek, this is a
Short Creek, fine
land above & below the mouth. Jentle rise of about 50
foot, Delightfull
Timber of Oake ash walnut hickory &c. &c. wind from N
W. by W. N. 58° W.
71/2 ms. passed a Creek Called Zoncar on the Lbd Side,
N 75 W 3 me. to a
pt, S. Sd. called Batue a De charm, a plain on the
hill opposit. I got
out & walked on the L Sd. thro a Charming Bottom of
rich Land about one
mile then I assended a hill of about 170 foot on
the top of which is
a Moun and about 100 acres of Land of Dead timber
on this hill one of
the party says he has found Lead ore a verry
extensive Cave
under this hill next the river, the Land on the top is
fine, This is a
very bad part of the river Seven Deer Killed to day by
our hunters- one of
the horses is Snaged, the other lost his Shous to
day the Bottom on
the St. Side to day is covered with rushes, not verry
good ____ the high
land Comes to the bank on the Labd Side and good 2d
rate land.
[Clark, June 4,
1804]
June 4th Monday
1804
a fair day three
men out on the right flank passed a large Island on
the St. Side Called
Seeder Island, this Isd. has a great Deel of Ceedar
on it, passed a
Small Creek at 1 ms. 15 yd. Wide which we named
Nightingale Creek
from a Bird of that discription which Sang for us all
last night, and is
the first of the Kind I ever heard. passed the mouth
of Seeder Creek at
7 ms. on the S. S. abt. 20 yds. Wide above Some
Small Isds. passed
a Creek on the L. S. abt. 15 yds. wide. Mast Creek,
here the Sergt. at
the helm run under a bending Tree & broke the mast,
Some delightful)
Land, with a jentle assent about the Creek, well
timbered, Oake,
Ash, walnut &c. &c. passed, wind N W. by W. passed a
Small Creek Called
Zan Can C on the L. S; at this last point I got out
and walked on the
L. Sd. thro a rush bottom for 1 Miles & a Short
Distance thro
Nettles as high as my brest assended a hill of about 170
foot to a place
where the french report that Lead ore has been found, I
saw no mineral of
that description, Capt Lewis Camped imediately under
this hill, to wate
which gave me Some time to examine the hill, on the
top is a moun of
about 6 foot high and about 100 Acres of land which
the large timber is
Dead in Decending about 50 foot a projecting lime
Stone rock under
which is a Cave at one place in this projecting rocks
I went on one which
Spured up and hung over the Water from the top of
this rock I had a
prospect of the river for 20 or 30 ms. up, from the
Cave which
incumposed the hill I decended by a Steep decent to the
foot, a verry bad
part of the river opposit this hill, the river
Continu to fall
Slowly, our hunters killed 7 Deer to day The land our
hunters passed thro
to day on the S. S. was Verry fine the latter part
of to day. the high
land on the S. S. is about 2d rate
[Clark, June 5,
1804]
June 5th Tuesday,
Jurked the Vennison Killed yesterday, after Seting
over the Scouting
Party or hunder of 3 men Set out at 6 oClock Course N
57° W to a pt. on
S. Sd. 5 ms. passed a Creek on L. Sd. I call Lead C of
15 yds passed one
on the S. Called Lit. good-womans Creek about 20 yds.
wide Passed a
Willow Isd. a Butifull Prarie approaching near the river
above Lead C &
extends to the Mine river in a westerly Derection,
passed the Mouth of
the Creek of the Big Rock 15 yds Wide at 4 ms. on
the Lbd Sd. at 11
oClock brought a Caissie in which was 2 men, from 80
League up the
Kansias River, where they wintered and caught a great qty
of Beever but
unfortunatey lost it by the burning of the plains, the
Kansas Nation
hunted on the Missourie last Winter and are now persueing
the Buffalow in the
Plains, passed a Projecting Rock called the Manitou
a Painting from
this Deavel to the Pt. on the Lbd Side N 23° W 71/2 Ms.
The Same course
21/2 ms. Creek Cld. Manitou passed a on the Lbd. Side
about 40 yd. wide,
a Sand bar in the middle of the River passed up
between the Sand
& L. Shore one Mile to a Small Creek 10 yd. wide, (I
call Sand C). We
run on the Sand and was obliged to return to the
Starbd Side, I am
verry unwell with a Slight feever from a bad cold
caught three days
ago at the Grand so R- passed a Small Willow Isd. on
S. Side, a large
one in the Middle of the river, York Swam to the Isd.
to pick greens, and
Swam back with his greens, the Boat Drew too much
water to cross the
quick Sands which intervened, She draws 4 foot
water, a fair wind
our mast being broke by accidence provented our
takeing the
advantage of it passed the lower point of a large Island,
opposit the Current
devides between 4 Small Isds on the St Side. we
found the water
excessively hard for 12 Miles as we were oblged to pass
up the center of
the Current between two of the Isds. & round the heads
of the other 2 the
Current Setting imediately against the points which
was choked up with
Drift for a mile- Above those Isd. on the St. Side
we camped
altogether our Hunter or Spis discovered the sign of a war
party of abt. 10
Men
[Clark, June 5,
1804]
June 5th Tuesday
1804
after Jurking the
meet Killed yesterday and Crossing the hunting party
we Set out at 6
oClock, from the last Course & distance, N 51° W. 5 ms.
to a pt. on the St.
Sd. passed a Small Creek on the Ld. S. I call Lead
C. passed a Creek
on the S. S. of 20 yds. wide Cald. Lit. Good Womans
C. on the L. S. a
Prarie extends from Lead C. parrelel with the river
to Mine river, at 4
ms. Passed the Creek of the big rock about 15 yds.
wide on the L. Sd.
at 11 oClock brought too a Small Caissee in which
was two french men,
from 80 Leagues up the Kansias R. where they
wintered, and
Cought a great quantity of Beaver, the greater part of
which they lost by
fire from the Praries, those men inform that the
Kansas Nation are
now out in the plains hunting Buffalow, they hunted
last winter on this
river Passed a projecting rock on which was painted
a figue and a Creek
at 2 ms. above Called Little Manitou Creek from the
Painted rock this
Creek 20 yds. wide on the L. Sd. passed a Small Creek
on L. S. opposit a
Verry bad Sand bar of Several ms. in extent, which
we named Sand C
here my Servent York Swam to the Sand bar to geather
greens for our
Dinner and returnd with a Sufficent quantity wild
Creases or Teng
grass, we passed up for 2 ms on the L. S. of this Sand
and was obliged to
return, the Watr. uncertain the quick Sand Moveing
we had a fine wind,
but could not make use of it, our Mast being broke,
we passed between 2
Small Islands in the Middle of the Current, & round
the head of three a
rapid Current for one mile and Camped on the S. S.
opsd. a large
Island in the middle of the river; one Perogue did not
get up for two
hours, our Scout discovd. the fresh sign of about 10
Inds. I expect that
those Indians are on their way to war against the
Osages nation
probably they are the Saukees
[Clark, June 6,
1804]
Wednesday the 6th
of June 1804.
Mended our mast
this morning and Set out at 7 oClock, under a Jentle
Braise from the S,
E by S N 28° W 31/2 miles to a hill on St Sd. passg
the N. beige of the
Island Called Split rock Island, the river rose
last night a foot
the Countrey about this Isd. is delightfull large
rush bottom of
rushes below on the St. Side N 49° W, 11/2 Ms. to the
mouth of Split rock
River ____ yds. wide on the Starboard Side opod.
the pt. of a Isd.
passed a place in the projecting rock Called the hole
thro the rock, a
round Cave pass thro the Pt. of rock's West 11/2 ms.
to a pt. on Std.
Sd. opposit a Clift of rocks abt 200 foot N 31° W. 4 ms
1/2 to a pt. on L.
Side passed Saline Creek on the L. Side a large Salt
Lick & Spring 9
me. up the Creek, one bushel of water will make 7 lb.
of good Salt
(Information) Took
Meridian altitude of sun Limb. 37° 6' 0" equat to ____
of Lattidude.
on this Creek, So
great a no of Salt Springs are on it that the water
is brackish N 51° W
to a Belge of an Isd on the S. Sd. at 3 ms. Passed a
Willow Isd. in
Middle, Some wind in the after part of to day from the S
E, (the Banks are
falling in greatly in this part of the river) as also
is one Side or the
other in all the Course, we assended on the North
Side of the Isd.
and finding that the perogues Could not Keep up Camped
2 hs. by Sun. on
the Sd Sd the land below this is good.
[Clark, June 6,
1804]
June 6th Wednesday
1804
Mended our Mast
this morning &, Set out at 7 oClock under a jentle
breise from S. E.
by S passed the large Island, and a Creek Called
Split rock Creek at
5 ms. on the S. S. psd. a place to the rock from
which 20 yds we.
this Creek takes its name, a projecting rock with a
hole thro a point
of the rock, at 8 ms. passed the mouth of a Creek
Called Saline or
Salt R on the L. Sd. this River is about 30 yds. wide,
and has So many
Licks & Salt Springs on its banks that the Water of the
Creek is Brackish,
one Verry large Lick is 9 ms. up on the left Side
the water of the
Spring in this Lick is Strong as one bushel of the
water is said to
make 7 lb. of good Salt passed a large Isd. & Several
Small ones, the
water excessivly Strong, So much So that we Camped
Sooner than the
usial time to waite for the pirogue, The banks are
falling in Verry
much to day river rose last night a foot.
Capt. Lewis took
meridean altd. of Suns U. L. with the octant above
Split Rock C.
&made the altitude 37° 6' 00 error of octt. as useal 2° 0' 0"
+ The Countrey for
Several miles below is good, on the top of the high
land back is also
tolerable land Some buffalow Sign to day
I am Still verry
unwell with a Sore throat & head ake
[Clark, June 7,
1804]
Thursday 7th of
June 1804 Set out early passed the head of the Isd from
the Isd. N. 61° W.
to the mouth of a Creek Called big monitu on St. Sd.
41/2 ms. psd. a
Sand bar in the river, Som Buffalow Sign Sent out
George Drewyer
& Newmon to hunt Capt Lewis and 6 men went to a Lick up
this Creek on the
right Side over 2 mes. & 2 other not far above the
water runs out of
the bank & not verry Strong. 3 to 500 G for a bushell.
S 88° W. 2 Miles to
a pt. on Lbd. Side, high bluff on the Stbd. Side,
Monitou Creek is 30
yds. Wide at the mouth, passed a painted part of a
Projecting rock we found
ther a Den of rattle Snakes, Killed 3
proceeded on
passed, S 81°W 4 ms. to apt. on S. Side passed an Island in
the Middle of the
river, S. 87° W. to a pt. of high Land on the L. S.
pass'g over the
Middle of a willow Island, ms. 31/2 proceed on 1/2 a
mile on this Course
a Camped at the mouth of Good womans river on the
S. S. about 35 yds
wide, & navagable Som D. our hunters brought in 3
bear this
evening-& infd. that the Countrey between this R. & the
Monitou R is rich
and well watered, Capt. Lewis went out an hour this
evening
[Clark, June 7,
1804]
June 7th Thursday
1804
Set out early
passed the head of the Island opposit which we Camped
last night, and
brackfast at the Mouth of a large Creek on the S. S. Of
30 yds wide Called
big Monetou, from the pt. of the Isd. or Course of
last night to the
mouth of this Creek is N 61° W 41/2 ms. a Short
distance above the
mouth of this Creek, is Several Courious Paintings
and Carveing in the
projecting rock of Limestone inlade with white red
& blue flint,
of a verry good quallity, the Indians have taken of this
flint great
quantities. We landed at this Inscription and found it a
Den of rattle
Snakes, we had not landed 3 minutes before three verry
large Snakes wer
observed on the Crevises of the rocks & Killed- at the
mouth of the last
mentioned Creek Capt. Lewis took four or five men &
went to Some Licks
or Springs of Salt water from two to four miles up
the Creek on Rt.
Side the water of those Springs are not Strong, Say
from 4 to 600 Gs.
of water for a Bushel of Salt passed Some Small
willow Islands and
Camped at the Mouth of a Small river called Good
Womans River this
river is about 35 yards wide and Said to be navagable
for Perogues
Several Leagues Capt. Lewis with 2 men went up the Creek a
Short distance. our
Hunters brought in three Bear this evening, and
informs that the
Countrey thro which they passed from the last Creek is
fine rich land,
& well watered.
[Clark, June 8,
1804]
June 8th Friday
Set out at Daylight
proceeded on the Course of last night S 87° W 3
ms passed a Willow
Island, from the Point of last Course S 81° W. 3 ms.
to a pt. on S. S.
passd a ____ Isd. in the middle of the river, passd a
run
on the Ld S. above
a pt. of rocks 3 ms. on which thir is a number of
Deer Licks, N 88°
W. 3 Ms. to a pt L S. N. 83° W 2 ms. to the Mo of Mine
River, psd an Isd.-
This river is 90 yards wide & navagable for
Perogues about 90
Ms. I went out on the L S. about 4 ms. below this R.
and found the
Countrey for one mile back good Land and well watered the
hills not high with
a gentle assent from the river, well timbered with
oake, walnit
Hickory ash, &c. the land Still further back becoms thin
and open, with
Black & rasp Berries, and Still further back the Plains
Commence, The
french inform that Lead ore is found on this river in
Several places, it
heads up between the Osagees & Kansas River the
right hand folk
passes in a Short distance of the Missourie at the
antient Little
Ozages Villages our hunter Killed, 2 Deer, after Staying
one hour at the
mouth of this River, Cap Lewis went out & proceeded on
one Mile & came
in, he fount the land in the point high and fine Course
N. 64° W 1 Ms. to a
pt. on S. S. N. 80° W to the Lower pot a Id. on L. S.
passed a Small Isd.
in the m. R. at (3 Ms.) met 3 men on a Caussee from
R Dis Soux, above
The Mahar Nation loaded with fur. Camped on the Lower
point of an Id. L.
S. called the Mills, here I found Kegs an Pummey
stone, and a place
that fur or Skins had been burred by the hunters our
Hunters Killed 5
Deer, Some rain, the Countrey on the S. S. is Verry
fine
[Clark, June 8,
1804]
8th of June, Friday
1804
Set out this
morning at Daylight proceeden on the Course of last night
Passed two willow
Islands & a Small Creek above a Rock point on the L.
S. at 6 miles on
which there is a number of Deer Licks, passed the Mine
River at 9 ms. this
river is about 70 yards wide at its mouth and is
Said to be
navagable for Perogues 80 or 90 ms. the main branch passes
near the place
where the Little osage Village formerly Stood on the
Missouries, &
heads between the Osarge & Kansias Rivers, the left hand
fork head with
nearer Branches of the Osage River, The french inform
that Lead Ore has
been found in defferent parts of this river, I took
Sjt. Floyd and went
out 4 Ms. below this river, I found the land Verry
good for a Mile or
11/2 Ms. back and Sufficiently watered with Small
Streams which lost
themselves in the Missouries bottom, the Land rose
gradeuelly from the
river to the Summit of the high Countrey which is
not more that 120
foot above High Water mark, we joined the Boat &
Dined in the point
above the mouth of this River, Capt. Lewis went out
above the river
& proceeded on one mile, finding the Countrey rich, the
wedes & Vines
So thick & high he came to the Boat- proceeded on passed
an Island and
Camped at the lower point of an Island on the L. S.
Called the Island
of mills about 4 ms. above Mine River at this place I
found Kanteens,
Axs, Pumey Stone & peltrey hid & buried (I suppose by
some hunters) none
of them (except the pumey Stone) was teched by one
of our party, our
hunters Killed 5 Deer to day, Commenced raining Soon
after we Came too
which prevented the party Cooking their provisions-
our Spies inform
that the Countrey they passed thro on S. S. is a fine
high bottom, no
water.
This day we met 3
men on a Cajaux from the River of the Soux above the
Mahar nation those
men had been hunting 12 mo. & made about 900$ in
pelts. & furs
they were out of Provesions and out of Powder. rained
this night
[Clark, June 9,
1804]
9th of June
Satterday Set out early, water verry Swift got fast on a
log, detained us
1/4 hour Hard rain last night. N 39° W 31/2 Ms. to a pt.
on the S. S.
opposit the Commencement of the 1st Prarie, Called Prarie
of the Arrows,1 the
river at this place about 300 yds. Wide passed a
Small Creek, Arrow
Creek 8 yds. wide L. Sd. the Current exceedingly
Strong
N 34° E 2 ms. to
the Belg of a Small Island Situated on the L. Sd. Passed
the mo. of Arrow
Creek N 83°W 11/2 ms. to a pt on L. S. opposit Black
bird C Small passed
the head of the Isd. & a small Willow one to the L.
S. (Os merdn. altd.
back obsvn. 37 00' 00) N. 39° W 2 Ms. to a pt. of
High Land on the L.
Side opst. a pt. on St. S. River about 350 yds.
wide at this pt. a
Wind from the S at 4 oClock (Handson Sutn) on the
High pt. a prarie
& Small Lake below N 32° E 31/2 Ms. to a pt. on L. S.
passed an Isld. in
the mid R- in passing up on the S. S. opsd. the Isd.
the Sturn of the
boat Struck a log which was not proceiveable the Curt.
Struck her bow and
turn the boat against Some drift & Snags which below
with great force;
This was a disagreeable and Dangerous Situation,
particularly as
immense large trees were Drifting down and we lay
imediately in their
Course,- Some of our men being prepared for all
Situations leaped
into the water Swam ashore with a roap, and fixed
themselves in Such
Situations, that the boat was off in a fiew minits,
I can Say with
Confidence that our party is not inferior to any that
was ever on the
waters of the Missoppie we Crossed to the Island and
Camped, our hunters
lay on the S. S. the wind from the S. W. the river
continue to rise
Slowly Current excessive rapid- The Countrey on the S.
S. high bottom
& Delghtfull land that on the L. S. is up land or hills
of from 50 to 100
foot higher than the bottom & a thinly wooded,
Countrey, Lands
tolerably Good; Comminced raining at 5 oClock and
continued by
intervales the greater part of the night. We discovered
that one of our
French hands had a Conpt. - We Commsd Doctering, I hope
the Success in this
case, usial to
[Clark, June 9,
1804]
9th of June 1804
Satturday
a fair morning, the
River rise a little we got fast on a Snag Soon
after we Set out
which detained us a Short time passed the upper Point
of the Island
Several Small Chanels running out of the River below a
Bluff & Prarie
(Called the Prariee of Arrows) where the river is
confined within the
width of 300 yds. Passed a Creek of 8 yds. wide
Called Creek of
Arrows, this Creek is Short and heads in the Praries on
the L. S. passed a
Small Creek Called Blackbird Creek S. S. and One
Islands below &
a Prarie above on the L. S. a Small Lake above the
Prarie- opposit the
Lower point of the 2d. Island on the S. S. we had
like to have Stove
our boat, in going round a Snag her Stern Struck a
log under Water
& She Swung round on the Snag, with her broad Side to
the Current expd.
to the Drifting timber, by the active exertions of
our party we got
her off in a fiew Mints. without engerey and Crossed
to the Island where
we Campd. our hunters lay on the S. S. the Perogue
Crossed without
Seeing them & the banks too uncertain to Send her over-
Some wind from the
S accompanied with rain this evening- The Lands on
the S. S. is a high
rich bottom the L. S. appears oven and of a good
quallity runing
gradually to from fifty to 100 foot.
[Clark, June 10,
1804]
June 10th Sunday
1804 Some rain last night we set out early Saw a
number of Goslings
this morning, Continued on the Course of last night,
thence N. 8 E. 21/2
ms. to a pt. on the L. S. passed a part of the
River that the
banks are falling in takeing with them large trees of
Cotton woods which
is the Common groth in the Bottoms Subject to the
flud North 1 Me
along the L. Side N. 40° W. 1 ms. along the L, S. opposit
the two Charletons,
on the N. Side, those rivers mouth together, the
1st 40 yds. wide
the next 90 yds. Wide and navagable Some distance in
the Countrey, the
land below is high & not verry good. Came to and took
Mdnl. altd. of Sons
U. L. back obsvn. with the octant Made it 37° 12'
00", delayed
11/2 Hour. N. 70° W 1/2 of a me. along the L. Sd.- S 60° W 1/2
m. on L. S. the
Same Course to the Pt. S. S. 11/2 Ms. We halted and
Capt Lewis Killed a
Buck the Current is excessively Swift about this
place N. 80° W. 3
ms to a pt. on S. S. passed a Isd. Called Sheeco Islan
wind from the N W
Camped in a Prarie on the L. S., Capt Lewis & my Self
Walked out 3 ms.
found the Country roleing open & rich, with plenty of
water, great qts of
Deer I discovered a Plumb which grows on bushes the
hight of Hasle,
those plumbs are in great numbers, the bushes beare
Verry full, about
double the Sise of the wild plumb Called the Osage
Plumb & am told
they are finely flavoured.
[Clark, June 10,
1804]
10th of June 1804
A hard rain last
night, we Set out this morning verry early passed Some
bad placies in the
river Saw a number of Goslings morning pass near a
Bank which was
falling in at the time we passed, passed the two River
of Charletons which
mouth together, above Some high land which has a
great quantity of
Stone Calculated for whetstons the first of those
rivers is about 30
yds. Wide & the other is 70 yds wd. and heads Close
to the R.
Dumoin The Aieways
Nation have a Village on the head of these River
they run through an
even Countrey and is navagable for Perogues Cap
Lewis took Medn.
altd. of sun U. L with Octant, back obsvn. made it 37°
12' 00"-
delayd 11/2 hours.
Capt. Lewis Killed
a large Buck, passed a large Isd. called Shecco and
Camped in a Prarie
on the L. S. I walked out three miles, found the
prarie composed of
good Land and plenty of water roleing & interspursed
with points of
timberd land, Those Praries are not like those, or a
number of those E.
of the Mississippi Void of every thing except grass,
they abound with
Hasel Grapes & a wild plumb of a Superior quallity,
called the Osages
Plumb Grows on a bush the hight of a Hasel and hang
in great quantities
on the bushes I Saw great numbers of Deer in the
Praries, the
evening is Cloudy, our party in high Spirits.
[Clark, June 11,
1804]
11 June Monday- as
the wind blew all this day from the N, W. which was
imedeately a head
we Could not Stur, but took the advantage of the
Delay and Dried our
wet articles examined provisons and Cleaned arms,
my Cold is yet
verry bad- the river begining to fall our hunters killed
two Deer, G Drewry
killed 2 Bear in the Prareie to day, men verry
lively Danceing
& Singing &c.
[Clark, June 11,
1804]
11th June 1804
Monday
The N W. wind blew
hard & Cold as this wind was imediately a head, we
Could not proceed
we took the advantage of this Delay and Dried our wet
articles examin'd
Provisions &c. &c. the river begining to fall the
hunters killed two
Deer G. Drewyer Killed two Bear in the Prarie, they
were not fat. we
had the meat Jurked and also the Venison, which is a
Constant Practice
to have all the fresh meat not used, Dried in this
way.
[Clark, June 12,
1804]
12th of June,
Tuesday We Set out early, passed thro a verry bad bend N.
25° W. 31/2 to apt.
L. S. N. 70° W. 21/2 ms to apt. on S. S. passed a Sand
bar-N 60° W 31/2
ms. to a pt. on S. S. passed Plumb. C at 1/2 a me. on L.
S. and halted to
Dine, and 2 Caussease Came Down from the Soux nation,
we found in the
party an old man who had been with the Soux 20 years &
had great influence
with them, we provld. on this old man Mr. Duriaur
to return with us,
with a view to get Some of the Soux Chiefs to go to
the U. S. purchased
300 lb. of Voyagers Grece @ 5$ Hd. made Some
exchanges & purchuses
of Mockersons & found it Late & concluded to
incamp.
Those people inform
that no Indians are on the river, The Countrey on
each Side of the
river is good
[Clark, June 12,
1804]
12th of June,
Tuesday 1804
Set out early
passed Some bad Placies, and a Small Creek on the L. S.
Called plumb Creek
at abt. 1 me. at 1 oClock we brought too two
Chaussies one
Loaded with furs & Pelteries, the other with Greece
buffalow grease
& tallow We purchased 300 lb. of Greese, and finding
that old Mr.
Durioun was of the party we questioned him untill it was
too late to Go
further and Concluded to Camp for the night, those
people inform
nothing of much information Colcluded to take old Durioun
back as fur as the
Soux nation with a view to get some of their Chiefs
to Visit the
Presdt.
of the United S.
(This man being a verry Confidential friend of those
people, he having
resided with the nation 20 odd years) and to
accompany them on
[Clark, June 13,
1804]
13th June Wednesday
we Set out early passed a verry round bend to L. S.
passed two Creeks 1
me. apt. Called Creeks of the round Bend, between
those Creeks Stbd
S. is a butifull Prarie, in which the antient
Missourie Indians
had a Village, at this place 300 of them were killed
by the Saukees, a
fair Day. Passed the antient Missouries villages on
right Course N 40°
W 21/2 pt. L S., S 29° W 3 ms. pt. S. S., this nation
once the Most
Noumerous is now almost extinct, about 30 of them,
liveing with
Otteaus on the R. Platt, the remainder all distroyed, took
altd. of S. U L
with qdt. which gave N 28 W. 11/2 ms to a pt. S. S.
Passed some
Charming land, I have not Seen any high hils above
Charliton and the
hits below for Several days Cannot to turmed hills
but high Land, not
exceeding 100 abov the high water mark N 30° W, to a
pt. L. S. 2 ms.
passed a verry bad Sand bar, where the boat was nearly
turning &
fastening in the quick Sand and came too in the mouth of
Grand R. S. S. this
River is about 120 yards wide and navigable for
Purogues a great
distance, it heads with the River Dumoine, passing the
river Carlton. a
Butifull open Prarie Coms to the river below its
mouth, we landed
and walked to the hills which is abt. 1/2 a mile. the
Lower prarie over
flows. the hunters Killd. a Bare & Dere, this is a
butifull place the
Prarie rich & extinsive, Took Some Looner
Observations which
Kept Cap L. & my Self up untill half past 11 oClock.
[Clark, June 13,
1804]
13th June
Wednesday, 1804
We Set out early
passed a round bend to the S. S. and two Creeks Called
the round bend
Creeks between those two Creeks and behind a Small
willow Island in
the bend is a Prarie in which the Missouries Indians
once lived and the
Spot where 300 of them fell a Sacrifise to the fury
of the Saukees This
nation (Missouries) once the most noumerous nation
in this part of the
Continent now reduced to about 80 fes. and that
fiew under the
protection of the Otteaus on R Platt who themselves are
declineing passed
Som willow Isds. and bad Sand bars, Twook Medn.
altitude with
Octent back observation it gave for altd. on its Low L 36°
58' 0" the E
Enstrement 2° 00' 00" +. the Hills or high land for Several
days past or above
the 2 Charletons does not exceed 100 foot passed a
Batteau or Sand
roleing where the Boat was nearly turning over by her
Strikeing & turning
on the Sand. We came too in the Mouth of Grand
River on S. S. and
Camped for the night, this River is from 80 to 100
yards wide at its
Mouth and navagable for Perogues a great distance
This river heads
with the R. Dumoine below its mouth is a butifull
Plain of bbttom
land the hills rise at 1/2 a mile back
The lands about
this place is either Plain or over flown bottom Capt
Lewis and my Self
walked to the hill from the top of which we had a
butifull prospect
of Serounding Countrey in the open Prarie we Caught a
racoon, our hunters
brought in a Bear & Deer we took Some Luner
observation this
evening.
[Clark, June 14,
1804]
14th June, Thursday
We set out at 6 oClock after a thick fog proceeded
on verry well S. 33
W 2 Ms. to the lower pt of an Isld. S. S. S. 60° W.
thro a narrow 1 me
channel to a Small prarie S. S. opposit this Isd. on
L. L. is a Butifull
high Plain. from the Isd. S. 70'W. to a pt. L. S.
21/2 ms. just below
a piec of High Land on the S. S. Called the place
of Snakes, passed
the worst place I have Seen on L. S. a Sand bar
makeing out 2/3
Cross the river Sand Collecting &c forming Bars and
Bars washg a way,
the boat Struck and turned, She was near oversetting
we saved her by
Some extrodany exertions of our party (ever ready to
inconture any
fatigue for the premotion of the enterpris), I went out
to walk on the Sand
Beech, & Killed a Deer & Turky during the time I
was from the boat a
Caussee came too from the Pania nation loaded with
furs We gave them
Some whiskey and Tobacco & Settled Some desputes &
parted S. 5 E. 3
ms. to pt. on S. S. passed a Creek S. S. 25 yds. wd.
Called Snake Creek
or (____) passed a bad Sand bar S. S. in passing
which we were
obliged to run great Sesque of Loseing both Boat & men,
Camped above, G.
Drewyer tels of a remarkable Snake inhabiting a Small
lake 5 ms. below
which gobbles like a Turkey & may be herd Several
miles, This Snake
is of Size.
[Clark, June 14,
1804]
14th, June Thursday
we Set out at 6 oClock, after a thick fog passed
thro a narrow pass
on the S. S. which forms a large Isd. opposit the
upper point of this
Island on the L. S. is one of the worst quick or
moveing Sand bars
which I have Seen not withstanding all our
precaustons to
Clear the Sands & pass between them (which was the way
we were Compd. to
pass from the immens Current & falling banks on the
S. S.) the Boat
Struck the point of one from the active exertions of
the men, prevented
her turning, if She had turned She must have
overset. we met a
Causseu from the Pania on the River Platt, we
detained 2 hours
with a view of engageing one of the hands to go to the
Pania nation with a
View to get those people to meet us on the river. I
went out (Shot a
Deer) we passd a highland &clay bluff on the S. S.
Called the Snake
bluff from the number of Snakes about this place, we
passd a Creek above
the Bluff about 18 yds. wide, This Creek is Called
Snake Creek, a bad
Sand bar Just below which we found difficuelty in
passing & Campd
above, our Hunters Came in. George Drewyer, gives the
following act. of a
Pond, & at abt. 5 miles below the S. S. Passed a
Small Lake in which
there was many Deer feeding he heard in this Pond a
Snake makeing
Goubleing Noises like a turkey. he fired his gun & the
noise was
increased, he has heard the indians Mention This Species of
Snake one Frenchman
give a Similar account
[Clark, June 15,
1804]
15 June Friday
1804, we Set out early proceeded on about 1 me. and the
Boat turned on a
Sawyer which was near doeing her great damage, the
river is riseing
fast & the water exceedingly Swift, passd. a bad Sand
bar on which we
Stuck for a Short time this is Said to be the worst
part of the river
and Camped opsd. the bend in which the Antient
Villages of the
little Osarge & Missouries, the lower or first of those
villagies (L.
Osages) is Situated in Butifull Plain at the foot of Some
riseing land, in
front of their Viliges next the river is a butifull
bottom Plain in
which they raised their Corn &c. back of the Village
the high Prarie
extends back to the Osarge River, about 3 Ms. above &
in view the
Missouries Nation resided under the protection of the
Osarges, after
their nation was riducd by the Saukees below, thos built
their Village in
the Same low Prarie and lived there many years, the
war was So hot
& both nations becom So reduced that the Little Osage &
a fiew of the
Missoures moved & built a village 5 ms near the Grand
Osage, the rest of
the Missoures went and took protection under the
Otteaus on Platt
river
[Clark, June 15,
1804]
15th, June, Friday
1804 Set out early and had not proceeded far e'er we
wheeled on a Sawyer
which was near injuring us Verry much, passed a
plain on the L. S.
a Small Isd. in the midle the river riseing, water
verry Swift Passed
a Creek on the L. S. passed between two Islands, a
verry bad place,
Moveing Sands, we were nearly being Swallowed up by
the roleing Sands
over which the Current was So Strong that we Could
not Stem it with
our Sales under a Stiff breese in addition to our
ores, we were
Compelled to pass under a bank which was falling in, and
use the Toe rope
occasionally, Continued up pass two other Small
Islands and Camped
on the S. S. Nearly opposit the Antient Village of
the Little Osarges
and below the Antt. Village of the Missoures both
Situations in view
an within three Ms. of each other, the Osage were
Settled at the foot
a hill in a butifell Plain which extends back quite
to the Osage River,
in front of the Vilg. Next to the river is an
ellegent bottom
Plain which extends Several miles in length on the
river in this low
Prarie the Missouries lived after They were reduced
by the Saukees at
Their Town Some Dists. below. The little osage
finding themselves
much oppressed by the Saukees & other nations, left
this place &
built a village 5 ms. from the Grand Osarge Town about
____ years ago. a
few of the Missoures accompanied them, the remainder
of that nation went
to the Otteaus on the River Platt. The River at
this place is about
1 ms. wide our hunters did not Come in this evening
the river beginning
to fall
[Clark, June 16,
1804]
16th June Satterday
Set out at 7 oClock Proceed on N. 68°W. 21/2 ms.
passed a Isd. close
on the S. S. at the lower point Drewer & Willard
had camped &
had with them 2 bear & 2 Deer we took in the meat &
proceeded on. Some
rain this morning West 2 Ms. pass an Isd on S. S. &
prarie, to a Belge
of Snag Isd. L. S. a butifull extensive Prarie on S.
S. Hills to about 9
ms. distant. Mr. Mackey has Laid down the rems. of
an old fort in this
Prarie, which I cannot find S 85 W. 1 me. along the
Isd. L. S.- S 61° W
alg L. S. 1 me. S 30° W, 3, ms. to pt. S. S. opsd. an
Isd. & head of
the last S 40° W 1 me. S. S. Passed a verry bad place
where the Sand was
moving constantly, I walked on Shore obsd. fine high
Bottom land on S.
S. Camped late this evening.
[Clark, June 16,
1804]
16th, June
Satturday 1804
Set out at 7 oClock
at about a mile 1/2 we Came to the Camp of our
hunters, they had
two Bear & two Deer proceeded on pass a Island on the
S. S. a heavy rain
came on & lasted a Short time, we came to on the S.
S. in a Prarie at
the place where Mr. Mackey lay down a old french
fort, I could See
no traces of a Settlement of any Kind, in this plain
I discovered a Kind
of Grass resembling Timothey which appeared well
calculated for Hay,
this Plain is verry extensive in the evening I
walked on the S. S.
to see if any timber was Convt. to make Oars, which
we were much in
want of, I found Som indifferent timber and Struck the
river above the
Boat at a bad Sand bar the worst I had Seen which the
boat must pass or
Drop back Several Miles & Stem a Swift Current on the
opsd Side of an
Isd. the Boat however assended the middle of the Streem
which was diffucult
Dangerious We Came to above this place at Dark and
Camped in a bad
place, the misquitoes and Ticks are noumerous & bad.
[Clark, June 17,
1804]
June 17 1804 Rope
walk Camp
The Current of the
River at this place is a Stick will float 48 poles 6
feet in the
rapidest part in 23 Seconds, further out is 34, Still
further 65 - 74 -
78 & 82 are the Trials we have made.
[Clark, June 17,
1804]
June 17 Sunday 1804
Cloudy Wind, S. E. Set out early S. 65° W 1 Me. Came
too to Make ores,
and a Cord for a Toe Rope all this day imployed in
getting out Ores,
& makeing for the use of the Boat out of a large
Cable rope which we
have, G Drewyer Came up a Bear & 2 Deer, also a
fine horse which he
found in the woods, Supposed to have been left by
Some war party from
the osages, The Ticks are numerous and large and
have been trousom
all the way and the Musquetors are beginning to be
verry troublesome,
my Cold Continues verry bad the French higherlins
Complain for the
want of Provisions, Saying they are accustomed to eat
5 & 6 times a
day, they are roughly rebuked for their presumption, the
Country about
abounds in Bear Deer & Elk and the S. S. the lands are
well timbered and
rich for 2 ms. to a butifull Prarie which risies into
hills At 8 or 9 ms.
back- on the L. S a Prarie coms. on the bank which
is high and
contines back rich & well watered as far
[Clark, June 17,
1804]
June 17th Sunday
1804 (S. 65°W. me. S. Side-)
Cloudy morning wind
from the S. E. we Set out early and proceeded on
one mile & came
too to make oars, & repair our Cable & toe rope &c. &c.
which was necessary
for the Boat & Perogues, Sent out Sjt. Pryor and
Some men to get ash
timber for ores, and Set Some men to make a Toe
Rope out of the
Cords of a Cable which had been provided by Capt Lewis
at Pitts burg for
the Cable of the boat- George Drewyer our hunter and
one man came in
with 2 Deer & a Bear, also a young Horse, they had
found in the
Prarie, this horse has been in the Prarie a long time and
is fat, I suppose
he has been left by Some war party against the Osage,
This is a Crossing
place for the war partis against that nation from
the Saukees,
Aiaouez, & Souix. The party is much aflicted with Boils
and Several have
the Decissentary, which I contribute to the water
The Countrey about
this place is butifull on the river rich & well
timbered on the S.
S. about two miles back a Prarie coms. which is rich
and interspursud
with groves of timber, the County rises at 7 or 8
miles Still further
back and is roleing- on the L. S. the high lands &
Prarie Corns. in
the bank of the river and Continus back, well watered
and abounds in Der
Elk & Bear The Ticks & Musquetors are verry
troublesom.
[Clark, June 18,
1804]
June 18th Monday
Some raind last night, Sent out 6 Hunters to day
across the R. they
Killed 5 Deer & Colter a Bear verry fat we continue
to repare our ropes
& make oars all day, heavy rain all the fore pt. of
the day, the party
Drying meat & greesing themselves, Several men with
the Disentary, and
two thirds of them with ulsers or Boils, Some with 8
or 10 of those
Turners Mesquetors verry bad we finish our Cords & oars
this evening Men in
Spirits
[Clark, June 18,
1804]
June 18th Monday
Some rain last
night, and Some hard Showers this morning which delay
our work verry
much, Send out Six hunters in the Prarie on the L S.
they kill 5 Deer
& Coltr a Bear, which verry large & fat, the party to
wok at the oars,
make rope, & jurk their meat all Day Dry our wet Sales
&c. in the
evening, The misquiter verry bad
[Clark, June 19,
1804]
June 19th Tuesday
rain last night
after fixing the new Oars and makeing all necessary
arrangements, we
Set out under a jentle breese from the S. E. and
proceeded on passed
two large Islands on the S. S. leaving J. Shields
and one man to go
by land with the horses Some verry hard water, passed
Several Islands
& Sand bars to day at the head of one we were obliged
to cleare away
Driftwood to pass, passed a Creek on the L. Side Called
Tabboe 15 yds. wide
passed a large Creek at the head of an Island
Called Tiger River
on the S. S. The Island below this Isd. is large and
Called the Isle Of
Panters, formed on the S. S. by a narrow Channel, I
observed on the
Shore Goose & Rasp berries in abundance in passing Some
hard water round a
Point of rocks on the L. S. we were obliged to take
out the roape &
Draw up the Boat for 1/2 a mile, we Came too on the L.
S. near a Lake of
the Sircumfrance of Several miles Situated on the L.
S. about two miles
from the river this Lake is Said to abound in all
kinds of fowls,
great quanties of Deer frequent this Lake dureing
Summer Season, and
feed on the hows &c. &c. they find on the edgers the
Lands on the North
Side of the river is rich and Sufficiently high to
afford Settlements,
the Lds. on the South Side assends Gradually from
the river not So
rich, but of a good quallity and appear well watered
[Clark, June 20,
1804]
June 20th,
Wednesday
Set out after a
heavy Shower of rain and proceeded on the Same Course
of last night
passed a large butifull Prarie on the S. S. opposit a
large Island, Calld
Saukee Prarie, a gentle breese from the S. W. Some
butiful high lands
on the L. S. passed Som verry Swift water to day, I
saw Pelicans to day
on a Sand bar, my servant York nearly loseing an
eye by a man
throwing Sand into it, we came too at the lower Point of a
Small Island, the
party on Shore we have not Seen Since we passed Tiger
R- The Land appeard
verry good on each Side of the River to day and
well timbered, we
took Some Loner observations, which detained us
untill 1 oClock a
butifull night but the air exceedingly Damp, & the
mosquiters verry
troublesom
[Clark, June 21,
1804]
21st June Thursday
1804 river raised 3 Inches last night after our bow
man Peter Crousat a
half Mahar Indian examined round this Small Isd.
for the best water,
we Set out determined to assd. on the North Side,
and Sometimes
rowing Poleing & Drawing up with a Strong Rope we
assended without
wheeling or receving any damige more than breakeing
one of my S.
Windows, and looseing Some oars which were Swong under the
windows
Two men Sent out to
hunt this afternoon Came in with a Deer, at Sun Set
The ellement had
every appearance of wind, The hunters inform me that
the high Countrey
on the S. S. is of a good quallity, and well timbd.
The High lands on
the L. Side is equally good The bottom land on this
river is alike, 1st
low and covd. with Cotton wood & willows Subject to
over flow the 2nd
is higher groth Cotton Walnut ash Mulberry Linn &
Sycomore
[Clark, June 21,
1804]
21st June Thursday
The river rose 3
Inches last night after the Bows man Peter Crousat
viewed The water on
each Side of the Island which presented a most
unfavourable
prospect of Swift water over roleing Sands which rored
like an immence
falls, we Concluded to assend on the right Side, and
with much
dificuilty, with the assistance of a long Cord or Tow rope, &
the anchor we got
the Boat up with out any furthr dang. than Bracking a
Cabbin window &
loseing Some oars which were Swong under the windows,
passed four Isds to
day two large & two Small, behind the first large
Island two Creeks
mouth Called (1) Eue-bert Creek & River & Isd. the
upper of those
Creeks head against the Mine River & is large, passed a
verry remarkable
bend in the River to the S. forming an accute angle,
the high lands come
to the river on the S. S. opposit the upper large
Island, this Isd.
is formed by a narrow chanel thro. the Pt. of the
remarkable bend
just mentiond below this Isd. on the L. S. is a
Couenter Current of
about a mile- passed between Several Small Islands
Situated near the
L. Side and camped above on the Same Side, Two men
Sent out to hunt
this evening brought in a Buck & a pore Turkey.
at Sun Set the
atmespier presented every appearance of wind, Blue &
white Streeks
Centering at the Sun as She disappeared and the Clouds
Situated to the S.
W, Guilded in the most butifull manner. The Countrey
and Lands on each
Side of the river is various as usial and may be
classed as follows.
viz: the low or over flown points or bottom land,
of the groth of
Cotton & Willow, the 2nd or high bottom of rich furtile
Soils of the groth
of Cotton, Walnut, Som ash, Hack berry, Mulberry,
Lynn &
Sycamore. the third or high Lands risees gradually from the 2nd
bottom (cauht whin
it Coms to the river then from the river) about 80
or 100 foot roleing
back Supplied with water the Small runs of (which
losees themselves
in the bottom land) and are covered with a variety of
timber Such as Oake
of different Kinds Blue ash, walnut &c. &c. as far
as the Praries,
which I am informed lie back from the river at some
places near &
others a great Distance
[Clark, June 22,
1804]
22nd June Friday
after a Violent gust of wind accompanied with rain
from the West,
which commenced at Day brake, and lasted about one hour,
we Set out under a
gentle Breeze from the N W. and proceeded on S. 14°W.
21/2 ms. to pt. on
L. S. Ord Killed a goose, S 25 W 3 Ms. to a pt. on
S. S. psd. Snags
and Swift water on the S. S.- S. 66° W. 1/2 a me. on S
pt. N 60 W 41/2 me.
to pt. L. S. passed a large Isd. on the S. S.-
(Ferenthiers
Thermometr at 3 oClock P.M. 87 d which is 11 d above Summr
heat) and one on
the L. S. opposit against which there is a handsom
Prarie of high
Bottom & up Land, Capt Lewis went out in this Prarie &
walked Several
miles, Come to opposit the mouth of a large Creek on the
S. S. Called River
of the Fire Prarie at the mouth of this creek the
party on Shore
Shields & Collins was camped waiting for our arrival &
inform that they
Pass'd thro Some fine Lands, and well watered G D.
Killed a fine Bear
to day
[Clark, June 22,
1804]
22nd June Friday
river rose 4 Inchs last night. I was waken'd before
day light this
morning by the guard prepareing the boat to receve an
apparent Storm
which threttened violence from the West at day light a
violent wind
accompanied with rain cam from the W. and lasted about one
hour, it Cleared
away, and we Set out and proceeded on under a gentle
breeze from the N.
W. passed Some verry Swift water Crouded with Snags,
pass two large Island
opposit each other, and immediately opposit a
large &
extensive Prarie on the Labd Side, This Prarie is butifull a
high bottom for
11/2 a mile back and risees to the Common leavel of the
Countrey about 70
or 80 feet and extends back out of view. Capt. L
walked on Shore a
few miles this after noon (at 3 oClock P M. Ferents
Thermometer Stood
at 87°: = to 11 d above Summer heat) we came to on the
L. Side opposit the
mouth of a large Creek Called the River of the Fire
Prarie, at the
mouth of this Creek the Party on Shore were waiting our
arrival, they
informed that the Lands thro which they passed was fine &
well watered
[Clark, June 23,
1804]
23rd June Satturday
Some wind this morning from the N W. Set out at 7
oC Proceeded on N.
70 d. W 2 Ms. to an Isd. Close on the S. S. I went
on Shore &
walked up thro a rich bottom for about Six miles, Killed a
Deer & much
fatigued N. 75 E. to a point in a bend L. S. 11/2 the river
fell 8 Inches last
night.
[Clark, June 23,
1804]
23rd June Satturday
Some wind this morning from the N. W. we Set out at
7 oClock, and
proceeded on to the head of a Island on the S. S. the
wind blew hard and
down the river which prevented the Pty moveing from
this Island the
whole day, Cap. Lewis had the arms examined &c. at the
lower end of this
Island I got out of the boat to walk on Shore, &
expected the party
on Shore would overtake me at the head of the
Island, they did
not & I proceeded on round a round and extensive bend
in the river, I
Killed a Deer & made a fire expecting the boat would
Come up in the
evening. the wind continueing to blow prevented their
moveing, as the
distance by land was too great for me to return by
night I concluded
to Camp, Peeled Some bark to lay on, and geathered
wood to make fires
to Keep off the musquitor & Knats. Heard the party
on Shore fire, at
Dark Drewyer came to me with the horses, one fat bear
& a Deer, river
fell 8 Inches last night
[Lewis and Clark,
June 24, 1804]
Sunday June 24th
set out at 1/2 after six continuing the course on the
Lard. side N. 80 E
1/4 of a mile to point Lard. N. 551/4 of a mile to
point Lard. Due
west to a point Stard 3 miles good water
(I joined the Boat
theis morning with a fat Bear & two Deer, last
evining I Struck
the river about 6 miles (by land) abov the Boat, and
finding it too late
to get to the Boat, and the wind blowing So hard
Down the river that
She could not assend, I concluded to Camp, altho I
had nothing but my
hunting Dress, & the Musquitors Ticks & Knats verry
troublesom, I
concid to hunt on a Willow Isd. Situated close under the
Shore, in Crossing
from an Island, I got mired, and was obliged to
Craul oat, a
disegreeable Situation & a Diverting one of any one who
Could have Seen me
after I got out, all Covered with mud, I went my
Camp & Craped
off the Mud and washed my Clothes, and fired off my gun
which was answered
by George Drewyer who was in persute of me & came up
at Dark we feasted
of meet & water the latter we made great use of
being much fatigued
& thirsty- The meet which hung up near the water a
large Snake made
Several attempts to get to it and was so Detirmined
that I Killed him
in his attempt, the Snake appeared to make to that
part of the meet
which Contained the milk of a Doe, On this part of the
River I observe
great quantites of Bear Sign, they are after Mulbiries
which are in great
quantities)
N 85 d W. 41/2 ms.
to a pt. on L Side, Came to above the mouth of a
Creek on the L. S.
abt. 20 yds. Wide Called Hay Cabbin Creek Latd. of
this place is 38° 37'5"
North- Capt. Lewis took Sergt. Floyd and walked
on Shore, George
Drewyer Killed 2 Deer R Fields Killed a Deer dureing
the time we wer
Jurking the meet I brought in, West 1/2 ml. along the
L. S.
S 21° W. 3 ms. to a
pt. on the S. S. pass 2 Creek on the S. S. just above
Some rocks Some
distance from Shore 1 of These Creek is Called
Sharriton-Cartie, a
Prarie on the L. S. near the river. Capt Lewis
Killed a Deer,
& Collins 3. emince number of Deer on both Sides of the
river, we pass
between two Sand bars at head of which we had to raise
the boat 8 Inch to
get her over, Camped at the Lower point of a Isd. on
the L S. the Party
in high Spirits.
[Clark, June 24,
1804]
24th, June Sunday
Set out at half after Six. I joined the boat this
morng at 8 oClock
(I will only remark that dureing the time I lay on
the band waiting
for the boat, a large Snake Swam to the bank
imediately under
the Deer which was hanging over the water, and no
great distance from
it, I threw chunks and drove this Snake off Several
times. I found that
he was So determined on getting to the meet I was
Compelld to Kill
him, the part of the Deer which attracted this Snake I
think was the milk
from the bag of the Doe.) I observed great quts. of
Bear Signs, where
they had passed in all Directions thro the bottoms in
Serch of
Mulberries, which were in great numbers in all the bottoms
thro which our
party passed.)
Passed the mouth of
a Creek 20 yds. wide name Hay Cabbin Creek from
camps of Straw
built on it came to about 1/2 me. above this Creek &
jurked, the meet
killed yesterday and this morning Lattitude of this
place 38° 37'
5" N. Capt. Lewis walked on Shore & Killed a Deer, pass a
bad part of the
river, on the S. S. the rocks projected into the river
Some distance, a
Creek above Called Sharston Carta, in the evening we
Passed thro betwen
two Sand bars at the head we had to raise the Boat 8
Inches together
over, Camped near the lower point of an Island on the
L. Side, party in
high Spirrits. The Countrey on each Side of the river
is fine
interspersed with Praries, in which imence herds of Deer is
Seen, on the banks
of the river we observe numbers of Deer watering and
feeding on the
young willow, Several Killed to day
[Clark, June 25,
1804]
Monday June 25th a
heavy fog Detaind us about an hour Set out passed
the Isd on a course
from the last point S 49° W, 3 Ms to a point on the
S. S. S 55° W 1/2
Me. S. S. a Coal-Bank on the opposit or L. S Side, this
bank appears to
Contain great quantity of excellente CoaL the wind from
the N. W a Small
Creek Called Coal or (Chabonea)3 N 50° W to the Pt, L.
S. 31/2 Miles Hard
water & logs, Bank falling in, Passed a Small Creek
L. S. Called
Labeenie a Prarie is Situated on the S. S. a Short
Distance from the
river, which contains great quantities of wild apples
of the Size of the
Common apple, the French Say is well flavered when
ripe, which is the
time the leaves begin to fall N 70°W 1/2 me. along the
right Side of a
Willow Isd. Situated on the L. Side S. 80° W 1/2 me. L.
S. S 55° W. 1/2 me.
to Pt. of Smal Isd. L. S. S 15° W 1/2 me. L. S.- S. 2° E
2 me. pt on Lbd S.
(here I will only remark that the Deer in the
Morning &
evening are feeding in great numbers on the banks of the
River, they feed on
young willow, and amuse themselves running on the
open beeches or
points) We have hard water this afternoon round the
heads of Small
Islds. on the L. Side below a Small High Prarie S. 48° W.
2 Ms. pt. S. S.
passd. a small Isd. on which we Camped The party on
Shore did not join
us to day, or have we Seen or her of them river
falling fast about
8 Inches in 24 hours, the Hills on the L. S. this
evening higher than
usial about 160 or 180 feet. the lands appear of a
Simalier to those
passed
[Clark, June 25,
1804]
25th, June Monday a
thick fog detained us untile 8 oClock, passed a
Island, at 3 miles
passed a Coal-mine, or Bank of Stone Coal, on the
South Side, this
bank appears to Contain great quantity of fine Coal,
the river being
high prevented our Seeeing that contained in the Cliffs
of the best quallity,
a Small Creek mouth's below This bank Call'd
after the bank
Chabonea Creek the Wind from the N. W. passed a Small
Creek on the L.
Side at 12 oClock, Called Bennet's Creek The Praries
Come within a Short
distance of the river on each Side which Contains
in addition to
Plumbs Raspberries & vast quantities of wild apples,
great numbs. of
Deer are seen feeding on the young willows & earbage in
the Banks and on
the Sand bars in the river. our party on Shores did
not join us this
evening we Camped on an Island Situated on the S.
Side, opposit some
hills higher than Common, Say 160 or 180 feet above
the Bottom. The
river is Still falling last night it fell 8 Inches
[Clark, June 26,
1804]
June 26th Tuesday
1804 we Set out early, the river falling a little,
the wind from the
S. W. Passed the mouth of a Small river on the L.
Side above the
upper point of a Small Island, Called Blue water river,
this river heads in
Praries back with the Mine River about 30 yds. wide
Lattitude of a pt.
4 ms. above this river is 38° 32' 15" North, the high
lands which is on
the Northe Side does not exceed 80 feet high, at this
Place the river
appears to be Confd. in a verry narrow Channel, and the
Current Still more
So by Couenter Current or Whirl on one Side & high
bank on the other,
passed a Small Isd. in the bend to the L. Side we
Killed a large
rattle Snake, Sunning himself in the bank passed a bad
Sand bar, where our
tow rope broke twice, & with great exertions we
rowed round it and
Came to & Camped in the Point above the Kansas River
lobserved a great
number of Parrot queets this evening, our Party
Killed Several 7
Deer to day
[Clark, June 27,
1804]
June 27th,
Wednesday a fair warm morning, the river rose a little last
night. we determin
to delay at this Place three or four Days to make
observations &
recruit the party Several men out Hunting, unloaded one
Perogue, and turned
her up to Dry with a view of repairing her after
Completeing a
Strong redoubt or brest work frome one river to the
other, of logs
& Bushes Six feet high, The Countrey about the mouth of
this river is verry
fine on each Side as well as the North of the
Missouries the
bottom, in the Point is low, & overflown for 250 yards.
it rises a little
above high water mark and Continus up that hight of
good quallity back
to the hills ____ A high Clift, on the upper Side of
the Kansis 1/2 a
mile up below the Kanses the hills is about 11/2 miles
from the point on
the North Side of the Missouries the Hill or high
lands is Several
miles back, we compareed the instrmts Took equal
altitudes, and the
Meridian altituade of the Suns L L to day Lattitude
38° 31' 13"
Longitude ____ Measured The width of the Kansas River by an
angle and made it
230 yds 1/4 wide, it is wider above the mouth the
Missouries at this
place is about 500 yards wide, The Course from the
Point down the
midle. of the Missourie is S. 32° E, & turns to the North.
up is N 21°W. up
the right side of the Kansas is S. 54° E, & the river
turns to the left,
Several Deer Killed to day.
[Clark, June 28,
1804]
28 June Thursday
took equal altitudes &c. &c. &c. & varaitian of the
Compass repaired
the Perogue Cleaned out the Boat Suned our Powder
wollen articles
examined every thing 8 or 10 huntrs. out to day in
different
direction, in examineing our private Store of Provisions we
found Several
articles Spoiled from the wet or dampness they had
received, a verry
warm Day, the wind from the South, The river
Missourie has
raised yesterday last night & to day about 2 foot. this
evening it is on a
Stand, Capt. Lewis weighed the water of the Two
rivers The
Missouris 78° The Kansais 72° To Describe the most probable of
the various
accounts of this great river of the Kansas, would be too
lengthy &
uncertain to insert here, it heads with the river Del Norid
in the black
Mountain or ridge which Divides the waters of the Kansas
Del Nord, &
Callarado & oppsoitly from those of the Missoureis (and not
well assertaind)
This River recves its name from a nation which dwells
at this time on its
banks & 2 villages one about 20 Leagues & the other
40 Leagues up,
those Indians are not verry noumerous at this time,
reduced by war with
their neighbours, &c. they formerly liveid on the
South banks of the
Missouries 24 Leagues above this river in a open &
butifull plain and
were verry noumerous at the time the french first
Settled the
Illinois, I am told they are a fierce & warlike people,
being badly
Supplied with fire arms, become easily conquered by the
Aiauway &
Saukees who are better furnished with those materials of war,
This nation is now
out in the plains hunting the Buffalow our hunters
Killed Several Deer
and Saw Buffalow, men impd Dressing Skins & makeing
themselves
Comfortable, the high lands Coms to the river Kanses on the
upper Side at about
a mile, full in view, and a butifull place for a
fort, good landing
place, the waters of the Kansas is verry
disigreeably tasted
to me.
[Clark, June 29,
1804]
29th of June 1804,
Set out from the Kansas river 1/2 past 4 oClock,
proceeded on passed
a Small run on the L. S. at 1/2 Mile a (1) Island
on the S. S. at
11/2 me. Hills above the upr. pt of Isd. L. S. a large
Sand bar in the
middle. Passed a verry bad place of water, the Sturn of
the Boat Struck a
moveing Sand & turned within 6 Inches of a large
Sawyer, if the Boat
had Struck the Sawyer, her Bow must have been
Knocked off &
in Course She must hav Sunk in the Deep water below Came
to & camped on
the S. S. late in the eveninge.
[Clark, June 29,
1804]
29th June Friday
obsvd. the distance of (D & )) ,took Equal & maridinal
altd. and after
makeing Some arrangements, and inflicting a little
punishment to two
men we Set out at 1/2 past 4 oClock and proceeded on
(i ) passed a large
Island on the S. Side, opposit a large Sand bar,
the Boat turned and
was within Six Inches of Strikeing the rapidity
with which the Boat
turned was so great that if her bow had Struck the
Snag, She must have
either turned over or the bow nocked off S W wind
[Clark, June 29,
1804]
Camp mouth of the
Kanseis June 29th 1804. Ordered
a Court martial
will Set this day at 11 oClock, to Consist of five
members, for the
trial of John Collins and Hugh Hall, Confined on
Charges exhibited
against them by Sergeant Floyd, agreeable to the
articles of War.
Detail for the
Court
Sergt Nat. Pryor
presd.
mbs:
2 John Colter
3 John Newmon
4 Pat. Gass
1 J. B. Thompson
John Potts to act
as judge advocate.
The Court Convened
agreeable to order and proceeded to the trial of the
Prisoners Viz John
Collins Charged "with getting drunk on his post this
morning out of
whiskey put under his Charge as a Sentinal and for
Suffering Hugh Hall
to draw whiskey out of the Said Barrel intended for
the party"
To this Charge the
prisoner plead not guilty.
The Court after
mature deliveration on the evidence abduced &c. are of
oppinion that the
prisoner is Guilty of the Charge exibited against
him, and do
therefore Sentence him to recive one hundred Lashes on his
bear Back.
Hugh Hall was
brought with "takeing whiskey out of a Keg this morning
which whiskey was
Stored on the Bank (and under the Charge of the
guard) Contrary to
all order, rule, or regulation"
To this Charge the
prisoner "Pleades Guilty."
The Court find the
prisoner guilty and Sentence him to receive fifty
Lashes on his bear
Back.
The Commanding Officers
approve of the Sentence of the Court and orders
that the Punishment
take place at half past three this evening, at
which time the
party will Parrade for inspection-
[Clark, June 29,
1804]
at the Mouth of the
River Kansies
June 26"
27" 28 & 29th-
This river is 366
miles above the mouth of Missouri it is in Lattitude
38° 31' 13"
North
it is 230 yds. wide
at its mouth & wider above from the point up the
Missourie for about
3 ms. N. 21° W, Down the Middle of the Missourie is
S. 32° E, up the
upper bank of the Kansais, is S. 54° E the river turns to
the East above a
pt. of high land, well Situated for a fort & in view
of the Missouris
one mile up & on the upper Side, the width of the
Missouris at this
place is about 500 yds.
Missourie Water
weighs 78. The Kanseis weghs 72 river Miss raised in
the time at the
Kanseis 2 foot and begun to fall.
The wood land on
each side of the Mouth of this river is extensive and
of a good quallity
as far as our hunters was back, but badly watered
with Springs, only
two being Seen by them
Some punishment of
two men Hall & Collins for takeing whiskey out of
the Barrel last
night agreeable to the Sentences of a Court Mtl of the
party who we have
always found verry ready to punish Such Crimes
Many Deer Killed to
day
Allarm post or
order of Battle arms to be Situated & the Duty &c.
Messes of men under
a Serjiant who is to detail for every day one man
of his Squad to
Cook &c. who Shall have the management of the
provisions dureing
that day or issue, each Days rations must be divided
&c. &c
Order of encampment, Tents, fires & Duty
[Clark, June 30,
1804]
30th June, Set out
verry early this Morng Saw a verry large wolf on the
Sand bar this
morning walking near a gange of Turkeys (1) at 10 miles
above the Kansis
passed the mouth of a Small River Call the (Petite
Plate) or the
little Shole river, this river is about 70 yds. Wide and
has Several rapids
& falls, well Calculatd for mills, the land on this
river is Said to be
Roaling, Killed 2 Deer Bucks Swinging the river the
wind from the S. W.
here we opened the Bag of Bread given us by which
we found verry
good, our Bacon which was given us by we examined and
found Sound and
good Some of that purchased in the Illinois Spoiled, a
relish of this old
bacon this morning was verry agreeable, Deer to be
Seen in every
direction and their tracks ar as plenty as Hogs about a
farm, our hunts.
Killed 9 Deer to day the land below the last river is
good, that above,
between the two rivers which is near together is
Slaik'y and bad on
the N. Side, the other Side is good land, Landed on
the L. S. below an
Isd called Dimond Island
[Clark, June 30,
1804]
30th June Satturday
1804
Set out verry early
this morning, a verry large wolf Came to the bank
and looked at us
this morning, passd the (1) mouth of a Small river 10
ms. above the
Kanseis Called by the french Petite River Platte (or
Shoal river) from
the number of falls in it, this river is about 60
yards wide at its
mouth and runs Parrilel with the Missouries for ten
or twelve miles, I
am told that the lands on this Small river is good,
and on its Several
falls well Calculated for mills, the wind from S. W.
came to at 12
oClock & rested three hours, the ... being hot the men
becom verry feeble,
Farnsts. Thermometer at 3 oClock Stood at 96° above
0, emence numbs. of
Deer on the banks, Skipping in every derection, the
party Killed nine
Bucks on the river & Bank to day, The Countrey on the
S. S. between the
Shoal River & Missouris is indifferent Subject to
overflow, that
below and on the L. S. is high & appers well timbered,
Camped on the L. S.
opsd. the Lower point of a Isd. Called diamond
Island, Broke our
mast
[Clark, July 1,
1804]
July 1st 1804, last
night one of the Sentinals Chang'd either a man or
Beast, which run
off, all prepared for action, Set out early passed the
Dimond Isd. pass a
Small Creek on the L. S. as this Creek is without
name we Call it
Biscuit Creek Brackfast on the upper point of a Sand
beech, The river
still falling a little a verry warm Day. I took Some
medison last night
which has worked me very much party all in helth
except Boils-
passed a Sand bar
in the river above the Isd. Covered for a me. with
Drift Wood, Came to
Capt Lewis took Medn. altitude & we delayed three
hours, the day
being excessively hot, Turkeys are plenty on the Shore,
G. Drewyer inform
that he Saw PueCanns Trees on S. S. yesterday great
quantities of
raspburies an Grapes, (2) pass a Creek on the L. S.
called remore (Tree
Frog) Creek, an Isd above in the Mid. and 2 Willow
Isds on the S. S.
all of the Same name; The two Willow Isds. has been
made within 3 years
& the Main Chant. runs now on the L S. of the large
Island where there
was no runing water at low water from this Island
the range of Hills
up the river to the N, W, pass a run on the L. S. a
Butifull extensive
Prarie, Two Islands just above Called (Isles des
Parques) or Field
Islands, those Islands are, one of our French hands
tels me that the
French intended to Settle here once & brought their
Cows and put them
on those Islands, Mr Mackey Says the first village of
the Kanseis was a
little above this Island & made use of as fields, no
trace of anything
of that Kind remains to be Seen on the Isds. fine
Land on the L.
Side, Hills near the river all day, Camped on the lower
pot. of 1st Isd.-
[Clark, July 1,
1804]
July 1st, Sunday
1804
a Small allarm last
night all prepared for action, Set out early this
morning passed on
the North Side of Dimond Island, a Small Creek mouths
opposit I call
Biscuit Creek,- a large Sand bar in the middle of the
river 11/2 ms.
above the Isd. Covered with Drift wood. river fall a
little. The wind
from S. W. Came to above this Drift and delayed three
hours to refresh
the men who were verry much over powered with the
heat, Great
quantity of Grapes & raspberries, (2) passed a Small Creek
on the L. S. below
one large and two small Islands. This Creek and
Isds. are Called
Remore (or Tree Frog) a large Pond on the S. S., the
main Current of
Water run'g on the L. S. of the Island, I am told that
Three years ago the
main Current run on the S. S. of the Island and no
appearance of the
two Smaller Islands, Camped on the lower point of one
of the two large
& 2 Small Isds. Called Isles des Parques or field
Islds a high
butifull Prarie on the L. S. one of the french hands Says
"that the
french Kept their Cattle & horses on those Islands at the
time they had in
this quarter a fort & trading establishment."
paecaun Trees Seen
on the S. S. Deer and turkeys in great quantities on
the bank
[Clark, July 2,
1804]
July the 2nd 1804
Set out verry early this morning passd on the Left of
the Isles des
parques High butifull Situation- on the L S. the land
indifferent lands a
Creek coms in on the S. S. Called parques, all at
once the river
became Crowded with drift that it was dangerous to cross
this I Suppose was
from the caveing in of the banks at the head of Some
Island above, (3)
passed a Creek on the L. S. called Turquie or Turkey
Creek passed a
verry bad Sand bar on the L. S. the 20 Oars & Poals
could with much
dificuelty Stem the Current, passed a large Island on
the S. S. Called by
the Inds. Wau-car-ba war-con-da or the Bear Medison
Island, at 12
oClock came to on the Island and put in a mast, detained
four hours,
exceedingly hot, wind in forepart of the day from the S. E,
George Drewyer
informs that the Lands he pass through yesterday & to
day on the S. S.
was generally Verry fine he Saw two Springs of fresh
water near the
Island, Deer Sign has become So Common it is hardly
necessary to
mention them, we Camped after dark on the S. S. opposit
the 1st old Village
of the Kanzas which was Situated in a Valley
between two points
of high land, on the river back of their village
commenced an
extensive Prarie a large Island in front which appears to
have made on that
Side and thrown the Current of the river against the
place the Village
formerly Stood, and washes away the bank in that
part. The french
formerly had a Fort at this place, to protect the
trade of this
nation, the Situation appears to be a verry elligable one
for a Town, the
valley rich & extensive, with a Small Brook Meanding
through it and one
part of the bank affording yet a good Landing for
Boats The High
Lands above the Fere river on each Side of the
Missouries appear
to approach each other much nearer than below that
plaice, being from
3 to 6 miles between them, to the Kansas, above that
place from 3 to 5
Ms. apart and higher Some places being 160 or 180
feet the river not So
wide We made a Mast of Cotton wood, to day in the
Course of the
evening & night it turned of a butifull red Colour
[Clark, July 2,
1804]
July 2nd, 1804 Set
out early and proceeed on the left of the islands,
two of which are
large a high bottom Situated on the L. S. passed the
mouth of a Creek on
the S. S. Called Turquie Creike, at this place I
observed that the
river was Crouded with Drift wood, and dangerous to
pass as this dead
timber Continued only about half an our, I concluded
that Some Island of
Drift had given way (3) passed a Creek on the L. S.
called Turky Creek,
a bad Sand bar on the L. S. we could with
dificuelty Stem the
Current with our 20 oars & and all the poles we
had, passed a large
Island on the S. S. Called by the Indians
Wau-car-ba
war-cand-da or the Bear Medesin Island, at 12 oClock landed
on the Island &
put up a mast which detained us four hours- a verry hot
day winds from the
S. E.- George Drewyer inform's that the Lands he
passed through
yesterday and to day on the S. S. was verry fine, few
Springs, we Camped
after dark on the S. S. above the Island & opposit
the 1st old village
of the Kanzes which was Situated in a valley,
between two points
of high Land, and imediatly on the river bank, back
of the village and
on a riseing ground at about one mile The French had
a garrison for Some
time and made use of water out of a Spring running
into Turkey Creek.
an extensive Prarie, as the Current of the river
Sets against the
banke and washes it away the landing place for Boats
is indifferent- The
high lands above the Fire river, approaches nearer
each than below,
being from 3 to 6 miles distant and above Kansas from
3 to 5 miles
distant and the Hills at Some places are from 160 to 180
feet above the
bottom
[Clark, July 3,
1804]
July 3rd 1804 Set
out verry early this morning and proceeded on under a
gentle Breeze from
the South passed two Islands one a Small Willow
Island on the L. S.
(1) The other a large Island Called Cow 1. (Isle
Vache), this Island
is large, opposit to the head on the S. S. is a (2)
large Pond, a Bad
Sand bar on the S. S. we attemptd without Success, &
was oblige to Cross
back, I Saw a White horse on the L. S. in view of
the upper point of
the Island, (3) passed a large Sand bar at the S.
point, we halted to
day about a mile above the Island and found a
horse, which had
been lost by the Indians, verry fat and jentle, Sent
him on to join the
others which was ahead on the L S at this place, the
french had a
tradeing house, for to trade with the Kanzes on a high
bottom on the L. S.
near the hills which is Prarie proceeded on round a
large Sand bar on
the L. S. & Camped (opposit a large Sand bar in the
middle of the
river). on the L. S. a Butifull Small Stream passes back
of the trading
house, before mentioned
[Clark, July 3,
1804]
July 3rd, Tusday
1804
Set out verry early
this morning and proceeded on under a gentle Breeze
from the S. passed
two Islands (1) one a Small willow Island on the L.
S. the other large
Called by the french Isle de Vache or Cow Island,
opposit the head on
the S. S. is a large Pond Containg Beever, & fowl,
a bad Sandbar on
the S. S. above the Island, on the L. S. we halted at
an old Tradeing
house, here we found a verry fat horse, which appears
to have been lost a
long time a butifull Small run passes back of the
Tradeing house near
the high land, we came to at a round bend on the L.
S. and Camped
[Clark, July 4,
1804]
July 4th Wednesday
1804, Set out early passed the mouth of a Beyeue
leading from a Lake
on the S. S. this Lake is large and was once the
bend of the River,
it reaches Parrelel for Several miles, Came to on
the L. S. to Dine
& rest a Short time, a Snake bit Jo. Fields on the
Side of his foot
which Swelled much, apply Barks to the wound, pass a
Creek on the L. S.
about 15 yards wide cuming out of an extensive
Prarie as this
Creek has no name, and this day is the 4th of July, we
name this
Independance us. Creek above this Creek the wood land is
about 200 yards,
back of those wood is an extensive Prarie open and
high, which may be
Seen six or seven below- Saw great Nos. of Goslins
to day nearly
Grown, the last mentioned prarie I call Jo Fields Snake
Prarie, Capt Lewis
walked on Shore & Saw a large moun & 3 roads leading
We Camped in the
plain one of the most butifull Plains, I ever Saw,
open &
butifully diversified with hills & vallies all presenting
themselves to the
river covered with grass and a few scattering trees a
handsom Creek
meandering thro at this place the Kansaw Inds. formerly
lived and had a
verry large Town passed a Creek (4) I observed Spring
braking out of the
bank, a good Situation for a fort on a hill at the
upper part
The Plains of this
countrey are covered with a Leek Green Grass, well
calculated for the
sweetest and most norushing hay-interspersed with
Cops of trees,
Spreding ther lofty branchs over Pools Springs or Brooks
of fine water.
Groops of Shrubs covered with the most delicious froot
is to be seen in every
direction, and nature appears to have exerted
herself to butify
the Senery by the variety of flours Delicately and
highly flavered
raised above the Grass, which Strikes & profumes the
Sensation, and
amuses the mind throws it into Conjecterng the cause of
So magnificent a
Senerey in a Country thus Situated far removed from
the Sivilised world
to be enjoyed by nothing but the Buffalo Elk Deer &
Bear in which it
abounds & Savage Indians
The names of the
french Ingishees, or Hirelens-
in Perogue
1 Battist de Shone Patrn
2 Joseph Le bartee
3 Lasoness
4 Paul Preemau
5 Chalo
6 E. Cann
7 Roie
8 Charlo Cougee
in the large Boat
*J. Le bartee
Rivee
bow men
Pieter Crousatt half Indian
William La Beice Mallat
3 Sergts. & 23 men for the Boat
George Drewyer. Hunter & 4 Horses
1 Corpl & 4 Privates in a Perogue
to be Sent back from Plate
river
Mr. Dueron inteptr for the Sues Capt.
Lewis my Self & York
in all 46 men July 4th 4 horses &
a Dog
[Clark, July 4,
1804]
July 4th Wednesday
ussered in the day by a discharge of one shot from
our Bow piece,
proceeded on, passed the mouth of a (1) Bayeau lading
from a large Lake
on the S. S. which has the apperance of being once
the bed of the
river & reaches parrelel for Several Miles Came to on
the L. S. to
refresh ourselves &. Jos. Fields got bit by a Snake, which
was quickly
doctered with Bark by Cap Lewis. (2) Passed a Creek 12 yds.
wide on L. S.
comeing out of an extensive Prarie reching within 200
yards of the river,
as, this Creek has no name, and this being the we
Dine (on corn) the
4th of July the day of the independance of the U. S.
call it 4th of July
1804 Creek, Capt. Lewis walked on Shore above this
Creek and
discovered a high moun from the top of which he had an
extensive view, 3
paths Concentering at the moun Saw great numbers of
Goslings to day
which Were nearly grown, the before mentioned Lake is
clear and Contain
great quantities of fish an Gees & Goslings, The
great quantity of
those fowl in this Lake induce me to Call it the
Gosling Lake, a
Small Creek & Several Springs run in to the Lake on the
East Side from the
hills the land on that Side verry good- (3) We came
to and camped in
the lower edge of a Plain where 2d old Kanzas village
formerly Stood,
above the mouth of a Creek 20 yds wide this Creek we
call Creek
Independence as we approached this place the Praree had a
most butifull
appearance Hills & Valies interspsd with Coops of Timber
gave a pleasing
deversity to the Senery. the right fork of Creek
Independence
Meandering thro the middle of the Plain a point of high
Land near the river
givs an allivated Situation. at this place the
Kanzas Indians
formerley lived. this Town appears to have covd. a large
Space, the nation
must have been noumerous at the time they lived here,
the Cause of their
moveing to the Kanzas River, I have never heard, nor
Can I learn; war
with their neghbors must have reduced this nation and
Compelled them to
retire to a Situation in the plains better Calculated
for their defence
and one where they may make use of their horses with
good effect, in
persueing their enemey, we Closed the by a Discharge
from our bow piece,
an extra Gill of whiskey.
[Clark, July 5,
1804]
July the 5th 1804
Set out verry early this morning, Swam the horse
across the river,
proceeded on for two miles under the bank where the
old Kansas town
formerly stood The Cause of those people moveing from
this place I cannot
learn, but naterally conclude that War has reduced
their nation &
compelled them to retire further into the Plains with a
view of defending
themselves & opposeing their enemey (more effectuall)
on hors back (I
neglected to mention yesterday that the Lake on the S.
S. was large Say
3/4 me. wide & 7 or 8 long one creek & Several brooks
running into it
from the hills, it contains Great quantities of Sun
fish &
Gosling's from which we gave it the name,) passed Some verry bad
Sand bars Situated
parrelel to each other, (1) the Boat turned three
times once on the
____ of a Drift wood. She recved no proceiviable
damage, we came to
for Dinner at a Beever house, Cap Lewis's Dog Seamon
went in & drove
them out. the high Lands on the L. S. is open, a few
trees Scattering
(2) passed a Small Creek on the L. S. in the 1s bend
to the left I call
yellow oaker creek from a bank of that Mineral just
above. we camped on
the L. S. under a high bank Latd. 39° 25' 41" North
on the banks of this
river I observe great quants of Grapes, berries &
roses Deer is not
So plenty in this three days past as they were below
that. Elks are
plenty about those Praries. Some Buffalow Sign.
[Clark, July 5,
1804]
July 5th Thursday
1804
Set out verry
early, proceeded on near the bank where the old village
Stood for two
miles, (Swam the hors found a few days ago) passed Some
bad Sand bars, The
Origan of this old village is uncertain M. de
Bourgmont a French
officer who Comdd. a fort near the Town of the
Missouris in about
the year 1724 and in July of the Same year he
visited this
Village at that time the nation was noumerous & well
desposed towards
the french Mr. Du Pratz must have been badly informed
as to the Cane
opposd this place we have not Seen one Stalk of reed or
cane on the
Missouries, he States that the "Indians that accompanied M
De Bourgmont
Crossed to the Canzes Village on floats of Cane"
Those people must
have been verry noumerous at that time as Mr. De B.
was accompanied by
300 Warriers, 500 young people & 300 Dogs of burthen
out of this Village
The Cause of Those
Indians moveing over to the Kanzis river I have
never lernt- we
passed Some bad Sand bars, Situated parrelel to each
other (1) The Boat
turned twice on the quick Sand & once on a raft of
Drift, no
procievable damage Prarie Contine on the high land on the L.
S. passd a Small
Creek (2) on L. S. in the first bend to the L S. I
call Yellow-Oaker
Creek from a quantity of that Mineral in a bank a
little above
The river Continue
to fall a little- I observe great quantities of
Summer & fall
Grapes, Berries & Wild roases on the banks- Deer is not
so plenty as usual,
great Deel of Elk Sign. (Wind from S E)
[Clark, July 6,
1804]
6th July Friday. We
Set out early this morning & Proceeded on (the
river falls Slowly)
wind S. W) passed a Sand bar in 1st bend to the
right (1) passed a
Small Island at the S. pt. a verry warm day (worthy
of remark that the
water of this river or Some other Cause, I think
that the most
Probable throws out a greater preposn. of Swet than I
could Suppose Could
pass thro the humane body Those men that do not
work at all will
wet a Shirt in a Few minits & those who work, the Swet
will run off in
Streams) opposit the 3rd point passed a Prarie on the
S. S. Called
Reeveys Prarie (fro a man of that name being Killed in it)
opposit this Prarie
the river is Confined in a verry narrow Space
Crowded on S. S. by
Sands which were moveing and difficuelt to pass.
the Hunts. Sent in
3 Deer Jurked on the 4th point of to day is a Small
Island & a Sand
bar 2 miles out in the river, this is Called the Grand
Bend, or Grande de
Tour, I walked on this Sand bar found it a light
Sand intersperced
with Small Pebbles of various Kinds, also pit Coal of
an excellent
quallity was lodged on the Sand, We camped on the L. S. at
a small creek a
whiper will perched on the boat for a Short time, I
gave his name to
the Creek
[Clark, July 6,
1804]
July 6th, Friday We
Set out early this morning, wind from the S. W.
passed a large Sand
bar in the 1st. bend to the right. (1) passed a
Small Island at the
S. point opposit the 3rd point we passed a Prarie
on the S. S. Called
Reeveys Prarie at this place the river is Confined
in a verry narrow
Channel Crouded by a Sand bar from the L. Point This
Sand bar from the
L. Point, this Sand bar is verry bad, at the 4th
Point from the S.
S. is a verry extensive bar, at the Point of which is
a Small willow
Island this is Called the Grand Detour or Great bend
I walked on this
Sand bar and found the Sand was light, with Collection
of Small pebble,
& some Pit Coal I observe that the men Swet more than
is Common from Some
Cause, I think the Missouries water is the
principal Cause our
hunters Sent in 3 Bucks today The river Still fall
a little
[Clark, July 7,
1804]
7th of July
Satturday 1804 Set out early passed Some verry Swift water
on the L. S. which
Compelled us to Draw up by the Cord. a verry warm
morning, passed a
butifull Prarie on the right Side which extends back,
those Praries has
much the appearance from the river of farms, Divided
by narrow Strips of
woods those Strips of timber grows along the runs
which rise on the
hill & pass to the river a Cleft above, one man sick
(Frasure) Struck
with the Sun, Saw a large rat on the Side of the bank,
Killed a wolf on
the Bank passed (2) a verry narrow part of the river,
all confined within
200 yards, a yellow bank above, passed a Small
willow Island on
the S. point, (in Low water those Small Willow Islands
are joined to the
Sand bars makeing out from the Points) a pond on the
S. S near the
prarie we passed yesterday in which G D. Saw Several
young Swans we Came
to and Camped on the L. S. and two men Sent out
last evening with
the horses did not join us this evening agreeable to
orders- a hard wind
with Some rain from the N, E at 7 oClock which
lasted half an
hour, with thunder & lightning. river fall a little
[Clark, July 7,
1804]
July the 7th
Satturday 1804 Set out early passed Some Swift water,
which obliged us to
draw up by roapes, a Sand bare at the point opposit
a butifull Prarie
on the S. Side Calld. (1) St. Michul, those Praries
on the river has
verry much the appearence of farms from the river
Divided by narrow
Strips of wood land, which wood land is Situatd. on
the runs leading to
the river. passed a Bluff of yellow Clay above the
Prarie. Saw a large
rat on the bank. Killed a Wolf. at 4 oClock pass a
Verry narrow part
of the river water Confd. in a bead not more than 200
yards wide at this
place the Current runs against the L. Side. no Sand
to Confine the
Current on the S. S. passed a Small sand Island above
the Small Islds.
Situated at the points, in low water form a part of
the Sand bars
makeing out from those points
Incamped on the S.
S. at 7 oClock a Violent Ghust of wind from the N.
E. with Some rain,
which lasted half an hour (G D. informs me that he
Saw in a Pond on
the S. S. which we passed yesterday; a number of young
Swans-,) one man
verry Sick, Struck with the Sun, Capt. Lewis bled him
& gave Niter
which has revived him much
[Clark, July 8,
1804]
8th of July Sunday
Set out early this morning, the Sick man much
better, Serjt.
Oddeway was waiting at a Creek on the S. S. below an
Island, passed (1)
two Island on the S. S. and came to at the upper
point, G Drewyer
went out R. Fields & Guterich, five men Sick to day
with a violent Head
ake &c. and Several with Boils, we appoint a Cook
to each mess to
take Charge of the Provisions. in Serjt. Pryor's =
Collens in Sjt.
Ordway's Werner in Sergt. Floyd's Thompson, The french
men Killed a young
Deer on the Bank, (2) passed up a narrow Channel of
about 80 or 100 yds
wide about 5 miles to the mouth of Nadawa River
which corns in to
this channel from the N W. and is abt. 70 yards wide
at its mouth ____
feet Deep and has a jentle Current, Perogues can
navagate this river
near its head, which is between the Missourie & the
Grand River, passed
up the gut 3/4 of a mile to the river at the head
of the Island &
camped opposit the head of this Island is another
nearest the Middle
R this Island Nadawa is the largest I have Seen,
formed by a Channel
washing into the Nadawa river.- "8 or 10000 acrs"
[Clark, July 8,
1804]
July the 8th Sunday
1804
Set out early
passed a Small Creek on the S. S. and two (1) Small
Islands on the S S.
five men Sick to day with a violent head ake &c. we
made Some
arrangements as to provisions & Messes, came to for Dinner at
the lower point of
a very large Island Situated near the S. S. after a
delay of two hours
we passed a narrow channel of 45 to 80 yds wide five
miles to the mouth
of (3) Nkdawa River, This river Coms in from the
North and is
navagable for Perogues Some distance. it is about 70 yards
wide a little above
the mouth, at the mouth not So wide, the mud of the
Gut running out of
the Missourie is thrown and Settles in the mouth
half a mile higher
up this Channel or gut is the upper point of the
Said Island, This
Island is Called Nadawa, & is the largest I have Seen
in the river,
containing 7 or 8000 acres of Land Seldom overflowed we
Camped at the head
of this Island on the S. S. opposit the head or our
Camp is a Small
Island near the middle of the river, river Still
falling. our flank
party did not join us this evening
[Lewis, July 8,
1804]
Detachment Orders
Nadawa Island July
8th 1804.-
In order to insure
a prudent and regular use of all provisions issued
to the crew of the
Batteaux in future, as also to provide for the equal
distribution of the
same among the individuals of the several messes,
The Commanding
Officers Do appoint the following persons to recieve,
cook, and take
charges of the provisions which may from time to time be
issued to their
respective messes, (viz) John B. Thompson to Sergt.
Floyd's mess,
William Warner to
Sergt. Ordway's mess, and John Collins to Sergt.
Pryor's Mess.-
These Superintendants of Provision, are held immediately
respon sible to the
commanding Officers for a judicious consumption of
the provi sion
which they recieve; they are to cook the same for their
several messes in
due time, and in such manner as is most wholesome and
best calculated to
afford the greatest proportion of nutriment; in
their mode of
cooking they are to exercise their own judgment; they
shall allso point
out what part, and what proportion of the mess
provisions are to
be consumed at each stated meal (i. e.) morning, noon
and night; nor is
any man at any time to take or consume any part of
the mess provisions
without the privity, knowledge and consent of the
Superintendant. The
superintendant is also held responsible for all the
cooking eutensels
of his mess. in considera tion of the duties imposed
by this order on
Thompson, Warner, and Collins, they will in future be
exempt from guard
duty, tho they will still be held on the royster for
that duty, and
their regular tour-shall be per formed by some one of
their rispective
messes; they are exempted also from pitching the tents
of the mess,
collecting firewood, and forks poles &c. for cooking and
drying such fresh
meat as may be furnished them; those duties are to be
also performed by
the other members of the mess.
M. Lewis
Wm. Clark
[Clark, July 9,
1804]
July the 9th Monday
1804 Sent one man back to the mouth of the River to
mark a tree, to let
the party on Shore See that the Boat had passed the
river, Set out
early passed (1) the head of the Island Situated in the
middle of the river
a Sand bar at the head, (2) passed the mouth of a
Creek or Bayou on
the S. S. leading from a large Pond of about three
miles in length, at
8 oClock it commenced raining, the wind changed
from N E. to S. W.
(3) at 6 miles passed the mouth of a Small Creek on
the L. S. called
Monters Creek, the river at this place is wide with a
Sand bar in the
Middle, passed a place on the L. S. about 2 miles above
the Creek, where
Several french men camped two years to hunt- (4)
passed a Island on
the S S. of the river in a bend, opsd. a high Land
on the L. S. wind
Shifted to the N. W. in the evining, opsd. this
Island, and on the
L. S. Loup or Wolf River Coms in, this river is
about 60 yards
Wide, but little water running at the mouth, this river
heads with the
waters of the Kanzas, and has a perogue navigation Some
distance, it
abounds with Beaver, Camped opposit the head of the Island
on the L. S. Saw a
fire on the S. S. Supposedly the four flankers, to
be theire, Sent a
perogue for them, the Patroon & Bowman of the Perogue
French, they
returned & informed, that when they approached the fire,
it was put out,
which caused them to return, this report causd. us to
look out Supposeing
a pty. of Soux going to war, firierd the bow piec
to allarm & put
on their guard the men on Shore everey thing in
readiness for
Defence.
[Clark, July 9,
1804]
July 9th Monday
1804
one man Sent back
to the river we passed last night to Blase a tree
with a view to
notify the party on Shore of our passing Set out and
passed the head of
the (1) Island which was Situated opposit to our
Camp last night a
Sand bar at the head (2) opsd. this Island a Creek or
Bayaue Corns in
from a large Pond on the Starboard Side, as our
flanking party Saw
great numbers of Pike in this Pond, I have laid it
down with that name
anex'd,v at 8 oClock the wind Shifted from the N, E
to S W and it
commenced raining. (3) at Six miles passed the mouth of
Creek on the L. S.
Called Monter's Creek, about two mile above is some
Cabins where our
Bowman & Several frenchmen Campd. two years (4) passed
an Island on the S.
S. in a Bend of the river opposit Some Clifts on
the L. S. the wind
Shifted to the N W opposit this Island and on the L.
Side (Loup) or Wolf
River Coms in, this river is about 60 yards wide
and heads with the
waters of the Kansis, and is navagable for Perogues
"Some destance
up" Camped at a point on the L. S. opposit the head of
the Island, our party
was incamped on the Opposit Side, their not
answering our
Signals Caused us to Suspect the persons Camped opposit
to us was a war
party of Soux, we fired the Bow piece to alarm the
party on Shore,
ailed prepared to oppose if attacted
[Clark, July 10, 1804]
July 10th Tuesday
Set out this morning with a view to Land near the
fire Seen last
night, & recornetre, but Soon discovered that our men
were at the fire,
they were a Sleep early last evening, and from the
Course of the Wind
which blew hard, their yells were not heard by party
in the perogue, a
mistake altogether-. proceeded on, passed Prarie on
the upper Side of
Woolf River, at 4 miles passed (1) a Small Creek L.
S. Called R. Pape
this Creek is about 15 yds. Wide-and called after a
Spanierd who killed
himself at the mouth. (2) Dined on an Island Called
de Selamen and
delayed 3 hours, and proceeded on, opposit this Isld. on
the L. S. is a (3)
butifull Bottom Prarie whuch will Contain about 2000
acres of Land
covered with wild rye & wild Potatoes, gread numbers of
Goslings on the
Banks & in the Ponds near the river, Capt Lewis Killed
two this evening,
we came to & Camped for the night. at a point on the
S. S. opposit a
yellow Clay Clift.- our men all getting well but much
fatigued, the river
is on a Stand nether rise nor fall, The bottom on
the S. S. is verry
extensive & thick. the Hills or high land is near
the river on the L.
S. and but thinly timbered, back of those hills is
open plains.
[Clark, July 10,
1804]
July 10th Tuesday
1804
Set out early this
morning and Crossd the river with a view to See who
the party was that
Camped on the other Side, we Soon discovered them to
be our men,-
proceeded on passed a Prarie on the L. S. at 4 miles
passed a Creek L. S
Called (1) Pappie after a man who Killed himself at
its mouth, this
Creek is 15 yds wide- (2) Dined on an Isld. Called de
Salamin Delayed 3
hours on this Island to recruit the men opposit on
the L. S. is a
butifull bottom Plain of about 2000 acres (3) Covered
with wild rye &
Potatoes, intermix't with the grass, we camped on the
S. S. opposit a
yellow Clay Clift, Capt. Lewis Killed two young Gees or
Goslings this
evening- The men of the party getting better, but much
fatigued- The river
on a Stand- The bottom is verry extensive on the S.
S. and thickly
intersperced with Vines The High Land approaches near
the river on the L.
S. and well timbered next to the river, back of
those hills the
Plains Commence.
[Clark, July 11,
1804]
July 11th
Wednesday, Set out early proceeded on passed a Willow (1)
Island in a bend to
the S. S. Sent out Dreweyer & Jo. Fields to hunt,
Back of this Island
a creek corns in on the S. S. called by the Indians
Little Tarkio Creek
I went on Shore above this Island on the S. S.
found the bottom
Subject for overflow wet and verry thickly interwoven
with grape Vines-
proceeded on at about 1/2 a miles from the river
about 3 ms. and
observed fresh Sign of a horse, I prosueed the track,
with an expectation
of finding a Camp of Indians on the river, when I
got to the river, I
saw a horse on the Beech, this horse as appears was
left last winter by
Some hunting party, probable the Othouez, I joined
the Boat on the
Sand Island Situated opposit the mouth of the Ne Ma har
River, this river
Coms in on the L. S. is about 80 yds Wide and
navagable for
Perogues Some Distance up the praries Commnce above the
mouth and Continus
on both Sides of this R Drewyer killed 6 Deer to day
J. Field one
Several hunters Sent out up the Nemahar R
[Clark, July 11,
1804]
July 11th, Wednesday
1804
Set out early
passed a Willow Island (1) in a bend on the S. S. back of
this Island a Creek
Corns in Called by the Indians Tar-ki-o
I went on Shore
above this Creek and walked up parrelel with the river
at ab ut half a
mile distant, the bottom I found low & Subject to
overflow, Still
further out, the under groth & vines wer So thick that
I could not get
thro with ease after walking about three or 4 miles I
observed a fresh
horse track where he had been feeding I turned my
course to the river
and prosud the track and found him on a Sand beach
This horse Probably
had been left by Some party of Otteaus hunters who
wintered or hunted
in this quarter last fall or Wintr. I joined the
party on a large
Sand Island imediately opposit the mouth of Ne Ma haw
River, at which
place they had Camped, this Island is Sand about half
of it Covered with
Small Willows of two different Kinds, one Narrow &
the other a Broad
Leaf. Several hunters Sent out to day on both Sides
of the river, Seven
Deer Killed to day. Drewyer Killd Six of them, made
Some Luner
observations this evening.
[Clark, July 12,
1804]
July 12th Thursday
Som hunters out on the S. S. those on the L. S. did
not return last
night, our object in delaying here is to tak Some
Observations and
rest the men who are much fatigued made Sundery
observations, after
an early Brackfast I took five men and went up the
River Ne Ma har
about three miles, to an open leavel part of an emence
prarie, at the
Mouth of a Small Creek on the Lower Side, I went on
Shore, & passed
thro the plain passed Several noles to the top of a
high artificial
Noal from the top of this noal I had an emence,
extensive &
pleaseing prospect, of the Countrey around, I could See the
meandering of the
Little River for at least 10 miles winding thro a
meadow of 15 or
20000 acres of high bottom land covered with Grass
about 41/2 feet
high, the high lands which rose irregularly, & were
toped with Mounds
or antent Graves which is to me a Strong evidence of
this Countrey haveing
been thickly Settled-.This River is about 80
yards wide with a
gentle Current and heads up near the Parnee Village
on River Blue a
branch of Kansas, a little timbered land near the mouth
for 1 mile above,
only a fiew Trees, and thickets of Plumbs Cheres &c
are Seen on its
banks the Creeks & little reveens makeing into the
river have also
Some timber- I got grapes on the banks nearly ripe,
observed great
quantities, of Grapes, plums Crab apls and a wild
Cherry, Growing
like a Comn. Wild Cherry only larger & grows on a Small
bush, on the side
of a clift Sand Stone 1/2 me. up & on Lower Side I
marked my name
& day of the month near an Indian Mark or Image of
animals & a
boat Tried Willard for Sleeping on his post, our hunters
killed some Deer,
Saw Elk & Buffalow.
[Clark, July 12,
1804]
July 12th, Thursday
1804
Concluded to Delay
here to day with a view of takeing equal altitudes &
makeing
observations as well as refreshing our men who are much
fatigued- after an
early Brackfast I with five men in a Perogue
assended the River
Ne-Ma-haw about 2 miles to the mouth of a Small
Creek on the Lower
Side, here I got out of the Perogue, after going to
Several Small
Mounds in a leavel plain, I assended a hill on the Lower
Side, on this hill
Several Artificial Mounds were raised, from the top
of the highest of
those Mounds I had an extensive view of the
Serounding Plains,
which afforded one of the most pleasing prospects I
ever beheld, under
me a Butifull River of Clear water of about 80 yards
wide Meandering
thro a leavel and extensive Meadow, as far as I could
See, the prospect
Much enlivened by the fine Trees & Srubs which is
bordering the bank
of the river, and the Creeks & runs falling into
it,-. The bottom
land is covered with Grass of about 41/2 feet high,
and appears as
leavel as a Smoth Surfice, the 2 bottom is also covered
with Grass and rich
weeds & flours, interspersed with Copses of the
Osage Plumb. on the
riseing lands, Small groves of trees are Seen, with
a numbers of Grapes
and a Wild Cherry resembling the Common Wild
Cherry, only larger
and grows on a Small bush on the tops of those
hills in every
derection. I observed artifical mounds (or as I may more
justly term Graves)
which to me is a Strong indication of this Country
being once Thickly
Settled. (The Indians of the Missouris Still Keep up
the Custom of
Burrying their dead on high ground) after a ramble of
about two miles
about I returned to the perogue and decended down the
River, gathd. Som
grapes nearly ripe, on a Sandstone Bluff about 1/4 of
a mile from its
mouth on the Lower Side I observed Some Indian marks,
went to the rock
which jutted over the water and marked my name & the
day of the month
& year- This river heads near one of the Villages of
the Pania on the
River Blue, a branch of the Kansas River.- above this
river about half a
mile the Prarie Comes to the Missouri after my
return to Camp on
the Island Completed Som observations, Tred tried a
man for sleeping on
his Post & inspected the arms amunition &c. of the
party found all
complete, Took Some Luner Obsevations. three Deer
killed to day.
Latd. 39° 55' 56" N.
[Lewis and Clark,
July 12, 1804]
Camp New Island
July 12th 1804.
A Court matial consisting
of the two commanding officers will convene
this day at 1 OCk.
P.M. for the trial of such prisoners as may be
brought before
them; one of the court will act as judge Advocate.
M. Lewis
Wm. Clark
The Commanding
officers. Capt. M. Lewis & W. Clark constituted
themselves a Court
martial for the trial of Such prisoners as are
Guilty of Capatol
Crimes, and under the rules and articles of War
punishable by
Death,
Alexander Willard
was brought foward Charged with "Lying down and
Sleeping on his
post whilst a Sentinal, on the night of the 11th.
Instant" (by
John Ordway Sergeant of the Guard)
To this Charge the
prisoner pleads. Guilty of Lying Down, and not
Guilty, of Going to
Sleep. The Court after Duly Considering the
evidence aduced,
are of oppinion that the Prisoner Alexdn. Willard is
guilty of every
part of the Charge exhibited against him. it being a
breach of the rules
and articles of War (as well as tending to the
probable
distruction of the party) do Sentence him to receive One
hundred lashes on
his bear back, at four different times in equal
propation.- and
order that the punishment Commence this evening at
Sunset, and
Continue to be inflicted, (by the Guard) every evening
untill Completed
Wm Clark
M. Lewis
[Clark, July 13,
1804]
My notes of the
13th of July by a Most unfortunate accident blew over
Board in a Storm in
the morning of the 14th obliges me to refur to the
Journals of
Serjeants, and my own recollection the accurrences Courses
Distance &c. of
that day- last night a violent Storm from the N. N, E.-
(1) passed Tar-ki-o
River, at 2 miles a chant. running into this river
3 ms. abov forms St
Josephs Isld. Passed an elegt Prarie in the 1st
bend to the left.
Containg a grass resmlg Timothy, with Seed like flax,
(2) passed a Island
in a bend to the S. S. at 12 ms. I walked on Shore
S. S. lands, low
& overflows, Killed two Goslings nearly Grown, Sailed
under a Wind from
the South all day, Camped on a Sand Island on the L.
Pt. opposit a high
& extensiv Prarie, on the S. S. the Hills about 4 or
5 me. off, this
Plain appears extensive, great appearance of a Storm
from the North W.
this evening verry agreeable the wind Still from the
South-
from the Osagies
Nation with twenty odd of the Natives or chiefs of the
Nation with him
sailed dowen the Mississippi bound to St Louis & 3 guns
fired showers of
rain Showers of Rain all that night
[Clark, July 13,
1804]
July 13th Friday
1804
Set out at Sun
rise, and prosd. on under a gentle Breeze, at two miles
passed the mouth of
a Small river on the S. S. Called by the Indians
Tarki-o, a Channel
running out of the river three miles above (which is
now filled up with
Sand) runs into this Creek & and formed a Island
Called St.
Josephs Several
Sand bars parralel to each other above- In the first
bend to the left is
Situated a Butifull & extensive plain, Cover'd with
Grass resembling
Timothy except the Seed which resembles Flax Seed,
this plain also
abounds in Grapes of defferent Kinds Some nearly ripe.
I Killed two
Goslings nearly Grown, Several others Killed and cought on
Shore, also one old
Goose, with pin fethers, She Could not fly- at
about 12 miles
passd. a Island Situated in a bend on the S. S. above
this Island is a
large Sand bar Covered with willows. The wind from the
South, Camped on a
large Sand Bar makeing out from the L. P. opposit a
high hanson Prarie,
the hills about 4 or 5 miles on S. S. this plain
appeard extensive,
the Clouds appear to geather to the N. W. a most
agreeable Breeze
from the South (I walked on Shore on the S. S. the
lands are low
Subject to overflow)
Last night at about
10 oClock a violent Storm of wind from the N. N. E.
which lasted with
Great violence for about one hour, at which time a
Shower of rain
Succeeded.
The men on Shore did
not join us this after noon- The river nearly on a
Stand- the high
lands on the S. S. has only been Seen at a Distance
above the Nordaway
River, those on the S. L. aproaching the river at
every bend, on the
Side next to the river well timbered, the opsd. Side
open & the
Commencmt. of Plains.
[Clark, July 14,
1804]
July the 14th
Satturday Some hard Shours of rain accompaned with Some
wind detained us
untill about 7 oClock, we then Set out and proceeded
on about a mile and
th atmispeir became Suddenly darkened by a blak &
dismal looking
Cloud, we wer in a Situation, near the upper point of a
Sd. Isd. & the
opsd Shore falling in in this Situation a Violent Storm
of Wint from the N,
E (passing over an Open plain, Struck the boat
nearly Starboard,
quatering, & blowing down the Current) the exerssions
of all our Men who
were out in an instant, aded to a Strong Cable and
Anchor was Scrcely
Sufficent to Keep the boat from being thrown up on
the Sand Island,
and dashed to peices the Waves dasthed over on the
Side next to the
wind the lockers which was covered with Tarpoling
prevented them
coming into the boat untill the Boat was Creaned on the
Side from the Wind
in this Situation we continued about 40 minits, the
two perogues about
a quater of a mile above, one of them in a Similer
Situation with the
Boat, the other under the charge of George Gibson in
a much better
position, with her Ster faceing the wind, this Storm
Suddenly Seased,
& 1 minit the river was as Smoth as glass, the wind
Shifted to the S. E
and we Set Sail, and proceeded on passed (1) a
Small Island on the
S. S. and Dined- R. Fields who has charge of the
horses &c. on
Shore did not join us last night-. passed a old fort
where Mr. Bennet of
St Louis winttered 2 years & traded with the
Otteaus &
Parties on the S. S. 1 me. abov the little Island, I went out
on the L. S. and
observed two Elk on a land in the river, in attempting
to get near those
elk obseved one near us I Shot one. continued on
Shore & thro
the bottom which was extensive, Some Small Praries, and a
peponce of high
rich & well timbered bottom, in the Glades I saw wild
Timothy, Lams
quarter Cuckle burs & rich weed, on the edges Plumbs of
different kinds
Grapes, and Goose berries, Camped on the L. S. Ruben
Fields and Gulrich
joined the Party two men unwell, one a Felin on his
finger, river fall
[Clark, July 14,
1804]
July 14th,
Satturday 1804
Some hard Showers
of rain this morning prevented our Setting out untill
7 oClock, at half
past Seven, the atmispr. became Sudenly darkened by a
black and dismal
looking Cloud, at the time we were in a Situation (not
to be bettered)
near the upper point of the Sand Island, on which we
lay, and the opposit
Shore, the bank was falling in and lined with
Snags as far as we
could See down,-. in this Situation The Storm which
passd over an open
Plain from the N. E. Struck the our boat on the
Starbd. quarter,
and would have thrown her up on the Sand Island dashed
to peces in an
Instant, had not the party leeped out on the Leward Side
and kept her off
with the assistance of the ancker & Cable, untill the
Storm was over, the
waves Dashed over her windward Side and She must
have filled with
water if the Lockers which is covered with Tarpoling &
Threw of the water
& prevented any quantity Getting into Bilge of the
Boat
In this Situation
we continued about 40 Minits. when the Storm Sudenly
Seased and the
river become Instancetaniously as Smoth as Glass.
The two perogus
dureing this Storm was in a Similar Situation with the
boat about half a
mile above- The wind Shifted to the S. E & We Saled
up passed a Small
(1) Isld. Situated on the S. S. and Dined & Continud
two hours, men
examine their arms- about a Mile above this Island,
passed a Small
Tradeing fort on the S. S. where, Mr. Bennet of St.
Louis Traded with
the Otteaus & Panies two years. I went on Shore to
Shoot Some Elk on a
Sand bar to the L. S. I fired at one but did not
get him, went out
into a large extensive bottom the greater part of
which overflows,
the part that dose not overflow, is rich and well
timbered, Some
Small open Praries near the hills, the Boat passed the
lower part of a
large Island Situated on the S. S. above the Lower
point of this
Island on the S. S. a (2) large Creek corns into the
river Called by the
Maha's Indians Neesh-nah-ba-to-na 50 yds this is a
considerable Creek
nearly as large as the Mine River, and runs parrelel
with the Missouri,
the Greater part of its Course. In those Small
Praries or glades I
saw wild Timothey, lambs-quarter, Cuckle burs; &
rich weed. on the
edges Grows Sumr. Grapes, Plum's, & Gooseberries. I
Joined the boat
which had Came to and Camped in a bend opposd. the
large Island before
mentioned on the L. S. Several men unwell with
Boils, Felns,
&c. The river falls a little.
[Clark, July 15,
1804]
July 15th Sunday
1804. a heavy fog this morning which Detained us
untill 7 oClock,
put Drewyer Sgt. Floyd on Shore, at 9 I took two Men
and went on Shore,
with a view to Kill Some elk, passed thro open
plains, and
barroney lands Crossed three butifull Small Streams of
water, Saw great
quantity of Cherres Plums, Grapes & Berries of Difft.
Kinds, the lands
Generally of a good quallity, on the Streams the wood
escapes the fire,
at about 7 miles I Struck the river at the mouth Ne
ma har Creek about
40 yds wide, near this Creek on a high part of the
Prarie I had a
extensive View of the river & Countrey on both Sides. on
S. a contnuation of
the plain as far as I could See, on the N. a bottom
Prarie of about 5
ms. wide & 18 or 20 long, hills back of this Plain. I
Swam across the
Creek and waited for the Boat about three miles above,
we camped opsd. an
Island.
[Clark, July 15,
1804]
July 15th, Sunday a
heavy Fog this morning prevented our Setting out
before 7 oClock, at
nine I took two men and walked on the L. S. I
crossed three
butifull Streems of runnig water heading in the Praries
on those Streem the
lands verry fine covered with pea Vine & rich weed
the high Praries
are also good land Covered with Grass entirely void of
timber except what
grows on the water, I proceeded on thro those
praries Several
miles to the mouth of a large Creek on the L. S. called
(2) Ne ma har this
is a Small river, about 100 yds. above the mouth it
is 40 yards wide,
at the mouth (as all other Creeks & rivers falling
into the Missourie
are) much narrower than a little distance up. after
continueing at the
mouth of this Creek about an hour, I Swam across and
proceeded on about
3 miles and halted to wate for the boat, which was
Some distance
below- In all this days march thro woods & Praries, I
only Saw three Deer
& 3 fawns- I had at one part of the Prarie a verry
extensive view of
all the Countrey around up and down the river a
Considerable
distance, on the Larbd. Sd. one Continul Plain, on the S.
S. Some timber on
the bank of the river, for a Short distance back of
this timber is a
bottom Plain of four or five miles back to the hills
and under the hills
between them & the river this plain appeared to
extend 20 or 30
miles, those Hills have but little timber, and the
Plain appears to
Continu back of them- I Saw Great quantities of
Grapes, Plums, or 2
Kinds wild Cherries of 2 Kinds, Hazelnuts, and
Goosberries.
we Camped in a
point of woods on the Larboard S. opsd. a large Island.
[Lewis, July 15,
1804]
Sunday July 15th
This evening I
discovered that my Chronometer had stoped, nor can I
assign any cause
for this accedent; she had been wound up the preceding
noon as usual. This
is the third instance in which this instrument has
stopt in a similar
manner since she nas been in my possession, tho the
first only since
our departure from the River Dubois. in the two
preceding cases
when she was again set in motion, and her rate of going
determined by a
series of equal altitudes of the sun taken for that
purpose, it was
found to be the same precisely as that mentioned in the
preliminary remarks
to these observations, or 15 s & 5 tenths too slow
in 24 h-as her rate
of going after stoping, and begin again set in
motion has in two
instances proved to be the same, I have concluded,
that whatever this
impediment may procede from, it is not caused by any
material injury
which her works have sustained, and that when she is in
motion, her error
on mean time above stated, may be depended on as
accurate. In
consequence of the chronometer's having thus accedentally
stoped, I
determined to come too at the first convenient place and make
such observations
as were necessary to ascertain her error, establish
the Latitude &
Longitude, and determine the variation of the nedle, in
order to fix a
second point of departure.
[Clark, July 16,
1804]
July 16 1804 Monday
Set out verry early
and proceeded on the Side of a Prarie passd the
head of the Island
opsd. which we Camped last night, (1) passed a Small
willow Island off
the L. point, hills make near the river (2) passed a
large Island
nearest the L. S. below the pt. a Small willow Isd. also
one on the Side.
this large Island is called fair Sun the wind
favourable from the
South. Boat run on a Sawyer, (4) pass a place on
the L. S. where the
hill abt. 20 acres has Sliped into the river lately
just above passed
under a clift of Sand Stone L. S. a number of Burds
Nests in the holes
& crevises of this rock which Continus 2 miles, (5)
passed a willow
Island in a Deep bend to the S. S. river 2 mile wide at
this place, note
Deed Snags across, passed the Lower point of a Island
called Isle Chauvin
Situated on the L. Point opposit an extensive
Prarie on the S.
S., This prarie I call Ball pated Prarie from the
range ball hills,
at from 3 to 6 miles from the river as far as my
Sight will extend,
we camped in a point of woods opsd. the Isd. on S.
S. in a bend.
[Clark, July 16,
1804]
July 16th Monday
1804
Set out this
morning verry early and proceeded on under a gentle breeze
from the S passed
the upper point of the Island an extensive Prarie on
the L. S. passed a
large (1) Island Called Fair Sun Isd. a Small willow
Isld. at the lower
point on the L. S. the boat passd on the L. S. of
those Islands
Several Small Sand Islands in the Channel, the Boat run
on the point of a
Snag, (2) passed a place above the Island L. S. where
about 20 acres of
the hill has latterly Sliped into the river above a
clift of Sand Stone
for about two miles, the resort of burds of
Different Kinds to
reare their young. (5) Passed a willow Island in a
Deep Bend to the S.
S. opposit the river is about two miles wide, and
not verry Deep as
the Snag may be Seen across, Scattering, passed the
Lower point of an
Island called by French Chauvin's Situated off the L.
Point opposit an
extensive Prarie on the S. S. This Prarie I call Ball
gated Prarie, from
a range of Ball Hills parrelel to the river & at
from 3 to 6 miles
distant from it, and extends as far up & Down as I
Can See, we Camped
in a point of woods on the L. S. above the Lower
point of the
Island. river falling.
[Lewis, July 16,
1804]
Monday 16th we set
out at an early hour; the morning was cloudy; could
find no convenient
situation for observation; proceeded untill a little
before noon when we
came too On the Lard. Shore opposite to the center
of good Island
where I observed the meridian altitude of O's L. L. with
Octant by the back
observation, wich gave me the Latitude- 40° 20' 12" N.
I now set the
Chronometer as near noon as this observation would enable
me, and proceeded
untill evening, when we came too on the Stard. shore
opposite the lower
point of the Island of the Bald prarie where we
encamped.
[Clark, July 17,
1804]
July 17th Tuesday,
we concluded to lay by today to fix the Longitude,
and get the Cronometer
right, (She run down Day before yesterday),
Several men out
hunting to day Capt. Lewis rode out to Neesh-nahba-to
na Creek which
passes thro. the Prarie (on which there is Some few
trees) within ____
Mile of the Missoureis, wind from the S E. Several
of the party have
tumers of different Kinds Some of which is verry
troublesom and
dificuilty to cure. I took a meridian altitude (43° 27')
which made the
Lattitude of this place 40° 27' 6" 4/10 North.- (The Ball
Hills bear N 25° W
for 30 mes. The bend on L. S. passing the Isd. on the
right Side is N.
28° W. 4 ms.) Took equal altitudes Tried a part of the
comn pt. of the
Current in 40 Seconds the water run 50 fathem 30" & 20"
in places
Cap Lewers
returned, Saw Some hand Som Countrey, the Creek near the
high land is rapid
and nearly as muddy as the river, & rising Gutrich
caught two verry
fat Cat fish G Drewyer Killed 3 Deer, & R Fields one,
a puff of wind
brought Swarms of Misquitors, which disapeared in two
hours, blown off by
a Continuation of the Same brees.
[Clark, July 17,
1804]
Bald Pated Prarie
July 17th, Tuesday 1804 We Concluded lay by at this
place to day to fix
the Lattitude & Longitude of this place to Correct
the cromometer run
down Sunday) Several men out by day light hunting
Capt. Lewis Concid.
to ride out to Neesh-nah-ba-to-na Creek which
passes under the
ball hills near this place and at one place a little
above this Camp is
within 300 yards of the Missouris on this Creek
grows Some few
trees of oake walnut & mulberry. I took Meridian
altitude of sun L.
L. (43° 27') which made the Lattitude 40° 27' 5" 4/10
North- wind from
the South E. Several of the party much aflicted with
turners of
different Kinds, Som of which is verry troublesom and
dificuelt to cure.
Capt. Louis returned in the evening. he Saw Som hand
Some Countrey &
Says that the aforesaid Creek is rapid muddey and
running- This Creek
which is at 10 or 12 from its mouth, within 300 yds
of the river is at
least 16 foot Lower than the river- The high Lands
from our Camp in
this Bald Pated Prarie bears N 25° W. up the R.
The Common Current
taken with a Log runs 50 fathen in 40"Some places
much Swifter in
30" and even 20 Seconds of time- five Deer killed to day
[Clark, July 18,
1804]
July 18th Wednesday
a fair morning the river falling fast, Set out at
Sunrise under a
gentle Breeze from S. E by S. at 3 miles passed the
head of the Island
on L. S. called by the French Chauve or bald pate
(1) opsd. the
middle of this Island the Creek on L. S. is within 300
yds. of the river.
back of this Island the lower point of (2) another
Island in the bend
to the L. S. passed large Sand bar making out from
each point with
many channels passing through them, "Current runs 50
fathm. in 41
Seconds" but little timber on either Side of the river,
except the Isds.
& points which are low wet & Covered with lofty trees,
Cotton wood
Mulberry Elm &c. &c. passed the head of a long Island in
high water at this
time no water passes thro the Channel (3) opposit
the Lower point of
a Island on the L. S. pass the Island and opsd. the
point (4) above
& on the L. S. the hills come to the river, This Hill
has Sliped into the
river for about 3/4 of a mile, and leaves a Bluff
of considerable
hight back of it this Hill is about 200 foot high
compsd. of Sand
Stone inter mingled with Iron ore of an inferior
quallity on a bed
of Soft Slate Stone.
We passed a verry
bad Sand bar (4) a little above the hill and incmpd
on the L. S.
opposit a Small Island in the river, Saw a Dog this
evening appeared to
be nearly Starved to death, he must have been left
by Some party of
Hunters we gave him Some meet, he would not come near,
G Drewrer brought
in 2 Deer this evening
[Clark, July 18,
1804]
July 18th Wednesday
1804 a fair morning the river falling fast Set out
this morning at Sun
rise under a Gentle Breeze from the S. E. by S.
passing over the
Prarie, at about 3 Miles we passed the head of the
Island L. S. Called
by the French Chaube or Bald pate opposit the
middle of (1) This
Island the Creek on the S. S. is nearest the river,
In high water an
Island is formed in the bind above the last (2)-
Measured the
Current and found that in forty one Seconds it run yo
fathoms but little
timber is to be Seen except in the Low points on
Islands & on
Creeks, the Groth of timber is generally cotton Mulberry
Elm Sycomore &c
&c. passed a Island on the 2d point to the S. S.
opposite the water
(3) whin high passes out in the Plain oppsid this
Island on the L. S.
the hills jut to the river (4) this Hill has Sliped
from the top which
forms a Bluff above & 200 foot above the water,
about 3/4 of a mile
in length & about 200 feet in Depth has Sliped into
the river it is
Composed of Sand Stone intermixed with an indiffert.
Iron ore near the
bottom or next to the water is a Soft Slate Stone,
Som pebble is also
intermixt, we passed a verry bad Sand bar and
incamped on the L.
S. at the lower point of the oven Islands & opposit
the Prarie Calld.
by the french Four le Tourtue Saw a Dog nearly
Starved on the
bank, gave him Som meet, he would not follow, our
hunters killed 2
Deer to day
[Clark, July 19,
1804]
July 19th after
breakfast which was on a rosted Ribs of a Deer a little
and a little Coffee
I walked on Shore intending only to Keep up with
the Boat, Soon
after I got on Shore, Saw Some fresh elk Sign, which I
was induced to
prosue those animals by their track to the hills after
assending and
passing thro a narrow Strip of wood Land, Came Suddenly
into an open and
bound less Prarie, I Say bound less because I could
not See the extent
of the plain in any Derection, the timber appeared
to be confined to
the River Creeks & Small branches, this Prarie was
Covered with grass
about 18 Inches or 2 feat high and contained little
of any thing else,
except as before mentioned on the River Creeks &c,
This prospect was
So Sudden & entertaining that I forgot the object of
my prosute and
turned my attention to the Variety which presented
themselves to my
view after continueing on this rise for Some minits, I
deturmined to make
my course to a line of woods to S. E. I found in
this wood a
butifull Streem of running water, in prosuing it down
Several others
Joined it and at 3 miles fell into the river between 2
clifts, I went up
& under one clift of dark rich Clay for 1/2 me. above
this a Clay bank
which had Sliped in here I found Sand Stone Containing
Iron ore, this ore
appears to be inbeded under the Clay just above the
water
[Clark, July 19,
1804]
July 19th Thursday
1804
Set out early pass
between 2 Islands one in mid. & the other L. S.
opsd. wher Prarie
aproaches the river S. S. This place is called the
Bakers oven or in
french Four le Tour tere passd. Some highlands 41/2
ms. above the Isds.
on the L. S. forming a Clift to the river of yellow
earth, on the top a
Prarie, passd. many a bad Sand bar in this
distance, & the
river wide & Shallow, above this Clift 2 Small
butiffull runs Come
from the Plains & fall into the river, a Deer lick
on the first, above
those two Creeks, I found in my walk on Shore Some
ore in a bank which
had Sliped in to the river 3/4 me. above the
Creeks, I took a
cerequite around & found that those two runs mentioned
contained a good
proposion of wood Surrounded by a plain, with grass
about 18 Inchs.
high, (Capt Lewis walked on Shore after Dinner) in the
first bind to the
right above those Runs passed a Small Island opsd. is
a Sand bar I call
this Island Butter Island, as at this place we mad
use of the last of
our butter, as we approach this Great River Platt
the Sand bars are
much more noumerous than they were, and the quick &
roleing Sands much
more danjerous, where the Praries aproach the river
it is verry wide,
the banks of those Plains being much easier to
undermine and fall
than the wood land passed (4) a willow Island
Situated near the
middle of the river, a Sand bar on the S. S. and a
Deep bend to the L
S. camped on the right Side of the Willow Island-W.
Bratten hunting on
the L. S Swam to the Island. Hunters Drewyer killed
2 Deer, Saw great
numbers of young gees. The river Still falling a
little Sand bars
thick always in view.
[Clark, July 19,
1804]
July 19th, Thursday
1804
Set out early
passed between two Small Islands, one in the middle of
the river, the
other Close on the L S. opposit a prarie S. S. Called
(1) by the french
Four le tourtre, The Bakers oven Islands, passed (2)
Some high Clift
41/2 miles above the Islands on the L. S. of yellow
earth passed
Several Sand bars that were wide and at one place verry
Shallow (two Small
butifull runs falls into the river near each other
at this Clift, a
Deer Lick 200 yards up the Lowest of those runs) Those
runs head at no
great distance in the plains and pass thro of timber to
the river. In my
walk on Shore I found Some ore in the bank above those
runs which I take
to be Iron ore (3) at this place the Side of the hill
has Sliped about
half way into the river for 3/4 of a Mile forming a
Clift from the top
of the hill above. In the first bend to the right
passed a Small
Island a Sand bar opposit,- worthey of remark as we
approach this great
River Plate the Sand bars much more numerous and
the quick or
moveing Sands much worst than they were below at the
places where
Praries approach the river it is verry wide those places
being much easier
to wash & under Mine than the wood Land's. (4) passed
a Willow Isd.
Situated near the Middle of the river and a large Sand
makeing out from
the S. S. a Deep bend to the L S. we Camped at the
head of this Island
on the Starboard Side of it, Hunters Killed Two
Deer. Saw great
numbers of young Gees River falling a little.
[Clark, July 20,
1804]
July 20th Friday
1804, a fog this morning and verry Cool George Drewyer
Sick proceed on
over a Sand bar, Bratten Swam the river to get his gun
& Clothes left
last night psd a large willow Isd. on the L. S. (1)
passed the mouth of
l'Eau que pleure the English of which is the water
which Cry's this
Creek is about 20 yards wide falls into the river
above a Gift of
brown Clay L. S. opposit a willow Island, at this Creek
I went on Shore
took R Fields with me and went up this Creek Several
miles & crossed
thro the plains to the river above with the view of
finding Elk, we
walked all day through those praries without Seeing
any, I killed an
emence large yellow Wolf-The Countrey throu which we
walked after
leaveing the Creek was good land covered with Grass
interspersed with
Groves & Scattering timber near and about the heads
of Branches one of
them without Suckcess, Camped above the bar on the
L. S. a verry
agreeable Breeze all night Serjt. Pryor & Jo. Fields
brought in two Deer
river Still falling. a large Spring 3/4 me. below
camp
[Clark, July 20,
1804]
July 20th, Friday
1804
a cool morning
passed a large willow Island (1) on the S. S. and the
mouth of Creek
about 25 yds. wide on the L. S. Called by the french
l'Eue-que pleure,
or the the Water Which Cry's this Creek falls into
the river above a
Clift of brown Clay opposit the Willow Island, I went
out above the mouth
of this Creek and walked the greater part of the
day thro Plains
interspesed with Small Groves of Timber on the branches
and Some Scattering
trees about the heads of the runs, I Killed a Verry
large yellow wolf,
The Soil of Those Praries appears rich but much
Parched with the
frequent fires-" after I returned to the Boat we
proceeded around a
large Sand bar makeing out from the L. S. opsd. a
fountain of water
comeing out of a hill L. S. and affording water
Suffient to turn a
mill
The Praries as far
as I was out appeared to be well watered, with Small
Streems of running
water Serjt. Pryor & Jo. Fields brought in two Deer
this evening- a
verry Pleasent Breeze from the N. W. all night- river
falling a little,
It is wothey of observation to mention that our party
has been much
healthier on the Voyage than parties of the Same Number
is in any other
Situation Turners have been troublesom to them all
From this evenings
incampment a man may walk to the Pane Village on the
S bank of the Platt
River in two days, and to the Otteaus in one day
all those Indians
are Situated on the South bank of the Plate River, as
those Indians are
now out in the praries following & Hunting the
buffalow, I fear we
will not See them.
[Lewis, July 21,
1804]
July 21, 1804
by a boiling motion
or ebolition of it's waters occasioned no doubt by
the roling and
irregular motion of the sand of which its bed is
entirely composed.
the particles of this sand being remarkably small
and light it is
easily boied up and is hurried by this impetuous
torrent in large
masses from place to place in with irristable forse,
collecting and
forming sandbars in the course of a few hours which as
suddingly disapated
to form others and give place perhaps to the
deepest channel of
the river. where it enters the Missouri it's
superior force
changes and directs the courant of that river against
it's northern bank
where it is compressed within a channel less than
one third of the
width it had just before occupyed. it dose not furnish
the missouri with
it's colouring matter as has been asserted by some,
but it throws into
it immence quantities of sand and gives a celerity
to it's courant of
which it abates but little untill it's junction with
the Mississippy.
the water of this river is turbid at all seasons of
the year but is by
no means as much so as that of the Missourie. The
sediment it
deposits, consists of very fine particles of white sand
while that of the
Missoury is composed principally of a dark rich
loam-in much
greater quantity
21st July from the
experiments and observations we were enabled to make
with rispect to the
comparative velocities of the courants of the
rivers Mississippi
Missouri and Plat it results that a vessel will
float in the
Mississippi below the entrance of the Missouri at the rate
of four miles an
hour. in the Missouri from it's junction with the
Mississsippi to the
entrance of the Osage river from 51/2 to 6 from
thence to the mouth
of the Kanzas from 61/2 to 7. from thence to the
Platte 51/2 while
the Plat is at least 8.- The Missouri above the
junction of the
river plat is equal to about 31/2 miles an hour as far
as the mouth of the
Chyenne where its courant still abates and becomes
equal to about
three miles an hour from information it dose not
increase it's
volocity for
[Clark, July 21,
1804]
July 21st
Satturday, Set out verry early and a Gentle Breeze from the
S. E proceeded on
very well, passed a (1) Willow Island L. S. opsd. a
bad Sand bar passed
Some high land covered with Timber, in this Hill is
Semented rock &
Limestone the water runs out and forms Several little
Islands in (2) high
water on the S. S. a large Sand bar on the S. S.
above and opposit
the wooded High Land, at about 7 oClock the wind
Seased and it
Commenced raining passed many Sand bars opposit or in the
Mouth of the Great
River Plate this river which is much more rapid than
the Missourie has
thrown out imence quantities of Sand forming large
Sand Banks at its
mouth and forced the Missourie Close under the S. S.
the Sands of this
river Comes roleing down with the Current which is
Crowded with Sand
bars and not 5 feet water at any place across its
mouth, the Rapidity
of the Current of this river which is greater than
that of the
Missourie, its width at the Mouth across the bars is about
3/4 of a mile,
higher up I am told by one of the bowmen that he was 2
winters on this
river above and that it does not rise 7 feet, but
Spreds over 3 miles
at Some places, Capt Lewis & my Self went up Some
Distance &
Crossed found it Shallow. This river does not rise over 6 or
7 feet
Proceeded on passed
the mouth of Papillion or Butter fly Creek 3 miles
on the L. S. a
large Sand bar opposit on that Side Camped above this
baron L. S. a great
number of wolves about us all night R. Fields
killed a Deer hard
wind N. W. cold
[Clark, July 21,
1804]
July 21st,
Satturday 1804
Set out early under
a gentle breeze from the S. E. proceeded on verry
well, passed (1) a
willow Island on the L. S. opposit a bad Sand bar,
Some high lands
covered with timber L. S in this hill is limestone &
Seminted rock of
Shels &c. (2) in high water the opposit Side is cut
thro by Several
Small Channels, forming Small Islands, a large Sand bar
opposit the Hill at
7 oClock the wind luled and it Commnc'd raining,
arrived at the
lower Mouth of the Great River Platt at 10 oClock (about
3 ms. above the
Hill of wood land, the Same range of High land Continus
within 3/4 of a
mile of the mouth below) This Great river being much
more rapid than the
Missourie forces its current against the opposit
Shore, The Current
of This river Comes with great Velocity roleing its
Sands into the
Missouri, filling up its Bend & Compelling it to
incroach on the S
Shore- we found great dificuelty in passing around
the Sand at the
mouth of this River Capt Lewis and My Self with 6 men
in a perogue went
up this Great river Plate about 1 miles, found the
Current verry rapid
roleing over Sands, passing through different
Channels none of
them more than five or Six feet deep, about 600 yards
Wide at the mouth-
I am told by one of our Party who wintered two
winters on This
river that "it is much wider above, and does not rise
more than five or
Six feet" Spreds verry and from its rapidity &
roleing Sands
Cannot be navagated with Boats or Perogues- The Indians
pass this river in
Skin Boats which is flat and will not turn over. The
Otteaus a Small
nation reside on the South Side 10 Leagues up, the
Panies on the Same
Side 5 Leagus higher up- about 10 Leagus up this
river on the S.
Side a Small river Comes into the Platt Called Salt
River, "The
waters So brackish that it Can't be Drank at Some Seasons"
above this river
& on the North Side a Small river falls into the Platt
Called Elk River
This river runs Parralal withe the Missouri- at 3
miles passed a
Small river on the L. S. Called Papillion or Butterfly
C. 18 yds. wide a large
Sand bar off the mouth, we proceeded on to get
to a good place to
Camp and Delay a fiew days, passed around this Sand
bar and Came to for
the night on the L. S. a verry hard wind from the
N. W. I went on
Shore S. S. and proceeded up one mile thro high Bottom
land open a Great
number of wolves about us this evening
[Clark, July 22,
1804]
July 22nd Sunday
Set out verry early with a view of getting Some
timbered land &
a good Situation to take equil altitudes in time
proceeded on nearly
a North 15° W 7 ms. to a pt. S. S. opposit Some high
Lands on L. S.
above the upper point of a long willow Island in the
middle of the river
6 Deer killed to Day we deturmined to Stay here 4
or 5 days to take
& make obsvts. & refresh our men also to Send
Despatches back to
govement- Wind hard N. W. Cold
[Clark, July 22,
1804]
22nd of July 1804
Completlly arranged
our Camp, posted two Sentinals So as to Completely
guard the Camp,
formd bowers for the min $cc. &. Course from R Plate N
15° W. 10 Ms.
[Clark, July 22,
1804]
July 22nd, Sunday
1804
Set out verry early
with a view of Getting to Some Situation above in
time to take equal
altitudes and take Observations, as well as one
Calculated to make
our party Comfortabl in a Situation where they Could
recive the benifit
of a Shade- passed a large Sand bar opposit a Small
river on the L. S.
at 3 miles above Plate Called Papillion or Butterfly
Creek a Sand bar
& an Willow Island opposit a Creek 9 ms. above the
Plate on the S. S.
Called Mosquitos Creek Prarie on both Sides of the
river. Came too and
formed a Camp on the S. S. above a Small Willow
Island, and opposit
the first Hill which aproach the river on the L. S.
and covered with
timbers of Oake Walnut Elm &c. &. This being a good
Situation and much
nearer the Otteaus town than the Mouth of the Platt,
we concluded to
delay at this place a fiew days and Send for Some of
the Chiefs of that
nation to let them Know of the Change of Government,
The wishes of our
Government to Cultivate friendship with them, the
Objects of our
journy and to present them with a flag and Some Small
presents
Some of our
Provisions in the French Perogue being wet it became
necessary to Dry
them a fiew days- Wind hard from N W. five Deer Killed
to day- The river
rise a little
[Lewis, July 22,
1804]
July 22nd 1804.
A summary
discription of the apparatus employed in the following
observations;
containing also some remarks on the manner in which they
have been employed,
and the method observed in recording the
observations made
with them.
1st- a brass
Sextant of 10 Inches radius, graduated to 15 which by the
assistance of the
nonius was devisible to 15"; and half of this sum by
means of the
micrometer could readily be distinguished, therefore-7.5"
of an angle was
perceptible with this instrument; she was also
furnished with
three eye-pieces, consisting of a hollow tube and two
telescopes one of
which last reversed the images of observed objects.
finding on
experiment that the reversing telescope when employed as the
eye-piece gave me a
more full and perfect image than either of the
others, I have most
generally imployed it in all the observations made
with this
instrument; when thus prepared I found from a series of
observations that
the quantity of her index error was 8' 45"-; this sum
is therefore
considered as the standing error of the instrument unless
otherwise expressly
mentioned. the altitudes of all objects, observed
as well with this
instrument as with the Octant were by means of a
reflecting surface;
and those stated to have been taken with the
sextant are the
degrees, minutes, &c shewn by the graduated limb of the
instrument at the
time of observation and are of course the double
altitudes of the
objects observed.
2ed- A common
Octant of 14 Inches radius, graduated to 20', which by
means of the nonius
was devisbile to 1', half of this sum, or 30" was
perceptible by
means of a micrometer. this instrument was prepared for
both the fore and
back observation; her error in the fore observation
is 2°+, & and
in the back observtion 2° r 1' 40.3" + at the time of our
departure from the
River Dubois untill the present moment, the sun's
altitude at noon
has been too great to be reached with my sextant, for
this purpose I have
therefore employed the Octant by the back
observation. the
degrees ' & ", recorded for the sun's altitude by the
back observation
express only the angle given by the graduated limb of
the instrument at
the time of observation, and are the complyment of
the double Altitude
of the sun's observed limb; if therefore the angle
recorded be taken
from 180° the remainder will be the double altitude of
the observed
object, or that which would be given by the fore
observation with a
reflecting surface.
3rd- An Artificial
Horizon on the construction recommended and
practiced by Mr.
Andrw. Ellicott of Lancaster, Pensyla., in which water
is used as the
reflecting surface; believing this artificial Horizon
liable to less
error than any other in my possession, I have uniformly
used it when the
object observed was sufficiently bright to reflect a
distinct immage;
but as much light is lost by reflection from water I
found it
inconvenient in most cases to take the altitude of the moon
with this horizon,
and that of a star impracticable with any degree of
accuracy.
4th- An Artificial
Horizon constructed in the manner recommended by Mr.
Patterson of
Philadelphia; glass is here used as the reflecting
surface. this horizon
consists of a glass plane with a single
reflecting surface,
cemented to the flat side of the larger segment of
a wooden ball;
adjusted by means of a sperit-level and a triangular
stand with a
triangular mortice cut through it's center sufficiently
large to admit of
the wooden ball partially; the stand rests on three
screws inserted
near it's angles, which serve as feet for it to rest on
while they assist
also in the adjustment. this horizon I have employed
in taking the
altitude of the sun when his image he has been reather
too dull for a
perfect reflection from water; I have used it generally
in taking the
altitude of the moon, and in some cases of the stars
also; it gives the
moon's image very perfectly, and when carefully
adjusted I consider
it as liable to but little error.
5th- An Artificial
Horizon formed of the index specula of a Sextant
cemented to a flat
board; adjusted by means of a sperit level and the
triangular stand
before discribed. as this glass reflects from both
surfaces it gives
the images of all objects much more bright than
either of the other
horizons; I have therefore most generally employed
it in observing the
altitudes of stars
6th- A Chronometer;
her ballance-wheel and escapement were on the most
improved
construction. she rested on her back, in a small case prepared
for her, suspended
by an universal joint. she was carefully wound up
every day at twelve
oclock. Her rate of going as asscertained by a
series of
observations made by myself for that purpose was found to be
15 Seconds and a 5
tenths of a second too slow in twenty four howers on
Mean Solar time.
This is nearly the same result as that found by Mr.
Andrew Ellicott who
was so obliging as to examine her rate of going for
the space of
fourteen days, in the summer 1803. her rate of going as
ascertained by that
gentleman was 15.6 s too slow M. T. in 24 h. and
that she went from
3 to 4 s. slower the last 12 h, than she did the
first 12 h. after
being wound up.
at 12 OCk. on the
14th day of may 1804 (being the day on which the
detachment left the
mouth of the River Dubois) the Chronometer was too
fast M. T. 6 m. 32
s. & 2/10.- This time-piece was regulated on
meantime, and the
time entered in the following observations is that
shewn by her at the
place of observation. the day is recconed on Civil
time, (i e)
commencing at midnight.
7th- A
Circumferentor, circle 6 Inches diameter, on the common
construction; by
means of this instrument adjusted with the sperit
level, I have taken
the magnetic azimuth of the sun and pole Star. It
has also been
employed in taking the traverse of the river:- from the
courses thus
obtained, together with the distances estimated from point
to point, the chart
of the Missouri has been formed which now
accompanys these
observations. the several points of observation are
marked with a cross
of red ink, and numbered in such manner as to
correspond with the
celestial observations made at those points
respectively.
[Clark, July 23,
1804]
Camp 10 Ms. above
the river Plate Monday July the 23rd
a fair morning-
Sent out a party of 5 men to look to timber for Ores
two other parties
to hunt at 11 oClock Sent, G. Drewyer & Peter Crusett
1/2 Indn. to the
Otteaus Village about 18 ms. West of our Camp, to
invite the Chiefs
& principal men of that nation to come & talk with us
&. &., also
the panic if they Should meet with any of that nation (also
on the S. Side of
the Plate 30 ms. higher up) (at this Season of the
year all the
Indians in this quater are in the Plains hunting the
Buffalow from Some
Signs Seen by our hunter and the Praries being on
fire in the
derection of the Village induce a belief that the Nation
have returned to
get green Corn) raised a flag Staff put out Some
provisions which
got wet in the french Perogue to Sun & Dry- I
commenced Coppying
my map of the river to Send to the Presdt. of U S.
by the Return of a
pty of Soldiers, from Illinois five Deer Killed- one
man a bad riseing
on his left breast. Wind from the N. W.
[Clark, July 23,
1804]
Camp White Catfish
10 Miles above the Platt River
Monday the 23rd of
July 1804
A fair morning Set
a party to look for timber for Ores, two parties to
hunt. at 11 oClock
Sent off George Drewyer & Peter Crousett with Some
tobacco to invite
the Otteaus if at their town and Panies if they Saw
them to Come and
talk with us at our Camp &c. &c. (at this Season the
Indians on this
river are in the Praries Hunting the Buffalow but from
Some Signs of
hunters near this place & the Plains being on fire near
their towns induce
a belief that they this nation have returned to get
Some Green Corn or
rosting Ears) raised a flag Staff Sund & Dryed our
provisions &c.
I commence Coppying a map of the river below to Send to
the P. ____ U S
five Deer Killed to day one man with a turner on his
breast, Prepared
our Camp the men put their arms in order
Wind hard this
afternoon from the N. W.
Equal altitudes
taken at the White Catfish Camp, 10 miles above the
river Platt-
[Clark, July 24,
1804]
White Catfish Camp
24th of July Tuesday. a fair morning the wind rose
with the Sun &
blows hard from the S. thos Southerley Breezes are dry
Cool &
refreshing. the Northerley Breezes which is more frequent is
much Cooler, and
moist, I continue my Drawing. Cap Lewis also ingaged
prepareing Som
paper to Send back, one of the men cought a white
Catfish, the eyes
Small, & Tale resembling that of a Dolfin.
[Clark, July 24,
1804]
White Catfish Camp
10 Ms. above Platt
24th, of July 1804
Tuesday a fair day the wind blows hard from the
South, the Breezes
which are verry frequent on this part of the
Missouri is cool
and refreshing. Several hunters out to day; but as the
game of all Kinds
are Scarce only two Deer were brought in- I am much
engaged drawing off
a map, Capt. Lewis also much engaged in prepareing
Papers to Send back
by a pirogue- Which we intended to Send back from
the river Plate-
observations at this place makes the Lattitude 41° 3'
19" North
This evening
Guthrege Cought a white Catfish, its eyes Small & tale
much like that of a
Dolfin
[Clark, July 25,
1804]
White Catfish Camp
25th of July Wednesday. Several hunters Sent out. at
2 oClock the Two
men Sent to the Otteaz Village returned and informed
that no Indians
were at the Town they Saw Some fresh Sign near that
place which they
persued, but Could not find them, they having taken
precausions to
Conceal the rout which they went out from the Villagethe
Inds. of the
Missouries being at war with one & the other or other
Indians, move in
large bodies and Sometimes the whole nation Continue
to Camp together on
their hunting pls. Those men inform that they
passed thro a open
Plain all the way to the Town a feiw Trees excepted
on the
watercourses- they Cross the papillion or the Butterfly Creek
within a feiw miles
of Camp and near the Village a handsm. river of 100
yards Wide Called
the Corne de chearf or the Elkhorn, which mouths
below the Town in
the Plate N. Side. Wind from the S. E. 2 Deer & a
Turkey Killed to
Day Several Grous Seen in the Prarie
[Clark, July 25,
1804]
White Catfish Camp
25th of July
Wednesday a fair morning Several hunters out today at 2
oClock Drewyer
& Peter returned from the Otteaus Village; and informs
that no Indians
were at their towns, They Saw Some fresh Signs of a
Small party but
Could not find them. in their rout to the Towns (Which
is about 18 miles
West) they passed thro a open Prarie Crossed
papillion or
Butterfly Creek and a Small butifull river which run into
the Platt a little
below the Town Called Corne de charf or Elk Horn
river this river is
about 100 yards wide with Clear water & a gravely
Channel.- wind from
the S. E two Deer Killed to day 1 Turkey Several
Grous Seen to day.
[Clark, July 26,
1804]
Whit Catfish Camp
26th of July Thursday. the wind blew Verry hard all
Day from the South
with Clouds of Sand which incomoded me verry much in
my tent, and as I
could not Draw in the Boat was obliged Combat with
the Misqutr. under
a Shade in the woods-. I opened the Breast of a man
the discharge gave
him ease &c. 5 beaver Caught near Camp-only 1 Deer
Killed to day. The
Countrey back from Camp on the S. S. is a bottom of
about 5 ms. wide
one half the Distn. timber, the other high bottom
Prarie, the opsd.
Side a high Hill about 170 foot rock foundatio.
Timbered back &
below. a Prarie
[Clark, July 26,
1804]
Catfish which is
White Camp
26th of July
Thursday 1804 the wind blustering and hard from the South
all day which
blowed the Clouds of Sand in Such a manner that I could
not complete my pan
in the tent, the Boat roled in Such a manner that I
could do nothing in
that, I was Compessed to go to the woods and Combat
with the Musqutors,
I opened the Turner of a man on the left breast,
which discharged
half a point.
five Beever Cought
near this Camp the flesh of which we made use of-
This evening we
found verry pleasent- only one Deer Killed to day. The
Countrey back from
Camp on the S. S. is a bottom of about five mile
wide, one half the
distance wood & the ball. plain high & Dry. the
opposed Side a high
Hill about 170 foot rock foundation, Covd. with
timber, back &
below is a Plain.
[Lewis, July 27,
1804]
white Catfish Camp
July 27th Friday,
Charged the Boat
and Perogue after a Small Shower of rain, Completed
our ores &
poles, Crossed over the two horses, with a View of their
going on the S W.
Side of the Missouri and Set out at Half past 1
oClock proceeded on
Verry well under a gentle Breeze. passed a high
Island of high wood
land on the L. Side just above Camp, this Island is
formed by a pond
Supplied by a great number of Springs from this hill,
this Pond has 2 out
lets, & when the river is high the water passes
thro the pond,
passed a Sand Island in the 2nd bend to the right.
Camped in a bend to
the L. S. in Some wood, I took R. Fields & walked
on Shore &
Killed a Deer, and did not get to the Boat untile after
night a butifull
Breeze from the N W. this evening which would have
been verry
agreeable, had the Misquiters been tolerably Pacifick, but
thy were rageing
all night, Some about the Sise of house flais
[Clark, July 27,
1804]
White Catfish Camp
10 ms above Platt
27th of July
Friday, a Small Shower of rain this morning, at 10 oClock
Commence Loading
the Boat & perogue; had all the Ores Completely fixed;
Swam over the two
remaining horses to the L. S. with the view of the
Hunters going on
that Side, after Getting everry thing Complete, we Set
Sale under a gentle
breeze from the South and proceeded on, passed a
Island (formd by a
Pond fed by Springs) on the L. S. of high Land
Covered with
timber, in the 2nd bend to the right a large Sand Island
in the river a high
Prarie on the S. S.-. as we were Setting out to day
one man Killed a
Buck & another Cut his Knee verry bad Camped in a Bend
to the L. Side in a
Coops of Trees, a verry agreeable Breeze from the N
W. this evening. I
Killed a Deer in the Prarie and found the Misquitors
So thick &
troublesom that it was disagreeable and painfull to Continue
a moment Still.
I took one man R.
Fields and walked on Shore with a View of examoning
Som mounds on the
L. S. of the river- those mounds I found to be of
Deffirent hight
Shape & Size, Some Composed of Sand Some earth & Sand,
the highest next to
the river all of which covered about 200 acres of
land, in a circular
form on the Side from the river a low bottom &
Small Pond. The
Otteaus formerly lived here I did not get to the boat
untile after night.
[Clark, July 28,
1804]
July 28th Satturday
Set out this morning early, the wind blou from the
N. W. by N. a Dark
Smokey Morning, Some rain at 1 me. passed a Bluff on
the S. S. it being
the first high land approachig the river above the
Nodaway, a Island
and Creek S. S. just abov this creek I call Indian
Knob G. Drewyer
Came with a Deer &informs he heard fireing to the S. W.
I walked on Shore
on the S. S. found some good Prarie out from the S.
pt. The High Lands
approach the river 1st bend to left The party on
Shore brought in a
Missouri Indian who resides with the Otteauz, this
Indian & 2
others were Hunting in the Prarie their Camp is about 4
miles off. This
Indian informs that his nation is in the Plains hunting
the Buffalow, the
party with which he is encamped is about 20 familey
Hunting the Elk, we
landed on S. S. below an Island
[Clark, July 28,
1804]
July the 28th,
Satturday 1804
Set out this
morning early, the wind from the N W. by N. a Dark Smokey
morning Some rain
passed at 1 me. a Bluff on the S. S. the first high
land above the
Nodaway aproaching the river on that Side a Island and
Creek 15 yds. wide
on the S. S. above this Bluff, as this Creek has no
name call it Indian
Knob Creek our party on Shore Came to the river and
informs that they
heard fireing to the S W. below this High Land on the
S. S. the Aiawuay
Indians formerly lived, The flank came in & informed
they heard two Guns
to the S. W. the highland approaches in the 1st
bend to the left,
we camped on the S. S. below the point of an Island,
G Drewyer brought
in a Missourie Indian which he met with hunting in
the Prarie This
Indian is one of the fiew remaining of that nation, &
lives with the
Otteauz, his Camp about 4 miles from the river, he
informs that the
great gangue of the nation were hunting the Buffalow
in the Plains. hs
party was Small Consisting only of about 20 Lodges,
____ miles furthr a
nother Camp where there was a french man, who lived
in the nation, This
Indian appeard spritely, and appeared to make use
of the Same
pronouncation of the Osarge, Calling a Chief Inca
July 29th SundayWe
Sent one frenchman le Liberty & the Indian to the
Camp to envite the
party to meet us at the next bend of High Land on
the L. S. a Dark
morning wind from the W. N. W. rained all last night
Set out at 5 oClock
&, proceeded on passed the Island, opposit this
Island on the S. S.
the Creek called Indian Knob Creek which mouths
Several miles on a
Direct line below, is within 20 feet of the Missouri
& about 5 feet
higher
Cought three large
Cat fish to day verry fat one of them nearly white
those Cat are So
plenty that they may be Cought in any part of this
river but fiew fish
of any other Kind.
(4) at the
commencement of this course passed much fallen timber
apparently the
ravages of a dreadful haricane which had passed
obliquely across
the river from N. W. to S. E. about twelve months
since. many trees
were broken off near the ground the trunks of which
were sound and four
feet in diameter.
Willard lost his
gun in Bowyers R. R. Fields Dive & brought it up All
the Wood Land on
this part of the Missouries Appear to be Confined to
the Points &
Islands.
Boyers River is
provably 25 yds. Wide, Willard near loseing his Gun in
this river, two men
Sick & Sevral with Boils, a Cold Day Wind from the
N W. Som rain the
fore part of the Day.
[Clark, July 29,
1804]
July 29th Sunday
1804
Sent a french man
la Liberty with the Indian to Otteaze Camp to invite
the Indians to meet
us on the river above- a Dark rainey morning wind
from the W. N. W.-
rained all the last night- Set out at 5 oClock
opposit the (1)
Island, the bend to the right or S. S. is within 20
feet of Indian Knob
Creek, the water of this Creek is 5 feet higher
than that of the
River. passed the Isld. we Stoped to Dine under Some
high Trees near the
high land on the L. S. in a fiew minits Cought
three verry large
Catfish (3) one nearly white, Those fish are in great
plenty on the Sides
of the river and verry fat, a quart of Oile Came
out of the
Surpolous fat of one of these fish (4) above this high land
& on the S. S.
passed much falling timber apparently the ravages of a
Dreadfull harican
which had passed obliquely across the river from N.
W. to S E about
twelve months Since, many trees were broken off near
the ground the
trunks of which were Sound and four feet in Diameter,
(2) about 3/4 of a
Me. above the Island on the S. S. a Creek corns in
Called Boyers R.
this Creek is 25 yards wide, one man in attempting to
Cross this Creek on
a log let his gun fall in, R. Fields Dived &
brought it up
proceeded on to a Point on the S. S. and Camped.
[Clark, July 30,
1804]
July the 30th
Monday Set out early & proceeded on West 33/4 mes. passd.
one pt. to the L. S
and one to the S. S. to a Clear open Prarie on the
L. S. which is on a
rise of about 70 feet higher than the bottom which
is also a prarie
covered with high grass Plumbs Grape Vine & Hezel-both
forming a Bluff to
the River, the Lower Prarie is above high water mark
at the foot of the
riseing ground & below the High Bluff we came to in
a grove of timber
and formed a Camp raised a flag Pole, and deturmind
to waite for the
Ottu Indians- The white Horse which we found below
Died last night,
after posting out the Guards &c. &. Sent out 4 men to
hunt I am ingaged
in ____ and Drawing off my courses to accompany the
map Drawn at White
Catfish Camp, Capt. Lewis and my Self walked in the
Prarie on the top
of the Bluff and observed the most butifull prospects
imagionable, this
Prarie is Covered with grass about 10 or 12 Inch
high, (Land rich) rises
about 1/2 a mile back Something higher and is a
Plain as fur as Can
be Seen, under those high Lands next the river is
butifull Bottom
interspersed with Groves of timber, the River may be
Seen for a great
Distance both above & below meandering thro the plains
between two ranges
of High land which appear to be from 4 to 20 ms.
apart, each bend of
the river forming a point which Contains tall
timber, principally
Willow Cotton wood some Mulberry elm Sycamore &
ash. the groves
Contain walnit coffeenut & Oake in addition & Hickory &
Lynn Jo. Fields
Killed Brarow or as the Ponie call it Cho car tooch,
this animale
burrows in the ground & feeds on Bugs and flesh
principally the
little Dogs of the Prarie, also Something of Vegetable
Kind his Shape
& Size is like that of a Beever, his head Mouth &c. is
like a Dog with its
ears Cut off, his tale and hair like that of a
Ground hog
Something longer and lighter, his interals like a Hogs, his
Skin thick &
loose, white & hair Short under its belly, of the Species
of the Bear, and it
has a white Streake from its nose to its Sholders,
the Toe nails of
its fore feet which is large is 1 Inch and 3/4 qtr.
long and those of
his hind feet which is much Smaller is 3/4 long. We
have this animale
Skined and Stuffed. Short legs, raseing himself just
above the ground
when in motion Jo & R. fields Killed Som Deer at a
Distance and Came
in for a horse to bring them in, they have not
returned this
evening, a gred number of Swans in a pond above L. S. to
our Camp. Serjt.
Floyd verry unwell a bad Cold &c. Several men with
Boils, great qts.
of Catfish G. D. Cought one Small Beever alive. Som
Turkey & Gees
Killed to day. arms & all things in order. a fair
evining, and Cool.
[Clark, July 30,
1804]
July 30th Monday
1804
Set out this
morning early proceeded on to a Clear open Prarie on the
L. S. on a rise of
about 70 feet higher than the bottom which is also a
Prarie both forming
Bluffs to the river of High Grass & Plumb bush
Grapes &c. and
Situated above high water is a Small Grove of timber at
the foot of the
Riseing Ground between those two priraries, and below
the Bluffs of the
high Prarie we Came too and formed a Camp, intending
to waite the return
of the french man & Indians- the white horse which
we found near the
Kanzeis River, Died Last night
posted out our
guard and Sent out 4 men, Captn. Lewis & went up the
Bank and walked a
Short Distance in the high Prarie. this Prairie is
covered with Grass
of 10 or 12 inches in hight. Soil of good quallity
&, Still
further back at the Distance of about a mile the Countrey
rises about 80 or
90 feet higher, and is one Continual Plain as fur as
Can be Seen, from
the Bluff on the 2d rise imediately above our Camp
the most butifull
prospect of the River up & Down and the Countrey
opsd. prosented it
Self which I ever beheld; The River meandering the
open and butifull
Plains, interspursed with Groves of timber, and each
point Covered with
Tall timber, Such as willow Cotton Sun Mulberry,
Elm, Sucamore, Lynn
& ash (The Groves Contain Hickory, Walnut,
Coffeenut &
Oake in addition)
Two ranges of High
Land parrelel to each other and from 4 to 10 miles
Distant between
which the river & its bottoms are Contained. (from 70
to 300 feet high)
Joseph Fields
Killed and brought in an Anamale Called by the French
Brarow, and by the
Ponies Cho car tooch this Anamale Burrows in the
Ground and feeds on
Flesh, (Prarie Dogs), Bugs, & vigatables- "His
Shape & Size is
like that of a Beaver, his head mouth &c. is like a
Dogs with Short Ears,
his Tail and Hair like that of a Ground Hog, and
longer, and
lighter. his Interals like the interals of a Hog," his Skin
thick and loose,
his Belly is White and the Hair Short- a white Streek
from his nose to
his Sholders.
The toe nails of
his fore feet is one Inch & 3/4 long, & feet large;
the nails of his
hind feet 3/4 of an Inch long, the hind feet Small and
toes Crooked, his
legs are Short and when he Moves Just Suffcent to
raise his body
above the Ground He is of the Bear Species. we hav his
Skin Stuffed
Jo. & R. Fields
did not return this evening, Several men with Verry bad
Boils- Cat fish is
Cought in any part of the river Turkeys Gees & a
Beaver Killed &
Cought every thing in prime order men in high Spirits.
a fair Still
evening Great no. misquitors this evening
[Lewis, July 30,
1804]
July the 30th
this day Joseph
Fields killed a Braro as it is called by the French
engages. this is a
singular anamal not common to any part of the United
States. it's weight
is sixteen pounds.- it is a carniverous anamal. on
both sides of the
upper jaw is fexed one long and sharp canine tooth.-
it's eye are small
black and piercing.
[Clark, July 31,
1804]
July 31st Tuesday a
fair Day 3 hunters out this morning G. Drewyer
Killed a verry fat
Buck one Inch fat on the ribs Merdn. altd Latd. is 41°
18' 0"
5/10-North. R & Jo. Fields returned at 10 oClock the Killed 3
Deer, and lost the
horses, Cought a Small Beever which is already taim,
Several men out
hunting the horses without Sukcess, The Ottoes not yet
arrived, I complete
the Copy of the Courses &c. &c. Musqueters verry
troubleson
[Clark, July 31,
1804]
July 31st, Tuesday
a fair Day three Hunters out, Took meridian altitude
made the Lattd. 41°
18' 1" 5/10 N. R. & Jo. Fields returned to Camp They
Killed 3 Deer.- The
Horses Strayed off last night. Drewyer Killed a
Buck one inch of
fat on the ribs, R. & Jo. Fields returned without any
meet haveing been
in persuit of the horses- The Indians not yet
arrived. Cought a
young Beever alive which is already quit tame-.
Cought a Buffalow
fish- The evening verry Cool, The Musqutors are yet
troublesom.-
[Clark, August 1,
1804]
August the 1st 1804
a fair morning, Sent out two men after the horses &
one back to examine
if the Indians have been there, ____ Beever Cought
last night, the air
is Cool and pleasing
Prepared the Pipe
of Peace verry flashey. wind rose at 10 oClock and
blowed from the W.
S. W. very pleasent all day Several men geathering
grapes &c. two
men after the horses which Strayed the night before
last. those Praries
produce the Blue Current Common in the U. S. the
Goose Berry Common
in the U. S, two Kind of Honeysuckle, the Bush which
I have Seen in
Kentucky, with a paile Pink flower, also one which grow
in Clusters about 4
or 5 feet high bearing a Short flour in clusters of
the like Colour.
the leaves Single. 3 Deer & an Elk Killed to day. This
being my birth day
I order'd a Saddle of fat Vennison, an Elk fleece &
a Bevertail to be
cooked and a Desert of Cheries, Plumbs, Raspberries
Currents and grapes
of a Supr. quallity. The Indians not yet arrived. a
Cool fine eveninge
Musquetors verry troublesom, the Praries Contain
Cheres, Apple,
Grapes, Currents, Rasp burry, Gooseberris Hastlenuts and
a great Variety of
Plants & flours not Common to the U S. What a field
for a Botents and a
natirless
[Clark, August 1,
1804]
August the 1st 1804
a fair morning Despatched two men after the horses
lost yesterday, one
man back to the place from which the messinger was
Sent for the Ottoes
to See if any Indians was or had been there Since
our deptr. he
return'd and informed that no person had been there Sence
we left it. The
Prarie which is Situated below our Camp is above the
high water leavel
and rich Covered with Grass from 5 to 8 feet high
intersperced with
Copse of Hazel, Plumbs, Currents (like those of the
U.S.) Rasberries
& Grapes of Dift. Kinds. also produceing a Variety of
Plants and flowers
not Common in the United States, two Kind of honey
Suckle one which
grows to a kind of a Srub. Common about Harrods burgh
in Kentucky the
other are not So large or tall and bears a flower in
Clusters Short and
of a light Pink Colour, the leaves differ from any
of the othe Kind in
as much as the Lieves are Distinkd & does not
Surround the Stalk
as all the other Kind does one Elk and three Deer
Killed to day also
two Beever Cought
The wind rose at 10
oClock from the W. S. W. and blew a Steedy and
agreeable Breeze
all Day.
The Musqutors verry
troublesom this evening in the bottoms.
Took equal
altitudes to day and the azmuth with the Commencement of the
A.M.
[Clark, August 2,
1804]
August 2nd 1804
wind from the SE G. Drewery returned with the horses &
one Doe Elk the
countrey thro which he passed is like what we See from
the Bluff above
Camp three men out Hunting one Beaver caught this
morning.
at Sunset 6 chiefs
and their warries of the Ottos, and Missoures, with
a french man by the
name of Far fonge, we Shook hands and gave them
Some Tobacco & Provisions,
they Sent us Water Millions Three verry
large & fat
Bucks Killed to day the wind Continue hard from the S. E.-
the 4 qtr. of one
Buck weigh'd 147 wt 11/2 Inch fat on the ribs
[Clark, August 2,
1804]
August 2nd Thursday
1804
A verry pleasent Breeze
from the S. E. The Two men Drewyer & Colter
returned with the
horses loaded with Elk, those horses they found about
12 miles in a
Southerly Derection from Camp.
The Countrey thro
which they passed is Similar to what we See from
Camp. one Beaver
& a foot of Beaver caught in trap Cought this morning
at Sunset Mr.
Fairfong and a pt. of Otteau & Missourie Nation Came to
Camp, among those
Indians 6 were Chiefs, the principal Chiefs Capt.
Lewis & myself
met those Indians & informed them we were glad to See
them, and would
Speak to them tomorrow, Sent them Som rosted meat Pork
flour & meal,
in return they Sent us Water millions. every man on his
Guard & ready
for any thing Three fat Bucks Killed this evening the 4
qtrs. of one
weighed 147 lbs.
[Lewis, August 2,
1804]
August 2ed 1804.
This day one of our
Hunters brought me a white Heron. this bird as an
inhabitant of ponds
and Marasses, and feeds upon tadpoles, frogs, small
fish &c- they
are common to the Mississipi and the lower part of the
ohio River, (ie) as
high as the falls of that river.
this bird weighed
two lbs.- it's plumage is perfectly white and very
thin
F I.
from extremity of
beak to the extremity of toe
4 71/4
from tipp to tip of
wing on the back
4 11
it's beak is yellow
pointed, flated crosswise and 5 Inches in length
from the upper
region of the bill to the eye is one inch in length,
covered with a
smoth yellow skin the plumage of the head projecting
towards the upper
bill and coming to a point a an Inch beyond the eyes
on the center of
the upper bill. The mouth opens to distance of the
eyes- The eye is
full and projecting reather, it is 7/10 of half an
inch. four joints
in the wing
Inches
1st joint from body
in length 6
2ed Do.
81/4
3rd Do.
31/2
4th Do.
1
1st joint Number of
feathers 7 Length of 3
2nd 18 6
3 6 from 10 to 12
4th 5 12
it's legs are
black- the neck and beak occupy 1/2 it's length. it has
four toes on a
foot- the outer toe on the right foot is from the
joining of the leg
to extremity of toe nale 4 Inch & 1/4 has four
joints exclusive of
the nail joint- the next is 43/4 inches has three
joints exclusive of
the nale joint. the next is 33/4 and has two
joints, the heel
toe has one joint only and is 3 Inches in length. the
nails are long
sharp and black- the eye is of a deep seagreen colour,
with a circle of of
pale yellow around the sight forming a border to
the outer part of
the eye of about half the width of the whole eye. the
tale has 12
feathers of six inches in length.- the wings when folded
are the same length
with the tale.
has 2 remarkable
tufts of long feathers on each side joining the body
at the upper joint
of the wing. these cover the feathers of the 1st
joint of the wings
when they are over extended
[Clark, August 3,
1804]
August 3rd Friday
prepare a Small preasent for those Indians and hold a
Councul Delivered a
Speech & made 8 6 chief ... gave a fiew preasents
and, a Smoke a
Dram, Some Powder & Ball- the man we Sent not yet come
up, Those people
express great Satisfaction at the Speech Delivered
they are no
Oreters, big, open Counternances, ottoes large Missor Small
at 4 oClock Set out
under a gentle Breeze from the S. E proceeded on N.
5° E 5 Ms. Passed a
Pt. on the S. S. and round a large Sand bar on the L.
S. and Camped
above, below a great number of Snags quit across the
river, The
Musquitors more numerous than I ever Saw them, all in
Spirrits, we had
Some rough Convasation G. Dr. about boys.
The Osage &
Kansies are the Same language
the Ottoes &
Mahars Speek many words of the Osarge language
The Ottos, Aiaways,
& Missouries Speake the Same language the Panies &
Recreries Speak the
Same language also the Loups & repub. the Mahar, &
Poncarar the Same
Language The Cheaun, Mandin & Grovanter the Same The
Probibility is that
those defferant tribes have once formed 3 great
nats. Viz: the
Missouries, Osarge, Kanzes, Ottoes, Mahars, & Poncaras &
Aiauaies one
nation.
The Panies, Loups,
Republican, Recrerees the 2nd
The Mandans
Cheeons, & Grovanters the 3rd The tribes of the Soux all
retain the name 4th
It is possible that
the, Mahar & Poncarear may have been a Distinct
nation, as they
only Speek Some words of the osage which have the Same
Signification 25
Days to St Ta fee S. of W. Cross the heads of
Arkansies around
the head of Kanzies River after Delivering a Speech
informing thos
Children of ours of the Change which had taken place,
the wishes of our
government to Cultivate friendship & good
understanding, the
method of have good advice & Some Directions, we
made 1 Great Chief
to the who was not present, to whom we adresed the
Speech & Sent
Some presents or Meadels & flag, we made 2 Second Chiefs
one for the
Missouris & another for the Ottos (those two tribes are
nearly equal 1'70
each) and 4 principal men, to thos principal men to
thos we gave a
Small Comtn. to each man to whom we gave authority, a
preasn of Br. Ch.
Gart. g. Paint & a med. or Contn a Small Corns. was
delivered for the
whole each Chief & principal man delivered a Speech
acknowledging ther
approbation to what they had heard and promised to
prosue the good
advice and Caustion, they were happy w new fathers who
gave good advice
& to be Depended on all Concluded by asking a little
Powder & a Drop
of Milk.
I answered those
Speeches gave them 50 balls one Canister of Powder & a
Dram- after Cap
Lewis Shot his air gun a few times which astonished the
nativs, we Set
Sail. recved from thos people water millions & The
Cheifs &
Principal men of the Ottoes & Missouris made by M L. & W C the
3rd August 1804
Viz. Indian Names Tribe English
Signifiation
1.
We-ar-ruge-nor Ottoe Little Thief
2. Shingo-ton go Otto Big horse
We tha a Missourie Hospatallity
3. Wau-pe-ur Miss.
Au-ho-ning ga M
Ba Za con ja Ottoe
Au-ho-ne-ga Miss.
from this place I
am told by Mr. Faufong the interpeter that it will
take a man 25 Days
to go to St. a fee pass, the heads of Arkansas,
round the Kansas
head, across Some mountains from the top of which the
City may be Seen
the Spaniards have envited those Indians & the Panies
to trade with them
& Some french & a few indians are gorn from the
Panias to that City
this Summer-
The Situation of
this place which we Call Council Bluff which is
handsom ellevated a
Spot well Calculated for a Tradeing establishment,
the Bank high &
leavel on top well Calculated for a fort to Command the
Countrey and river
the low bottom above high water & well Situated
under the Command
of the Hill for Houses to trade with the Natives a
butifull Plain both
abov and below at no other bend on either Side does
the High land touch
the river for Some distance up, as I am told.
those Bluffs afford
good Clay for Brick, a great quantity on the 3
points one Opsd.
one abov &one below.- the Situation I am informed is,
within 1 Days march
of the Ottoes, 11/2 of the Panias, 2 of the Mahars,
& 21/2 of the
Loups Villages, also Convenient to the roveing Bands of
Soux, Those people
are now at war with each other, an establishment
here would bring
about peace and be the means of Keeping of it.
Augt. 3d Camped on
the upper point of a large Sand bar L. S. Misquters
verry bad. Some
place near Conncill Bluff will be the most proper place
for a tradeing
establishment, for maney of the nations, the distance is
to the Ottoes one
Days, Ponies 11/2 days, to the Mahar, 2 days, to
Loups 2 Days &
a half 16 or 1800 men-and convenient for Some bands of
the Sues,
[Clark, August 3,
1804]
August 3rd, Friday
1804
made up a Small
preasent for those people in perpotion to their
Consiqunce. also a
package with a meadile to accompany a Speech for the
Grand Chief after
Brackfast we Collected those Indians under an orning
of our Main Sail,
in presence of our Party paraded & Delivered a long
Speech to them
expressive of our journey the wirkes of our Government,
Some advice to them
and Directions how They were to Conduct themselves,
the princapal Chief
for the nation being absente we sent him the Speech
flag Meadel &
Some Cloathes. after hering what they had to say
Delivered a medal
of Second Grade to one for the Ottos & and one for
the Missourie
present and 4 medals of a third Grade to the inferior
Chief two for each
tribe. Those two parts of nations, Ottos &
Missouries now
residing together is about 250 men are the Ottoes
Composeing 2/3d and
Missourie 1/3 part
The names of the
Chiefs we acknowledged Made this day are as follows Viz
Indian name English signftn.
1st We ar ruge nor Ottoe Called Little Theif
2 Shon go ton go " " Big Horse
We the a Miss. "
Hospatality
Shon Guss Con Ottoe " White horse
Wau pe uh M.
Ah ho ning ga M.
Baza cou ja Ottoe
Ah ho ne ga M.
Those Chiefs all
Delivered a Speech acknowledgeing Their approbation to
the Speech and
promissing to prosue the advice & Derictions given them
that they wer happy
to find that they had fathers which might be
depended on &c.
We gave them a
Cannister of Powder and a Bottle of whiskey and
delivered a few
presents to the whole after giveing a Br. Cth. Some
Paint guartering
& a Meadele to those we made Cheifs after Capt Lewis's
Shooting the air
gun a feiw Shots (which astonished those nativs) we
Set out and
proceeded on five miles on a Direct line passed a point on
the S. S. &
round a large Sand bar on the L. S. & Camped on the upper
point. The
Misquitors excessively troublesom this evening Great
appearance of wind
and rain to the N. W. we prepare to rec've it- The
man Liberty whome
we Sent for the Ottoes has not Come up he left the
Ottoes Town one Day
before the Indians. This man has eithered tired his
horse or, lost
himself in the Plains Some Indians are to hunt for him,
The Situation of
our last Camp Councill Bluff or Handssom Prarie
appears to be a
verry proper place for a Tradeing establishment &
fortification The
Soil of the Bluff well adapted for Brick, Great deel
of timbers abov in
the two Points. many other advantages of a Small
nature. and I am
told Senteral to Several nations Viz. one Days march
from the Ottoe
Town, one Day & a half from the great Pania village, 2
days from the Mahar
Towns, two 1/4 Days from the Loups Village, &
Convenient to the
Countrey thro which Bands of the Soux hunt. perhaps
no other Situation
is as well Calculated for a Tradeing establishment.
The air is pure and
helthy So far as we can judge.-
[Clark, August 4,
1804]
August 4th at 7
oClock the heavens darkened and a violent wind from the
N W. Suckceeded
which lasted about an hour, with a little rain.
Set out this
morning early thro a narrow part of the, the whole Channel
Confined in Some
parts between the (1) Sand on one Side & the bank on
the other (which is
washing in) within 200 yards, this Chanl. Crouded
with Snags. at 11/2
m. passed an old tradeing house L. S. where one of
our Crew passed 2
years P. C tradeing with the Mahar; & Ponies-above 1
me. a (3) Creek
Coms in opsd. a large bad (2) Sand bar this (3) Creek
is the outlett of 3
ponds, which recved ther water from the Smaller
Streams running
from the hills on the L. S, Great qts. of Gees, passed
in the next bend L.
S. an out let to the Pond, Butifull bottom Prarie
on both Sides of
the river, Pumey Stone is found on the Sides of the
river of various
Sizes. Wind a head. Reed the man who went back to the
Camp of last night
for his Knife has not Come up this evening-we Camped
at a pt. on the L.
S. at a Beaver house. 1 Buck Killed to daye.
[Clark, August 4,
1804]
August 4th
Satturdaye
Set out early- (at
7 oClock last night we had a Violent wind from the N
W Som little rain
Succeeded, the wind lasted with violence for one hour
after the wind it
was clear Sereen and Cool all night.) proceeded on
passed thro betwen
Snags which was quit across the Rivr the Channel
Confined within 200
yards one Side a Sand pt. S S. the other a Bend,
the Banks washing
away & trees falling in constantly for 1 mile, abov
this place is the
remains of an old Tradeing establishment L. S. where
Petr. Crusett one
of our hands Stayed two years & traded with the
Mahars a Short
distance above is a Creek (3) the out let of Three Ponds
comunicateing with
each other, those Ponds or rether Lakes are fed by
Springs & Small
runs from the hills. (2) a large Sand Island opposit
this Creek makeing
out from the L. Point, from the Camp of last night
to this Creek, the
river has latterly Changed its bed incroaching on
the L. Side, in
this Sand bar I Saw great Nos. of wild gees- passed a
Small Creek on the
L. S about 3 miles above the last both of those
Creek's are out
lets from the Small Lake which reive their water from
the Small Streems
running from the high land- great many Pamey Stones
on the Shore of
various Sises the wind blew hard- Reed a man who went
back to Camp for
his knife has not joined us. we camped at a Beaver
house on the L.
S.one Buck Killed to day-
[Clark, August 5,
1804]
August 5th Set out
early wind from N E. Great appearance of Wind &
rain, (I have
remarked that I have not heard much thunder in this
Countrey) a verry
large Snake was Killed to day called the Bull Snake,
his Colour Some
thing like a rattle Snake Something lighter- the bends
of the river to day
is washing away the banks, haveing nothing to
oppose the
turbelance of the river when Confined by large hard Sand
Points, forceing
this Current against the bends- the Soil of the entire
bottom between the
high land, being the mud or Ooze of the river of
Some former period
mixed with Sand & Clay easely melts and Slips, or
washies into the
river the mud mixes with the water & the Sand collects
on the points
Camped on the S. S.- I went on Shore S. S. this evening
Saw Some turkeys
and in persueing them Struk the river 12 miles below
the place by water
I went out, I think the Peninsuly is about 370 yards
across Subjuct to
overflow; & washes into numerous Channels, Great
quantities of Graps
ripe & of three Defferent Kind Some large & fine. I
Killed a Turkey,
and made Camp in the Night, Musqutors verry
troubleson- Reed
the man who went back for his Knife has not yet joined
us
[Clark, August 5,
1804]
5th of August
Sunday 1804
Set out early great
appearance of wind and rain (I have observed that
Thundor &
lightning is not as common in this Countrey as it is in the
atlantic States)
Snakes are not plenty, one was killed to day large and
resembling the
rattle Snake only Something lighter-. I walked on Shore
this evening S. S.
in Pursueing Some Turkeys I struck the river twelve
miles below within
370 yards, the high water passes thro this
Peninsulia; and
agreeable to the Customary Changes of the river I
Concld. that in two
years the main Current of the river will pass
through. In every
bend the banks are falling in from the Current being
thrown against
those bends by the Sand points which inlarges and the
Soil I believe from
unquestionable appearns. of the entire bottom from
one hill to the
other being the mud or ooze of the River at Some former
Period mixed with
Sand and Clay easily melts and Slips into the River,
and the mud mixes
with the water & the Sand is washed down and lodges
on the points-
Great quantites of Grapes on the banks, I observe three
different Kinds at
this time ripe, one Of the no. is large & has the
flaver of the
Purple grape. camped on the S. S. the Musquitors verry
troubleson. The man
who went back after his Knife has not yet come up,
we have Some
reasons to believe he has Deserted
[Lewis, August 5,
1804]
August 5th 1804
Killed a serpent on
the bank of the river adjoining a large prarie.
F Inch
Length from nose to
tail 5 2
Circumpherence in
largest part- 41/2
Number of scuta on
belly- 221
Do. on Tale- 53
No pison teeth
therefore think him perfectly inocent- eyes, center
black with a border
of pale brown yellow Colour of skin on head
yellowish green
with black specks on the extremity of the scuta which
are pointed or
triangular colour of back, transverse stripes of black
and dark brown of
an inch in width, succeeded by a yellowish brown of
half that width the
end of the tale hard and pointed like a cock's spur
the sides are
speckled with yellowish brown and black.- two roes of
black spots on a
lite yellow ground pass throughout his whole length on
the upper points of
the scuta of the belly and tale 1/2 Inch apart this
snake is vulgarly
called the cow or bull snake from a bellowing nois
which it is said sometimes
to make resembling that anamal, tho as to
this fact I am
unable to attest it never having heard them make that or
any other noise
myself.
I have frequently
observed an acquatic bird in the cours of asscending
this river but have
never been able to procure one before today, this
day I was so
fortunate as to kill two of them, they are here more
plenty than on the
river below. they lay their eggs on the sand bars
without shelter or
nest, and produce their young from the 15th to the
last of June, the young
ones of which we caught several are covered
with down of a
yellowish white colour and on the back some small specks
of a dark brown.
they bear a great resemblance to the young quale of
ten days oald, and
apear like them to be able to runabout and peck
their food as soon
as they are hatched- this bird, lives on small fish,
worms and bugs
which it takes on the virge of the water it is seldom
seen to light on
trees an quite as seldom do they lite in the water and
swim tho the foot
would indicate that they did it's being webbed I
believe them to be
a native of this country and probly a constant
resident.
the weight of the
male bird is one ounce and a half, its length from
beak to toe 71/2
inches from tip to tip of wing across the back one
foot seven inches
and a half the beak is one 1/8 inch lonong, large
where it joins the
head Elated on the sides and tapering to a sharp
point, a little
declining and curvated, a fine yellow, with a shade of
black on the
extremity of upper beak; the eye is prominent, black and
on a angular scale
of 1/2 Inc; occupyse 3 1/3 in width. the upper part
of the head is
black from the beak as low as the middle of the eye and
a little below the
joining of the neck except however some white which
joins the upper
part of the beak which forks and passing over the sides
of the forehead
terminate above each eye- the under part of the bird,
that is the throat
and cheeks as high as the eye, the neck brest belly
and under part of
the wings and tail are of a fine white, the upper
part of the neck,
back, and wings are of a fine, quaker colour, or
bright dove colour
with reather more of a bluish tint-except however
the three first or
larger feathers in the wing which on upper side are
of a deep black.
the wing has four joints
No. Joint
Length of joint
No. of feathers
Length of do.
1
11/2
a Clump of feathers
not strong but loosly connect with the flesh of the
wing
11/2
2
2
16
2
3
11/2
7
from 21/2 to 41/2
4
3/4
3
51/2
the tail has eleven
feathers the outer of which are an inch longer than
those in the center
gradually tapering inwards which gives the tale a
forked appearance
like that of the swally the largest or outer feather
is 23/4 that of the
shortest 13/4- the leg and thye are three inches
long the leg
occupying one half this length the thye is covered with
feathers except
about 1/4 of an inch above the knee the leg is of a
bright yellow and
nails long sharp and black the foot is webbed and has
three toes forward;
the heel or back toe is fixed to the leg above the
palm of the foot,
and is unconnected by a web to the other toes, it has
no nail. the wings
when foalded lap like those of the swallow and
extend at least an
inch and a half beyond the tale. this bird is very
noysey when flying
which is dose exttreemly swift the motion of the
wing is much like
that of kildee it has two notes one like the squaking
of a small pig only
on reather a high kee, and the other kit'-tee'-
kit'-tee'- as near
as letters can express the sound- the beak of the
female is black and
the black and quaker colour of the male in her is
yellowish brown
mixed with dove colour
[Clark, August 6,
1804]
August 6th Monday
1804 at 12 oClock last night a Violent Storm of wind
& rain from the
N. W. one perogue (Bapteest Le joness Patroon) lost her
Colours Set out
early & proceeded on passed a large Island on the S. S.
back of this Island
Rivie de Soldiert Come in on the S. S.- the
Solder's River is
about the Sise of Nodaway 20 yd. wide at the mouth,
passed two
remarkable places, where the River had once Passed- We have
every reason to
belive that one man has Deserted Moses B. Reed he has
been absent three
Days and one french man we Sent to the Indian Camps
has not joined us,
we have reasons to beleve he lost himself in
attempting to join
us at the Council Bluff- we are deturmind to Send
back 4 men to take
reede Dead or alive, also hunt La Liberty and to
meet us at the
Mahar nation as Soon as the order is executed.
[Clark, August 6,
1804]
6th August, Monday
1804
At 12 oClock last
nigh a violent Storm of wind from the N W. Some rain
one pr. of Colours
lost in the Storm from the bige Perogue. Set out
early and proceeded
on passed a large Island on the S. S. back of this
Isd. Soldiers River
mouths, I am told by one of the men that this river
is about the Size
of Nadawa river 40 yards wide at the mouth. Reed has
not yet come up.
neither has La Liberty the frenchman whome we Sent to
the Indian Camps a
fiew miles below the Council Bluffs.
[Clark, August 7,
1804]
August 7th Tuesday
last night about 8 oClock a Storm of wind from the
N. W. which lasted
3/4 of an hour mosquitors more troublesom last night
than I ever Saw
them, Set out late this morning wind N.
[Clark, August 7,
1804]
7th August Tuesday
1804
last night at 8
oClock a Storm from the N W. lasted 3/4 of an hour let
out late this
morning wind from the North- at 1 oClock dispatched
George Drewyer, R.
Fields, Wm. Bratten & Wm. Labieche back after the
Deserter reid with
order if he did not give up Peaceibly to put him to
Death &c. to go
to the Ottoes Village & enquire for La Liberty and
bring him to the
Mahars Village, also with a Speech on the occasion to
the Ottoes &
Missouries- and directing a few of their Chiefs to come to
the Mahars, &
we would make a peace between them & the Mahar and Souex,
a String of wompom
& a Carrot of Tobacco. proceeded on and Camped on
the S. S.
I walked on Shore
with one man Collies,-the bottoms Covered with very
Collin Killed an
elk, I fired 4 times at one & have reasons to think I
Kiled him but could
not find him, The Misqutors were So troublesom and
Misqutors thick in
the Plains that I could not Keep them out of my
eyes, with a bush.
in my absens Capt Lewis Killed a Pelican on Pelicans
Island, at which
place maney Hundreds had Collected, they left 3 fish
which was. fresh
and very good, we camped on the S. S. in a Streght
part of the river-
[Clark, August 8,
1804]
August the 8th 1804
Set out this morning at the usial time at about 2
miles (1) passed a
part of the river So choked up with Snags that we
found a little
dificult to get thro with Safty, the wind as usial from
the N W. one of the
Soldiers Killed a Pilican on the Sand Isd. passed
the mouth of Little
(2) River de Cueoux on the S. S. this river is
about 80 yards wide
& navagable for Pirogus Some distance & runs
parrelel to the
Missourie it corns in from the River from the N E, it
contains great
Quantitys offish Common to the Countrey. two Miles above
is (3) an Island
the Channel formerly run on the right with Sand.- the
Current runs to the
left. many hundreds of Pelicans on this Island- we
call it Pelican
Isld. Cap Lewis Killed one This river Soux Called by
the Sueoux Ed-Neah
Wau-de-pon i'e Stone R heads in three Leagues of the
river Demoin, and
passes thro a Lake about 20 Legues in Sircfs. which
is also within 5
Leagus of the Demoin, this lake at one place is
confined by two
rocks within a narrow Space- this lake of Different
widths, with many
Small Islands, from the Lake to the Mahars about
distant 4 Days
march to the Dog Plains 90 Leagues, one Principal branch
of the Demoin is
calld. Cat river, the Lake which this river Litt Souex
heads in is Called
Despree
[Clark, August 8,
1804]
8th August Wednesday
1804
Set out this
morning at the usial time at two miles passed (1) a bend
to L. S. Choaked up
with Snags our boat run on two in turning to pass
through, we got
through with Safty the wind from N W. (2) passed the
mouth of a River on
the S. Side Called by the Soux Indians Ed-neah Wau
de pon (or Stone
river) the French call this river Petite Rivre de
Cuouex it is about
80 yards wide and as (Mr. Durion Says whos been on
the heads of it and
the Country abt) is navagable for Perogues Som
Distance runs
Parrelel to the Missourie Some Distance, then falls down
from N E thro a
roleing Countrey open, the head of this river is 9
miles from the R
Demon at which place the Demoin is 80 yd wide, this
Little Cuouex
passes thro a lake called Despree which is within 5
Leagues of the
Deemoin the Said Lake is about 20 Leagues in
Circumfrance and is
divided into 2 by two rocks approaching Verry near
each other, this
Lake is of various width, Containing many Islands-
from this Lake to
the Maha 4 days march, as is Said to be near the Dog
Plains one princpal
branch of the Demoin is Called Cat River The Demoin
is Sholey
Capt. Lewis took
Medn. Altitude of the Sun made it 56° 9' 00" Lat 41° 42'
34" and I took
one man and went on Shore the man Killed an Elk I fired
4 times at one
& did not Kill him, my ball being Small I think was the
reason, the
misqutors So bad in the Praries that with the assistance of
a bush I could not
Keep them out of my eyes, the boat turned Several
tims to day on Sand
bars- in my absenc the boat passed a Island 2 miles
above the litte
Scouex R on the upper point of the Isld Some hundreds
of Pelicans were
Collected, they left 3 fish on the Sand which was
verry fine, Capt
Lewis Killed one & took his dimentions, I joined the
boat and we Camped
on the S S.
worthe of remark
that Snakes are not plenty in this part of the
Missourie
[Lewis, August 8,
1804]
August 8th 1804
we had seen but a
few aquatic fouls of any kind on the river since we
commenced our
journey up the Missouri, a few geese accompanied by their
young, the wood
duck which is common to every part of this country &
crains of several
kinds which will be discribed in their respective
places- this day
after we had passed the river Souix as called by Mr.
MacKay (or as is
more properly called the stone river,) I saw a great
number of feathers
floating down the river those feathers had a very
extraordinary
appearance as they appeared in such quantities as to
cover pretty
generally sixty or seventy yards of the breadth of the
river. for three
miles after I saw those feathers continuing to run in
that manner, we did
not percieve from whence they came, at length we
were surprised by
the appearance of a flock of Pillican at rest on a
large sand bar
attatched to a small Island the number of which would if
estimated appear
almost in credible; they apeared to cover several
acres of ground,
and were no doubt engaged in procuring their ordinary
food; which is
fish, on our approach they flew and left behind them
several small fish
of about eight inches in length, none of which I had
seen before- the
Pellican rested again on a sand bar above the Island
which we called
after them from the number we saw on it. we now
approached them
within about three hundred yards before they flew; I
then fired at
random among the flock with my rifle and brought one
down; the
discription of this bird is as follows.
Habits
They are a bird of
clime remain on the coast of Floriday and the
borders of the
Gulph of mexico & even the lower portion of the
Mississippi during
the winter and in the Spring (see for date my
thermometrical
observations at the river Dubois.-) visit this country
and that farther
north for the purpose of raising their young- this
duty seems now to
have been accomplished from the appearance of a young
Pilacon which was
killed by one of our men this morning, and they are
now in large flocks
on their return to their winter quarters. they lay
usually two eggs
only and chuise for a nest a couple of logs of drift
wood near the
water's edge and with out any other preperation but the
thraught formed by
the proximity of those two logs which form a trough
they set and hatch
their young which after nurture with fish their
common food
Measure
F I
From beak to toe 5 8
Tip to tip of wing 9 4
Beak Length 1 3
Do. Width from 2
to 11/2
Neck Length 1 11
1st joint of wing 1 1
2ed Do. 1 41/2
3rd Do. - 7
4th do. - 23/4
Length of leg including foot 10
Do. of thy 11
Discription of
Colour &c
The beak is a
whiteish yellow the under part connected to a bladder
like pouch, this
pounch is connected to both sides of the lower beak
and extends down on
the under side of the neck and terminates in the
stomach- this pouch
is uncovered with feathers, and is formed two skins
the one on the
inner and the other on the center side a small quantity
of flesh and
strings of which the anamal has at pleasure the power of
moving or drawing
in such manner as to contract it at pleasure. in the
present subject I
measured this pouch and found it's contents 5 gallons
of water
The feet are webbed
large and of a yellow colour, it has four toes the
hinder toe is
longer than in most aquatic fouls, the nails are black,
not sharp and 1/2
an inch in length
The plumage
generally is white, the feathers are thin compared with the
swan goose or most
aquatick fouls and has but little or no down on the
body. the upper
part of the head is covered with black feathers short,
as far as the back
part of the head- the yellow skin unfeathered
extends back from
the upper beak and opening of the mouth and comes to
a point just behind
the eye
The large feathers
of the wings are of a deep black colour- the 1st &
2nd joint of from
the body above the same is covered with a second
layer of white
feathers which extend quite half the length of those
large feathers of
the wing- the thye is covered with feathers within a
quarter of an inch
of the knee.
Inch
1st joint of wing
has feathers No. 21 Length 9 Black
2ed Do. No. 17 Length 13 Inch
3rd Do. No. 5 Length 18 Inch
4th Do. No. 3 Length 19 Inch
it has a curious
frothy substance which seems to devide its feathers
from the flesh of
the body and seems to be composes of globles of air
and perfectly
imbraces the part of the feather which extends through
the skin.the wind
pipe terminates in the center of the lower part of
the upper and
unfeathered part of the pouch and is secured by an
elastic valve
commanded at pleasure.
The green insect
known in the U States by the name of the sawyer or
chittediddle, was
first heard to cry on the 27th of July, we were then
in latitude 41°
some minutes.
The prarie hen or
grouse, was seen in the praries between the Missouri
and the river
platte
[Clark, August 9,
1804]
9th Augt Thursday
1804 The fog of this morning detained us untill 1/2
passed 7 oClock at
which time we left our moreing and proceeded on
under a gentle
Breeze from the S. E, I went on Shore found the Land the
Same as yesterday
Killed a Turkey and Camped on the L. S. great deel of
Beaver Sign to day
one Beaver Cought Musquetors worse this evening than
ever I have Seen
them.
[Clark, August 9,
1804]
9th August Thursday
1804
The fog being thick
detained us untile half pasd. 7 oClock at which
time we Set out and
proceeded on under Gentle Breeze from the S E I
walked on Shore,
Saw an Elk, crossed a Istmust of 3/4 of a mile to the
river, &
returned to the boat Camped on the L. S. above a Beaver Den.
Musqutors verry
troubleson.
[Clark, August 11,
1804]
August 11th
Satturday 1804 about day this morning a hard wind from the
N. W. followed by
rain, we landed at the foot of the hill on which
Black Bird The late
King of the mahar who Died 4 years ago & 400 of his
nation with the
Small pox was buried (1) and went up and fixed a white
flag bound with
Blue white & read on the Grave which was about 12 foot
Base &
circueller, on the top of a Penical about 300 foot above the
water of the river,
from the top of this hill may be Seen the bends or
meanderings of the
river for 60 or 70 miles round & all the County
around the base of
this high land is a Soft Sand Stone Bluff of about
40 or 150 foot, the
Crooked, passed a Creek Called Wau-Con di peche C
or Bad God Creek of
bad Spirits on the L. S above the Bluff on this
Creek the Mahars
had the Small pox 4 years ago, Lattitude 42° 1'3" 8/10
taken on the Point
above the Creek. the river is verry Crooked, we are
now within 3/4 of a
mile of the river at a place we Shall not get
around to untill
tomorrow noon- We er 3 Legues from the Mahars by land
and the great deel
of Beaver sign induce a belief that those people do
not hunt much.
I have observed a
number of places where the river has Changd its Bead
at different times
[Clark, August 11,
1804]
11th August
Satturday 1804. about day light this Morning a hard wind
from the N W. with
Some rain proceeded on arround the right of the Isld.
a hard wind
accompanied with rain from the S. E. after the rain was
over Capt. Lewis
myself & 10 men assended the Hill on the L. S. under
which there was
Some fine Springs to the top of a high point where the
Mahars King Black
Bird was burried 4 years ago. a mound of earth about
12 Diamuter at the
base & 6 feet high is raised over him turfed, and a
pole 8 feet high in
the Center on this pole we fixed a white flage
bound with red Blue
& white; this hill about 300 feet above the water
forming a Bluff
between that & the Water of Various hight from 40 to
150 feet in hight
yellow Soft Sand Stone from the tops of this Nole the
river may be Seen
Meandering for 60 or 70 Miles, we Decended & Set out
N. 24 to W. 1/2 me.
passing over a Sand bar on the S. pt. along the
Willows. to the
river opposit a Small Beyeau on the L. S. which is the
Conveyance of the
high water from a bend which appears near in a
northerly
direction, haveing passed a Creek in a Deep bend to the L. S.
Called by the
Mahars Wau can di Peeche (Great Spirrit is bad) on this
Creek & Hills
near it about 400 of the Mahar Died with the Small Pox-
Took Medn. Altitude
& made the Latd. 42° 1' 3" 8/10 N. also the Moons
Distanc from the
Sun I have observed a number of places where the River
has onced run and
now filled or filling up & growing with willows &
cottonwood
[Clark, August 12,
1804]
12th August Sunday
1804 a South wind We Set out early the river wider
than usial, and
Shallow, at 12 we halted in a bend to the left to take
the Meridian
altitude, & Dine, & Sent one man across where we took
Dinner yesterday to
Step off the Distance across Isthmus, he made it
974 yards, and the
bend around is 183/4 miles above this bend about 4
miles, a yellow
& Brown Bluff Comnuces and Continus 3 or 4 miles on the
L. S. this Bluff
has Some Sand Stone, Some rich Black mole mixed with
yellow Clay, a fiew
Red Ceeder on the tope, which is, from 20 to 150
foot high the hill
Still riseing back, I think may be estemated at 200
foot on the top is
timber, the wind for a few hours this evening was
hard and from the
S. E. In the evening about 5 oClock Cap L. & My Self
wen on Shore to
Shoot a Prarie wolf which was barking at us as we
passed This Prarie
Wolf barked like a large fest and is not much
larger, the Beaver
is verry plenty, not with Standing we are almost in
Sight of the Mahar
Town- Cought a verry Large Catfish this morniong,
prepared the Indian
present which we intend given to the Mahars. P.
Wiser apt. Cook to
Serjt. Floyds Squad from to day
[Clark, August 12,
1804]
12th August Sunday
1804
Set out early under
a gentle Breeze from the South the river wider than
usial and Shallow
(1) at 12 oClock we halted to take a meridian altd.
of the Sun &
Sent a man back or I may Say across to the Bind of the
river where Capt.
Lewis took the Mdn. altitude yesterday, to Step off
the distance, he
made it 974 yards across, the Distance arround the
bend is 183/4
miles- about 4 miles above the bend on the L. S. is the
Commencement of a
Bluff which is about 4 miles extending on the river,
of yellow and brown
Clay in Some parts in it near the river a Soft Sand
Stone is inbeded on
the top (which is from 20 to 150 feet above the
water, & rises
back) is Covered with timber, a fiew red Ceider is on
this Bluff, the
wind Comes round to the S. E. a Prarie Wolf Come near
the bank and Barked
at us this evening, we made an attempt but could
not git him, this
Animale Barkes like a large feste Dog. Beever is
verry Plenty on
this part of the river. I prepare Some presents for to
give the Indians of
the Mahars nation. Wiser apt. Cook & Supentdt. of
the Provisions of
Sergt. Floyds Squad. we Camped on a Sand Island in a
bend to the S. S.
Musquitors verry troublesom untile the wind rose. at
one or 2 oClock
[Clark, August 13,
1804]
13th of August
Munday 1804. Set out this morning at Day light the usial
time and proceeded
on under a gentle Breeze from the S. E. passed the
Island.
From this Fish Camp
the River is N 55° West as far as Can be Seen, the
Sand bar only
changeing the Derection of the Current the Hills leave
the river on the L.
Side
[Clark, August 13,
1804]
August 13th Monday
1804
Set out this
morning at Light the usial time and proceeded on under a
gentle Breeze from
the S E
[Clark, August 14,
1804]
14th of August at
12 oClock the Party Sent yesterday to the Towns
returned, and
informed that they Could not find any Indians, they had
not returned from
hunting the Buffalow in the Praries, wind Shifted to
the N W. Our party
Sent after the Deserter and to the Otteau towns,
have not Came up as
yet
The Situation of
this Village, now in ruins Siround by enunbl. hosts of
grave the ravages
of the Small Pox (4 years ago) they follow the Buf.
and tend no Corn
[Clark, August 14,
1804]
14th August Tuesday
1804
a fine morning wind
from the S E The men Sent to the Mahar Town last
evening has not
returned we Conclude to Send a Spye to Know the cause
of Their delay at
about 12 oClock the Party returned and in-formed. us
that they Could not
find the Indians nor any fresh Sign, those people
have not returned
from their Buffalow hunt, Those people haveing no
houses no Corn or
any thing more than the graves of their ancesters to
attach them to the
old Village, Continue in pursuite of the Buffalow
longer than others
who had greater attachments to their native
Villagethe ravages
of the Small Pox (which Swept off 400 men & women &
Children in
perpoposion) has reduced this Nation not exceeding 300 men
and left them to
the insults of their weaker neighbours which before
was glad to be on
friendly turms with them- I am told whin this fatal
malady was among
them they Carried ther franzey to verry extroadinary
length, not only of
burning their Village, but they put their wives &
Children to Death
with a view of their all going together to Some
better Countrey-
They burry their Dead on the tops of high hills and
rais mounds on the
top of them,- The cause or way those people took the
Small Pox is
uncertain, the most Probable from Some other Nation by
means of a warparty
Observed Time and
Distance of the Sun & Moon the Moon East the 13th of
August Monday 1804,
three Miles NE of the Mahars old village at Fish
Camp-
[Clark, August 15,
1804]
August 15th
Wendesday I took ten men & went out to Beaver Dam across a
Creek about a mile S
W from Camp, and with a Brush Drag caught 308
fish, of the
following kind (i'e) Pike, Samon, Bass, Pirch, Red horse,
Small Cat, & a
kind of Perch Called on the Ohio Silverfish I also
Caught the Srimp
which is Common to the Lower part of the Mississippi,
in this Creek &
in the Beaver Pond is emince beads of Mustles Verry
large & fat- in
my absence Capt Lewis Send the Souex interpr & a party
to a Smoke which
appeared to rise at no great distance to the north
with a view to find
Some Band of that nation, they returned and
informed that they
had been made Some time by Some Small party, and the
hard wind of to day
had set the Prarie on fire from Some high trees,
which was left
burning all well, Party from Ottoes not come up.
Camp three Miles N.
E of the Mahar Village
[Clark, August 15,
1804]
August 15th
Wednesday 1804
I went with ten men
to a Creek Damed by the Beavers about half way to
the Village, with
Some Small willow & Bark we mad a Drag and haulted up
the Creek, and Cought
318 fish of different kind i'e Peke, Bass,
Salmon, perch, red
horse, Small Cat, and a kind of perch Called
Silverfish, on the
Ohio.- I cought a Srimp prosisely of Shape Size &
flavour of those
about N. Orleans & the lower party of the Mississippi
in this Creek which
is only the pass or Streight from Beaver Pond to
another, is Crouded
with large Mustles Verry fat, Ducks, Pliver of
different Kinds are
on those Ponds as well as on the river in My
absence Capt. Lewis
Sent Mr. Durioue the Souix interpeter & three men
to examine a fire
which threw up an emence Smoke from the Praries on
the N. E. Side of
the River and at no great distance from Camp- the
Object of this
party was to find Some Bands of Seouex which the inptr.
thought was near
the Smoke and get them to Come in- in the evening this
Party returned and
infoermed, that the fire arrose from Some trees
which had been left
burning by a Small party of Seoux whom had passed
Several Days- the
wind Setting from that point, blew the Smoke from
that pt. over our
Camp. our party all in health and Sperrits the men
Sent to the Ottoes
& in pursute of the Deserter Reed has not yet
returned or joined
our party.
[Clark, August 16,
1804]
Aug. 16th 1804
a Verry cool
morning the winds as usial from the N W. Capt Lewis with
men went out to the
Creek & Pond & Caught about 800 fine fish with a
Bush Drag of the
following kind i.e. 79 Pike, 8 Salmon, 1 Rock, 1 flat
Back, 127 Buffalow
& readHorse, 4 Bass & 490 Cat, with many Small &
large Silver fish,-
I had a mast made & fixed to day The Party Sent to
the Ottoes not yet
arrived. the wind Shifted around to the S E. the
night's are Cool
& a Breeze rises after generally; Sometimes before
night which Blows
off the Musquitors cools the atmospere.
[Clark, August 16,
1804]
16th August
Thursday 1804 Fishing Camp 3 ms. N. E. of the Mahars. a
verry cool morning
the wind as usial from the N W.
Capt Lewis took 12
men & went to the Pond & Crek between Camp and the
old Village and
Cought upwards of Boo fine fish, 79 Pike, 8 Salmon, 1
Rock,flat Back, 127
Buffalow & red horse 4 Bass & 490 Catt. with many
Small Silver fish I
had a Mast made &fixed to the Boat to day, the
Party Sent to the
Ottoes not yet joined us- the wind Shifted arround to
the S. E. everry
evening a Breeze rises which blows off the Musquitors
& Cools the
atmispeire.
[Clark, August 17,
1804]
17th August 1804. a
fine morning Wind from the S. E. I will here annex
the Latds &
Distances of the Different notable placies from the River
Dubois or Mouth up.
The Longitudes are
not yet Calculated, We must be at this time about 99°
45' 00" West
of Greenwich- I Collected a grass much resembling wheet
with a grain like
Rye, much fuller of grain, one like Rye & one like
Barley Grass Small,
a Grass like Timothey except the Seed which is on
branches from the
main Stalk-
Late this evening
one of the party Sent after the deserters returned &
joined us, he left
the party 3 miles back, they cought both Deserters,
one of them La
liberty, got away from them, the Great Chief & 2nd Chief
of the ottoes
accompaned the Party with a view to bring about a Peice
between themselves
& the Mahar a great missfortune that the Mahars have
not returned from
the hunt- Sent & fiered the Prarie near Camp to bring
in the Mahars &
Souex if any are near. a Cool evening, 2 Beever Cought
[Clark, August 17,
1804]
17th August Friday
1804.
a fine Morning the
wind from the S. E. I collected a grass much
resembling wheat in
its grouth the grain like Rye, also Some resembling
Rye & Barly. a
kind of Timothey, the Seed of which branches from the
main Stalk & is
more like flax Seed than that of a Timothey
at 6 oClock this
evening Labieche one of the Party Sent to the Ottoes
joined, and
informed that the Party was behind with one of the
Deserters M B. Reed
and the 3 principal Chiefs of the Nations- La
Liberty they cought
but he decived them and got away- the object of
those Chiefs
comeing forward is to make a peace with the Mahars thro
us-. as the Mahars
are not at home this great object cannot be
accomplished at
this time Set the Praries on fire to bring the Mahars &
Soues if any were
near, this being the usial Signal.
a Cool evining two
Beaver Cought to day.
[Clark, August 18,
1804]
18th August 1804 a
fine morning, despatched Jo. Fields for the Party
from the Ottoes,
whom did not Come up last night Wind from the S. E.
(Panies returned
from their hunt, the 12th of August) in the after Part
of the Day the
Party arrived, we had a Short talk after which we gave
them Provisions to
eate & proceeded to the trial of Reed, he confessed,
& we Sentenced
him only to run the Ganelet four times thro the
Detachment &
party, and not to be considered in the future as one of
the Permonant
Party, after the Punihment of about 500 Lashes, at night
we had Some talk
with the Chiefs about the Cause of War between them
and the Mahars.
posponed the further consultation untill tomorrow. had
a Dance which
lasted untile 11 oClock, the Close of Cap Lewis Birthday.
a fine evening wind
S. E
Sent to the Towns,
i e Reiubin Fields Will. Brattin G. Drewyer & W
Labieche.
[Clark, August 18,
1804]
18th August Satday
1804
a fine morning.
Wind from the S. E. in the after part of the Day the
Party with the
Indians arrivd. we meet them under a Shade near the Boat
and after a Short
talk we gave them Provisions to eat & proceeded to
the trail of Reed,
he Confessed that he "Deserted & Stold a public
Rifle Shot-pouch
Powder & Bals" and requested we would be as favourable
with him as we
Could consistantly with our Oathes-which we were and
only Sentenced him
to run the Gantlet four times through the Party &
that each man with
9 Swichies Should punish him and for him not to be
considered in
future as one of the Party
The three principal
Chiefs petitioned for Pardin for this man After we
explained the injurey
Such men could doe them by false representation,
& explang. the
Customs of our Countrey they were all Satisfied with the
propriety of the
Sentence & was witness to the punishment. after which
we had Some talk
with the Chiefs about the orrigan of the war between
them & the
Mahars &c. &c.- it commenced in this way i'e' in two of the
Missouries Tribe
resideing with the Ottoes went to the Mahars to Steel
horses, they Killed
them both which was a cause of revenge on the part
of the Missouris
& Ottoes, they also brought war on themselves Nearly
in the Same way
with the Panea Loups and they are greatly in fear of a
just revenge from
the Panies for takeing their Corn from the Pania
Towns in their
absence hunting this Summer.
the evening was
Closed with an extra Gill of Whiskey & a Dance untill
11 oClock.
[Clark, August 19,
1804]
19th of August
Sunday 1804 a fine morning wind from the S. E I prepd. a
present from the
Chiefs & Warriers, the main Chief Brack fast with us
naked; & beged
for a Sun glass.- at 10 oClock we assembled the Cheifs &
Warriers under an
Orning and delivered a Speech, explanitary of the One
Sent to this Nation
from the Council Bluff, &c. &c.-
Children When we
Sent the 4 men to your towns, we expected to See &
Speake with the
Mahas by the time you would arrive and to lay the
foundation of a
peace between you and them
The Speech of
Petieit Villeu Little Thief, If you think right and Can
waite untill all
our Warriers Come from the Buffalows hunt, we Can then
tell you who is our
men of Consequnce- My fathers always lived with the
father of the B
together & we always live with the Big hose-all the men
here are the Suns
of Chief and will be glad to get Something from the
hands of their
fathers.- My father always directed me to be friendly
with the white
people, I have always done So and went often to the
french, give my
party pieces of Paper & we will be glad- The names
a Meddel to Car ka
pa ha or Crow's head
a Comsi or Cfte.
Sar na no ne or Iron Eyes
a Ottoe approves
& says he is Brave
Nee Swor un ja Big
ax
a Ottoe approves
Star gra hun ja Big
blue Eyes
a Ottoe Delivers up
his comm
Ne ca sa wa-Black
Cat
a Missouris
approves the Council & he wants paper for his men at home,
he after wards came
& petitioned for his Paper
War-sar sha
co-Brave Man
aproves
The Speach of the
Big Horse I went to the hunt Buffalow I heard your
word and I
returned, I and all my men with me will attend to your
wordsyou want to
make peace with all, I want to make peace also, the
young men when they
want to go to war where is the goods you give me to
Keep them at home,
if you give me Some Whisky to give a Drop to my men
at home.
I came here naked
and must return home naked. if I have Something to
give the young men
I can prevent their going to war. You want to make
peace with all, It
is good we want Something to give my men at home. I
am a pore man, and
cant quiet without means, a Spoon ful of your milk
will quiet all.
2nd Speech of the
Little Thief I want Mr. Faufon & Mr. La bieche to
make a piece with
the Panies Loups. I want William to go & make a piece
with the Loups, he
can Speake english & will doe will to go.- refused
that William
LaBiech shall accompany Faufon
Those people were
not well Satisfied with the Presents given them, they
were much Surprised
at the air gun and Several curiosities which were
Shown them none
more than the magnet, those people became extreemly
troublesom to us
begging Whisky & little articles. Sergt. Floyd was
taken violently bad
with the Beliose Cholick and is dangerously ill we
attempt in Vain to
releive him, I am much concerned for his Situation-
we could get
nothing to Stay on his Stomach a moment nature appear
exosting fast in
him every man is attentive to him york prlly
[Clark, August 19,
1804]
19th August Sunday
1804
a find morning wind
from the S. E. prepared a Small Present for the
Cheifs and warriers
present. the main Cheif Brackfast with us, & beged
for a Sun glass,
those People are all naked, Covered only with Breech
Clouts Blankits or
Buffalow Roabes, the flesh Side Painted of Differant
Colours &
figures. At 10 oClock we assembled the Chiefs & warriers 9 in
number under an
orning, and we explained the Speech Sent to the nation
from the Council
Bluffs by Mr. Faufon. The 3 Chiefs and all the men or
warriers made Short
Speeches approveing the advice & Council their
great father had
Sent them, and Concluded by giveing themselves Some
Credit for their
acts.
We then brought out
the presents and exchanged the Big horses Meadel &
gave him one equal
to the one Sent to the Little Thief & gave all Some
Small articls &
8 Carrots of Tobacco, we gave one Small Meadel to one
of the Cheifs &
a Sertificate to the others of their good intentions.
Names
The Little Theif
Grd. Cheif I have mentioned before
The Big horse
Crows Head (or) Kar
Ka paha - Missory
Black Cat (or) Ne
ma Sa wa - do
Iron Eyes (or) Sar
na no no - Ottoe
Big ax (or) Nee
Swar Un ja - do
Big Blue Eyes - Star
gea Hun ja - do
Brave Man (or) War
Sar Sha co
One of those
Indians after reciving his Certificate delivd. it again to
me the Big blue
eyes the Chief petitioned for the Ctft. again, we would
not give the
Certft. but rebuked them verry roughly for haveing in
object goods and
not peace with their neighbours- this language they
did not like at
first, but at length all petitioned for us to give back
the Certificate to
the Big blu eyes he came forward and made a
plausible excuse, I
then gave the Certificate the Great Cheif to bestow
it to the most
Worthey, they gave it to him, we then gave them a ,Dram
& broke up the
Council, the Chiefs requested we would not leave them
this evening. we
deturmed to Set out early in the morning we Showed
them many
Curiosities and the air gun which they were much asstonished
at. those people
beged much for wishey- Serjeant Floyd is taken verry
bad all at one with
a Beliose Chorlick we attempt to relieve him
without Success as
yet, he gets wordse and we are muc allarmed at his
Situation, all
attention to him.
[Clark, August 20,
1804]
20th August Monday
after gieving faufon Some goods the Indians a
Canister of
whiskey, we Set out under a jentle Breeze from the S. E
Shields went with
the horses- I am Dull & heavy been up the greater
Part of last night
with Serjt. Floyd, who is as bad as he can be to
live the motion of
his bowels having changed &c. &c. is the Cause of
his violent attack
&c. &c.
we Came to make a
warm bath for Sergt. Floyd hopeing it would brace him
a little, before we
could get him in to this bath he expired, with a
great deel of
composure, haveing Said to me before his death that he
was going away and
wished me to write a letter- we Buried him to the
top of a high round
hill over looking the river & Countrey for a great
distance Situated
just below a Small river without a name to which we
name & call
Floyds river, the Bluffs Sergts. Floyds Bluff-we buried him
with all the honors
of War, and fixed a Ceeder post at his head with
his name title
& Day of the month and year Capt Lewis read the funeral
Service over him
after paying everry respect to the Body of this
desceased man (who
had at All times given us proofs of his impatiality
Sincurity to
ourselves and good will to Serve his Countrey) we returned
to the Boat & proceeded
to the Mouth of the little river 30 yd. wide &
Camped a butifull
evening
[Clark, August 20,
1804]
20th August Monday
1804
Sergeant Floyd much
weaker and no better. Made Mr. Fauforn the
interpter a fiew
presents, and the Indians a Canister of whisky we Set
out under a gentle
breeze from the S. E. and proceeded on verry well-
Serjeant Floyd as
bad as he can be no pulse & nothing will Stay a
moment on his
Stomach or bowels
Passed two Islands
on the S. S. and at first Bluff on the S S. Serj.
Floyd Died with a
great deel of Composure, before his death he Said to
me, "I am
going away. I want you to write me a letter"- We buried him
on the top of the
bluff 1/2 Miles below a Small river to which we Gave
his name, he was
buried with the Honors of War much lamented; a Seeder
post with the (1)
Name Sergt. C. Floyd died here 20th of August 1804
was fixed at the
head of his grave- This Man at all times gave us
proofs of his
firmness and Deturmined resolution to doe Service to his
Countrey and honor
to himself after paying all the honor to our Decesed
brother we Camped
in the mouth of floyds river about 30 yards wide, a
butifull evening.-
[Clark, August 21,
1804]
21st August Tuesday
we Set out verry early this morning under a Gentle
Breeze from the S.
E Course S. 82° E 3 mes to the upper pt. of a Bluff on
the S. S. passed
Willow Creek and Some rock below the mouth of the
Seouex river on the
Starboard Side those Clifts are about 170 feet
high, this river
heads with the St. peters and is navagable 75 Leagues
(by the act. of Mr.
Durien) to a fall of near 200 for, 2 large & Som
Small Pitchs below
the falls on the right a Creek corns in on which the
red pipe Stone is
percured, & in the praries about, a place of Peace
with all nations.
[Clark, August 21,
1804]
21st August Tuesday
1804
We Set out verry
early this morning and proceeded on under a gentle
Breeze from the S.
E. passed willow creek Small on the S. S. below a
Bluff of about 170
feet high and one 1/2 mes. above Floyds river at
11/2 miles higher
& above the Bluff passed the Soues River S. S. this
River is about the
Size of Grand river and as Mr. Durrien our Scones
intptr. says
"navagable to the falls 70 or 80 Leagues and above these
falls" Still
further, those falls are 200 feet or there abouts & has
two princapal
pitches, and heads with the St. peters passing the head
of the Demoien, on
the right below the falls a Creek Coms in which
passes thro Clifts
of red rock which the Indians make pipes of, and
when the different
nations Meet at those queries all is piece, passed a
place in a Prarie
on the L. S. where the Mahars had a Village formerly.
the Countrey above
the Platt R has a great Similarity. Campd. on the L.
Side. Clouds appear
to rise in the west & threten wind. I found a verry
excellent froot
resembling the read Current, the Scrub on which it
grows resembles
Privey & about the Common hight of a wild plumb-
The two men Sent
with the horses has not joined us as yet
[Clark, August 22,
1804]
22nd of August
Wendesday 1804 Set out early wind from the South. G
Shannon joined the
Boat last night. Course this morning is S 47° W. 11/4
on the S. point
West 11/4 me. to the Commencement of a Bluff on the L.
S. the High land
near the river for Some distance below. This Bluff
contain Pyrites
alum, Copperass & a Kind Markesites also a clear Soft
Substance which
will mold and become pliant like wax) Capt lewis was
near being Poisened
by the Smell in pounding this Substance I belv to
be arsenic or
Cabalt. I observe great Quantity of Cops. ans and almin
pure & Straters
of white & brown earth of 6 Inch thick. a Creek Corns
in above the Bluffs
on which there is great quantities of those
minerals, This
Creek I call Roloje a at those Allom banks Shields
joined in with two
Deer
Camped on the S. S.
a Great Deel of Elk Sign fresh Capt. Lewis took a
Dost of Salts this
evening to carry off the effects of (arsenec) or
cobalt which he was
trying to find out the real quallity (2) passed a
Clift of Rock much
impregnated with alum, Containing also a great
quantity of Cabalt
ordered a Vote of
the men for a Sergeant of the three highest numbers a
choice to be made
Gass Bratton & Gibson- Gass is worth remark, that my
Ink after Standing
in the pot 3 or four days Soaks up & becons thick
[Clark, August 22,
1804]
22nd August Friday
1804
Set out early wind
from the South at three miles we landed at a Bluff
where the two men
Sent with the horses were waiting with two Deer, by
examonation of this
(1) Bluff Contained alum, Copperas, Cobalt,
Pyrites; a alum
rock Soft & Sand Stone. Capt. Lewis in proveing the
quality of those
minerals was near poisoning himself by the fumes &
tast of the Cabalt
which had the appearance of Soft Isonglass- Copperas
& alum is verry
pure, Above this Bluff a Small Creek Coms in from the
L. S. passing under
the Clifts for Several miles, this Creek I Call
Roloje a name I
learned last night in my Sleep. (2) Eight) Seven miles
above is a Clift of
Allom Stone of a Dark Brown Colr. Containing also
in crusted in the
Crevices & Shelves of the rock great qts. of Cabalt,
Semented Shels
& a red earth. from this the (3) river bends to the East
and is within 3 or
4 miles of the River Soues at the place where that
river Coms from the
high land into the Low Prarie & passes under the
foot of those Hills
to its mouth.
Capt Lewis took a
Dost of Salts to work off the effects of the Arsenic,
we Camped on the S.
S. Sailed the greater part of this day with a hard
wind from the S. E.
great deel of Elk Sign, and great appearance of
wind from the N. W.
ordered a vote for
a Serjeant to chuse one of three which may be the
highest number the
highest numbers are P. Gass had 19 Votes, Bratten &
Gibson
[Clark, August 23,
1804]
23rd August
Thursday 1804 Set out this morning verry early, the two men
R. Fields &
Shannon did not Come up last night, I went out and Killed a
fine Buck, J.
Fields Killed a Buffaloes, 2 Elk Swam by the boat whilst
I was out and was
not Killed, many guns fired at it R. Fields Came up
with the horses
& brought two Deer, Collins Killed a Small doe, Several
Prarie wolves Seen
Course West 4 Mls. to the mouth of a Small run
between two Bluffs
of yellow Clay North 31/4 miles to the upper Pt. of
Some timber in the
bend to S. S. near where R. fields Killed the
Buffalow passed the
pt. of High Land on S. S at 1/4 of a mile, Capt.
Lewis went out with
8 men & brought the buffalow to the river at this
bend, C. Lewis
Killed a Goose, wind blew hard of the flying Sands which
rasies like a Cloud
of Smoke from the Bars when the wind Blows, the
Sand being fine and
containing a breat perpotion of earth and when it
lights it Sticks to
every thing it touches at this time the grass is
white S 48° 3 miles
to a point of willows on the S. S. haveing passed the
Sand Island L. S
Camped on the L S above the Island Saw an elk Standing
on a Sand bar.
Shields Shot it thro the neck 101/4
[Clark, August 23,
1804]
23rd August
Thursday 1804
Set out this
morning verry early the two men with the horses did not
Come up last night
I walked on Shore & Killed a fat Buck- J. Fields
Sent out to hunt
Came to the Boat and informed that he had Killed a
Buffalow in the
plain a head Cap Lewis took 12 men and had the buffalow
brought to the boat
in the next bend to the S S. 2 Elk Swam the river,
and was fired at
from the boat R. Fields came up with the Horses and
brought two Deer
one Deer Killed from the Boat. Several Prarie Wolves
Seen to day Saw Elk
Standing on the Sand bar
The Wind blew hard
West and raised the Sands off the bar in Such Clouds
that we Could
Scercely See this Sand being fine and verry light Stuck
to every thing it
touched, and in the Plain for a half a mile the
distance I was out
every Spire of Grass was covered with the Sand or
Dust We Camped on
the L. S. above a Sand Island one Beaver Cought
[Clark, August 24,
1804]
24th August Friday
1804. Some rain last night & this morning, we Set
out at the usial
time and proceeded on the Same Course of last night
Continued S. 48° W.
21/4 mes. to the Commencement of a Blue Clay Bliff on
LS. about 180 or
190 feet high West under rugged Bluffs 13/4 ms.
passing Several
Small Dreens, falling into the river those Bluffs has
been lately on fire
and is yet verry Hott, Great appearance of Coal, &
imence quantities
of Cabalt in Side of that part oft the Bluff which
Sliped in, on the
Sides of the hill great quanities of a kind of
Current or froot
resembling the Current in appearance much richer and
finer flavd. grows
on a Scrub resembling a Damsen and is now fine and
makes a Delightful)
Tart above this Bluff I took my Servent and a
french boy I have
and walked on Shore I killed a Deer which york Packed
on his back In the
evening I Killed two Buck Elk and wounded two others
which I could not
pursue by the Blood as my ball was So Small to bleed
them well, my boys
each Shot an elk- it was late and I Crossed a Point
Struck the river
above and halted the boat and 12 men went out brought
in the meat all the
after part of the day it rained we are all wet.
Capt Lewis and my
Self Concluded to visit a High Hill Situated in an
emence Plain three
Leagues N. 20° W. from the mouth of White Stone river,
this hill appear to
be of a Conic form and by all the different Nations
in this quater is
Supposed to be a place of Deavels ors that they are
in human form with
remarkable large heads and about 18 inches high;
that they are very
watchfull and ar armed with Sharp arrows with which
they can kill at a
great distance; they are said to kill all persons
who are so hardy as
to attemp to approach the hill; they state that
tradition informs
them that many indians have suffered by these little
people and among others
that three Maha men fell a sacrefice to their
murceyless fury not
meany years since- so much do the Mahas Souix
Ottoes and other
neibhbouring nations believe this fable that no
consideration is
sufficient to induce them to approach this hill.
[Clark, August 24,
1804]
24th August Friday
1804
Some rain last
night, a Continuation this morning; we Set out at the
usial time and
proceeded on the Course of last night to the (1)
Commencement of a
blue Clay Bluff of 180 or 190 feet high on the L. S.
Those Bluffs appear
to have been laterly on fire, and at this time is
too hot for a man
to bear his hand in the earth at any debth, gret
appearance of Coal.
An emence quantity of Cabalt or a Cristolised
Substance which
answers its discription is on the face of the Bluff-
Great quantities of
a kind of berry resembling a Current except double
the Sise and Grows
on a bush like a Privey, and the Size of a Damsen
deliciously
flavoured & makes delitefull Tarts, this froot is now ripe,
I took my Servent
and a french boy and Walked on Shore Killed Two Buck
Elks and a faun,
and intersepted the Boat and had all the meat
butchered and in by
Sun Set at which time it began to rain and rained
hard, Cap Lewis
& my Self walk out & got Verry wet, a Cloudey rainey
night,- In my
absence the Boat Passed a Small (2) River Called by the
Indians White Stone
River. this river is about 30 yards wide and runs
thro a Plain &
Prarie in its whole Course In a northerley direction
from the mouth of
this Creek in an imence Plain a high Hill is
Situated, and
appears of a Conic form and by the different nations of
Indians in this
quarter is Suppose to be the residence of Deavels. that
they are in human
form with remarkable large heads and about 18 Inches
high, that they are
Very watchfull, and are arm'd with Sharp arrows
with which they Can
Kill at a great distance; they are Said to Kill all
persons who are So
hardy as to attempt to approach the hill; they State
that tradition
informs them that many Indians have Suffered by those
little people and
among others three Mahar men fell a Sacrefise to
their murceyless
fury not many years Since- So much do the Maha, Souis,
Ottoes and other
neighbouring nations believe this fable that no
Consideration is
Suffecient to induce them to apporach the hill
[Lewis, August 24,
1804]
Friday, August 24th
This day the
Chronometer stoped again just after being wound up; I know
not the cause, but
fear it procedes from some defect which it is not in
my power to
remedy.-
[Clark, August 24,
1804]
(1) About the
center of this Sand Island the river of white Stone (as
Called by Mr. Evins
Kenvill R.) falls in on the Stard. Side it appear
to be about 25 or
30 yards Wide; at the mouth of this river 10 Indians
had latterly cross
Supposed be be Soues, the part of a band which are
at war with the
Mahars, This Soues nation are divided into bands Som
100 to 500 men in a
band at peace with eath other, ther Interest &
prejudices
different, for instance one band the most envetterate enimy
of the mahars, all
the other Bands in the greatest harmony with that
nation and even go
with thim to War, those Soues, follow the Buffalow,
& Kill them on
foot, they pack their Dogs, which carry ther Bedn.
[Clark, August 25,
1804]
Augt. 25th
Satturday 1804 This morning Capt Lewis & my Self G D. Sjt.
Ouderway Shields J.
Fields colter Bratten Cane Labeeche corp Wovington
Frasure & York
Set out to Visit this mountain of evel Spirits, we Set
out from the mouth
of the White Stone Creek, at 8 oClock, at 4 miles
Cross the Creek in
an open plain, at 7 ms. the dog gave out & we Sent
him back to the
Creek at 12 oClock we rose the hill Some time before we
got to the hill we
obsevd. great numbers of Birds hovering about the
top of this Mound
when I got on the top those Birds flw off. I
discovered that
they wer Cetechig a kind of flying ant which were in
great numbers
abought the top of this hill, those insects lit on our
hats & necks,
Several of them bit me verry Shart on the neck, near the
top of this nole I
observed three holes which I Supposed to be Prarie
Wolves or Braroes,
which are numerous in those Plains. this hill is
about 70 foot high
in an emince Prarie or leavel plain from the top I
could not observe
any woods except in the Missourie Points and a few
Scattering trees on
the three Rivers in view. i e the Soues River
below, the River
Jacque above & the one we have crossed from the top of
this Mound we
observed Several large gangus of Buffalow & Elk feeding
upwards of 800 in
number Capt Lewis being much fatigued and verry
thursty obliged us
to go to the neares water which we Could See, which
was the W Stone
Creek at right angles from the Course we came out, and
we got water in
three miles in the Creek above whre the beaver had
darned it up after
a Delay of about one hour & a half we Set out for
our boat, Cross the
Creek three times wast deep, passing down an
ellgent bottom of
about a mile in width bordered by a ridge of about 50
feet from the top
of which it was leavel to the river, we proceeded on
by a Circular
Derection to the place we Crossed this Creek going out
where we delayed
for the men to rest themselves about 40 minits in a
small grove here we
got Great quantities of the best largest grapes I
ever tasted, Some
Blue Currents still on the bushes, and two kind of
Plumbs, one the
Common wild Plumb the other a large Yellow Plumb
growing on a Small
bush, this blumb is about double the Size of the
Common and
Deliscously flavoured- Those plains are leavel without much
water and no timber
all the timber on the Stone River would not thickly
timber 100 acres of
land- we returned to the boat at Sunset, my Servent
nearly exosted with
heat thurst and fatigue, he being fat and un
accustomed to walk
as fast as I went was the Cause- we Set fire to the
Praries in two Places
to let the Sons know we were on the river and as
a Signal for them
to Come to the river above, our Party in the Boat &
one Perogue undr.
the Comd of Sergt. Pryor answered us by firing a
prarie near them.
we proceeded on to the place we Camped last night,
and as it began to
rain and verry dark, we Concluded to Stay all night,
our boys prepared
us a Supper of jurked meet and two Prarie Larks
(which are about
the Size of a Pigeon and Peculier to this country) and
on a Buffalow roabe
we Slept verry well in the morning we proceeded on
and joined the boat
at 6 miles, they had camped & were Jurking an Elk &
5 Deer which R.
Fields & Shannon had brough in. from the Mound to the
Hill S. S. mo. of
R. Soues S 70° E. to the opsd. Hills S. 45° E. and to the
woods near River au
Jacque is West
[Clark, August 25,
1804]
Augt. 25th
Satturday wind S E The Boat under Serjt Pryor after drying
some goods which
got wet in the french Perogue & jurking the meet
killed yesterday
Set out at 12 oClock and proceeded on Six miles and
Camped on the L. S.
passed a Bluff of blue earth at 3 miles and a large
Sand Island in a
bend to the S. S. at 5 miles, R Fields brought in 5
Deer, G Shannon an
Elk this eveng. rain at 3 oClock Murcky. 86 abo 0,
[Clark, August 25,
1804]
25th August
Satturday 1804
a Cloudy morning
Capt Lewis & my Self Concluded to go and See the Mound
which was viewed
with Such turrow by all the different Nation in this
quarter, we
Selected Shields J. Fields, W Bratten, Sergt. Ordway, J
Colter, Can, and
Corp Worbington & Frasure, also G. Drewyer and droped
down to the mouth
of White Stone River where we left the Perogue with
two men and at 200
yards we assended a riseing ground of about Sixty
feet, from the top
of this High land the Countrey is leavel & open as
far as Can be Seen,
except Some few rises at a Great Distance, and the
Mound which the
Indians Call Mountain of little people or Spirits this
mound appears of a
Conic form & is N. 20° W. from the mouth of the Creek,
we left the river
at 8 oClock, at 4 miles we Crossed the Creek 23 yards
wide in an
extensive Valley and continued on at two miles further our
Dog was So Heeted
& fatigued we was obliged Send him back to the Creek,
at 12 oClock we
arrived at the hill Capt Lewis much fatigued from heat
the day it being
verry hot & he being in a debilitated State from the
Precautions he was
obliged to take to provent the affects of the
Cobalt, & Mini.
Substance which had like to have poisoned him two days
ago, his want of
water, and Several of the men complaining of Great
thirst, deturmined
us to make for the first water which was the Creek
in a bend N. E.
from the mound about 3 miles- aftr a Delay of about 1
hour & a half
to recrut our party we Set out on our return down the
Creek thro the
bottom of about 1 mile in width, Crossed the Creek 3
times to the place
we first Struck it, where we geathered Some
delisious froot
Such as Grapes Plumbs, & Blue Currents after a Delay of
an hour we Set out
on our back trail & arrived at the Perogue at Sun
Set we proceedd on
to the place we Campd. last night and Stayed all
night.
This Mound is
Situated on an elivated plain in a leavel and extensive
prarie, bearing N.
20° W. from the mouth of White Stone Creek Nine Miles,
the base of the
Mound is a regular parallelagram the long Side of which
is about 300 yards
in length the Shorter 60 or 70 yards- from the
longer Side of the
Base it rises from the North & South with a Steep
assent to the hight
of 65 or 70 feet, leaveing a leavel Plain on the
top of 12 feet in
width & 90 in length. the North & South part of this
mound is joins by
two regular rises, each in Oval forms of half its
hight forming three
regular rises from the Plain the assent of each
elivated part is as
Suden as the principal mound at the narrower Sides
of its Bass
The reagular form
of this hill would in Some measure justify a belief
that it owed its
Orrigin to the hand of man; but as the earth and loos
pebbles and other
Substances of which it was Composed, bare an exact
resemblance to the
Steep Ground which border on the Creek in its
neighbourhood we
Concluded it was most probably the production of
nature-.
The only remarkable
Charactoristic of this hill admiting it to be a
naturial production
is that it is insulated or Seperated a considerable
distance from any
other, which is verry unusial in the naturul order or
disposition of the
hills.
The Surrounding
Plains is open void of Timber and leavel to a great
extent; hence the
wind from whatever quarter it may blow, drives with
unusial force over
the naked Plains and against this hill; the insects
of various kinds
are thus involuntaryly driven to the mound by the
force of the wind,
or fly to its Leward Side for Shelter; the Small
Birds whoes food
they are, Consequently resort in great numbers to this
place in Surch of
them; Perticularly the Small brown Martin of which we
saw a vast number
hovering on the Leward Side of the hill, when we
approached it in
the act of Catching those insects; they were So gentle
that they did not
quit the place untill we had arrivd. within a fiew
feet of them-
One evidence which
the Inds Give for believeing this place to be the
residence of Some
unusial Spirits is that they frequently discover a
large assemblage of
Birds about this mound- is in my opinion a Suffient
proof to produce in
the Savage mind a Confident belief of all the
properties which
they ascribe it.
from the top of
this Mound we beheld a most butifull landscape;
Numerous herds of
buffalow were Seen feeding in various directions, the
Plain to North N. W
& N E extends without interuption as far as Can be
Seen From the Mound
to the mouth of Stone River is S. 20° E 9 miles.
to the woods near
the mouth of River Jacque is West
to the High land
near the mouth of Souis River is S. 70 E.
to the high land
opposit Side or near the Maha Town is S. 45 E.
Some high lands to
be Seen from the mound at a Great distance to the N.
E Some Nearer to
the N W. no woods except on the Missouris Points
if all the timber
which is on the Stone Creek was on 100 acres it would
not be thickly
timbered, the Soil of those Plains are delightfull Great
numbers of Birds
are Seen in those Plains, Such as black bird, Ren or
Prarie burd a kind
of larke about the Sise of a Partridge with a Short
tail &c. &.
25th Augt the Boat
under the Comd. of Sergt. Pryor proceeded on in our
absence (after
jurking the Elk I Killed yesterday) Six Miles and Camped
on the Larboard
Side R Fields brought in five Deer. George Shannon
Killed an Elk Buck
Some rain this evening.
we Set the Praries
on fire as a Signal for the Soues to Come to the
river.
[Lewis, August 25,
1804]
August the 25th
on our return from
the mound of sperits saw the first bats that we had
observed since we
began to ascend the Missouri
also saw on our
return on the Creek that passes this mound about 2 M.
distant S. a bird
of heron kind as large as the Cormorant short tale
long leggs of a
colour on the back and wings deep copper brown with a
shade of red. we
could not kill it therefore I can not describe it more
particularly.
[Clark, August 26,
1804]
26th August Sunday
1804 arrived at the boat at 9 oClock A.M. Set out at
10 oClock after
Jurking the meet & Cutting the Elk Skins for a Toe Roap
and proceeded,
leaveing G. Drewyer & Shannon to hunt the horses, the
river verry full of
Sand bars and Wide Course S. 66° W. 2 mes. to a Sand
bar Makeing out
from the S. S. N. 82° W. 7 mes. to a pt. of willows S S
passd. a Island
& large Sand bars on both sides river wide and a Clift
of White earth on
the L. S of 2 ms. in length to a point of Willows on
the S. S opposit
Arch Creek above the mouth of this Creek a Chief of
the Maha nataton
displeased with the Conduct of Black bird the main
Chief came to this
place and built a Town which was called by his name
Petite Arch (or
Little Bow) this Town was at the foot of a Hill in a
handsom Plain
fronting the river and Contained about 100 huts & 200
men, the remains of
this tribe Since the Death of Petite arch has
joined the
remaining part of the nation This Creek is Small- we apt.
Pat Gass Sergeant
Vice Floyd Dicesed, Geathered great quantites of
Grapes & three
Kinds of Plumbs, one yellow round, & one ovel, & the
Common wild Plumb.
Misquetors bad to night- I have apt. you
[Clark, August 26,
1804]
26th August Sunday
1804
(Joined the Boat at
9 oClock A M) after Jurking the meat Killed
yesterday and
prepareing the Elk Skins for a Toe Roape we Set out
Leaveing Drewyer
& Shannon to hunt the horses which was lost with
directions to
follow us Keeping on the high lands.
proceeded on passed
a Clift of White & Blue or Dark earths of 2 miles
in extent on the L.
S. and Camped on a Sand bar opposed the old village
Called Pitite Arc a
Small Creek falls into the river 15 yds wide below
the Village on the
Same Side L. S this village was built by a Indian
Chief of the Maha
nation by the name of Pitite arc (or little Bow)
displeasd. with the
Great Chief of that nation (Black Bird) Seperated
with 200 men and
built a village at this place. after his death the two
villages joined,
apt. Pat Gass a Sergt. Vice Floyd Deceased
Great qts. of
Grape, Plumbs of three Kinds 2 yellow and large of one of
which is long and a
3rd kind round & red all well flavored.
perticularly the
yellow Sort.
[Lewis, August 26,
1804]
Orders August 26th
1804.
The commanding
officers have thought it proper to appoint Patric Gass,
a Sergeant in the
corps of volunteers for North Western Discovery, he
is therefore to be
obeyed and respected accordingly.
Sergt. Gass is
directed to take charge of the late Sergt. Floyd's mess,
and immediately to
enter on the discharge of such other duties, as by
their previous
orders been prescribed for the government of the
Sergeants of this
corps.
The Commanding
officers have every reason to hope from the previous
faithfull services
of Sergt. Gass, that this expression of their
approbation will be
still further confirmed, by his vigilent attention
in future to his
duties as a Sergeant. the Commanding officers are
still further
confirmed in the high opinion they had previously formed
of the capacity,
deligence and integrety of Sergt. Gass, from the wish
expresssed by a
large majority of his comrades for his appointment as
Sergeant.
Meriwether Lewis
Capt. 1st U.S. Regt
Infty.
Wm Clark
Cpt &.
[Clark, August 27,
1804]
27th August Monday,
this morning the Morning Star was observed to be
very large, G
Drewyer Came up and informed that he Could neither find
Shannon or the
horses, he had walked all night- we Sent Shields & J.
Fields back to look
for Shannon & the horses and to Come up with us on
the river above at
the grand Callemet or River KaCure & we Set out
under a Gentle
Breeze from the S. E. proceeded on passed a Bluff at 7
mes. Several mile
in extent of white Clay Marl or Chalk, under this
bank we discovered
Large Stone resembling lime incrusted with a
Substanc like Glass
which I take to be Cabolt, also ore, three mes
above this Bluff we
Set the Prarie on fire, to let the Soues Know, we
wished to see them
at two oClock an Indian Swam to the Perogue, we
landed & two
other Came they were boys, they informed us that the Souex
were Camped near,
on the R Jacke one Maha boy informed us his nation
was gorn to make a
peace with the Pania's we Send Sjt. Pryor & a
frenchman with the
Interptr. Mr. Durion to the Camp to See & invite
their Great Chiefs
to Come and Counsel with us at the Callemet Bluffs
____ Mile abov on
L. S.- we proceed on 11/2 miles farther & Camped S S.
[Clark, August 27,
1804]
27th August Monday
1804
This morning the
Star Calld. the morning Star much larger than Common
G. Drewyer Came up
and informed that he Could neither find Shannon nor
horses, we Sent
Shields & J Fields, back to hunt Shannon & the horses,
with derections to
Keep on the Hills to the Grand Calumet above on
River Ka cure.
We Set Sail under a
gentle Breeze from the S. E. at 7 miles passed a
white Clay marl or
Chalk Bluff under this Bluff is extensive I
discovered large
Stone much like lime incrusted with a Clear Substance
which I believe to
be Cabalt, also ore is imbeded in the Dark earth,
resembling Slate
much Softer- above this Bluff we had the Prarie Set on
fire to let the
Souix See that we were on the river, & as a Signal for
them to Come to it.
at 2 oClock passed
the mouth of River Jacque, or Yeankton one Indian at
the mouth of this
river Swam to the Perogue, we landed and two others
came to us, those
Inds. informed that a large Camp of Soues, were on R.
Jacque near the
mouth. we Sent Sergt. Pryor & a Frenchman with Mr.
Durioin the Souls
interpeter to the Camp with derections to invite the
Principal Chiefs to
councel with us at a Bluff above Called the
Calumet- two of
those Indians accompanied them and the third continued
in the Boat Showing
an inclination to Continue, this boy is a Mahar,
and inform that his
nation, were gorn to the Parnias to make a peace
with that nation.
We proceeded on
about one and a half miles and in Camped on a bar
makeing out from
the S. S. the wind blew hard from the South. a Cool &
Pleasent evening,
The river has fallen verry Slowly and is now low.
[Lewis, August 27,
1804]
Monday August 27th
On the Stard.
shore, opposite to the lower point, or commencement of
the white Calk
Bluff-
[Clark, August 28,
1804]
28th August
Tuesday, 1804 The wind blew hard last night one Indian
Stayed with us all
night, Set out under a Stiff Breeze from S and
proceedd on passe a
Willow Island at two miles Several Sand bars the
river here is wide
& Shallow full of Sand bars- The High land appear to
be getting nearer
to each other passed a Bluff containing Some white
earth on the L. S.
below this Bluff for Some mile the Plain rises
gradually to the
hight of the Bluff which is 70 or 80 foot, here the
Indian boy left us
for his Camp- Capt Lewis & my Self much indisposed-
I think from the
Homney we Substitute in place of bread, (or Plumbs) we
proceeded on about
3 Miles higher and Camped below the Calumet Bluff in
a Plain on the L.
S. to waite the return of Sergt Pryor & Mr. Durioun,
who we Sent to the
Soues Camp from the mouth of R. Jacque, before we
landed the French
rund a Snag thro their Perogue, and like to have
Sunk, we had her on
loaded, from an examonation found that this Perogue
was unfit for
Service, & Deturmined to Send her back by the Party
intended to Send
back and take their Perogue, accordingly Changed the
loads, Some of the
loading was wet wind blows hard from the South. J
Shields & J.
Fields joined they did not overtake Shannon with the
horses who is a
head of us.
[Clark, August 28,
1804]
28th August Tuesday
1804.
Set out under a
Stiff Breeze from the South and proceeded on passd. a
willow Island at 2 miles
Several Sand bars, the river wide & Shallow at
4 Miles passed a
Short White Bluff of about 70 or 80 feet high, below
this Bluff the
Prarie rises gradually from the water back to the Hight
of the Bluff which
is on the Larboard Side here the Indian who was in
the boat returned
to the Sisouex Camp on the R Jacque, Capt. Lewis & my
Self much
indisposed owing to Some Cause for which we cannot account
one of the Perogues
run a Snag thro her and was near Sinking in the
opinions of the
Crew- we came too below the Calumet Bluff and formed a
camp in a Butifull
Plain near the foot of the high land which rises
with a gradual
assent near this Bluff I observe more timber in the
valey & on the
points than usial- The Perogue which was injurd I had
unloaded and the
Loading put into the other Perogue which we intended
to Send back, the
Perogue & changed the Crew after examoning her &
finding that She
was unfit for Service deturmined to Send her back by
the party Some load
which was in the Perogue much inju'd
The wind blew hard
this after noon from the South- J. Shields & J.
Fields who was Sent
back to look for Shannon & the Horses joined us &
informed that
Shannon had the horses a head and that they Could not
over take him This
man not being a first rate Hunter, we deturmined to
Send one man in
pursute of him with Some Provisions.-
[Lewis, August 28,
1804]
Orders August 28th
1804.
The commanding
officers direct that the two messes who form the crews
of the perogues
shall scelect each one man from their mess for the
purpose of cooking
and that these cooks as well as those previously
appointed to the
messes of the Barge crew, shall in future be exempted
from mounting
guard, or any detail for that duty; they are therefore no
longer to be held
on the royaster.
M. Lewis Capt.
1st US. Regt.
Infty.
Win Clark Cpt.
&.
[Clark, August 29,
1804]
29th August
Wednesday 1804- rained last night and Some this morning
verry cloudy Set
Some men to work to make a Toe rope of Elk Skin, and
my Self to write,
Sent one man to pursue Shannon a head with Some
provisions, I am
much engaged writeing a Speech at 4 oClock Sergt.
Pryor & Mr.
Durion the Soues interpeter with about 70 Soues arrived on
the opposit Side of
the river we Sent over for them, who came over Mr.
D. & his Son
who was tradeing with the Indians Came over Mr. Durion
informed that three
Chiefs were of the Party, we Sent over Serjt. Pryor
with young Mr.
Durion, Six Kettles for the Indians to Cook the meat
they Killed on the way
from their Camp (2 Elk & 6 Deer) a bout a bucket
of Corn & 2
twists of Tobacco to Smoke intending to Speak to them
tomorrow- G.
Drewyer Killed a Deer-. Sergt. Pryor informs that when he
approached the
Indian Camp they Came to meet them Supposeing Cap Lewis
or my Self to be of
the party intending to take us in a roabe to their
Camp-he approached
the Camp which was handsum made of Buffalow Skins
Painted different
Colour, their Camps formed of a Conic form Containing
about 12 or 15
persons each and 40 in number, on the River Jacque of
100 yds wide &
Deep Containing but little wood, They had a fat dog
Cooked as a feest;
for them, and a Snug aptmt for them to lodge on
their march they
passed thro plains Covd. with game &. &. &.
[Clark, August 29,
1804]
29th August
Wednesday 1804
Some rain last
night & this morning, Sent on Colter with Provisions in
pursute of Shannon,
had a Toe roap made of Elk Skin, I am much engaged
reriteing- at 4
oClock P M. Sergt. Pryor & Mr. Dorion with 5 Chiefs and
about 70 men
&c. arrived on the opposite Side we Sent over a Perogue &
Mr. Dorrion &
his Son who was tradeing with the Indians Came over with
Serjt Pryer, and
informed us that the Chiefs were there we Sent Serjt.
Pryor & yound
Mr. Dorion with Som Tobacco, Corn & a few Kitties for
them to Cook in,
with directions to inform the Chiefs that we would
Speek to them
tomorrow. Those Indians brought with them for their own
use 2 Elk & 6
Deer which the young men Killed on the way from their
Camp 12 miles
distant.
Serjt. Pryor
informs me that when Came near the Indian Camp they were
met by men with a
Buffalow roabe to Carry them, Mr. Dorion informed
"they were not
the Owners of the Boats & did not wish to be Carried"-
the Sceouex Camps
are handson of a Conic form Covered with Buffalow
Roabs Painted
different Colours and all Compact & hand Somly arranged,
covered all round
an orpen part in the Center for the fire, with
Buffalow roabs each
Lodg has a place for Cooking detached, the lodges
contain 10 to 15
persons- a Fat Dog was presented as a mark of their
Great respect for
the party of which they partook hartily and thought
it good & well
flavored
The River Jacque is
Deep & is navagable for Perogues a long distance up
at the mouth it is
Shallow & narrow but above it is 80 or 90 yards wide
passing thro rich
Praries with but little timber this river passes the
Souex River and
heads with the St Peters and a branch of Red river
which which falls
into Lake Winepik to the North
[Clark, August 30,
1804]
30th August
Thursday 1804 A Foggeie morning I am much engagd. after
Brackfast we sent
Mr. Doroun in a Perogue to the other Side i'e L S.
for the Chiefs and
warriers of the Soues, he returned at 10 oClock with
the Chiefs, at 12
oClock I finished and we delivered a Speech to the
Indians expressive
of the wishes of our government and explaining of
what would be good
for themselves, after delivering the Speech we made
one grand Chief 1
2d Cheif and three third Chiefs and deliverd. to each
a few articles and
a Small present to the whole the grand Chief a
Parole, Some wampom
& a flag in addition to his present, they with Drew
and we retired to
dinner, Mr. Durions Sun much displeased that he could
not dine with Cap
Lewis and my Self- the number of Soues present is
about 70 men-
Dressed in Buffalow roabes a fiew fusees, Bows and
arrows, and verry
much deckerated with porcupine quills, a Society of
which only four
remains is present, this Society has made a vow never
to giv back let
what will happen, out of 22 only 4 remains, those are
Stout likely men
who Stay by them Selves, fond of mirth and assume a
degree of
Superiority-, the air gun astonished them verry much after
night a circle was
forrm around 3 fires and those Indians danced untill
late, the Chiefs
looked on with great dignity much pleased with what
they had, we
retired late and went to bead. wind hard from the South.
[Clark, August 30,
1804]
30th of August Thursday
1804
a verry thick fog
this morning after Prepareing Some presents for the
Chiefs which we
intended make by giving Meadals, and finishing a Speech
what we intend'd to
give them, we Sent Mr. Dorion in a Perogue for the
Chiefs &
warreirs to a Council under an Oak tree near wher we had a
flag flying on a
high flag Staff at 12 OClock we met and Cap L.
Delivered the
Speach & thin made one great Chiff by giving him a meadal
& Some Cloathes
one 2d. Chief & three third Chiefs in the Same way,
They recvd. those
thing with the goods and tobacco with pleasure To the
Grand Chief we gave
a Flag and the parole & wampom with a hat & Chiefs
Coat, we Smoked out
of the pipe of peace, & the Chiefs retired to a
Bourey made of
bushes by their young men to Divide their presents and
Smoke eate and
Council Capt Lewis & my Self retired to dinner and
Consult about other
measures- Mr. Daurion Jr. much displeased that we
did not invite him
to dine with us (which he was Sorry for after
wards)- The Souix
is a Stout bold looking people, (the young men hand
Som) & well
made, the greater part of them make use of Bows & arrows,
Some fiew fusees I
observe among them, not with Standing they live by
the Bow &
arrow, they do not Shoot So well as the Northern Indians the
Warriers are Verry
much deckerated with Paint Porcupin quils &
feathers, large
leagins & mockersons, all with buffalow roabs of
Different Colours.
the Squars wore Peticoats & and a white Buffalow
roabes with the
black hair turned back over their necks & Sholders
I will here remark
a Society which I had never before this day heard
was in any nation
of Indians- four of which is at this time present and
all who remain of
this Band- Those who become members of this Society
must be brave
active young men who take a Vow never to give back let
the danger be what
it may; in War Parties they always go foward without
Screening
themselves behind trees or any thing else to this Vow they
Strictly adheer
dureing their Lives- an instanc which happened not long
Since, on a party in
Crossing the R Missourie on the ice, a whole was
in the ice
imediately in their Course which might easily have been
avoided by going
around, the foremost man went on and was lost the
others wer draged
around by the party- in a battle with the Crow
Indians who inhabit
the Coul Noir or black mountain out of 22 of this
society 18 was
Killed, the remaining four was draged off by their Party
Those men are
likely fellows the Sit together Camp & Dance together-
This Society is in
imitation of the Societies of the de Curbo or Crow
Indians from whome
they imitate-
[Clark, August 31,
1804]
31st of August
Friday rose early a fair Day- a curioes Society among
this nation worthey
of remark, ie, formed of their active deturmined
young men, with a
vow never to give back, let the danger or deficuelty
be what it may, in
war parties they always go forward, without
Screening
themselves behind trees or anything else, to this vow they
Strictly adheer
dureing their Lives, an Instance of it, is last winter
on a march in
Crossing the Missourei a hole was in the ice immediately
in their Course
which might easily be avoided by going around, the fore
most man went on
and was drowned, the others were caught by their party
and draged aroundin
a battle with the Crow de Curbo Indians out of 22
of this Society 18
was killed, the remaining four was draged off by
their friends, and
are now here- they assocate together Camp together
and are merry
fellows, This Custom the Souex learned of the de Carbours
inhabiting the Gout
Noie or Black mountain all the Chiefs Delivered a
Speech agreeing to
what we Said &. &. & beged which I answered from my
notes. We made or
gav a certificate to two Brave men the attendants of
the Great Chief
gave them Some tobacco and prepared a Commission for
Mr. Darion to make
a peace with all the nations in the neighbourhood,
Mahas, Porncases,
Panic, Loups, Ottoes and Missouries- & to take to the
President Some of
the Gt Chiefs of each nations who would accompany him
allso to do certain
other things, and wrot Instructions- gave him a
flag and Some
Cloaths- the Chiefs Sent all their young men home, and
they Stayed for Mr.
Dorion- in the evening late we gave the Comsn. &
Instruction to Mr.
Durion & he recved them with pleasa, & promised to
do all which was
necessary. I took a Vocabulary of the Seouex language,
and a fiew answers
to Some queries I put to Mr. Pitte Dorion respecting
the War No.
Situation Trad &c. &. of that people which is divided into
20 tribes
possessing Sepperate interest they are numerous between 2 &
3000 men, divided
into 20 tribes who view their interests as defferent
Some bands at War
with Nations which other bands are at peace- This
nation call
themselves-Dar co tar. The french call them Souex Their
language is not perculiar
to themselves as has been Stated, a great
many words is the
Same with the Mahas, Ponckais, Osarge, Kanzies &c.
Clearly proves to
me those people had the Same Oregean - this nations
inhabit the red
river of Hudson bay St. Peters Missippi, Demoin R.
Jacque & on the
Missourie they are at War with 20 nations, and at piece
with 8 only- they
recved their trade from the British except a few on
the Missourie they
furnish Beaver Martain Loues orter, Pekon Bear and
Deer and have forty
Traders at least among them. The names of the
Different bands of
this nation are-
1st Che the ree or
Bois ruley (the present band) Inhabit the Souex
Jacque & Demoin
Rivers
2nd Ho in de bor to
or poles. They live on the head of the Suouex River
3rd Me ma car jo
(or make fence on the river.) the Country near the Big
bend of the
Missouri.
4th Son on to ton
(People of the Prarie) they rove North of the
Missourie in the
Praries above.
5th Wau pa Coo do
(Beeds) they live near the Prarie de Chaine on the
Missippi
6th Te tar ton (or
Village of Prarie) on the waters of the Mississippi
above Prate de
Chain (Dog Prarie)
7th Ne was tar ton
(Big Water Town) on the Mississippi above the mouth
of the St. Peters
River.
8th Wau pa to (Leaf
Nation). 10 Leagues up St. Peters
9th Cass car ba
(White man) 35 Lgs. up St Peters
10 Mi ac cu op si
ba (Cut Bank) reside on the head of St. Peters river
11 Son on- on St.
Peters in the Praries
12th Se si toons-
40 Leagues up St Peters.
The names of the
other tribes I could not get In
31st August 1804
Speeches
at 8 oClock the
Chiefs and warriers met us in Council all with their
pipes with the
Stems presented towards us, after a Silence of abt. ____
The great Chief
Dressed himself in his fine Cloathes and two warriers
in the uniform and
armer of their Nation Stood on his left with a War
Club & Speer
each, & Dressed in feathurs.
The Shake hand 1st
Chief Spoke
My Father. I am
glad to here the word of my G. F. and all my warriers
and men about me
are also glad.
My Father.- now I
see my two fathers the Children, of my great father,
& what you have
Said I believe and all my people do believ also
My Father- We are
verry glad you would take pitty on them this Day, we
are pore and have
no powder and ball.
My Father.- We are
verry Sorry our women are naked and all our
children, no
petiecoats or cloathes
My Father- You do
not want me to Stop the boats going up if we See,
I wish a man out of
your boat to bring about a peace, between all the
Indians, & he
can do So.
My Father- Listen
to what I say I had an English medal when I went to
See them, I went to
the Spanoriards they give me a meadel and Some
goods, I wish you
would do the Same for my people.
My Father.- I have
your word I am glad of it & as Soon as the Ice is
don running I will
go down & take with me, Some great men of the other
bands of the Soues
My Father- I will
be glad to See My Grand Father but our Women has got
no Cloathes and we
have no Powder & Ball, take pity on us this day.
My Father- I want
to listen and observe wath you Say, we want our old
friend (Mr. Durion)
to Stay with us and bring the Indians with my Self
down this Spring.
My Father- I opend
my ears and all my yound men and we wish you to let
Mr. Durion Stay,
and a Perogue for to take us down in the Spring.
The speach of th
White Crain Mar to ree 2d Chief
My Fathr's listen
to my word, I am a young man and do not intend to
talk much, but will
Say a few words.
My Father- my
father was a Chief, and you have made me a Chief I now
think I am a chief
agreeable to your word as I am a young man and
inexperienced,
cannot say much What the Great Chief has Said is as much
as I could Say
Par nar ne Ar par
be Struck by the Pana 3d Chief
My father's I cant
Speek much I will Speek a litle to you
My fathers.- ther's
the Chiefs you have made high, we will obey them,
as also my young
men, the Pipe I hold in my hand is the pipe of my
father, I am pore
as you See, take pity on me I believe what you have
Said
My fathers- You
think the great meadel you gave My great Chief pleases
me and the small
one you gave me gives me the heart to go with him to
See my Great
father. What the Great Chief has Said is all I could Say.
I am young and Cant
Speek.
A Warrier by name
Tar ro mo nee Spoke
My father- I am
verry glad you have made this man our great
Chief, the British
& Spaniards have acknowledged him before but never
Cloathed him. you
have Cloathed him, he is going to see our Great
father, We do not
wish to spear him but he must go and see his great
father
My Fathr's, my
great Chief must go and See his Gd father, give him some
of your milk to
Speek to his young men,
My father. our
people are naked, we wish a trader to Stop among us, I
would be verry glad
our two fathers would give us some powder and ball
and some Milk with
the flag.
Speech of Ar ca we
char chi the half man 3d Chief
My fathr's I do not
Speak verry well, I am a pore man and
My Fathr's. I was
once a Chiefs boy now I am a man and a Chief of Some
note
My Fat hr's- I am
glad you have made my old Chief a fine and a great
man, I have been a
great warrier but now I here your words, I will
berry my hatchet
and be at peace with all & go with my Great Chief to
see my great
father.
My fath-s. When I
was a young man I went to the Spaniards to see ther
fassion, I like you
talk and will pursue you advice, Since you have
given me a meadal.
I will tell you the talk of the Spaniards
My Father's.- I am
glad my Grand father has sent you to the read people
on this river, and
that he has given us a flag large and handsom the
Shade of which we
can Sit under
My Fathr's.- We
want one thing for our nation very much we have no
trader, and often
in want of goods
My Fathers- I am
glad as well as all around me to here your word, and
we open our ears,
and I think our old Frend Mr. Durion can open the
ears of the other
bands of Soux. but I fear those nations above will
not open their
ears, and you cannot I fear open them
My Fathers. You
tell us that you wish us to make peace with the Ottoes
& M. You have
given 5 Medles I wish you to give 5 Kigz with them
My Fathers.- My
horses are pore running the Buffalow give us
Some powder and
ball to hunt with, and leave old Mr. Durion with us to
get us a trader
My Father.- The
Spaniards did not keep the Medal of the Token of our
Great Chief when
they gave him one You have Dressed him and I like it I
am pore & take
pitey on me
My fathers- I am
glad you have put heart in our great Chief he can now
speak with
confidence, I will support him in all your Councilsafter all
the chief presented
the pipe to us
The Half man rose
& spoke as follows viz.
My father- What you
have Said is well, but you have not given any thing
to the attendants
of the Great Chiefs after which
In the evening late
we gave Mr. Dorion a bottle of whiskey and himself
with the Chiefs
Crossed the river and Camped on the opposit bank Soon
after a violent
Wind from the N W. accompanied with rain
[Clark, August 31,
1804]
31st of August
We gave a
Certificate to two Men of War, attendants on the Chief gave
to all the Chiefs a
Carrot of Tobacco- had a talk with Mr. Dorion, who
agreed to Stay and
Collect the Chiefs from as many Bands of Soux as he
coud this fall
& bring about a peace between the Sciuex & their
neighbours &.
&c. &c.
after Dinner we
gave Mr. Peter Darion, a Comission to act with a flag &
some Cloathes &
Provisions & instructions to bring about a peace with
the Scioux Mahars,
Panies, Ponceries, Ottoes & Missouries- and to
employ any trader
to take Some of the Cheifs of each or as many of
those nations as he
Could Perticularly the Sceiouex- I took a
Vocabulary of the
Scioux Language- and the Answer to a fiew quaries
Such as refured to
ther Situation, Trade, number War, &c. &c.- This
Nation is Divided
into 20 Tribes, possessing Seperate interests-
Collectively they
are noumerous Say from 2 to 3000 men, their interests
are so unconnected
that Some bands are at war with Nations which other
bands are on the
most friendly terms. This Great Nation who the French
has given the
nickname of Sciouex, Call them selves Dar co tar their
language is not
peculiarly their own, they Speak a great number of
words, which is the
Same in every respect with the Maha, Poncaser,
Osarge &
Kanzies. which Clearly proves that those nation at Some Period
not more that a
century or two past the Same nation- Those Dar ca ter's
or Scioux inhabit
or rove over the Countrey on the Red river of Lake
Winipeck, St.
Peter's & the West of the Missippie above Prarie De chain
heads of River
Demoin, and the Missouri and its waters on the N. Side
for a great extent.
They are only at peace with 8 Nations, & agreeable
to their
Calculation at war with twenty odd.- Their trade Corns from
the British, except
this Band and one on Demoin who trade with the
Traders of St
Louis- The furnish Beaver Martain, Loues Pikon, Bear and
Deer Skins-and have
about 40 Traders among them. The Dar co tar or
Sceouex rove &
follow the Buffalow raise no corn or any thing else the
woods & praries
affording a Suffcency, the eat Meat, and Substitute the
Ground potato which
grow in the Plains for bread The names of the
Different Tribes or
Canoes of the Sceoux or Dar co tar Nation
1st Che cher ree
Yank ton (or bois rulay) now present inhabit the
Sciouex &
Demoin rivers and the Jacques.
2nd Hoin de borto
(Poles) they rove on the heads of Souix & Jacqus
Rivers-
3rd Me ma car jo
(make fence of the river) rove on the Countrey near
the big bend of the
Missouries
4th Sou on, Teton
(People of the Prarie) the rove in the Plains N. of
the Riv Missouries
above this
5th Wau pa coo tar
(Leaf beds) the live near the Prare de Chain near
the Missippi
6th Te tar ton (or
village of Prarie) rove on the waters of the
Mississippi above
Prarie de Chain
7th Ne was tar ton
(big water Town) rove on the Missippi above the St.
Peters River
8th Wau pa tow
(Leaf nation) live 10 Leagues up St Peters river
9th Cas Car ba
(white man) live 35 Leagus up St Peters river
10th Mi ca cu op si
ba (Cut bank) rove on the head of St. Peters
11th Sou on (-)
rove on St peters river in the Prareis
12th Sou si toons
(-) live 40 Legus up the St peters river
The names of the
other bands neither of the Souex's interpters could
inform me. in the
evening late we gave Mr. Dourion a bottle of whiskey,
& he with the
Cheifs & his Son Crossed the river and Camped on the
Opposit bank- Soon
after night a violent wind from the N W. with rain
the rain Continud
the greater part of the night The river a riseing a
little.
[Clark, August 31,
1804]
August the 31st
1804
after the Indians
got their Brackfast the Chiefs met and arranged
themselves in a row
with elligent pipes of peace all pointing to our
Seets, we Came
foward and took our Seets, the Great Cheif The Shake han
rose and Spoke to
Some length aproving what we had Said and promissing
to pursue the
advice.
Mar to ree 2d Cheif
(White Crain) rose and made a Short Speech and
refured to the
great Chief
Par nar ne Ar par
be 3rd Cheif rose and made a Short Speech
Ar ca we char the
(the half man) 3d Chief rose & spoke at Some length.
Much to the
purpose.
The othe Cheif Said
but little one of the warreirs Spoke after all was
don & promissed
to Support the Chiefs, the promisd to go and See their
Great father in the
Spring with Mr. Dorion, and to do all things we had
advised them to do.
and all Concluded by telling the distresses of ther
nation by not
haveing traders, & wished us to take pity on them, the
wanted Powder Ball
& a little milk
last night the
Indians Danced untill late in their dances we gave them
Som knives Tobaco
& belts & tape & Binding with which they wer Satisfied
[Clark, September
1, 1804]
September 1st Satturday
1804 Mr. Durion left his Kettle which we gave
him, which we Sent
to him and Set out under a gentle Breeze from the
South (raind half
the last night,) proceded on- pass Calumet Bluff of a
yellowish read
& a brownish white Hard clay, this Bluff is about 170 or
180 foot high here
the highlands aproach the river on each Side with a
jentle assent,
opsd. the Bluff a large Island Covered with timber is
Situated Close to
the L. S. we passed the Island opposit which the high
land approach the
river on both Side (river ros 3 Inchs last night)
passed a large
Island Covered with wood on the L. S. Some rain, cloudy
all day- the river
wide & Hils close on each Side, Came to before night
to go & See a
Beaver house which is 11/2 Miles to the L. S. of the riv
Cap Lewis & my
self with two men went to See this house which was
represented as high
& situated in a Small pond. we could not find the
Pon. Drewyer Killed
a Buck Elk, it is not necessary to mention fish as
we catch them at
any place on the river, Camped at the lower point of
Bonhomme Island-
[Clark, September
1, 1804]
September 1st
Satturday 1804
Mr. Dourion left
his Kettle & Sent back for it &c. We Set out under a
jentle Breeze from
the S. (It rained half the last night) proceeded on
pass the Bluffs
Compsd. of a yellowish red, & brownish White Clay which
is a hard as Chalk
this Bluff is 170 or 180 feet high, here the High
lands approach near
the river on each Side, that on the S. S. not So
high as that on the
L. S. opposit the Bluffs is Situated a large Island
Covered with timber
close under the L. S. above the Isd the high land
approach & form
a Clift to the river on the S. S. this Clift is Called
White Bear Clift
one of those animals haveing been killed in a whole in
it
[Clark, September
1, 1804]
1st of September
Satturday 1804
Some hard wind and
rain, Cloudy all day, the river wide & hills on each
Side near the
river, passd. a large (1) Island which appeared to be
composed of Sand,
Covered with Cotton wood close under the S. S. we
landed at the Lower
point of a large Island on the S. S. Called bon
homme or Good man,
here Capt Lewis & my Self went out a Short distance
on the L. S. to See
a Beave house, which was Said to be of Great hite &
Situated in a Pond
we could not find the house and returned after night
Drewyer killed an
Elk, & a Beaver. numbers of Cat fish cought, those
fish is so plenty
that we catch them at any time and place in the river
[Clark, September
2, 1804]
2nd of Sept. Sunday
1804- Set out early & proceeded on passed the
Island & Came
too above below a yellow Bluff on the S S. the Wind being
hard from the N W.
verry Cold Some rain all day much Thunder &
lightning G Drewyer
R. Fields Howard & Newmon Killed four fat Elk on
the Isld. we had
them Jurked &the Skins Stretched to Cover the Perogues
water riseing, I
observe Bear grass & Rhue in the Sides of the hills at
Sunset the wind
luled and cleared up cool- Aired the meet all in high
Spirits- Shannon
& the man Sent after him has not yet joind us
2 Sepr. description
of a antient fortification
(1) From the river
on the top of the antient fortification at this the
12 foot high 75
feet Base first Corse is from the river is S 76° W 96
yards. S 84° W. 53
yds. at this angle a kind of ravilene covering a
Saleport, bearing
East widing N 69 W 300 yds. passed a gate way at 280
yds. the bank lower
& forming a right angle of 30 yards- two wings or
mounds running from
a high nold to the West of the way one 30 yards
back of the other
Covering the gate (at this place the mound is 15 feet
8 Inches higher
than the plain forming a Glassee outwards & 105 feet
base N. 32 W. 56
yards N. 20 W. 73 yards this part of the work is about
12 feet high,
leavel & about 16 feet wide on the top) at the experation
of this course a
low irregular work in a Direction to the river, out
Side of which is
several ovel mounds of about 16 feet high and at the
iner part of the
Gouge a Deep whole across the Gauge N.
32 W 96 yds. to the
Commencment of a wall of about 8 feet high N.81° W.
533 yards to a Deep
pond 73 yds in Deamuter, and 200 yards further to a
Saleport, where
there is evident marks of its being Covered, the Same
Course Contined
1030 yards to the river bottom.
One half of the
first part of the Fortification is washed into the
river, a Second
line, has run from the Northrn extremity parrelel with
the river (as it
appears to have run at that time) N. 56 W. this of
different hith from
4 to to 10 feet- The high land is about 3 me. from
this fortress, and
rise to Small mountains Say from 3 to 400 feet the
high land on the
opposit or North Side of the Missourie is 110 feet
forming a yellow
Clay bluff to the water and is leavel back as fur as
can be Seen. I am
informed by the inteperter & french, that they have
Seen, numbers of
those fortifications in different parts of this Cty.
pirtcularly on the
Platt Kansies and the North of this place on the
river Jacque.
two Small
fortifications is on the Arc Creek on the upper side 1st 1/4
of a mile up &
the 2d 1/4 higher, nearly Square each angle 100 yards
[Clark, September
2, 1804]
2nd September
Sunday 1804
Set out early and
proceeded on Passed the Island and Landed on the S. S
above under a
yellow Clay bluff of 110 feet high, the wind blew verry
hard a head from
the N. W. with Some rain and verry Cold, G. Drewnyer
R. Fields Newman
& howard Killed four fine Elk we had the meat all
jurked and the
Skins Dried to Cover the Perogue, on the Side of the
Bluff I observed
Bear Grass & Rhue, at Sun Set the wind luled and
Cleared up Cold,
the high land on the L. S. is verry high, & uneaven,
that on the S. S
from 80 to 120 foot & is leavel back but fiew Small
Streems falling
into the river.
I went out and made
a Survey of the antient works which is Situated in
a level plain about
3 miles from the hills which are high.
A Discription of
the Fortification
(1) Commenceing on
the river opsid the Good Mans Island, first Course
from the river is
S. 76d W. 96 yards
thence
S. 84 W. 53 yards
(at this angle a kind of angle or horn work)
N. 69 W. 300 yards
to a high part, passing the gateway Covered by two
half Circler works
one back of the other lower than the main work the
gate forms a right
angle projecting inward
N.32 W. 56 yards
N 20 W. 73 yards
This part of the work appears to have either double,
or a covered way.
from this Some irregular works appear to have been on
mounds between this
and the river with a Deep round whole in the center
of a gorge formed
by another angle
------
(578)
This part of the
work is from 10 to 15 feet 8 Inches- the mounds of
various hights- the
base of the work is from 75 to 105 feet, steep
inward and forming
a kind of Glassee out wards
the Same Cours
continued i e
N. 32°W. 96 yards
to the Commencement of a wall from 8 to 10 feet high
this corse not on
the wall but thro to the commencment of another
detached
N. 81° W 1830 yards
to the river & above where this bank Strikes the
river is the
remains of a Circular work
in this Course at
533 yards a Deep Pond of 73 yards Diameter perfectly
round is in the
Course of the bank which is about 8 feet high, from
this Pond the bank
it lowers gradually- a bank about the Same hight
runs near the
river, and must have joined the main work at a part which
is now washed into
the river, this is also perfectly Streight and
widens from the
main work, as the river above has washed in its banks
for A great
distance I cannot form an Idear How those two long works
joined- where they
Strike the river above, they are about 1100 yds
apart, I am
informed by our freench interpeters that a great number of
those antint works
are in Different parts of this Countrey, on the
Platt River,
Kansus, Jacque, Osarge Mine river &c.
Small one is on
Island opposit the one I have Discribed, and two of our
Party Saw two of
those antient frtresses on the Pittiet Arc Creek on
the upper Side near
the mouth, each angle of which were 100 yards and
about 8 feet high-
[Clark, September
3, 1804]
3rd September
Monday 1804. Set out at Sun rise, verry Cold morning
clear and but
little wind from the N W. we proceeded on, the river
wide, took an
obsivation below Plumb Creek which mouths on the S S.
this Creek is Small
& corns in between 2 white banks, Great quantities
of Plumbs of a most
delisious flavour, I have collected the Seed of 3
Kinds which I
intend to Send to my brother, also Som grapes of a
Superior quallity
large & well flavoured, the river is riseing a
little, Several
wild Goats Seen in the Plains they are wild & fleet Elk
& Buffalow is
verry plenty, Scercely any timber in Countrey except a
little on the river
in the Points. Saw Some Signs of the 2 men who are
a head, Colter has
not over taken Shannon Camped on the L. S. at the
edge of a Plain-
[Clark, September 3,
1804]
3rd of September
Monday 1804
a verry Cold
morning wind from N. W. we Set out at Sun rise, &
proceeded on to a
Bluff below the mouth of Plumb 12 yds. Creek on the
S. S. and took an
obsevation of the Suns Altitude
This Creek is Small
it "abounds with blumbs of a Delicious flavour" the
River is wide and
Crouded with Sand bars- it is riseing a little but
little timber in
this Countrey all that is, is on the river in the
points. we Came too
on the L. Sin the edge of a Plain an Camped for the
night- we Saw Some
Signs of the two men Shannon & Colter, Shannon
appeared to be a
head of Colter- The White banks appear to Continu on
both sides of the
river. Grapes plenty and finely flavered-
[Clark, September
4, 1804]
4th of September
Tuesday 1804. a verry Cold wind from South E. by S. we
Set out early
proceeded on to the mouth of a Small Creek in the bend to
the L. S. Called
white line at 11/2 miles furthr passed the mouth of a
R au platte or
White paint Cr about 25 yd. on Same Side Called, I
walked on the top of
the hill forming a Cliff Covd. with red Ceeder an
extensive view from
this hill, at 3 Miles from the Creek the high land
jut the river
forming a Bluff of Bluish Clay Continu 11/2 miles Came to
at the mouth of Qui
courre (rapid) this river Comes roleing its Sands
whuch (is corse)
into the Missouris from the S W by W. this river is
152 yards across
the water and not exeeding 4 feet Deep it does not
rise high when it
Does it Spreds over a large Surface, and is not
navagable it has a
Great many Small Islands & Sand bars I went up this
river 3 miles to
the Spot the Panis once had a large Village on the
upper Side in a
butifull extensive Plain riseing gradially from the
river I fel into a
Buffalow road joined the boat late at night at the
Pania Island.
[Clark, September
4, 1804]
4th September
Tuesday 1804
a verry Cold wind
from the S. S. E, we Set out early and proceeded on
the mouth of a
Small Creek in a bend to the L. S. Called White lime, at
11/2 miles higher
up passed a large Creek on the L. S. Called or white
paint between those
two Creeks (the latter of which is abt. 30 yds.
wide) we passed
under a Bluff of red Ceeder, at 4 mes. 1/2 passed the
mouth of the River
Que Courre (rapid R) on the L. S. and Came to a
Short distance
above, this River is 152 yards wide at the mouth & 4
feet Deep Throwing
out Sands like the Platt (only Corser) forming bars
in its mouth, I
went up this river three miles to a butifull Plain on
the upper Side
where the Panias once had a Village this river widens
above its mouth and
is devided by Sand and Islands, the Current verry
rapid, not
navagable for even Canoos without Great dificulty owing to
its Sands; the
colour like that of the Plat is light the heads of this
river is not known,
it Corns into the Missourie from the S. W. by West,
and I am told that
is Genl. Course Some distance up is parrelel with
the Missourie
[Clark, September
5, 1804]
5th September 1804
Wednesday, Set out early the wind blew hard from the
South as it has for
Some Days past, we Set up a jury mast & Sailed, I
saw a large gangue
of Turkeys, also Grous Seen Passed a large Island of
about 3 miles long
in the Middle of the river opposit the head of this
Island the Poncarre
River Coms into the Missourei on the L. S.- the S.
S is a Clift under
which great numbers of Springs run out of mineral
water, Saw Several
wild goats on the Clift & Deer with black tales,-
Sent Shields &
Gibson to the Poncas Towns, which is Situated on the
Ponca river on the
lower side about two miles from its mouth in an open
butifull Plain, at
this time this nation is out hunting the biffalow
they raise no corn
or Beens, Gibson killed a Buffalow in the Town, The
two men which has
been absent several Days is ahead, we came to on the
upper pt. of a
large Island at 3 oClock to make a mast Sent out Some
hunters on the
Island (which I call no preserve Island, at this place
we used the last of
our Preservs) They killed 3 bucks, & two Elk which
welurked
[Clark, September
5, 1804]
September 5th
Wednesday 1804
Set out early the
winds blew hard from the South, Goats turkeys Seen to
day, passed a large
Island (1) opsd. this Island near the head the
Poncasar River Coms
into the Missourie from the West this river is
about 30 yards
wide. dispatched two men to the Poncaries Village
Situated in a
handsom Plain on the lower Side of this Creek about two
miles from the
Missourie (the Poncasars nation is Small and at this
time out in the
praries hunting the Buffalow), one of the men Sent to
the Village Killed
a Buffalow in the town, the other, a large Buck near
it, Some Sign of
the two men who is a head.
above the Island on
the S. S We passed under a Bluff of Blue earth,
under which Seveal
Mineral Springs broke out of the water of which had
a taste like Salts,
we Came too on the upper point of a large Island
(which I call No
preserves Island) here we made a Ceeder Mast, our
hunters brought in
three bucks, and two elks this evening which we had
jurked
One of the hunter
Shields, informed that he Saw Several black tailed
Deer, near the
Poncaser Village
[Lewis, September
5, 1804]
Sept 5th
saw some wild goats
or antelopes on the hill above the Glauber Salts
Springs they ran
off we could not discover them sufficiently distinctly
to discribe even their
colour their track is as large as a deer reather
broader & more
blont at the point
This day one of our
hunters brought us a Serpent beautifully variagated
with small black
spotts of a romboydal form on a light yellow white
ground the black
pedominates most on the back the whiteis yellow on the
sides, and it is
nearly white on the belly with a few party couloured
scuta on which the
black shews but imperfectly and the colouring matter
seems to be
underneath the Scuta- it is not poisonous it hisses
remarkably loud; it
has 221 Scuta on the belly and 51 on the tale, the
eyes are of a dark
black colour the tale terminates in a sharp point
like the substance
of a cock's spur- Length 4 Ft. 6 I.
[Clark, September
6, 1804]
6th Septr Thursday
1804, a Storm this morning from the N W. at day
light which lasted
a fiew minits, Set out after the Storm was over and
proceeded on a hard
wind ahead passed the island which is Seperated
from the L. Side by
a narrow Channel. the morning is verry Cold.
Camped on S. Side
before night no timbering in reach ahead, R. Fields
killed 2 Deer Saw
Buffalow, & Goats this evening, the river riseing a
little
[Clark, September
6, 1804]
Septr. 6th Thursday
1804
a Storm this
morning from the N. W. which lasted a fiew minits, we Set
out and proceeded
on passed the head of the Isd. which is Seperated
from the L. S by a
narrow Channel, a hard wind from the N. W. a verry
Cold day- we Camped
on the S. S. at the upper point of Some timber,
Some time before night,
no timber, no timber being in reach.
I saw Several goats
on the hills on the S. S. also Buffalow in great
numbers
[Clark, September
7, 1804]
7th September
Friday 1804. a verry Cold morning Set out at Day light
near the foot of
this high Nole we discovered a Village of an annamale
the french Call the
Prarie Dog which burrow in the grown & with the
rattle Snake and
Killed one & Caught one Dog alive caught in a whole 2
frogs near the hole
Killed a Dark Rattle Snake with a Prairie dog in him
The Village of
those little dogs is under the ground a conisiderable
distance we dig
under 6 feet thro rich hard clay without getting to
their Lodges Some
of their wholes we put in 5 barrels of water without
driveing them out,
we caught one by the water forceing him out. ther
mouth resemble the
rabit, head longer, legs short, & toe nails
long ther tail like
a ground Squirel which they Shake and make
chattering noise
ther eyes like a dog, their colour is Gray and Skin
contains Soft fur
[Clark, September
7, 1804]
7th Septr. 1804
Septr. 7th Friday a
verry Cold morning Set out at day light we landed
after proceding
51/2 miles, near the foot of a round mounting which I
saw yesterday
resembling a dome.
Capt Lewis & my
Self walked up, to the top which forms a Cone and is
about 70 feet
higher than the high lands around it, the Bass is about
300 foot in
decending this Cupola, discovered a Village of Small
animals that burrow
in the grown (those animals are Called by the
french Pitite
Chien) Killed one & Cought one a live by poreing a great
quantity of water
in his hole we attempted to dig to the beds of one of
thos animals, after
diging 6 feet, found by running a pole down that we
were not half way
to his Lodges, we found 2 frogs in the hole, and
killed a Dark
rattle Snake near with a Ground rat in him, (those rats
are numerous) the
Village of those animals Covs. about 4 acrs of Ground
on a Gradual decent
of a hill and Contains great numbers of holes on
the top of which
those little animals Set erect make a Whistleing noise
and whin allarmed
Slip into their hole- we por'd into one of the holes
5 barrels of water
without filling it, Those Animals are about the Size
of a Small Squrel
Shorter & thicker, the head much resembling a Squirel
in every respect,
except the ears which is Shorter, his tail like a
ground Squirel
which thy Shake & whistle when allarmd. the toe nails
long, they have
fine fur & the longer hair is gray, it is Said that a
kind of Lizard also
a Snake reside with those animals. Camped
[Lewis and Clark,
September 8, 1804]
8th of September
1804 Satturday. Set out early and proceeded on under a
Gentle breese from
the S. E. at 3 mes passed the place where Trodow
wintered one winter
I went out to day
on the S. S with a view to find Some of the little
dogs, and Coats,
Traveled over a riged and mountanious Countrey without
water & riseing
to 5 or 600 hundred feet, Islands & Sands interveneing
prevt. my getting
to the boat untill after night, in my absent Capt.
Lewis killed a
Buffalow, I saw Greid many Buffalow & white wolves.
(Sailed all day)
[Clark, September
8, 1804]
8th of September
Satturday
Set out early and
proceeded on under a gentle Breeze from the S. E, at
3 mes. passed the
house of Troodo where he wintered in 96. Called the
Pania house, above
is high hills on the S. S. on the S. S. much higher
hills than usial
appear to the North distant 8 miles recently burnt-
pass 3 Small
Islands at about 5 miles on this Course on the S. S. here
Capt. Lewis Killed
a Buffalow in the river, and this men one other Came
to on the lower
point of an Island in the midlle of the river Called
Boat Island and
incamped, jurked the meet Killed to day Consisting of 2
buffalow, one large
Buck Elk one Small, 4 Deer 3 Turkeys & a Squirel, I
joined the boat at
this Camp, The Countrey on the S S. is pore & broken.
[Clark and
Whitehouse, September 9, 1804]
9th Septembr
Sunday, Set out at Sunrise and proceeded on passed the
Island Several
gangus of Buffalow on the Sides of the hils on the L. S.
halted on L. Side
took breakfast. Capt. Clark walked on Shore, we
proceeded on
R. Fields came to
the Boat had killed one Buffalow. passed red ceeder
on the edge of the
hills on bouth Sides of the river but most on the
bluff on
[Clark, September
9, 1804]
9th September
Sunday 1804
Set out at Sunrise
and proceeded on passed the head of the Island on
which we Camped,
passed three Sand & willow Islands, the Sand bars So
noumerous, it is not
worth mentioning them, the river Shoal or Shallow
wind S E Came too
and Camped on a Sand bar on the L. S. Capt Lewis went
out to Kill a
buffalow. I walked on Shore all this evening with a view
to Kill a Goat or
Some Prarie Dogs in the evening after the boat
landed, I Derected
my Servent York with me to kill a Buffalow near the
boat from a numbr.
then Scattered in the plains, I saw at one view near
the river at least
500 Buffalow, those animals have been in view all
day feeding in the
Plains on the L. S. every Copse of timber appear to
have Elk or Deer.
D. Killed 3 Deer, I Kiled a Buffalow Y. 2, R. Fields
one.
[Lewis, September
9, 1804]
Sept. 9th
Capt. Clark found
on the Lard shore under a high bluff issuing from a
blue earth a
bittuminus matter resembling molasses in consistance,
colour and taste-
[Clark, September
10, 1804]
10th September
Monday a Cloudy morning Set out early under a Gentle
Breeze from the S
E. passed two Small Islands one on the L. S. & the
other on the S. S.
both in the first Course at 101/2 miles passed the
lower pt. of Ceder
Island Situated in a bend to the L. S. this Island
is about 2 miles
long Covered with red Ceder, the river is verry
Shallow opsd. this
Island- below the Island on the top of a ridge we
found a back bone
with the most of the entire laying Connected for 45
feet those bones
are petrified, Some teeth & ribs also Connected. at 3
mes. above ceder I
passed a large Island on the S. S. to this Island
Several Elk Swam
above this Island on the Midle is Situated 2 Islands
small one above the
other, those Islands are Called mud Islands and
camped on the upper
Island of them 3 Buffalow 1 Elk &c. Killed to day,
river falling a
large Salt Spring of remarkable Salt water much
frequented by Buffalow,
Some Smaller Springs on the Side of the hill
above less Salt,
the water excesiv Salt, and is 11/2 miles from the
river on the S. W.
or L. S. opposit Ceder Island-
[Clark, September
10, 1804]
10th September
Monday 1804.
a Cloudy dark
morning Set out early, a Gentle breeze from the S. E,
passed two Small
Islands on the L. S. and one on the S. S. all in the
first Course at
101/2 miles passed the lower point of an (2) Island
Covered with red
Ceeder Situated in a bend on the L. S. this Island is
about 2 Moles in
length (1) below this on a hill on the L. S. we found
the back bone of a
fish, 45 feet long tapering to the tale, &c. those
joints were
Seperated and all petrefied, opposit this Island 11/2 miles
from the river on
the L. S. is a large Salt Spring of remarkable Salt
water. one other
high up the hill 1/2 me. not So Salt.
we proceeded on
under a Stiff Breeze. three miles above Ceder Island
passed a large
Island on the S. S, no water on that Side (3) Several
elk Swam to this
Island passed a Small Island near the Center of the
river, of a mile in
length, and Camped on one aboav Seperated from the
other by a narrow
Chanel, Those Islands are Called Mud Islands- the
hunters killed 3
fuffalow & one Elk to day. The river is falling a
little, Great
number of Buffalow & Elk on the hill Sides feeding deer
Scerce
we came too at the
mouth of a Creek on the L. S. at Dark in a heavy
Shower of rain, it
Continued to rain the greater part of the night,
with a hard wind
from the N W Cold
[Clark, September
11, 1804]
Septr. 11th Tuesday
1804 Set out early a Cloudy morning the river verry
wide from one hill
to the other, with many Sand bars passed the Isd. on
which we lay at a
mile passed three Isds. one on the L. S. (1/4 of a
mile from it on the
L. S. a village of little Dogs. I Killed four, this
village is 800
yards wide & 970 yds. long on a jentle Slope of a hill
in a plain, those
animals are noumerous) the other two Islands are on
the S. S. the river
is verry Shallow & wide, the boat got a ground
Several times- The
man G Shannon, who left us with the horses above the
Mahar Village, and
beleving us to be ahead pushed on as long as he
Could, joined us he
Shot away what fiew Bullets he had with him, and in
a plentiful)
Countrey like to have Starvd. he was 12 days without
provision,
Subsisting on Grapes at the Same the Buffalow, would Come
within 30 yards of
his Camp, one of his horses gave out & he left him
before his last
belluts were Consumed- I saw 3 large Spoted foxes today
a black tailed
Deer, & Killed a Buck elk & 2 Deer, one othr Elk 2 Deer
& a Porkipine
Killed to day at 12 oClock it became Cloudy and rained
all the after noon,
& night.
[Clark, September
11, 1804]
Sept. 11th Tuesday
1804
a cloudy morning,
Set out verry early, the river wide & Shallow the
bottom narrow,
& the river Crouded with Sand bars, passed the Island on
which we lay at one
mile-, pased three Islands one on the L. S. and 2
on the S. S.
opposit the Island on the L. S. I Saw a village of Barking
Squriel 970 yds.
long, and 800 yds. wide Situated on a gentle Slope of
a hill, those
anamals are noumerous, I killed 4 with a view to have
their Skins Stufed.
here the man who
left us with the horses 22 days ago and has been a
head ever Since
joined, us nearly Starved to Death, he had been 12 days
without any thing
to eate but Grapes & one Rabit, which he Killed by
shooting a piece of
hard Stick in place of a ball-. This man Supposeing
the boat to be a
head pushed on as long as he Could, when he became
weak and fiable
deturmined to lay by and waite for a tradeing boat,
which is expected
Keeping one horse for the last resorse,- thus a man
had like to have
Starved to death in a land of Plenty for the want of
Bulletes or
Something to kill his meat we Camped on the L. S. above the
mouth of a run a
hard rain all the after noon, & most of the night,
with hard wind from
the N W. I walked on Shore the fore part of this
day over Some
broken Country which Continus about 3 miles back & then
is leavel & rich
all Plains, I saw Several foxes & Killed a Elk & 2
Deer. &
Squirels the men with me killed an Elk, 2 Deer & a Pelican
Some rain all day
to day & Cold
I walked on Shore
Saw Several foxes Several Villages of Prarie dogs,
and a number of
Grouse
[Clark, September
12, 1804]
Septr. 12th
Wednesday 1804
a Dark Cloudy Day
the wind hard from the N. W. we passed (1) a Island
the middle of the
river at the head of which we found great dificuelty
in passing between
the Sand bars the water Swift and Shallow, it took
3/4 of the day to
make one mile, we Camped on the L. S. opsd. a Village
of Barking Prarie
Squriels
I walked out in the
morning and Saw Several Villages of those little
animals, also a
great number of Grous & 3 foxes, and observed Slate &
Coal mixed, Some
verry high hills on each Side of the river. rains a
little all day.
[Clark, September
13, 1804]
13th Septr.
Thursday 1804
a Dark Drizzley
Day, G D Cought 4 Beaver last night the winds from the
N W. Cold Set out
early and proceeded on verry well passed a number of
Sand bars, Capt
Lewis killed a Porcupin on a Cotton treee fieeding on
the leaves &
bowers of the Said tree, the water is verry Shallow being
Crouded with Sand
bars Camped on the S. Side under a Bluff. the Bluffs
on the S. S. not So
much impregnated with mineral as on the L. S.
muskeetors verry
troublesom-.
[Lewis, September
13, 1804]
September 13th
Killed a bluewinged
teal and a Porcupine; found it in a Cottonwood tree
near the river on
the Lard. Shore- the leaves of the Cottonwood were
much distroyed- as
were those of the Cottonwood trees in it's
neighbourhood. I
therefore supposed that it fed on the folage of trees
at this season, the
flesh of this anamal is a pleasant and whoalsome
food- the quills
had not yet obtained their usual length- it has four
long toes, before
on each foot, and the same number behind with the
addition of one
short one on each hind foot on the inner side. the toes
of the feet are
armed with long black nails particularly the fore feet-
they weigh from 15
to 20 lbs- they resemble the slowth very much in the
form of their
hands, or fore feet. their teeth and eyes are like the
bever
[Clark, September
14, 1804]
Septr 14th Friday
1804 Course Dists & rifur. Set out early proceeded on
passed Several Sand
bars water wide & Shallow N. 68° W. 23/4 mes. to a
pt. of high Land on
the L. S. passed a round Island on the S S.- Caught
3 beaver last
night, Some drizzeley rain Cloudy & Disagreeable and Som
hard Showers, I
walked on Shore with a view to find an old Volcano Said
to be in this
neghbourhood by Mr. McKey I was Some distance out Could
not See any Signs
of a Volcanoe, I killed a Goat, which is peculier to
this Countrey about
the hite of a Grown Deer Shorter, its horns Coms
out immediately
abov its eyes broad 1 Short prong the other arched &
Soft the color is a
light gray with black behind its ears, white round
its neck, no beard,
his Sides & belly white, and around its taile which
is Small &
white and Down its hams, actively made his brains on the
back of its head,
his noisterals large, his eyes like a Sheep only 2
hoofs on each foot
no antelrs (more like the antelope or gazella of
Africa than any
other Specis of Goat). Shields Killed a Hare weighing
61/2 lb. verry
pore, the head narrow and its ears 3 Inches wide and 6
long, from the fore
to the end of the hind foot; is 2 feet 11 Inch.
hite 1 foot 13/4
its tail long & thick white, clearly the mountain Hare
of Europe, a rainy
evening all wett The Soil of those Plains washes
down into the
flats, with the Smallest rain & disolves & mixes with the
water we See back
from the river high hills in a leavel plain,
evidently the
remains of mountains, what mud washed into the river
within those few
days has made it verry mudy, passed two Small Creeks
on the L. S. &
Camped below a 3rd on the L. S. rained all evening
[Clark, September
14, 1804]
14th Septr. Friday
1804. Set out early proceeded on passed Several Sand
bars the river wide
and Shallow 3 beaver Caught last night, Drizeley
rain in the
forepart of this day, cloudy and disagreeable, I walked on
Shore with a view
to find an old Vulcanio, Said to be in this
neighbourhood by
Mr. J. McKey of St. Charles. I walked on Shore the
whole day without
Seeing any appearance of the Villcanoe, in my walk I
Killed a Buck Goat
of this Countrey, about the hight. of the Grown
Deer, its body
Shorter, the Horns which is not very hard and forks 2/3
up one prong Short
the other round & Sharp arched, and is imediately
above its Eyes the
Colour is a light gray with black behind its ears
down its neck, and
its Jaw white round its neck, its Sides and its rump
round its tail
which is Short & white verry actively made, has only a
pair of hoofs to
each foot. his brains on the back of his head, his
Norstral large, his
eyes like a Sheep- he is more like the Antilope or
Gazella of Africa
than any other Species of Goat. Shields Killed a Hare
like the mountain
hare of Europe, waighing 61/4 pounds (altho pore) his
head narrow, its
ears large i, e, 6 Inches long & 3 Inchs wide one half
of each white, the
other & out part a lead grey from the toe of the
hind foot to toe of
the for foot is 2 feet 11 Inches, the hith is 1
foot 1 Inche &
3/4, his tail long thick & white.
The rain Continued
the Greater part of the day in My ramble I observed,
that all those
parts of the hills which was Clear of Grass easily
disolved and washed
into the river and bottoms, and those hils under
which the river
run, Sliped into it and disolves and mixes with the
water of the river,
the bottoms of the river was covered with the water
and mud frome the
hills about three Inches deep- those bottoms under
the hils which is
Covered with Grass also a great quantity of mud.
Passed 2 Small
Creeks on the L. S and Camped below the third, (the
place that Shannon
the man who went a head lived on grapes) Some heavy
Showers of rain all
wet, had the Goat & rabit Stufed rained all night
[Lewis, September
14, 1804]
September 14th 1804
this day Capt. Clark killed a male wild goat so
called- it's weight
65 lbs.
F I
length from point
of nose to point of tail
4 9
hight to the top of
the wethers
3 -
do. behind
3 -
girth of the
brest 3 1
girth of the neck
close to the shoulders
2 2
do. near the
head
1 7
Eye deep sea green,
large percing and reather prominent, & at or near
the root of the
horn within one 1/4 inches
[Lewis, September
14, 1804]
Sept. 14th 1804.
Shields killed a hare of the prarie, weight six pounds
and 1/4
F. I.
Length from point
of hind to extremity fore feet
2
11
hight when standing
erect
1
13/4
length from nose to
tale
2
1
girth of body
1
23/4
length of tale -
61/2
length of the year
-
51/2
width of do. do. -
3 1/8
from the extremity
of the hip to the toe of the hind foot
1
31/2
the eye is large
and prominent the sight is circular, deep sea green,
and occupyes one
third of the width of the eye the remaining two thirds
is a ring of a
bright yellowish silver colour. the years ar placed at
the upper part of
the head and very near to each other, the years are
very flexable, the
anamall moves them with great ease and quickness and
can contrat and
foald them on his back or delate them at pleasure- the
front outer foald
of the year is a redis brown, the inner foalds or
those which ly
together when the years are thrown back and wich occupy
two thirds of the
width of the year is of a clear white colour except
one inch at the tip
of the year which is black, the hinder foald is of
a light grey- the
head back sholders and outer part of the thighs are
of a ledcoloured
grey the sides as they approache the belly grow
lighter becomeing
gradually more white the belly and brest are white
with a shad of lead
colour- the furr is long and fine- the tale is
white round and
blounty pointed the furr on it is long and extreemly
fine and soft when
it runs it carry's it's tale strait behind the
direction of the
body- the body is much smaller and more length than
the rabbit in
proportion to it's height- the teeth are like those of
the hair or rabbit
as is it's upper lip split- it's food is grass or
herbs- it resorts
the open plains, is extreemly fleet and never burrows
or takes shelter in
the ground when pursued, I measured the leaps of
one which I
suprised in the plains on the 17th Inst. and found them 21
feet the ground was
a little decending they apear to run with more ease
and to bound with
greater agility than any anamall I ever saw. this
anamal is usually
single seldom associating in any considerable numbers.
[Clark, September
15, 1804]
September the 15th
Satturday 1804 Set out early passed the Mouth of a
creek on the L S.
where Shannon lived on grapes waiting for Mr.
Clintens boat
Supposeing we had went on, Capt Lewis and my Self halted
at the mouth of
White River & wend up a Short Crossed &, this river is
about 400 yards,
the water Confined within 150 yards, the Current
regularly Swift,
much resembling the Missourie, Sand bars makeing out
from the points,
Some Islands we Sent up two men to go up this river
one Day and Meet us
to morrow we proceeded on passed a Small Island
Covered with Ceder
timber, & great number of rabits, no game except
rabits, and Camped
on the S. S. opposit a large Creek, on which there
is more wood than
usial on Creeks in this quaterr this creek raised 14
feet last rain I
Killed a Buck elk & a Deer.
[Clark, September
15, 1804]
15th September
Satturday 1804
Set out early
passed the mo of the Creek, and the mouth of White river;
(1) Capt Lewis and
my Self went up this river a Short distance and
Crossed, found that
this differed verry much from the Plat or que
Courre, threw out
but little Sand, about 300 yard wide, the water
confind within 150
yards, the current regular & Swift much resemblig
the Missourie, with
Sand bars from the points a Sand Island in the
mouth, in the point
is a butifull Situation for a Town 3 Gradual
assents, and a much
Greater quantity of timber about the mouth of this
river than usial,
we concluded to Send Some distance up this river
detached Sjt. Gass
& R. Fields. we proceeded on passed a Small (2)
Island Covered with
Ceeder on I Saw great numbers of Rabits & Grapes,
this Island is
Small & Seperated from a large Sand Isd. at its upper
point by a narrow
Channel, & is Situated nearest the L. Side. Camped on
the S. S. opposit
the mouth of a large Creek on which there is more
timber than is
usial on Creeks of this Size, this Creek raised 14 feet
the last rains. I
killed a Buck Elk & Deer, this evening is verry Cold,
Great many wolves
of Different Sorts howling about us. the wind is hard
from the N W this
evening
[Lewis, September
16, 1804]
Sunday September
16th 1804.
This morning set
out at an early hour, and come too at 1/2 after 7 A.M.
on the Lard. Shore
11/4 miles above the mouth of a small creek which we
named Corvus, in
consequence of having kiled a beatiful bird of that
genus near it we
concluded to ly by at this place the ballance of this
day and the next,
in order to dry our baggage which was wet by the
heavy showers of
rain which had fallen within the last three days, and
also to lighten the
boat by transfering a part of her lading to the red
perogue, which we
now determined to take on with us to our winter
residence wherever
that might be; while some of the men were imployed
in this necessary
labour others were dressing of skins washing and
mending their
cloaths &c. Capt. Clark and myself kiled each a buck
immediately on
landing near our encampment; the deer were very gentle
and in great
numbers on this bottom which had more timber on it than
any part of the
river we had seen for many days past, consisting of
Cottonwood Elm,
some indifferent ash and a considerable quanty of a
small species of
white oak which is loaded with acorns of an excellent
flavor very little
of the bitter roughness of the nuts of most species
of oak, the leaf of
this oak is small pale green and deeply indented,
it seldom rises
higher than thirty feet is much branched, the bark is
rough and thick and
of a light colour; the cup which contains the acorn
is fringed on it's
edges and imbraces the nut about one half; the
acorns were now
falling, and we concluded that the number of deer which
we saw here had
been induced thither by the acorns of which they are
remarkably fond.
almost every species of wild game is fond of the
acorn, the Buffaloe
Elk, deer, bear, turkies, ducks, pigegians and even
the wolves feed on
them; we sent three hunters out who soon added eight
deer and two
Buffaloe to our strock of provisions; the Buffaloe were so
pour that we took
only the tongues skins and marrow bones; the skins
were particularly
acceptable as we were in want of a covering for the
large perogue to
secure the baggage; the clouds during this day and
night prevented my
making any observations. Sergt. Gass and Reubin
Fields whom we had
sent out yesterday to explore the White river
returnd at four
oclock this day and reported that they had foil
meanders of that
stream about 12 miles r's general course West, the
present or
principal channel iro yards wide; the coulour of the water
and rapidity and
manner of runing resembled the Missouri presisely; the
country broken on
the border of the river about a mile, when the level
planes commence and
extend as far as the eye can reach on either side;
as usual no timber
appeared except such as from the steep declivities
of hills, or their
moist situations, were sheltered from the effects of
the fire. these
extensive planes had been lately birnt and the grass
had sprung up and
was about three inches high. vast herds of Buffaloe
deer Elk and
Antilopes were seen feeding in every direction as far as
the eye of the
observer could reach.
[Clark, September
16, 1804]
September 16th
Sunday, we proceeded on 11/4 Miles and Camped on the L.
Side in a butifull
Plain Surounded with timber in which we Saw Severall
Der, we delayed
here for the purpose of Drying the articles which were
wet & the
cloathes to Load the Perogue which we had intended to send
back, finding the
water too Shoal Deturmind to take on the Perogue also
to make Some
observations for Longitude &c. the two men G. & R. F.
joined us and
informed "that the river as far as they were up had much
the Appearance of
the river about the mouth, but little timber and that
chiefly elm",
the up land between this river & the White river is fine,
Great numbers of
Goat, Deer of three kinds, Buffalow, & wolves, &
Barking Squrels,
The fallow Deer, Cloudy, all day Cleaning out the boat
examining &
Drying the goods, & loading the Perogue, I killed 2 Deer
Capt Lewis one
& a Buffalow, one Buffalow & five other Deer Killed. I
observed Pine Burs
& Burch Sticks in the Drift wood up white river
which Coms in on
the L. S. imedeately in the point is a butifull
Situation for a
town 3 Gentle rises, & more timber about the mouth of
this river than
usial
[Clark, September
16, 1804]
16th of September
Sunday 1804
We Set out verry
early & proceed'd on 11/4 miles between Sand bars and
Came too on the L.
S. (1)- deturmined to dry our wet thig and liten the
boat which we found
could not proceed with the present load for this
purpose we
Concluded to detain the Perogue we had intended to Send back
& load her out
of the boat & detain the Soldiers untill Spring & Send
them from our
winter quarters. We put out those articles which was wet,
Clean'd the boat
& perogus, examined all the Locker Bails &. &c. &.
This Camp is
Situated in a butifull Plain Serounded with Timber to the
extent of 3/4 of a
mile in which there is great quantities of fine
Plumbs The two men
detachd up the White river joined us here & informed
that the river as
far as they were up had much the appearance of the
Missourie Som
Islands & Sands little Timber Elm, (much Signs of Beaver,
Great many
buffalow) & Continud its width, they Saw & well as my Self
Pine burs &
Sticks of Birch in the Drift wood up this river, They Saw
also Number of
Goats Such as I Killed, also wolves near the Buffalow
falling Deer, &
the Barking Squrels Villages Capt. Lewis went to hunt &
See the Countrey
near the Kamp he killed a Buffalow & a Deer
Cloudy all day I
partly load the empty Perogue out of the Boat. I
killed 2 Deer &
the party 4 Deer & a Buffalow the we kill for the Skins
to Cover the
Perogus, the meet too pore to eat. Capt Lewis went on an
Island above our
Camp, this Island is abt. one mile long, with a Great
purpotion ceder
timber near the middle of it
I gave out a
flannel Shirt to each man, & powder to those who had
expended thers
[Lewis, September
17, 1804]
Monday September
17th 1804.
Having for many
days past confined myself to the boat, I determined to
devote this day to
amuse myself on shore with my gun and view the
interior of the
country lying between the river and the Corvus Creek-
accordingly before
sunrise I set out with six of my best hunters, two
of whom I
dispatched to the lower side of Corvus creek, two with orders
to hunt the bottoms
and woodland on the river, while I retained two
others to acompany
me in the intermediate country. one quarter of a
mile in rear of our
camp which was situated in a fine open grove of
cotton wood passed
a grove of plumb trees loaded with fruit and now
ripe. observed but
little difference between this fruit and that of a
similar kind common
to the Atlantic States. the trees are smaller and
more thickly set.
this forrest of plumb trees garnish a plain about 20
feet more lelivated
than that on which we were encamped; this plain
extends back about
a mile to the foot of the hills one mile distant and
to which it is
gradually ascending this plane extends with the same
bredth from the
creek below to the distance of near three miles above
parrallel with the
river, and is intirely occupyed by the burrows of
the barking squril
hertefore discribed; this anamal appears here in
infinite numbers,
and the shortness and virdue of grass gave the plain
the appearance
throughout it's whole extent of beatifull bowlinggreen
in fine order. it's
aspect is S. E. a great number of wolves of the
small kind, balks
and some pole-cats were to be seen. I presume that
those anamals feed
on this squirril.- found the country in every
direction for about
three miles intersected with deep reveries and
steep irregular
hills of 100 to 200 feet high; at the tops of these
hills the country
breakes of as usual into a fine leavel plain
extending as far as
the eye can reach. from this plane I had an
extensive view of
the river below, and the irregular hills which border
the opposite sides
of the river and creek. the surrounding country had
been birnt about a
month before and young grass had now sprung up to
hight of 4 Inches
presenting the live green of the spring. to the West
a high range of
hills, strech across the country from N. to S and
appeared distant
about 20 miles; they are not very extensive as I could
plainly observe
their rise and termination no rock appeared on them and
the sides were
covered with virdue similar to that of the plains this
senery already rich
pleasing and beatiful, was still farther hightened
by immence herds of
Buffaloe deer Elk and Antelopes which we saw in
every direction
feeding on the hills and plains. I do not think I
exagerate when I
estimate the number of Buffaloe which could be
compreed at one
view to amount to 3000. my object was if possible to
kill a female
Antelope having already procured a male; I pursued my
rout on this plain
to the west flanked by my two hunters untill eight
in the morning when
I made the signal for them to come to me which they
did shortly after.
we rested our selves about half an hour, and
regailed ourselves
on half a bisquit each and some jirk of Elk which we
had taken the
precaution to put in our pouches in the morning before we
set out, and drank
of the water of a small pool which had collected on
this plain from the
rains which had fallen some days before. We had now
after various
windings in pursuit of several herds of antelopes which
we had seen on our
way made the distance of about eight miles from our
camp. we found the
Antelope extreemly shye and watchfull insomuch that
we had been unable
to get a shot at them; when at rest they generally
seelect the most
elivated point in the neighbourhood, and as they are
watchfull and
extreemly quick of sight and their sense of smelling very
accute it is almost
impossible to approach them within gunshot; in
short they will
frequently discover and flee from you at the distance
of three miles. I
had this day an opportunity of witnessing the agility
and superior
fleetness of this anamal which was to me really
astonishing. I had
pursued and twice surprised a small herd of seven,
in the first
instance they did not discover me distinctly and therefore
did not run at full
speed, tho they took care before they rested to
gain an elivated
point where it was impossible to approach them under
cover except in one
direction and that happened to be in the direction
from which the wind
blew towards them; bad as the chance to approach
them was, I made
the best of my way towards them, frequently peeping
over the ridge with
which I took care to conceal myself from their view
the male, of which
there was but one, frequently incircled the summit
of the hill on
which the females stood in a group, as if to look out
for the approach of
danger. I got within about 200 paces of them when
they smelt me and
fled; I gained the top of the eminece on which they
stood, as soon as
possible from whence I had an extensive view of the
country the
antilopes which had disappeared in a steep revesne now
appeared at the
distance of about three miles on the side of a ridge
which passed
obliquely across me and extended about four miles. so soon
had these antelopes
gained the distance at which they had again
appeared to my view
I doubted at ferst that they were the same that I
had just surprised,
but my doubts soon vanished when I beheld the
rapidity of their
flight along the ridge before me it appeared reather
the rappid flight
of birds than the motion of quadrupeds. I think I can
safely venture the
asscertion that the speed of this anamal is equal if
not superior to
that of the finest blooded courser.- this morning I saws
[Clark, September
17, 1804]
17th of Septr.
Monday 1804 above White river Dried all those articles
which had got wet
by the last rain, a fine day Capt Lewis went hunting
with a vew to
seethe Countrey &its productions, he was out all Day
Killed a Buffalow
& a remarkable bird of the Spicies of Corvus, long
tail of a Greenish
Purple, Varigated a Beck like a Crow white round its
neck comeing to a
point on its back, its belley white feet like a Hawk
abt. the size of a
large Pigeon Capt Lewis returned at Dark. I took the
Meridian &
equal altitudes to day made the Lattitude.
Colter Killed a
Goat, & a Curious kind of Deer, a Darker grey than
Common the hair
longer & finer, the ears verry large & long a Small
resepitical under
its eye its tail round and white to near the end
which is black
& like a Cow in every other respect like a Deer, except
it runs like a
goat. large.
The hunters brought
in 8 fallow Deer & 5 Common Deer to day, Great
numbers of Buffalow
in the Praries, also a light Coloured woolf Covered
with hair &
corse fur, also a Small wolf with a large bushey tail- Some
Goats of a
Different Kind Seen to day,- Great many Plumbs, rabits,
Porcupines &
barking Squrels, Capt Lewis Killed a rattle Snake in a
village of the
Squirel's and Saw a Hair to day. Wind from the S. W. we
finished Drying our
Provisions Some of which was wet and Spoiled,
[Clark, September
17, 1804]
17th of September
Monday 1804
Dried all our wet
articles this fine Day, Capt Lewis went out with a
View to see the
Countrey and its productions, he was out all day he
killed a Buffalow
and a remarkable Bird of the Corvus Species long tail
the upper part of
the feathers & also the wing is of a purplish
variated Green, the
black, a part of the wing feather are white edjed
with black, white
belley, white from the root of the wings to Center of
the back is white,
the head nake breast & other parts are black the
Becke like a Crow.
abt. the Size of a large Pigion. a butifull thing
(See Suplement in
No. 3)
I took equal
altitudes and a meridian altitude. Capt. Lewis returned at
Dark, Colter Killed
a Goat like the one I killed and a curious kind of
deer of a Dark gray
Colr. more so than common, hair long & fine, the
ears large &
long, a Small reseptical under the eyes; like an Elk, the
Taile about the
length of Common Deer, round (like a Cow) a tuft of
black hair about
the end, this Speces of Deer jumps like a goat or Sheep
8 fallow Deer 5
Common & 3 buffalow killed to day, Capt. Lewis Saw a
hare & Killed a
Rattle Snake in a village of B. squerels The wind from
S. W. Dryed our
provisions, Some of which was much Damaged.
[Lewis, September
17, 1804]
Sept. 17th
one of the hunters
killed a bird of the Corvus genus and order of the
pica & about
the size of a jack-daw with a remarkable long tale.
beautifully
variagated. it note is not disagreeable though loudit is
twait twait twait,
twait; twait, twait twait, twait.
F I
from tip to tip of
wing 1 10
Do. beak to
extremity of tale
1 81/2
of which the tale
occupys 1 1
from extremity of
middle toe to hip
51/2
it's head, beak,
and neck are large for a bird of it's size; the beak
is black, and of a
convex and cultrated figure, the chops nearly equal,
and it's base large
and beset with hairs- the eyes are black encircled
with a narrow ring
of yellowish black it's head, neck, brest & back
within one inch of
the tale are of a fine glossey black, as are also
the short fathers
of the under part of the wing, the thies and those
about the root of
the tale. the belly is of a beatifull white which
passes above and
arround the but of the wing, where the feathers being
long reach to a
small white spot on the rump one inch in width- the
wings have nineteen
feathers, of which the ten first have the longer
side of their
plumage white in the midde of the feather and occupying
unequal lengths of
the same from one to three inches, and forming when
the wing is spead a
kind of triangle the upper and lower part of these
party coloured
feathers on the under side of the wing being of dark
colour but not jut
or shining black. the under side of the remaining
feathers of the
wing are darker. the upper side of the wing, as well as
the short side of
the plumage of the party coloured feathers is of a
dark blackis or
bluish green sonetimes presenting as light orange
yellow or bluish
tint as it happens to be presented to different
exposures of ligt-
the plumage of the tale consits of 12 feathers of
equal lengths by
pairs, those in the center are the longest, and the
others on each side
deminishing about an inch each pair- the underside
of the feathers is
a pale black, the upper side is a dark bluefish
green which like
the outer part of the wings is changable as it
reflects different
portions of light. towards the the extremely of
these feathers they
become of an orrange green, then shaded pass to a
redish indigo blue,
and again at the extremity assume the predominant
colour of
changeable green- the tints of these feathers are very
similar and equally
as beatiful and rich as the tints of blue and green
of the peacock- it
is a most beatifull bird.- the legs and toes are
black and
imbricated. it has four long toes, three in front and one in
rear, each
terminated with a black sharp tallon from 3/8ths to 1/2 an
inch in length.-
these birds are seldom found in parties of more than
three or four and
most usually at this season single as the balks and
other birds of prey
usually are- it's usual food is flesh- this bird
dose not spread
it's tail when it flys and the motion of it's wings
when flying is much
like that of a Jay-bird-
The White turkey of
the black hills from information of a french lad
who wintered with
the Chien Indians About the size of the common wild
turkey the plumage
perfectly white- this bird is booted as low as the
toes-
[Clark, September
18, 1804]
Septr. 18
I Killed a prarie wolf
to day about the Sise of a Gray fox with a
bushey tail the
head and ears like a Fox wolf, and barks like a Small
Dog- The annimale
which we have taken for the Fox is this wolf, we have
seen no Foxes.
18 Septr. Tuesday
Set out early wind from the N W. Modrt. our boat
being much litened
goes much better than usial
[Clark, September
18, 1804]
September 18th
Tuesday 1804
Wind from the N W.
we Set out early the boat much lightened, the wind a
head proceed on
verry Slowly (1) Passed an I a Island about the middle
of the river at 1
Mile this Island is about a mile long, and has a
great perpotion of
red Cedir on it, a Small Creek comes in on the S. S.
opposit the head of
the Island, proceeded on passed many Sand bars and
Camped on the L. S.
before night the wind being verry hard & a head all
Day. the hunters
Killed 10 Deer to day and a Prarie wolf, had it all
jurked & Skins
Stretchd after Camping I walked on Shore Saw Goats, Elk,
Buffalow, Black
tail Deer, & the Common Deer, I Killed a Prarie Wollf,
about the Size of a
gray fox bushey tail head & ear like a wolf, Some
fur Burrows in the
ground and barks like a Small Dog.
what has been taken
heretofore for the Fox was those wolves, and no
Foxes has been
Seen; The large wolves are verry numourous, they are of
a light Colr. large
& has long hair with Corrs fur.
Some Goats of a
Different Kind Wer Seen yesterday Great many Porcupin
rabits &
Barking Squirils in this quarter. Plumbs & grapes.
[Lewis, September
18, 1804]
Sept. 18th this day
saw the first brant on their return from the north-
[Clark, September
19, 1804]
(1) & (2)
passed a large Island Situated nearest the S. S. 1/2 a mile
from the Lower pt.
of this Island, the 1st of the 3 rivers mouths which
is about 35 yards
wide, running from the N E. one mile above the 2nd
Comes in this is
Small not more that 15 yards wide a Short Distance
above a 3d comes in
scattering its waters thro a bottom. I walked on
Shore to See this
great Pass of the Sioux and Calumet ground, found it
a handsom
Situation, and Saw the remains of their Campt on the 2d
river, for many
years passed- (3) passed a Creek on the L. S. 15 yds
wide we (4) passed
a Creek 20 yds wide (5) passed a Creek 20 yd. wide
on the L. S. I call
Night C. as I did not get to it untill late at
night, above the
mouth of this Creek we camped, the wind being
favourable, for the
boat I Killed a fat Buffalow Cow, and a fat Buck
elk, york my
Servent Killed a Buck, the Huntes Killed 4 Deer, & the
boat Crew killed 2 Buffalow
Swiming the river, handsom Countrey of
Plains, I saw many
trovs of Buffalow & a Gangue of 30 or 40 Elk and
othr Scattering elk
&c. a find evening I hurt my hands & feet last night
[Clark, September
19, 1804]
19th of September
Wednesday 1804
Set out early, a
Cool morning verry Clear the wind from the S. E a
Bluff on the L. S.-
here Commences a Butifull Countrey on both Sides of
the Missourie, (2)
passed a large Island Called Prospect Island op
posit this Isd. the
3 rivers Coms in, passing thro a butifull Plain,
here I walked on
Shore & Killed a fat Cow & Sent her to the boat and
proceeded on to the
first of the 3 rivers, this river is about 35 yards
wide Contains a
good deel of water, I walked up this river 2 miles &
Cross, the bottom
is high and rich Some timber, I crossed & returned to
the mouth, &
proceeded up one mile to the 2d river which is Small 12
yards wide, and on
it but little timber, on this Creek the Seaux has
frequently Camped,
as appears by the Signs- the lands betwen those two
Creeks in a
purpindicular bluff of about 80 feet with a butifull Plain
& gentle assent
back- a Short distance above the 2nd a 3rd Creek Comes
into the river in 3
places Scattering its waters over the large
timbered bottom,
this Creek is near the Size of the middle Creek
Containing a
greater quantity of water, those rivers is the place that
all nations who
meet are at peace with each other, Called the Seaux
pass of the 3
rivers.
The boat proceeded
on passd. the Island (3) passed a Creek 15 yds wide
on the L. Side (4)
passed a Creek on the L. S. 20 yards wide which I
Call Elm Creek
passing thro a high Plain (5) passed a Creek on the L.
S. 18 yds. wide
above which the boat Came too, I joined them late at
night, and Call
this Creek Night Creek the winds favourable all Day, I
killed a fat buck
Elk late and could only get his Skin and a Small part
of his flesh to
Camp. My Servent Killed a Buck, the Crew in the boat
Killed 2 buffalow
in the river- The Hunters on Shore Killed 4 Deer with
black tails one of
which was a Buck with two men Prongs on each Side
forked equally,
which I never before Seen. I saw Several large gangs of
Buffaloes 2 large
Herds of Elk & goats &c. (6) pass a Small Island on
the S. S. opposit
to this Island on the L. S. a Creek of about 10 yards
wide Coms in
passing thro a plain in which great quantities of the
Prickley Pear
grows. I call this Creek Prickley Pear Creek, This Isld.
is Called the lower
Island it is Situated at the Commencement of what
is Called &
Known by the Grand de Tortu or Big Bend of the Missourie.
[Clark, September
20, 1804]
September the 20th
Thursday 1804 Detchd. 3 men across the Big bend
(Called the Grand
deTour) with the horse, to stay and hunt & jurk
provisions untill
we get around (1) passed a Island on the S. S. the
river Crouded with
Sand bars,
20th of September
1804 Thursday (Continued)
(1) at the N W.
extremity of this bend passed an Small Island on the L.
S. opposit the
upper Point of this Solitary Island Came too to _____ at
the mouth of a
Small run on the S. S. & Newmon & Tomson picked up Some
Salt mixed with the
Sand in the run, Such as the ottoes Indians Collect
on the Sands of the
Corn de Cerf R. & make use of, Camped on a Sand bar
on the S. S. above
the Island- I went out to examine the portage which
I found quit Short
2000 yards only, the Prarie below & Sides of the
hills containing
great quantites of the Prickly Piar which nearly ruind
my feet, I saw a
hare, & I beleve he run into a hole, he run on a hill
& disapeared, I
Saw on this hill several holes. I Saw Several Goats Elk
Ders &c. &
Buffalow in every Detection feeding. R. Fields Killed a Deer
& 2 Goats one a
female, which differs from the male as to Size being
Something Smaller,
Small Straight horns without any black about the
neck Camped late
[Clark, September
20, 1804]
20th of September,
Thursday 1804
a fair morning wind
from the S E detached 2 men to the 1st. Creek abov
the big bend with
the horse to hunt and wait our arrival proceeded on
passed the lower
Island opposit which the Sand bars are verry thick &
the water Shoal. I
walked on Shore with a view of examining this bend
Crossed at the
narost part which is a high irregular hills of about 180
or 190 feet, this
place the gorge of the Bend is 1 mile & a quarter
(from river to
river or) across, from this high land which is only in
the Gouge, the bend
is a Butifull Plain thro which I walked, Saw numbrs
of Buffalow &
Goats, I saw a Hare & believe he run into a hole in the
Side of a hill, he
run up this hill which is Small & has Several holes
on the Side & I
could not See him after, I joined the boat in the
evening- passed a
Small Island on the L. S. in the N. W. extremity of
the bind Called
Solitary Island, and Camped late on a Sand bar near the
S. S.- R. Fields
killed 1 Deer & 2 Goats one of them a feemale- She
Differs from the
mail as to Size being Smaller, with Small Horns,
Stright with a
Small prong without any black about the neck None of
those Goats has any
Beard, they are all Keenly made, and is butifull
[Lewis, September
20, 1804]
Septr. 20th
on the lard. shore
at the commencement of the big bend observed a clift
of black porus rock
which resembled Lava tho on a closer examination I
believe it to be
calcarious and an imperfect species of the French
burr- preserved a
specemine, it is a brownish white, or black or
yellowish brown-
[Clark, September
21, 1804]
21st of September
1804 Friday 1804, last night or reather this morng at
a half past one
oClock the Sand bar on which we Camped began to give
way, which allarmed
the Serjt on guard & the noise waked me, I got up
and by the light of
the moon observed that the Sand was giving away
both above &
beloy and would Swallow our Perogues in a few minits,
ordered all hands
on board and pushed off we had not got to the opposit
Shore before pt. of
our Camp fel into the river. we proceeded on to the
Gorge of the bend
& brackfast, the Distance of this bend around is 30
miles, and 11/4
miles thro, the high lands extinds to the gauge and is
about 200 feet the
plain in the bend as also the two opposit Sides abov
and below is
delightfull plains with graduel assents from the river in
which there is at
this time Great number of Buffalow Elk & Goats feedg
The Course from the
gauge on the L. S. is S. 70 W. 41/2 Miles to the
pt. of Ceder Timber
on the L. S. pass Sands. worthy of remark the Cat
fish not So plenty
abov white river & much Smaller than usial, Great
nunbers of Brant
& plover, also goat and black tail Deer.
[Clark, September
21, 1804]
21st of September
Friday 1804
at half past one
oClock this morning the Sand bar on which we Camped
began to under mind
and give way which allarmed the Sergeant on Guard,
the motion of the
boat awakened me; I get up & by the light of the moon
observed that the
land had given away both above and below our Camp &
was falling in fast.
I ordered all hands on as quick as possible &
pushed off, we had
pushed off but a few minets before the bank under
which the Boat
& perogus lay give way, which would Certainly have Sunk
both Perogues, by
the time we made the opsd. Shore our Camp fell in, we
made a 2d Camp for
the remainder of the night & at Daylight proceeded
on to the Gouge of
this Great bend and Brackfast, we Sent a man to
measure step off
the Distance across the gouge, he made it 2000 yds.
The distance
arround is 30 mes. The hills extend thro the gouge and is
about 200 foot
above the water- in the bend as also the opposite Sides
both abov and below
the bend is a butifull inclined Plain in which
there is great
numbers of Buffalow, Elk & Goats in view feeding &
Scipping on those
Plains Grouse, Larks & the Prarie bird is Common in
those Plains. we
proceeded on passed a (1) willow Island below the
mouth of a Small
river called Tylors R about 35 yds. wide which corns
in on the L. S. 6
miles above the Gorge of the bend, at the mouth of
this river the two
hunters a head left a Deer & its Skin also the Skin
of a white wolfwe
observe an emence number of Plover of Different kind
Collecting and
takeing their flight Southerly, also Brants which appear
to move in the same
Direction. The Cat fish is Small and not So plenty
as below (2) The
Shore on each Side is lined with hard rough Gulley
Stones of different
Sides, which has roled from the hills & out of
Small brooks, Ceder
is comon here, This day is worm, the wind which is
not hard blows from
the S. E, we Camped at the lower point of the Mock
Island on the S. S.
this now Connected with the main land, it has the
appearance of once
being an Island detached from the main land Covered
with tall Cotton
wood- we Saw Some Camps and tracks of the Seaux which
appears to be old
three or four weeks ago- one frenchman I fear has got
an abscess on his
they, he complains verry much we are makeing every
exertion to releiv
him The Praries in this quarter Contains Great qts.
of Prickley Pear.
[Clark, September 22,
1804]
22nd September
Satturday 1804
a thick fog this
morning untill 7 oClock which detained us, Saw Some
old tracks of the
Indians on the S. S. proceeded on- one French man
with a abscess on
his thigh which pains him verry much for 10 or 12
Days a butifull
Plain on both Sides low high land under which there is
a number of lage
Stone, we See great numbers of Buffalow feeding
[Clark, September
22, 1804]
A continuation of
notes taken assending the Missourie in 1804-by W.
Clark
Satturday the 22nd
of September 1804-
A Thick fog this
morning detained us untill 7 oClock, The plains on
both Sides of the
River is butifull and assends gradually from the
river; noumerous
herds of Buffalow to be Seen in every derections, (1)
Took the altitude
of the Sun & found the Lattitude to be 44° 11' 33" N-
(2) passed a Small
Island on the L. S. and one on the S. S. imediately
above, & about
3 m. long, on the L. S. opposit this Island a Creek of
about 15 yds wide
mouthes, Called the Creek of the 3 Sisters (3) passed
Cedar Island 11/2
M. long & 1 M. wide Situated a little above the last
and nearest the S.
S.near the upper part of this Island on its S. Side
a Tradeing fort is
Situated built of Cedar-by a Mr. Louiselle of St
Louis, for the
purpose of Tradeing with the Teton Bands of Soues (or
"Sieux")
about this Fort I saw numbers of Indians Temporary Lodges, &
horse Stables, all
of them round and to a point at top, I observed also
numbers of Cotton
Trees fallen for the purpose of feeding their horses
on the Bark of the
limbs of those trees which is Said to be excellent
food for the
horses- we came too on the S. S. below a Small Island
called Goat island,
passed a no. of large round Stones, Som distance in
the river as also
in the Sides of the hills,- I walked on the Shore
this evening and
Killed a verry large Deer- our hunters Killed 2 Deer &
a Beaver, they
Complain of the Mineral quallities of the high land
distroying their
mockersons-.
[Clark, September
22, 1804]
22nd of September
Satturday 1804
a thick fog this
morning detained us untill 7 oClock passed a butifull
inclined Prarie on
both Sides in which we See great numbers of Buffalow
feeding- (1) took
the Meridean altitude of the Suns upper Leimb. 92° 50'
00" the
SexSecnt the Latd. produced from this Obsivation is 44° 11' 33"
3/10 North (2)
passed a Small Island on the L. S. imediately above
passed a Island
Situated nearest the L. S. abt. 3 miles long, behind
this Isd. on the L.
S. a Creek Comes in about 15 yards wide, this Creek
and Islands are
Called the 3 Sisters a butifull Plain on both Sides of
the river (3)
passed a Island Situated nearest the S. S. imedeately
above the last
Called Ceder Island this Island is about 11/2 miles long
& nearly as
wide Covered with Ceder, on the South Side of this Island
Mr. Louiselle a
trader from St. Louis built a fort of Ceder & a good
house to trate with
the Seaux & wintered last winter; about this fort I
observed a number
of Indian Camps in a Conicel form,- they fed their
horses on Cotton
limbs as appears. here our hunters joined us havening
killed 2 Deer &
a Beaver, they Complain much of the Mineral Substances
in the barren hills
over which they passed distroying their mockersons.
(4) we proceeded on
and Camped late on the S. Side below a Small Island
in the bend S. S.
Called Goat Island. The large Stones which lay on the
Sides of the banks
in Several places lay Some distance in the river,
under the water and
is dangerous &.
I walked out this
evening and killed a fine Deer, the musquiters is
verry troublesom in
the bottoms
[Clark, September
23, 1804]
23rd Septr. Sunday
1804 (days and nights equal) Set out early under a
gentle Breeze from
the S E N. 46°W 33/4 Miles to the mo. of a Creek on
the S. S. passd. a
pt. on the L. S. (1) a Small Island opsd. in the
bend to the S. S.
This Island is Called goat Island, (1) this Creek is
10 yards wide.
passed bad Sand bars- S. 46°W 23/4 mes. a wood at a Spring
in the bend to the
L. S. Saw the Prarie a fire behind us near the head
of Ceder Island L.
S. N. 80° W. 41/2 to the lower pt of Elk Island pass 2
Willow Islands
& Sand I saw this morning 12 of those Black & white
birds of the corvus
Species.
Capt Lewis went out
to hund on the Island a great number of Buffalow in
Sight I must Seal
up all those Scrips & draw from my Journal at Some
other time Win
Clark Cpt.
[Clark, September
23, 1804]
Sunday the 23rd
September 1804
Set out under a
Gentle breeze from the S. E- (1) passed Goat Island
Situated in a bend
to the S. S- above passed a Small Creek 12 yards
wide on the S. S.-
we observed a great Smoke to the SW. which is an
Indian Signal of
their haveing discovered us, I walked on Shore and
observed great
numbers of Buffalows. (2) passed 2 Small Willow Islands
with large Sand
bars makeing from their upper points (3) passed Elk
Island Situated
near the L. S. about 21/2 mes. long & 3/4 wide, Covered
with Cotton wood, a
red berry Called by the French "grise de buff,"
Grapes &c. the
river is wide Streight & contains a great numr of Sand
bars, (4) passed a
Small Creek on the S. S. 16 yds wide I call Reubens
Cr.- R. Fields was
the first who found it- Came too & Camped on the S.
S. in a Wood. Soon
after we landed three Soues boys Swam across to us,
those boys informed
us that a Band of Sieux called the Tetons of 80
Lodges wer Camped
near the mouth of the next River, and 60 Lodges more
a Short distance
above them, they had that day Set the praries on fire
to let those Camps
Know of our approach- we gave those boys two twists
of Tobacco to carry
to their Chiefs & Warriors to Smoke, with
derections to tell
them that we wished to Speak to them tomorrow, at
the mouth of the
next river- Capt Lewis walked on Shore, R F. Killed a
She Goat or
"Cabbra."
[Clark, September
23, 1804]
23rd of September
Sunday 1804
Set out under a
gentle breeze from the S. E, (1) passed a Small Island
Situated in a bend
to the L. S. Called Goat Island, a Short distance
above the upper
point a Creek of 12 yards wide corns in on the S. S. we
observed a great
Smoke to the S W.- I walked on Shore & observed
Buffalow in great
Herds at a Distance (2) passed two Small willow
Islands with large
Sand bars makeing out from them, passed (3) Elk
Island about 21/2
miles long & 3/4 mile wide Situated near the L. S.
covered with Cotton
wood the read Current Called by the French Gres de
Butiff & grapes
&c. &c. the river is nearly Streight for a great
distance wide and
Shoal. (4) passed a Creek on the S. S. 16 yards wide
we Call Reubens
Creek, as R Fields found it Camped on the S. S. below
the mouth of a
Creek on the L. S. three Souex boys Came to us Swam the
river and informd
that the Band of Soauex called the Teton of 80 Lodges
were Camped at the
next Creek above, & 60 Lodges more a Short distance
above, we gave
those boys two Carrots of Tobacco to Carry to their
Chiefs, with
derections to tell them that we would Speek to them
tomorrow Capt Lewis
walked on Shore this evening, R. F Killed a Doe
Goat,-
[Clark, September
24, 1804]
Monday the 24th of
September 1804
a fair morning Set
out early, wind from the East, passed the mouth of a
Creek on the L. S.
Called Creek in high water. passed a large (1)
Island on the L. S.
about 21/2 Miles long on which Colter had Camped &
Killed 4 Elk. the
wind from the S. E.- we prepared Some Clothes a few
medal for the Chiefs
of the Teton band of Sioux we expected to meet at
the next River-
much Stone on the S. S. of the River, we Saw one hare
to day- our
Perogues Called at the Island for the Elk, Soon after we
passed the Island
Colter ran up the bank & reported that the Sioux had
taken his horse, we
Soon after Saw five indians on the bank; who
expressed a wish to
come on board, we informed them we were friends,
and wished to
Continue So, we were not abraid any Indians- Some of
their young Men had
Stolen a horse Sent by their Great Father to their
great Chief, and we
Should not Speak to them any more untill the horse
was returned to us
again- passed a Island about 11/2 m. long on which
we Saw maney elk
& Buffalow, we Came too off the Mouth of a Small
river, The Teton of
the burnt woods is Camped 2 Miles up this river,
this river we Call
Teton is 70 Yds wide and corns in on the S W Side-I
went on Shore and
Smoked with a Chief, Called Buffalow Medison, who
Came to See us
here. The Chief Said he Knew nothing of the horse &c &.
I informed them we
would call the grand Chiefs in Council tomorrow, all
continued on board
all night
[Clark, September
24, 1804]
24th September
Monday 1804
Set out early a
fair day the wind from the E, pass the mouth of Creek
on the L. S. called
on high water; passed (i ) a large Island on the L.
S. about 2 miles
& 1/2 long on which Colter had Camped & Killed 4 Elk,
the wind fair from
the S. E. we prepared Some Clothes and a fiew
meadels for the
Chiefs of the Teton's hand of Seaux which we expect to
See to day at the
next river, observe a Great Deel of Stone on the
Sides of the hills
on the S. S. we Saw one Hare to day, prepared all
things for action
in Case of necessity, our Perogus went to the Island
for the meet, Soon
after the man on Shore run up the bank and reported
that the Indians
had Stolen the horse we Soon after met 5 Inds. and
ankered out Some
distance & Spoke to them informed them we were
friends, &
wished to Continue So but were not afraid of any Indians,
Some of their young
men had taken the horse Sent by their Great father
for ther Chief and
we would not Speek to them untill the horse was
returned to us
again.
passed (2) a Island
on the S. S. on which we Saw Several Elk, about
11/2 miles long
Called Good humered Islds. Came to about 11/2 miles
above off the mouth
of a Small river about 70 yards wide Called by Mr.
Evins the Little
Mississou River, The Tribes of the Scouix Called the
Teton, is Camped
about 2 miles up on the N W Side and we Shall Call the
River after that
nation, Teton This river is 70 yards wide at the mouth
of water, and has a
considerable Current we anchored off the mouth the
french Perogue Come
up early in the morning, the other did not get up
untill in the
evening Soon after we had Came too. I went & Smoked with
the Chief who Came
to See us here all well, we prepare to Speek with
the Indians
tomorrow at which time we are informed the Indians will be
here, The French
man who had for Some time been Sick, began to blead
which allarmed him-
2/3 of our party Camped on board The remainder with
the Guard on Shore.
[Clark, September
25, 1804]
25th of September
1804 off Teton River
a fair Morning the
wind from the S. E. raised a Flagg Staff and formed
an orning &
Shade on a Sand bar in the Mouth of Teton R to Council
under, the greater
portion of the party to Continue on boardabout 11
oClock the 1st
& 2d Chief arrived, we gave them to eat; they gave us
Some meat, (we
discover our interpeter do not Speak the language well)
at 12 oClock the
Councill Commenced & after Smokeing agreeable to the
usial custom C. L.
Delivered a written Speech to them, I Some
explinations
&c. all party Paraded, gave a Medal to the grand Chief in
Indian Un-ton
gar-Sar bar, or Black Buffalow- 2d Torto-hongar, Partezon
(Bad fellow) the 3d
Tar-ton-gar-wa-ker, Buffalow medison- we invited
those Chiefs &
a Soldier on board our boat, and Showed them many
Curiossites, which
they were much Surprised, we gave they 1/2 a wine
glass of whiskey
which they appeared to be exceedingly fond of they
took up an empty
bottle, Smelted it, and made maney Simple jestures and
Soon began to be
troublesom the 2d Chief effecting Drunkness as a Cloak
for his vilenous
intintious (as I found after wards,) realed or fell
about the boat, I
went in a perogue with those Chief who left the boast
with great
reluctians, my object was to reconsile them and leave them
on Shore, as Soon
as I landed 3 of their young ment Seased the Cable of
the Perogue, one
Soldiar Huged the mast and the 2d Chief was
exceedingly
insolent both in words and justures to me declareing I
Should no go off,
Saying he had not recived presents Suffient from us-
I attempted to
passify but it had a contrary effect for his insults
became So personal
and his intentions evident to do me injurey, I Drew
my Sword at this
motion Capt Louis ordered all in the boat under arms,
the fiew men that
was with me haveing previously taken up their guns
with a full
deturmination to defend me if possible- The grand Chief
then took hold of
the Cable & Sent all the young men off, the Soldier
got out of the
perogue and the 2nd Chief walked off to the Party at
about 20 yards
back, all of which had their bows Strung & guns Cocked-
I then Spoke in
verry positive terms to them all, principaly addressing
myself to the 1st
Chief, who let the roape go and walked to the Indian,
party about, 100 I
again offered my hand to the 1st Chief who refused
it- (all this time
the Indians were pointing their arrows blank-) I
proceeded to the
perogue and pushed off and had not proceeded far
before the 1st
& 3r Chief & 2 principal men walked into the water and
requested to go on
board, I took them in and we proceeded on abot a
Mile, and anchored
near a Small Island, I call this Island Bad humered
Island
[Clark, September
25, 1804]
25th Septr
a fair morning the
wind from the S. E. all well, raised a Flag Staff &
made a orning or
Shade on a Sand bar in the mouth of Teton River for
the purpose of
Speeking with the Indians under, the Boat Crew on board
at 70 yards
Distance from the bar The 5 Indians which we met last night
Continued, about 11
oClock the 1 s & 2d Chief Came we gave them Some of
our Provsions to
eat, they gave us great quantites of meet Some of
which was Spoiled
we feel much at a loss for the want of an interpeter
the one we have can
Speek but little.
Met in council at
12 oClock and after Smokeing, agreeable to the usial
Custom, Cap Lewis
proceeded to Deliver a Speech which we oblige to
Curtail for want of
a good interpeter all our Party paraded. gave a
medal to the Grand Chief
Calld. in Indian Un ton gar Sar bar in French
Beefe nure Black
Buffalow Said to be a good man, 2 Chief Torto hon gar-
or the Partisan-or
Partizan-bad the 3rd is the Beffe De Medison his
name is Tar ton gar
wa ker
1. Contesabe man
War zing go
2. do Second Bear =
Ma to co que pan
Envited those
Cheifs on board to Show them our boat and Such
Curiossities as was
Strange to them, we gave them 1/4 a glass of
whiskey which they
appeared to be verry fond of, Sucked the bottle
after it was out
& Soon began to be troublesom, one the 2d Cheif
assumeing
Drunkness, as a Cloake for his rascally intentions I went
with those Cheifs
(which left the boat with great reluctiance) to Shore
with a view of
reconseleing those men to us, as Soon as I landed the
Perogue three of
their young men Seased the Cable of the Perogue, the
Chiefs Soldr. Huged
the mast, and the 2d Chief was verry insolent both
in words &
justures declareing I Should not go on, Stateing he had not
recved presents
Suffient from us, his justures were of Such a personal
nature I felt my
Self Compeled to Draw my Sword, at this motion Capt.
Lewis ordered all
under arms in the boat, those with me also Showed a
Disposition to
Defend themselves and me, the grand Chief then took hold
of the roop &
ordered the young warrers away, I felt my Self warm &
Spoke in verry
positive terms Most of the warriers appeared to have
ther Bows Strung
and took out their arrows from they quves. as I was
not permited to
return, I Sent all the men except 2 Inpt. to the boat,
the perogu Soon
returned with about 12 of our detumind men ready for
any event this
movement caused a no. of the Indians to withdraw at a
distance,- Their
treatment tome was verry rough & I think justified
rough ness on my
part, they all left my Perogue and Councild. with
themselves the
result I could not lern and nearly all went off after
remaining in this
Situation Some time I offered my hand to the 1 & 2
Chief who refusd to
recve it. I turned off & went with my men on board
the perogue, I had
not progd. more the 10 paces before the 1st Cheif
3rd & 2 Brave
men waded in after me. I took them in & went on board we
proceeded on about
1 mile & anchored out off a willow Island placed a
guard on Shore to
protect the Cooks & a guard in the boat, fastened the
Perogues to the
boat, I call this Island bad humered Island as we were
in a bad humer.
[Clark, September
26, 1804]
26th of Septr Set
out early and proceeded on- the river lined with
indians, came too
& anchored by the particular request of the Chiefs to
let their Womin
& Boys See the Boat, and Suffer them to Show us some
friendship- great
members of men womin & Children on the bank viewing
us- Those people
are Spritely Small legs ille looking Set men
perticularly, they
grease & Black themselves when they dress, make use
of Hawks feathers
about thier heads, cover with a Roab each a polecat
Skin to hold their
Smokeables, fond of Dress, Badly armed. ther women
appear verry well,
fine Teeth, High Cheek Dress in Skin Peticoats, & a
Roabe with the
flesh Side out and harey ends turned back over their
Sholdes, and look
well- they doe all the Laborious work, and I may say
are perfect Slaves
to thier husbands who frequently have Several wives-
Capt Lewis & 5
men went on Shore with the Chiefs, who appeared to wish
to become friendly
they requested us to remain one night & see them
dance &c.- in
the evening I walked on Shore, and Saw Several Mahar
Womin & Boys in
a lodge & was told they were Prisones laterly taken in
a battle in which
they killed a number & took 48 prisoners- I advised
the Chiefs to make
peace with that nation and give up the Prisoners, if
they intended to
follow the words of their great father they promised
that they would do
So- I was in Several Lodges neetly formed, those
lodges are about 15
to 20 feet Diametr Stretched on Poles like a Sugar
Loaf, made of
Buffalow Skins Dressed about 5 oClock I was approached by
10 well Dressed
young men with a neet Buffalow Roab which they Set down
before me &
requested me to get in they Carried me to ther Council
Tents forming 3/4
Circle & Set me down betwn 2 Chefs where about 70 men
were Seated in a
circle, in front of the Chief 6 feet Square was
cleared & the
pipe of peace raised on forks & Sticks, under which was
Swans down
Scattered, the Flags of Spane & the one we gave them
yesterday was
Displayed a large fire was made on which a Dog was
Cooked, & in
the center about 400 wt of Buffalow meat which they gave
us,- Soon after, I
took my Seat the young men went to the boat &
brought Capt Lewis
in the Same way & placed him by me Soon after an old
man rose &
Spoke approveing what we had done. requesting us to take
pitty on them
&C. answered- They form their Camp in a circle
The great Chief
then rose in great State and Spoke to the Same purpos
and with Solemnity took
up the pipe of peace and pointed it to the
heavens, the 4
quartrs and the earth, he made Some divistation, &
presented the Sten
to us to Smoke, after Smokeing & a Short Harrang to
his people we were
requested to take the meat, and the Flesh of the Dog
gavin us to eat- We
Smoked untill Dark, at which time all was cleared
away & a large
fire made in the Center, Several men with Tamborens
highly Decorated
with Der & Cabra Hoofs to make them rattle, assembled
and began to Sing
& Beat- The women Came forward highly decerated with
the Scalps &
Trofies of war of their fathes Husbands & relations, and
Danced the war
Dance, which they done with great chearfulness untill 12
oClock, when we
informed the Chief we intended return on bord, (they
offered us women,
which we did not except) 4 Chiefs accompanied us to
the boat and Staid
all night- Those people have a Description of Men
which they Call
Soldiars, those men attend to the police of the Band,
Correct all vices
&. I Saw one to day whip 2 Squars who appeared to
have fallen out,
when the Soldier approached all appeared give way and
flee at night they
Keep 4 or 5 men at different distances walking
around their Camp
Singing the acursenes of the night all in Spirits
this evening wind
hard from the S E
I saw 25 Squars
& Boys taken 13 days ago in a battle with the Mahars,
in which they
destroyed 40 Lodges, Killed 75 men & boys, & took 48
prisones which they
promised us Should be delivered to Mr. Durion now
with the Yankton
_____, we gave our Mahar interpeter a few alls & &. to
give those retched
Prisonis, I saw Homney of ground Potatos a Spoon of
the Big Horn
animals which will hold 2 quarts.
[Clark, September
26, 1804]
26th Septr. 1804
bad hd Isd.
26th of September
Wednesday 1804
Set out early
proceeded on and Came to by the wish of the Chiefs for to
let their Squars
& boys See the Boat and Suffer them to treat us well
great number of men
women & Children on the banks viewing us, these
people Shew great
anxiety, they appear Spritely, generally ill looking
& not well made
thier legs & arms Small Generally- they Grese & Black
themselves with
coal when they dress, make use of a hawks feather about
their heads the men
a robe & each a polecats Skins, for to hold ther
Bais roly for
Smokeing fond of Dress & Show badly armed with fuseis &.
The Squaws are
Chearfull fine lookg womin not handson, High Cheeks
Dressed in Skins a
Peticoat and roab which foldes back over thir
Sholder, with long
wool. doe all ther laborious work & I may Say
perfect Slaves to
the men, as all Squars of nations much at war, or
where the womin are
more noumerous than the men- after Comeing too
Capt. Lewis & 5
men went on Shore with the Chiefs, who appeared
desposed to make up
& be friendly, after Captain Lewis had been on
Shore about 3 hours
I became uneasy for fear of Some Deception & sent a
Serjeant to See him
and know his treatment which he reported was
friendly, & thy
were prepareing for a Dance this evening
The made frequent
Selecitiation for us to remain one night only and let
them Show their
good disposition towards us, we deturmined to remain,
after the return of
Capt. Lewis, I went on Shore I saw Several Maha
Prisoners and Spoke
to the Chiefs it was necessary to give those
prisoners up &
become good friends with the Mahars if they wished to
follow the advice
of their Great father I was in Several Lodges neetly
formed as before
mentioned as to the Bauruly Tribe- I was met by about
10 well Dressd.
yound men who took me up in a roabe Highly a decrated
and Set me Down by
the Side of their Chief on a Dressed robe in a large
Council House this
house formed a 3/4 Cercle of Skins well Dressed and
Sown together under
this Shelter about 70 men Set forming a Circle in
front of the Chiefs
a plac of 6 feet Diameter was Clear and the pipe of
peace raised on
Sticks under which there was Swans down Scattered, on
each Side of the
Circle two Pipes, The flags of Spain 2 & the Flag we
gave them in front
of the Grand Chief a large fire was near in which
provisions were
Cooking, in the Center about 400 wt. of excellent
Buffalo Beif as a
present for us
Soon after they set
me Down, the men went for Capt Lewis brough him in
the same way and
placed him also by the Chief in a fiew minits an old
man rose &
Spoke approveing what we had done & informing us of their
Situation
requesting us to take pity on them &c which was answered The
Great Chief then
rose with great State to the Same purpote as far as we
Could learn &
then with Great Solemnity took up the pipe of peace whin
the principal
Chiefs Spoke with the pipe of Peace he took in one hand
Some of the most
Delicate parts of the Dog which was prepared for the
feist & made a
Sacrifise to the flag- & after pointing it to the
heavins the 4
quarter of the Globe & the earth, , lit it and prosist
presented the Stem
to us to Smoke, after a Smoke had taken place, & a
Short Harange to
his people, we were requested to take the meal put
before us the dog
which they had been cooking, & Pemitigon & ground
potatoe in Several
platters. Pemn is buffo meat dried or baked pounded
& mixed with
grease raw Dog Sioux think great dishused on festivals.
eat little of dog
pemn & pote good we Smoked for an hour Dark & all was
Cleared away a
large fire made in the Center, about 10 misitions
playing on
tamberins. long sticks with Deer & Goats Hoofs tied So as to
make a gingling
noise and many others of a Similer kind, those men
began to Sing,
& Beet on the Tamboren, the women Came foward highly
Deckerated in
theire way, with the Scalps and Trofies of war of ther
father Husbands
Brothers or near Connection & proceeded to Dance the
war Dance which
they done with Great Chearfullness untill 12 oClock
when we informed
the Cheifs that they were fatigued &c. they then
retired & we
Accompd. by 4 Chiefs returned to our boat, they Stayed
with us all night.
Those people have Some brave men which they make use
of as Soldiers
those men attend to the police of the Village Correct
all errors I saw
one of them to day whip 2 Squars who appeared to have
fallen out, when he
approachd all about appeared to flee with great
turrow at night thy
keep two 3 4 or 5 men at deffinit Distances walking
around Camp Singing
the accurrunces of the night all the men on board
100 paces from
Shore wind from the S. E. moderate one man verry sick on
board with a
Dangerass abscess on his Hip. all in Spirits this eveninge
In this Tribe I saw
25 Squars and boys taken 13 days ago in a battle
with the mahars in
this battle they Destroyd 40 lodges, killed 75 men,
& Som boys
& children, & took 48 Prisones Womin & boys which they
promis both Capt.
Lewis and my Self Shall be Delivered up to Mr. Durion
at the Tribe, those
are a retched and Dejected looking people the
Squars appear low
& Corse but this is an unfavourabl time to judge of
them we gave our
Mahar inteptr. Some fiew articles to give those Squats
in his name Such as
alls needle &. &c.
I Saw & eat
Pemitigon the Dog, Groud potatoe made into a Kind of
homney, which I
thought but little inferior- I also Saw a Spoon made of
a horn of an
animile of the Sheep kind the spoon will hold 2 quarts.
[Clark, September
27, 1804]
27th of Septr.
1804- The Bank as usial lined with Sioux, gave the 2
principal Chiefs a
blanket & a peck of Corn each, Capt Lewis
accompanied the
Chiefs to their Lodges, they informed us that a great
part of their
nation had not arrived, & would arrive to night and
requested us to
Delay one Day longer, that they might See us
I rote a letter to
Mr. Durion, & prepared Some Commissions & a meadel &
Sent to Captain
Lewis- at 2 oClock Capt Lewis retuned with 4 chiefs & a
Brave man named
War-cha pa- after a delay of half an hour I went with
them on Shore, they
left the boat with reluctiance (we Suspect they are
treacherous and are
at all times guarded & on our guard) They again
offered me a young
woman and wish me to take her & not Dispise them, I
wavered the
Subject, at Dark the Dance began as usial and performed as
last night. womin
with ther Husbands & relations cloths arms Scalps on
poles &c.
&c. Capt Lewis joined me & we continued until about 11 oClock
and 2 Chief
accompaned us to the boat I with 2 Cheifs was in a Perogue
going on board, by
bad Stearing the parogu Struk the Cable with Such
force as to brake
it near the anchor (Cap Lewis) and 3 or 4 men on
Shore, I had all
hands up and was Compelled to Land- the Chief got
allarmed &
allarmed the Indians the 1s Chief & about 200 men Came down
in great hast armd
and for action, and found it was false, about 20 of
them Camped on
Shore all night- this allarm Cap Lewis & well as my Self
viewed as the
Signal of their intentions, one half on guard, our
misfortune of
loseing our anchor obliged us to lay under a falling in
bank much exposed
to the Accomplishment of the hostile intentions of
those Tetons (who
we had every reason to believe from ther Conduct
intended to make an
attempt to Stop our progress & if possible rob us-)
Peter Crusat who
Spoke Mahar came in the night and informed me that the
mahar Prisoners
told him that the Tetons intended to Stop us- We Shew'd
but little Sign of
a knowledge of there intentions.
[Clark, September
27, 1804]
27th of Septr.
Thursday 1804
I rose early aftr a
bad nights Sleep found the Chief all up, and the
bank as usial lined
with Spectators we gave the 2 great Cheifs a
Blanket a peace, or
rethr they took off agreeable to their Custom the
one they lay on and
each one Peck of Corn after Brackfast Capt. Lewis &
the Chiefs went on
Shore, as a verry large part of their nation was
Comeing in, the
Disposition of whome I did not know one of us being
Suffcent on Shore,
I wrote a letter to Mr. P. Durion & prepared a
meadel & Some
Comsns. & Sent to Cap Lewis at 2 oClock Capt. Lewis
returned with 4 Chiefs
& a Brave man named War cha pa or on his Guard.
when the friends of
those people die they run arrows through their
flesh above and
below their elbous as a testimony of their Greaf after
Staying about half
an hour, I went with them on Shore, Those men left
the boat with
reluctience, I went first to the 2d Chiefs Lodge, where a
Croud Came around
after Speeking on various Subjects I went to a
princpal mans lodge
from there to the grand Chiefs lodge, after a fiew
minits he invited
me to a Lodge within the Circle in which I Stayed
with all their
principal men untill the Dance began, which was Similer
to the one of last
night performed by their womn which poles on which
Scalps of their
enemies were hung, Some with the Guns Spears & war
empliments their
husbands in their hands
Capt. Lewis came on
Shore and we Continued untill we were Sleepy &
returned to our
boat, the 2nd Chief & one principal man accompanid us,
those two Indians
accompanied me on board in the Small Perogue, Capt.
Lewis with a guard
Still on Shore, the man who Steered not being much
acustomed to Steer,
passed the bow of the boat & peroge Came broad Side
against the Cable
& broke it which obliged me to order in a loud voice
all hands all hands
up & at their ores, my preempty order to the men
and the bustle of
their getting to their ores allarmd the Cheifs,
togethr with the
appearance of the men on Shore, as the boat turnd. The
Cheif hollowered
& allarmed the Camp or Town informing them that the
Mahars was about
attacting us. in about 10 minits the bank was lined
with men armed the
1st Cheif at their head, about 200 men appeared and
after about 1/2
hour returned all but about 60 men who Continued on the
bank all night, the
Cheifs Contd. all night with us- This allarm I as
well as Captn.
Lewis Considered as the Signal of their intentions
(which was to Stop
our proceeding on our journey and if Possible rob
us) we were on our
Guard all night, the misfortune of the loss of our
Anchor obliged us
to Lay under a falling bank much exposd. to the
accomplishment of
their hostile intentions P. C -our Bowman who Cd.
Speek Mahar
informed us in the night that the Maha Prisoners informed
him we were to be
Stoped- we Shew as little Sighns of a Knowledge of
their intentions as
possible all prepared on board for any thing which
might hapen, we
kept a Strong guard all night in the boat no Sleep
[Clark, September
28, 1804]
28th of Septr 1804
Friday I made maney attempts in defferent ways to
find our anchor
without Sukcess, the Sand had Covered her up, we
Deturmined to
proceed on to Day- and after Brackfast we with great
Dificuelty got the
Chiefs out of the boat, and when we were about
Setting out the
Class Called the Soldiars took possession of the Cable-
the 1st Cheif was
Still on board and intended to go a Short distance up
with us, was
informed that the men Set on the Cable, he went out and
told Capt Lewis who
was at the Bow, they wanted tobacco The 2d Chief
Demanded a flag
& Tobacco which we refused to give, Stateing proper
reasons to them for
it, after much rangleing, we gave a Carrot of
Tobacco to the 1st
Cheif and he to the men &lurked the Cable from them
& proceeded on
under a Breeze from the S E. we took in the 3rd Cheif
who was Sitting on
a Sand bar 2 miles above- he told us the Rope was
held by order of
the 2d Chief who was a Double Spoken man- Soon after
we Saw a man
rideing full Speed up the bank, we brought him on board, &
he proved to be the
Sun of the 3d Cheif, by him we Sent a talk to the
nation, explanitory
of our hoisting the red flag under the white, if
they were for Peace
Stay at home and doe as we had Derected them and if
they were for war
or deturmined to attempt to Stop us, we were ready to
defend our Selves
(as I had before Said)- we Substituted large Stones
in place of an
Anchor, we came to at a Small Sand bar in the middle of
the river and
Stayed all night-I am verry unwell I think for the want
of Sleep
[Clark, September
28, 1804]
28th of September
1804 Friday
Made many attemps
in different ways to find our Anchor but could not,
the Sand had
Covered it, from the misfortune of last night our boat was
laying at Shore in
a verry unfavourable Situation, after finding that
the anchor Could
not be found we deturmined to proceed on, with great
difficuelty got the
Chiefs out of our boat, and when we was about
Setting out the
Class Called the Soldiers took possession of the Cable
the 1 s Chief which
was Still on board & intended to go a Short
distance up with
us, I told him the men of his nation Set on the Cable,
he went out &
told Capt Lewis who was at the bow the men who Set on the
Roap was Soldiers
and wanted Tobacco Capt. L. Said would not agree to
be forced into any
thing, the 2d Chief Demanded a flag & Tobacco which
we refusd. to Give
Stateing proper reasons to them for it after much
difucelty-which had
nearly reduced us to hostility I threw a Carot of
Tobacco to 1 s
Chief Spoke So as to touch his pride took the port fire
from the gunner the
Chief gives the Tobaco to his Soldiers & he jurked
the rope from them
and handed it to the bows man we then Set out under
a Breeze from the
S. E. about 2 miles up we observed the 3rd Chief on
Shore beckining to
us we took him on board he informed us the roap was
held by the order
of the 2d Chief who was a Double Spoken man, Soon
after we Saw a man
Comeing full Speed, thro the plains left his horse &
proceeded across a
Sand bar near the Shore we took him on board &
observed that he
was the Son of the Chief we had on board we Sent by
him a talk to the
nation Stateent the Cause of our hoisting the red
flag undr. the
white, if they were for peace Stay at home & do as we
had Derected them,
if the were for war ore were Deturmined to Stop us
we were ready to
defend our Selves, we halted one houre & 1/2 on the S.
S. & made a
Substitute of Stones for a ancher, refreshed our men and
proceeded on about
2 miles higher up & came too a verry Small Sand bar
in the middle of
the river & Stayed all night, I am Verry unwelle for
want of Sleep
Deturmined to Sleep to night if possible, the men Cooked
& we rested
well.
[Clark, September
29, 1804]
Capt. W. Clarks
Notes Continued as first taken-
29th of September
Satturday 1804- Set out early Some bad Sand bars, at
9 oClock we
observed the 2d Chief with 2 men and Squars on Shore, they
wished to go up
with us as far as the other part of their band, which
would meet us on
the river above not far Distant we refused to let one
more Come on board
Stateing Suffient reasons, observd they would walk
on Shore to the
place we intended to Camp, offered us women we objected
and told them we
Should not Speake to another teton except the one on
board with us, who
might go on Shore when ever he pleased, those
Indians proceeded
on untill later in the evening when the Chief
requested that the
Perogue might put him across the river which we
agreed to- Saw
numbers of Elk on the Sand bars today, passed an old
Ricara Village at
the mouth of a Creek without timber we Stayed all
night on the Side
of a sand bar 1/2 a Mile from the Shore.
[Clark, September
29, 1804]
29th of Septr.
Satturday 1804
Set out early Some
bad Sand bars, proceeded on at 9 oClock we observed
the 2d Chief &
2 principal men one man & a Squar on Shore, they wished
to go up with us as
far as the other part of their band, which they
Said was on the
river a head not far Distant we refused Stateing verry
Sufhcint reasons
and was plain with them on the Subject, they were not
pleased observed
that they would walk on Shore to the place we intended
to Camp to night,
we observed it was not our wish that they Should for
if they did we
Could not take them or any other Tetons on board except
the one we had now
with us who might go on Shore when ever he pleased-
they proceeded on,
the Chief on board askd. for a twist of Tobacco for
those men we gave
him 1/2 a twist, and Sent one by them for that part
of their band which
we did not See, & Continued on Saw great numbers of
Elk at the mouth of
a Small Creek Called No timber (-as no timber
appeared to be on
it.) above the mouth of this Creek the Parties had a
Village 5 years
ago,- The 2d Chief Came on the Sand bar & requested we
would put him across
the river, I Sent a Perogue & Crossed him & one
man to the S. S.
and proceeded on & Came too on a Sand bar on about 1/2
mile from the main
Shore & put on it 2 Sentinals Continud all night at
anchor (we
Substitute large Stones for anchors in place of the one we
lost) all in high
Spirits &c
[Clark, September
30, 1804]
30th of September
Sunday 1804 had not proceeded far before we
discovered an
Indian running after us, he requstd to go with us to the
Ricaras, we refused
to take him, I discovered at a great Distanc a
great number of men
women & Children decending a hill towards the river
above which the
Chief with us told us was the other Band, Some rain &
hard wind at about
10 oClock we anchored opposit the Camps of this band
and told them we
took them by the hand, and Sent to each Chief a Carrot
of Tobacco &
Some to the principal men and farther Said that after
Staying with the
band below 2 days to See them we had been badly
treated and Should
not land again, as we had not time to Delay- refured
then to Mr. Durion
for a full account of us, and an explination of what
had been Said, they
appeard ansioes for us to eat with them and
observed they were
friendly we apoligised & proceeded on under a Double
reafed Sale- the
Chief on board threw out to those that ran up Small
pieces of Tobacco
& told them to go back and open thier ears, We Saw
great number of
white guls- refresh the party with whiskey, in the
evening we Saw 2
Indians at a Distance, The boat turned by accident &
was nearly filling
and rocked verry much, allarmed the Indian Chief on
board who ran and
hid himself, we landed & the Indian express a wish to
return, we gave him
a Blanket Knife & Some tobacco and advised him to
keep his men away,
we camped on a Sand bar. verry Cold & windy-
[Clark, September
30, 1804]
30th of Septr.
Sunday 1804.
Set out this
morning early had not proceeded on far before we
discovered an Indn.
running after us, he came up with us at 7 oClock &
requested to come
on bord and go up to the recorees we refused to take
any of that band on
board if he chose to proceed on Shore it was verry
well Soon after I
discovered on the hills at a great distance great
numbers of Indians
which appeared to be makeing to the river above us,
we proceeded on
under a Double reafed Sail, & Some rain at 9 oClock
observed a large
band of Indians the Same which I had before Seen on
the hills incamping
on the bank the L. S. we Came too on a Sand bar
Brackfast &
proceeded on & cast the ancher opposit their Lodgs. at
about 100 yards
distand, and informed the Indians which we found to be
a part of the Band
we had before Seen, that took them by the hand and
Sent to each Chief
a Carrot of tobacco, as we had been treated badly by
Some of the band
below, after Staying 2 days for them, we Could not
delay any time,
& refured them to Mr. Duron for a full account of us
and to here our
talk Sent by him to the Tetons, those were verry
Selecitious for us
to land and eate with them, that they were friendly
&c. &. we
appoligised & proceeded on, Sent the peroge to Shore above
with the Tobacco
& Delivd. it to a Soldr. of the Chief with us Several
of them ran up the
river, the Chf. on board threw then out a Small
twist of Tobacco
& told them to go back & open ther ears. they recved
the Tobacco &
returned to their lodges- we Saw great numbers of white
guls this day is
cloudy & rainey- refresh the men with a glass of
whisky after
Brackfast.
we Saw about 6
miles above 2 Indians who came to the bank and looked at
us a about 1/2 an
hour & went over the hills to the S W. we proceeded
on under a verry
Stiff Breeze from the S. , the Stern of the boat got
fast on a log and
the boat turned & was verry near filling before we
got her righted,
the waves being verry high, The Chief on board was So
fritined at the
motion of the boat which in its rocking caused Several
loose articles to
fall on the Deck from the lockers, he ran off and hid
himself, we landed
he got his gun and informed us he wished to return,
that all things
were Cleare for us to go on we would not See any more
Tetons &c. we
repeated to him what had been Said before and advised him
to keep his men
away, gave him a blanket a Knife & Some Tobacco, Smokd
a pipe & he Set
out. we also Set Sale and Came to at a Sand bar, &
Camped, a verrey Cold
evening, all on our guard
[Clark, October 1,
1804]
1st of October
Monday 1804 The wind blew hard from the S. E. all last
night, Set out
early passed a large Island in the middle of the river
opposit this Island
the Ricaras lived in 2 Villages on the S W. Side,
about 2 Miles above
the upper point of the Island the Chyenne River
Coms in on the L.
S. and is about 400 yards wide dischargeing but
little water for a
R. of its Size, the Current jentle, and navagable,
to the Black
mountains we haule the Boat over a Sand bar, River wide &
Shoal, pass'd a
Creek at 5 mils we Call Sentinal Creek, a Small one
above, but little
timber about this river, the hills not So high as
usial, the upper
Creek I call lookout Creek, Camped on a Sand bar,
opposit a Tradeing
house, where a Mr. Valles & 2 men had Some fiew
goods to trade with
the Sioux, a boy came to us, This Mr. Vallie
informed us he
wintered last winter 300 Legus up the Chyemne River
under the Black
mountains, he Sais the River is rapid and bad to
navagate, it forks
100 Leagus up the N. fork enters the Black mountain
40 Leagues above
the forks the Countrey like that on the Missouri less
timber more Cedar,
the Coat Nur or Black m. is high and Some parts
retain Snow all
Summer, Covered with timber principally pine, Great
number of goats and
a kind of anamal with verry large horns about the
Size of a Small
Elk, White Bear no bever on the chien great numbers in
the mountains, The
Chyenne Nation has about 300 Lodges hunt the
Buffalow, Steel
horses from the Spanish Settlements, which they doe in
1 month- the Chanal
of this River is Corse gravel, Those mountains is
inhabited also by
the white booted Turkeys worthy of remark that the
Grouse or Prarie
hen is Booted, the Toes of their feet So constructed
as to walk on the
Snow, and the Tail Short with 2 long Stiff feathers
in the middle.
Sand bars are So
noumerous, that it is impossible to discribe them, &
think it
unnecessary to mention them.
[Clark, October 1,
1804]
1st of October
Monday 1804
The wind blew hard
all last night from the S. E. verry Cold Set out
early the wind
Still hard passed a large Island in the middle of the
river (1) opsd. the
lower point of this Island the Ricrerees formerly
lived in a large
Town on the L. S. above the head of the Island about 2
miles we passed the
(2) River) L. S. this river Comes in from the S W.
and is about 400
yards wide, the Current appears gentle, throwing out
but little Sands,
and appears to throw out but little water the heads
of this River is
Indians live Some distance up this river, the presise
distance I cant
learn, above the mouth of this river the Sand bars are
thick and the water
Shoal the river Still verry wide and falling a
little we are
obliged to haul the boat over a Sand bar, after makeing
Several attempts to
pass. the wind So hard we Came too & Stayed 3 hours
after it Slackened
a little we proceeded on round a bend, the wind in
the after part of
the Day a head- (2) passed a Creek on the L. S. which
we Call the
Sentinal, this part of the river has but little timber, the
hills not so high.
the Sand bars now noumerous, & river more than one
mile wide including
the Sand bars. (2) pass a Small Creek above the
latter which we
Call lookout C-. Continued on with the wind imediately
a head, and Came too
on a large Sand bar in the middle of the river, we
Saw a man opposit
to our Camp on the L. S. which we discovd. to be a
Frenchman, a little
of the willows we observed a house, we Call to them
to come over, a boy
Came in a Canoo & informed that 2 french men were
at the house with
good to trade with the Seauex which he expected down
from the rickerries
everry day, Severl large parties of Seauex Set out
from the rics for
this place to trade with those men- This Mr. Jon
Vallie informs us
that he wintered last winter 300 Leagues up the Chien
River under the
Black mountains, he informs that this river is verry
rapid and dificiult
even for Canoos to assend and when riseing the
Swels is verry
high, one hundred Leagues up it forks one fork Comes
from the S. the other
at 40 Leagues above the forks enters the black
Mountain. The
Countrey from the Missourie to the black mountain is much
like the Countrey
on the Missourie, less timber & a greatr perpotion of
Ceder. The black
Mountains he Says is verry high, and Some parts of it
has Snow on it in
the Summer great quantities of Pine Grow on the
mountains, a great
noise is heard frequently on those mountains-, on
the mountains great
numbers of goat, and a kind of Anamale with large
Circuler horns,
This animale is nearly the Size of an Argalia Small
Elk. White bear is
also plenty- The Chien Inds. inhabit this river
principally, and
Steel horses from the Spanish Settlements This
excurtion they make
in one month the bottoms & Sides of R Chien is
Corse gravel. This
frenchman gives an account of a white booted turkey
an inhabitant of
the Cout Noie-
[Clark, October 1,
1804]
1st of October
Monday 1804 at the Mouth of River Chien or Dog R
We proceeded now
from the mouth of this river 11 miles and Camped on a
Sand bar in the
river opposit to a Tradeing house verry windy & Cold-
11 miles above the
Chien R
[Clark, October 1,
1804]
The red Berry is
Called by the Rees Nar-nis-
The Ricares
Names of the
nations who come to the Ricares to trafick and bring
Horses & robes
1. *
Kun-na-nar-wesh Gens de vash
Blue beeds
2. ° Noo-tar-wau
Hill Climbers
3. * Au ner-hoo
the people who pen
Buffalow to Catch them
4. * To-che-wah-Coo
Fox Indians
5. * To-pah-cass
White hair's
6. * Cat-tar kah
Paducar
7. * Kie-wah
Tideing Indians
8. * Too war Sar
Skin pricks
9. Shar ha (Chien)
the village on the
other Side
10. We hee Shaw
(Chien)
The villages on
this Side
Those nation all
live on the praries from S W. by S. to West of the
Ricaries, all Speek
different languages and are numerous all follow the
Buffalow and winter
in the mountains. The Mandans Call a red berry
common to the upper
part of the Missouri As-say the engages call the
Same berry grease
de Buff- grows in great abundance a makes a
Delightfull Tart
[Clark, October 2,
1804]
2nd of October
Tuesday 1804, Mr. Vallie Came on board, Lat. 44° 19' 36 N.
we observed Some
Indians on a hill on the S. S. one Came to the river &
fired off his gun
and asked us to come he wish us to go to his Camp
near at hand we
refused, passed a large Island on the S. S., here we
expected the Tetons
would attempt to Stop us, and prepared for action,
&c. opposit
this Island on the L. S. a Small Creek comes in, we call
this Caution
Island, Camped on a Sand bar 1/2 mile from the main Shore
the wind hard from
the N W. Cold, the current of the river less rapid,
& retains less
Sediment than below.
[Clark, October 2,
1804]
2nd of Octr.
2nd of October
Tuesday 1804
a Violent wind all
night from the S. E. Slackened a little and we
proceeded on. Mr.
Jon Vallee Came on board and proceeded on 2 miles
with us, a verry
Cold morning Some black clouds flying took a meridian
altitude & made
the Lattitude 44° 19' 36" North this was taken at the
upper part of the
gouge of the Lookout bend, the Sentinal heard a Shot
over the hills to
the L. S. dureing the time we were Dineing on a large
Sand bar. the after
part of this day is pleasent, at 2 oClock opposit a
wood on the L. S.
we observed some Indians on a hill on the S. S. one
Came down to the river
opposit to us and fired off his gun, & beckind.
to us to Come too,
we payed no attention to him he followed on Some
distance, we Spoke
a few words to him, he wished us to go a Shore and
to his Camp which
was over the hill and Consisted of 20 Lodges, we
excused our Selves
advised him to go and here our talk of Mr. Durion he
enquired for
traders we informed him one was in the next bend below &
parted, he
returned- & we proceeded on (1) passed a large Island, the
S. S. here we
expected the Tetons would attempt to Stop us and under
that Hear we
prepared our Selves for action which we expected every
moment. opsd. this
Island on the L. S. a Small Creek Comes in, This
Island we call Isd.
of Caution we took in Some wood on a favourable
Situation where we
Could defend our men on Shore & (2) Camped on a Sand
bar 1/2 a mile from
the main Shore. the wind changed to the N. W. &
rose verry high and
Cold which Continud. The Current of the Missourie
is less rapid &
contains much less Sediment of the Same Colour.
[Clark, October 2,
1804]
2nd of October
Tuesday 1804
Proceeded on as
mentioned in journal No. 2 twelve miles Camped above a
large Island on a
Sand bar, verry windy and Cold the after part of this
day, the mid day
verry worm, The Lattitude as taken to day is 44° 19'
36"- observe
great Caution this day expecting the Seaux intentions Some
what hostile
towards our progression, The river not So rapid as below
the Chien, its
width nearly the Same 12 miles
[Clark, October 3,
1804]
3rd of October
Wednesday 1804 The N W. wind blew verry hard all night
with Some rain, we
Set out early, at 12 examoned our Stores & goods,
Several bags Cut by
the mice and Corn Scattered, Some of our Cloth also
cut by them also papers
&c. &c. at 1 oClock an Indian Came to the Bank
S. S, with a turkey
on his back 4 other soon joined him Some rain, Saw
Brant & white
guts flying Southerly
[Clark, October 3,
1804]
3rd of October
Wednesday 1804 wind blew hard all night from the N W.
Some rain and verry
Cold. we Set out at 7 oClock & proceeded on
[Clark, October 3,
1804]
3rd of October
Wednesday 1804
The N. W. wind blew
verry hard all night with Some rain a Cold morning,
we Set out at 7
oClock and proceeded on at 12 oClock landed on a Bare
L. S. examined the
Perogus & factle of the boat to see if the mice had
done any damage,
Several bags Cut by them Corn Scattered &. Some of our
Clothes also
Spoiled by them, and papers &c. &. at 1 oClock an Indian
Came to the bank S.
S. with a turkey on his back, four others Soon
joined him, we
attempted Several Chanels and Could not find water to
assend, landed on a
Sand bar & Concluded to Stay all night, & Send out
and hunt a Chanell,
Some rain this after noon- Saw Brant & white gulls
flying Southerly in
large flocks-
[Clark, October 4,
1804]
4th of October
Thursday- the Wind blew all night from the N W. Some
rain we were
obliged to drop down 3 miles to get a Channel Sufficient
Deep to pass
Several Indians on the bank, Call'd to us frequently to
Land, one gave 3
yels & Sciped a Ball before us, we payed no attention
to them, while at
Brackfast one Swam across to us, beged for Powder, we
gave him a Small
piece of Tobacco & put him over on a Sand bar, passed
a large Island in
the middle of the river Good hope I. Passed a small
Creek L. S. passed
a creek L S Camped on a Sand bar at the upper point
of an Island on
which is the remains of an old ricara Village fortified
Called La hoo It
was circular, this Village appears to have been
deserted about 5 or
6 years, 17 houses yet remain, the Island Contains
but little timber,
the evening verry Cold and wood Scerce, make use of
Drift wood
[Clark, October 4,
1804]
4th of October
Thursday 1804
the wind blew all
night from the NW. Some rain, we were obliged to Drop
down 3 miles to get
the Chanel Suft. deep to pass up, Several Indians
on the Shore
viewing of us Called to us to land one of them gave 3 yels
& Sciped a ball
before us, we payed no attention to him, proceeded on
and Came too on the
L. S. to brackft one of those Indians Swam across
to us beged for
Powder, we gave him a piece of Tobacco & Set him over
on a Sand bar, and
Set out, the wind hard a head (1) passed a Island in
the middle of the
river about 3 miles in length, we call Goodhope
Island, (2) at 4
miles passed a (2) Creek on the L. S. about 12 yards
wide Capt. Lewis
and 3 men walked on Shore & crossed over to an (3)
Island Situated on
the S. S. of the Current & near the Center of the
river this Isld. is
about 11/2 miles long & nearly 1/2 as wide, in the
Center of this
Island was an old Village of the rickeries Called La ho
catt it was
Circular and walled Containing 17 lodges and it appears to
have been deserted
about five years, the Island Contains but little
timber. we Camped
on the Sand bar makeing from this Island, the day
verry Cool.
[Clark, October 5,
1804]
5th of October
Friday 1804 Frost this morning, Set out early passed a
Small Creek on the
L. S. saw 3 Tetons on the S. S. they beged Some
Tobacco, we proceed
on passed a Creek on the S. S. I Saw a white brant
in a gangue on the
Sand bar Saw a large herd of Cabra or antelopes
Swiming the River,
we Killed four of them passed a Small Island on the
L. S. a large Creek
on the L. S. at the head of the Island White Brant
Creek, I walked on
the Island which is covered with wild rye, I Killed
a Buck & a
Small wolf this evening, Clear pleasant evening, Camped on a
mud bar S. S.
refreshd the men with whiskey.
[Clark, October 5,
1804]
5th of October
Friday 1804
Frost this morning,
we Set out early and proceeded on (1) passed a
Small Creek on the
L. S. at 7 oClock heard Some yels proceeded on Saw 3
Indians of the
Teton band, they called to us to Come on Shore, beged
Some Tobacco, we
answd. them as usial and proceeded on, passed (2) a
Creek on the S. S.
at 3 mes. abov the mouth we Saw one white Brant in a
gang of about 30,
the others all as dark as usial, a Discription of
this kind of Gees
or Brant Shall be given here after Saw a Gang of
Goats Swiming
across the river out of which we killed four they were
not fatt. in the
evening passed a Small (3) Island Situated Close to
the L. Side, at the
head of this Isd. a large Creek coms in on the L.
S. Saw white or
Brants, we Call this Creek white Brant Creek- I walked
on the Isd. found
it Covered with wild rye, I Shot a Buck, Saw a large
gang of Goat on the
hills opposit, one Buck killed, also a Prarie wolf
this evening, the
high Land not So high as below, river about the Same
width, the Sand
bars as noumerous, the earth Black and many of the
Bluffs have the
appearance of being on fire, we Came too and Camped on
a mud bar makeing
from the L. S. The evening is Calm and pleasant,
refreshed the men
with a glass of whiskey-
[Clark, October 6,
1804]
6th of October
Satturday 1804 Cold Wind from the N. Saw many large
round Stones near
the middle of the River passed an old Ricara village
of 80 Lodges
Picketed in those lodges in nearly an octagon form, 20 to
60 feet Diameter
Specious Covered with earth and as Close as they Can
Stand, a number of
Skin Canoes in the huts, we found Squashes of 3
different Kinds
growing in the Village Shields Killed an Elk Close by-
The Magpy is common
here, we Camped off the mouth of Otter Creek on the
S. S. this Creek is
22 yds. wide & heads near the R. Jacque,- contains
much water.
[Clark, October 6,
1804]
6th October
Satturday 1804
a cool morning wind
from the North Set out early passed a willow
Island (1) Situated
near the S. Shore at the upper point of Som timber
on
the S. S. many
large round Stones near the middle of the river, those
Stones appear to
have been washed from the hills (2) passed a village
of about 80 neet
Lodges covered with earth and picketed around, those
loges are Spicious
of an Octagon form as close together as they can
possibly be placed
and appear to have been inhabited last Spring, from
the Canoes of Skins
Mats buckets & found in the lodges, we are of
appinion they were
the recrereis we found Squashes of 3 Different Kinds
growing in the
Village, one of our men killed an Elk Close by this
Village, I saw 2
wolves in persute of another which appeared to be
wounded and nearly
tired, we proceeded on found the river Shole we made
Severl. attempts to
find the main Channel between the Sand bars, and
was obliged at
length to Drag the boat over to Save a league which we
must return to get
into the deepest Channel, we have been obgd to hunt
a Chanl. for Some
time past the river being devided in many places in a
great number of
Chanels, Saw Gees, Swan, Brants, & Ducks of Different
kinds on the Sand
bars to day, Capt Lewis walked on Shore Saw great
numbers of Prarie
hens, I observe but fiew Gulls or Pleaver in this
part of the river,
The Corvos or Magpye is verry Common in this quarter
We Camped on a
large Sand bar off the mouth of Otter Creek on the S. S.
this Creek is about
22 yards wide at the mouth and contains a greater
perpotion of water
than Common for Creeks of its Sise
[Clark, October 7,
1804]
7th of October
Sunday 1804 frost last night, passed a River 90 yds.
wide the Ricaras
Call Sur-war-kar-ne all the water of this river runs
in a chanel of 20
yards, the Current appears jentle, I walked up this
River a mile, Saw
the tracks of white bear, verry large, also a old
Ricara village
partly burnt, fortified about 60 Lodges built in the
Same form of those
passed yesterday, many Canoes & Baskets about the
huts- about 10
oClock we Saw 2 Indians on the S. S. they asked for
Something to eat
& told us they were Tetons of the band we left below
on ther way to the
Ricaras we gave them meat & wind hard from the
South, passed a
large open Island covered with grass and wild rye, I
walked on the Isd
& 4 men they Killed a Braroe & a Black tale Doe with
a black breast, the
largest Deer I ever saw, the great numbers of Grous
on it, we call it
Grous Island, Camped opposit the Island near the S.
Side.
[Clark, October 7,
1804]
7th of October
Sunday 1804
a Cloudy morning,
Some little rain frost last night, we Set out early
proceeded on 2
miles to the mouth of a (1) river on the L. S. and
brackfast this
river whin full is 90 yards wide the water is at this
time Confined
within 20 yards, the Current appears jentle, this river
throws out but
little Sand at the mouth of this river we Saw the Tracks
of White bear which
was verry large, I walked up this river a mile-
below the (2) mouth
of this river, is the remains of a Rickorrie
Village or
Wintering Camp fortified in a circular form of a bout 60
Lodges, built in
the Same form of those passed yesterday This Camp
appears to have
been inhabited last winter, many of their willow &
Straw mats, Baskets
& Buffalow Skin Canoes remain intire within the
Camp, the Ricares
Call this river Sur-war-kar-na or Park from this
river we proceeded
on under a gentle Breeze from the S. W. at 10 oClock
we Saw 2 Indians,
on the S. S. they asked for Something to eate, &
informed us they
were part of the Beiffs De Medisons Lodge on their way
to the Rickerreis,
passed (3) a willow Island in a bind to the S. S.
(4) at 5 miles
passd. a willow Island on the S. S.- wind hard from the
South in the
evening I walked on an (5) Island nearly the middle of the
river Called Grous
Island, one of the men killed a Shee Brarrow,
another man killed
a Black tail Deer, the largest Doe I ever Saw (Black
under her breast)
this Island is nearly 11/4 ms. Squar no timbr high
and Covered with
grass wild rye and Contains Great numbers of Grouse,
we proceeded on a
Short distance above the Island and Camped on the S.
S. a fine evening.
[Clark, October 8,
1804]
8th of October
Monday 1804 a cool Morning wind from the N. W. passed
the mouth of a
Small Creek on the L. S. about 21/2 Miles above the Isd.
Passed the Mouth of
a River on the L. S. called by the Ricaries
We-tar-hoo. this
river is 120 yards wide, the water Confined within 20
yards, throws out
mud with little Sand, great quanties of red Berries,
resembling Currents
near the mouth of this river Latd. 45° 39' 5 N. this
river heads in the
1s Black Mountain, 2 Miles higher up passed a Small
River on the L. S.
Called Maropa 25 yards wide Chocked up with mud- our
hunters discovered
a Ricara village on an Island a fiew miles above we
passed the 1s
Ricara Village about the center of the Island, in
presence of Great
numbers of Spectators and Camped above the Island on
the L. S. at the
foot of Some high land. (Mr. Gravotine a French man
joined us as an
interpeter) The Island on which is Ricara Village is
Situated, is about
3 miles long Seperated from the Main L. Side by a
Narrow Deep
Channel, those Indians Cultivate on the Island Corn Beens
Simmins, Tobacco
&c &c. after Landing Capt. Lewis with Mr. Gravelin and
3 men went to the
Village, I formd a Camp on Shore with the Perogue
crew & guard,
with the Boat at Anchor, Capt Lewis returned late, a
french man and a
Spaniard accompanied him
[Clark, October 8,
1804]
8th of October
Monday 1804
a Cool morning Set
out early the wind from the N. W. proceeded on
passed the mouth of
a Small Creek on the L. S. about 21/2 miles above
Grouse Island, (3)
passed a willow Island which Divides the Current
equilly. (2) passed
the mouth of a River called by the ricares We tar
hoo on the L. S.
this river is 120 yards wide, the water of which at
this time is
Confined within 20 yards, dischargeing but a Small
quantity, throwing
out mud with Small propotion of Sand, great
quantities of the
red Berries, ressembling Currents, are on the river
in every bend- 77°
33' 0" Lattitude from the Obsevation of to day at the
mouth of this river
is 45° 39' 5"-North- proceeded on passed a (3) Small
river of 25 yards
wide Called (4) or Beaver Dam R this river is
intirely Chocked up
with mud, with a Streem of 1 Inch Diamiter passing
through,
discharging no Sand, at 1 (5) mile passed the lower pint of an
Island close on the
L. S. 2 of our men discovered the reckerrei
village, about the
Center of the Island on the L. Side on the main
Shore. this Island
is about 3 miles long, Seperated from the L. S. by a
Channel of about 60
yards wide verry Deep, The Isld. is covered with
fields, where those
people raise their Corn Tobacco Beens &c. &c. Great
numbers of those
People came on the Island to See us pass, we passed
above the head of
the Island & Capt. Lewis with 2 interpeters & 2 men
went to the Village
I formed a Camp of the french & the guard on Shore,
with one Sentinal
on board of the boat at anchor, a pleasent evening
all things arranged
both for Peace or War, This Village (6) is Situated
about the Center of
a large Island near the L. Side & near the foot of
Some high bald
uneaven hills, Several french men Came up with Capt
Lewis in a Perogue,
one of which is a Mr. Gravellin a man well versed
in the language of
this nation and gave us Some information relitive to
the Countrey naton
&c
[Clark, October 8,
1804]
Orders
October the 8th
1804
Robert Frazer being regularly inlisted and
haveing become on of the
Corps of
Vollenteers for North Western Discovery, he is therefore to be
viewed &
respected accordingly; and will be anexed to Sergeant Gass's
mess.
Win Clark Cpt
&.
Meriwether Lewis
River Marapa Capt.
1st U.S. Regt. Infty
[Clark, October 9,
1804]
9th of October
Tuesday 1804 a windey night Some rain, and the wind
Continued So high
& cold We could not Speck in Council with the
Indians, we gave
them Some Tobacco and informed them we would Speek
tomorrow, all the
grand Chiefs visited us to day also Mr Taboe, a
trader from St.
Louis- Many Canoes of a Single Buffalow Skin made in
the form of a Bowl
Carrying generally 3 and Sometimes 5 & 6 men, those
Canoes, ride the
highest Waves- the Indians much asstonished at my
Black Servent and
Call him the big medison, this nation never Saw a
black man before,
the wind verry high, I saw at Several times to day 3
Squars in single
Buffalow Skin Canoes loaded with meat Cross the River,
at the time the
waves were as high as I ever Saw them in the Missouri
[Clark, October 9,
1804]
9th of October 1804
Tuesday
a windey rainey
night, and Cold, So much So we Could not Speek with the
Indians to day the
three great Chiefs and many others Came to See us to
day, we gave them
Some tobacco and informed them we would Speek on
tomorrow, the day
Continued Cold & windey Some rain Sorry Canoos of
Skins passed down
from the 2 villages a Short distance above, and many
Came to view us all
day, much asstonished at my black Servent, who did
not lose the
oppertunity of his powers Strength &c. &. this nation
never Saw a black
man before.
Several hunters
Came in with loads of meat, I observed Several Canoos
made of a Single
buffalow Skin with 2 & 3 Thre Squars Cross the river
to day in Waves as
high as I ever Saw them on this river, quite
uncomposed I have a
Slite Plurise this evening Verry Cold &c. &.
1st Chiefs name Ka
kawissassa (lighting Crow.)
2d do do Pocasse
(or Hay)
3d do do Piaa he to
(or Eagles feather)
[Clark, October 10,
1804]
10th of October
1804 at 11 oClock the wind Shifted from S. E to N W.
Mr. Taboe visited
us- we hear that Some jealousy exists as to the
Chiefs to be made-
at 1 oclock the Cheifs all assembled under an orning
near the Boat, and
under the American Flag. we Delivered a Similar
Speech to those
delivered the Ottoes & Sioux, made three Chiefs, one
for each Village
and gave them Clothes & flags- 1 s Chief is name
Ka-ha-wiss assa
lighting ravin 2d Chief Po-casse (Hay) & the 3rd
Piaheto or Eagles
Feather- after the Council was over we Shot the Air
gun, which
astonished them, & they all left us, I observed 2 Sioux in
the Council one of
them I had Seen below, they Came to interceed with
the Ricaras to Stop
us as we were told- the Inds. much astonished at my
black Servent, who
made him Self more turrible in thier view than I
wished him to Doe
as I am told telling them that before I cought him he
was wild & lived
upon people, young children was verry good eating
Showed them his
Strength &c. &c.- Those Indians are not fond of Licquer
of any Kind-
[Clark, October 10,
1804]
10th of October
Wednesday 1804.
a fine forming wind
from the S. E at about 11 oClock the wind Shifted,
to the N. W. we
prepare all things ready to Speak to the Indians, Mr.
Tabo & Mr.
Gravolin Came to brackfast with us the Chiefs &. came from
the lower Town, but
none from the 2 upper Towns, which is the largest,
we Continue to
delay & waite for them at 12 oClock Dispatchd Gravelin
to envite them to
Come down, we have every reason to believe that a
jellousy exists
between the Villages for fear of our makeing the 1st
Cheif from the
lower Village, at one oClock the Cheifs all assembled &
after Some little
Cerrimony the Council Commenced, we informd them what
we had told the
others before i e Ottoes & Seaux. made 3 Cheif 1 for
each Village. gave
them presents.
after the Council
was Over we Shot the air guns which astonished them
much, they then Departed
and we rested Secure all night, Those Indians
wer much astonished
at my Servent, They never Saw a black man before,
all flocked around
him & examind. him from top to toe, he Carried on
the joke and made
himself more turibal than we wished him to doe. (Thos
Indians were not
fond of Spirits Licquer. of any kind)
[Clark, October 11,
1804]
11th of October
Thursday 1804 wind S. E. at 11 oClock met the 1s Chief
in Council, he
Thanked us for what we had given him & his people
promised to attend
to our advise, and Said the road was open for us and
no one Dare Shut it
&c. &. we took him and one Chief on board and Set
out, on our way
took in the 2d Chief at the mo of a Small Creek, and
Came too off the 2d
village which is 3 miles above the Island, we
walked up with the
2 & 3 Chiefs to their villages which is Situated on
each Side of a
Small Creek, they gave us Something to eat in thier way,
after Conversations
on various Subjects & Beareing the civilities of
those people who
are both pore & dirtey we informed the Chiefs we would
here what they had
to Say tomorrow and returned on board about 10
oClock P M. Those
people gave us to eat Corn & Beans, a large well
flavoured Been
which they rob the Mice of in the Plains and is verry
nurishing-all
tranquillity
[Clark, October 11,
1804]
11th October
Thursday 1804
a fine morning the
wind from the S. E. at 11 oClock we met the Grand
Chief in Council
& and he made a Short Speech thanking us for what we
had Given him &
his nation promisseing to attend to the Council we had
given him &
informed us the road was open & no one dare Shut it, & we
might Departe at
pleasure, at 1 oClock we Set out for the upper
villages 3 miles
distant, the Grand Chief & nephew on board, proceeded
on at 1 mile took
in the 2d Chief & Came too off the first Second
village Seperated
from the 3rd by a Creek after arrangeing all matters
we walked up with
the 2d Chief to his village, and Set talking on
various Subjects
untile late we also visited the upper or 3rd Village
each of which gave
us Something to eate in their way, and a fiew
bushels of Corn
Beens &. &c.
after being treated
by everry civility by those people who are both
pore & Durtey
we returned to our boat at about 10 oClk. P M. informing
them before we
Departed that we would Speek to them tomorrow at there
Seperate Villages.
Those people gave us to eate bread made of Corn &
Beens, also Corn
& Beans boild. a large Been, which they rob the mice
of the Prarie which
is rich & verry nurrishing also
[Clark, October 11,
1804]
(Ricares)
October the 11th
Thursday 1804 we met in Council to hear what the Grand
Chief Ka kaw
issassa had to Say in answer to the Speech of yesterday
The Grand Chief
rose and spoke as follows i, e,
My Fathers-! My
heart is glader than it ever was before to See my
fathers.- a
repetition.
If you want the
road open no one Can provent it it will always be open
for you.
Can you think any
one Dare put their hands on your rope of your boat.
No! not one dar
When you Get to the
mandans we wish you to Speak good words with that
Nation for us. we
wish to be at peace with them.
It gives us pain
that we do not Know how to work the Beaver, we will
make Buffalow roabs
the best we Can.
when you return if
I am living you will See me again the same man The
Indian in the
prarie know me and listen to my words, when you come they
will meet to See
you.
We Shall look at
the river with impatient for your return. Finished
[Clark, October 12,
1804]
12th of October
Friday after Brackfast we joined the Chiefs & Indians
on the bank who wer
waiting for us, and proseeded to the 1st village
and Lodge of the
Pocasse, This man Spok at Some lengths, to the Same
purpote of the 1 s
Chief, & Declareing his intentions of visiting his
great father, Some
Doubts as to his Safty in Passing the Sioux,
requested us to
take a Chief of their nation and make a good peace with
the Mandan for
them, that they Knew that they were the Cause of the war
by Killing the 2
Mandan Chiefs- this Chief & people gave us about 7
bushels of Corn,
Some Tobacco of their own make, and Seed Legins & a
Robe We proceeded
to the 3rd Chiefs Village which is the largest, after
the usial Seremoney
of Eating Smokg. &. he Spoke to near the Same
amount of the last
Chief, & more pleasently, he gave us 10 bushels of
Corn, Some Beens
& Simmins, after he had Spoken, and I gave Some
Sketches of the
Power & Magnitude of Our Countrey, we returned to our
Boat, I have the
rhumetism on my neck the Chiefs accompanied us on
board, we gave them
Some Sugar Salt and a Sun Glass each, and after
eating a little
they returned on Shore leaveing one to accompany us to
the Mandans, and we
Set out viewed by men womin & children of each
village proceeded
on about 91/2 miles and Camped on the S S. Clear &
Cold- The Ricaras
Are about 500 men Mr. Taboe say 600 able to bear
arms, and the
remains of ten different tribes of Panias reduced by the
Small Pox &
wares with the Sioux, they are tall Stout men corsily
featured, their
womin Small & industerous raise great quantites of corn
beans &c also
Tobacco for the men to Smoke, they collect all the wood
and doe the
Drudgery common amongst Savages- Their language is So
corrupted that many
lodges of the Same village with dificuelty under
Stand all that each
other Say- They are Dirty, Kind, pore, &
extravegent;
possessing natural pride, no begers, rcive what is given
them with pleasure,
Thier houses are close together & Towns inclosed
with Pickets, thier
Lodges are 30 to 40 feet in Diamuter Covered with
earth on Neet Poles
Set end wise resting on 4 forks Supporting Beems
Set in a Square
form near the Center, and lower about 5 feet high other
forks all around
Supt. Strong Beems, from 8 to 10 of those, with a
opening at top of
about 5 to 6 feet Square, on the Poles which pass to
the top, Small
Willow & grass is put across to Support the earth- The
Sioux exchange,
Some merchndze of Small value which they get from Mr.
Cameron of St.
Peters for Corn &c and have great influence over this
people treat them
roughly and keep them in contineal dread- The Ricaras
are at war with the
Crow Indians and Mandans-&c. &- The Ricaras, have a
custom Similar to
the Sioux in maney instances, they think they cannot
Show a Sufficient
acknowledgement without to their guest handsom Squars
and think they are
despised if they are not recved
The Sioux followed
us with women two days we put them off. the
Ricarries we put
off dureing the time we were near their village- 2
were Sent by a man
to follow us, and overtook us this evening, we Still
procisted in a
refusial-The Dress of the Ricara men is Simpally a pr.
of Mockersons &
Legins, a flap, and a Buffalow Robe- Their Hair is long
and lais loose
their arms & ears are decerated with trinkets
The womin Dress
Mockersons & Legins & Skirt of the Skin of the Cabre or
Antelope, long
fringed & roab to the fringes & with Sleaves, verry
white, and Roabes-
all were Dressed to be without hare in the Summer
Those people make
large Beeds of Diferrent colours, out of glass or
Beeds of Dift
colours, verry ingeniously
[Clark, October 12,
1804]
12th October Friday
1804
I rose early after
brackfast we joined the Indians who were waiting on
the bank for us to
come out and go and Council, we accordingly joined
them and went to
the house of the 2nd Chief Lassil where there was many
Chief and warriers
& about 7 bushels of Corn, a pr Leagins a twist of
their Tobacco &
Seeds of 2 Kind of Tobacco we Set Some time before the
Councill Commenced
this man Spoke at Some length declareing his
dispotion to
believe and prosue our Councils, his intention of going to
Visit his great
father acknowledged the Satisfaction in receiveing the
presents &c.
rais'g a Doubt as to the Safty on passing the nations
below particularly
the Souex. requested us to take a Chief of their
nation and make a
good pact with Mandins & nations above. after
answering those
parts of the 2d Chiefs Speech which required it, which
appeared to give
General Satisfaction we went to the Village of the 3rd
Chief and as usial
Some Serimony took place before he Could Speek to us
on the Great
Subject. This Chief Spoke verry much in the Stile on
nearly the Same
Subjects of the other Chief who Set by his Side, more
Sincear &
pleasently, he presented us with about 10 bushels of Corn
Some beens &
quashes all of which we acksepted with much pleasure,
after we had ansd.
his Speech & give them Some account of the Magnitude
& power of our
Countrey which pleased and astonished them verry much we
returned to our
boat, the Chiefs accompanied us on board, we gave them
Some Sugar a little
Salt, and a Sun Glass, & Set 2 on Shore & the third
proceeded on with
us to the Mandens by name, at 2 oClock we Set out the
inhabitints of the
two Villages Viewing us from the banks, we proceeded
on about 91/2 miles
and Camped on the S. S. at Some woods passed, the
evening Clear &
pleasent Cooler
The Nation of the
Rickerries is about 600 men able to bear arms a Great
perpotion of them
have fusees they appear to be peacefull, their men
tall and
perpotiend, womin Small and industerous, raise great
quantities of Corn
Beens Simmins &c. also Tobacco for the men to Smoke
they Collect all
the wood and do the drugery as Common amongst Savages.
Thise nation is
made up of 10 Different Tribes of the Pania, who had
formerly been
Seperate, but by Commotion and war with their neighbours
have Come reduced
and compelled to Come together for protection, The
Curruption of the
language of those different Tribes has So reduced the
language that the
Different Villages do not understade all the words of
the others.- Those
people are Durtey, Kind, pore, & extravigent
pursessing national
pride. not beggarley reive what is given with great
pleasure, Live in
worm houses large and built in an oxigon form forming
a Cone at top which
is left open for the Smoke to pass, those houses
are generally 30 or
40 foot Diamiter. Covd. with earth on poles willows
& grass to
prevent the earths passing thro, Those people express an
inclination to be
at peace with all nations The Seaux who trade the
goods which they
get of the British Traders for their corn, and great
influence over the
Rickeres, poisen their minds and keep them in
perpetial dread.
I Saw Some of the
Chien or Dog Indians, also a man of a nation under
the Court new-This
nation is at war with the Crow Indians & have 3
Children prisoners.
a curious Cuistom
with the Souix as well as the reckeres is to give
handsom Squars to
those whome they wish to Show Some acknowledgements
to- The Seauix we
got Clare of without taking their Squars, they
followed us with
Squars 13th two days. The Rickores we put off dureing
the time we were at
the Towns but 2 Handsom young Squars were Sent by a
man to follow us,
they Came up this evening and peresisted in their
Civilities.
Dress of the men of
this nation is Simply a pr. mockerson, Leagins,
flap in front &
a Buffalow roabe, with ther arms & ears Deckorated The
women, wore
Mockersons leagins fringed and a Shirt of Goat Skins, Some
with Sleaves. this
garment is longe & Genlry. White & fringed, tied at
the waste with a
roabe, in Summer without hair.
[Clark, October 12,
1804]
2nd Chief Ricaras
My Father, I am
glad to See this is a fine Day to here the good
Councils & talk
good talk I am glad to See you & that your intentions
are to open the
road for all we See that our Grand father has Sent you
to open the road we
See it Our Grand father by Sending you means to
take pity on us Our
Grand father has Sent you with tobacco to make
peace with all
nations, we think
The first nation
who has recomended the road to be clear and open. You
Come here &
have Directed all nations which you have met to open &
clear the road. you
come to See the water & roads to Clear them as
Clear as possible
you just now Come
to See us, & we wish you to tell our Grand ftar that
we wish the road to
be kept Clear & open. I expect the Chief in the
next Town will tell
you the Same to move on & open the road
I think when you
Saw the nations below they wish you to open the road-
(or something to
that amount) when you passd. the Souex they told you
the Same I expect.
we See you here to day we are pore our women have no
Strouds &
Knives to Cut their meat take pitty on us when you return.
you Come here &
Derect us to Stay at home & not go to war, we Shall do
So, we hope you
will when you get to the Mandins you will tell them the
Same & Cleer
the road, no one Dar to Stop you, you go when you please,
The you tell us to
go Down, we will go and See our grand father & here
& receve his
Gifts, and think fully that our nation will be covered
after our return,
our people will look for us with the same impatience
that our Grand
father looks for your return, to Give him
If I am going to
See my grand father, many bad nations on the road, I
am not afraid to
Die for the good of my people (all Cried around him.)
The Chief By me
will go to the Mandans & hear what they will Say. (we
agree'd.)
The verry moment we
Set out to go down we will Send out my Brother to
bring all the
Nation in the open prarie to See me part on this Great
mission to See my
Great father.
our people hunting
Shall be glad to here of your being here & they will
all Come to See, as
you Cannot Stay they must wate for your return to
See you, we are
pore take pity on our wants
The road is for you
all to go on, who do you think will injure a white
man when they come
to exchange for our Roabes & Beaver
after you Set out
many nations in the open plains may Come to make war
against us, we wish
you to Stop their guns & provent it if possible.
Finished
3d Chief of Ricares
My fathers I will
see the Indians below & See if they have the hart as
they tell you
The nation below is
the Mahas & Ottes & but one nation, (the Souix) has
not a good heart.
I always look at
the 1 t Chief & the 2d whin they go & will also follow
ther example &
go on also
You See those 2 men
they are chiefs, when I go they will take Care,
they beleve your
words.
Mabie we will not
tell the trooth, as to the Child perhaps they will
not wish to go.
My Children the old
women & men whin I return I can then give them,
Some a Knife Some
powder & others Ball &c. What is the matter if we was
to go for nothing
my great Chief wish to go, I wish to go also.
when I go to See my
Grand father I wish to return quicke for fear of my
people being
uneasy.
my Children are
Small & perhaps will be uneasy whin I may be Safe
I must go, I also
wish to go, perhaps I may when I return make my
people glad
I will Stay at home
& not go to War even if my people are Struck
we will believ your
word but I fear the Indians above will not believe
your word.
I will think that
1/2 of the men who will return will Stay in this
Village 1/2 below
in the other villages
what did the Seaus
tell you- (we informd them)
[Clark, October 13,
1804]
13th of October
Satturday 1804 Newmon Confined for Mutinous
expressions,
proceeded on passed a Camp of Sioux on the S. S. those
people did not
Speak to us. passed a Creek on the S. S. 18 miles above
the Ricaras I call
Stone Idol Creek, this Creek heads in a Small lake
at no great
distance, near which there is a Stone to which the Indians
asscribe great
virtue &. &c. at 21 Miles passed a Creek 15 yds wide on
the L. S I call
Pocasse, we observed great quantites of grapes, a fine
Breez from S E
Camped on the L. S. Some rain thus evening, we formed a
Court Martial of 7
of our party to Try Newmon, they Senteenced him 75
Lashes and
banishment from the party- The river narrow current jentle &
wood plenty on the
Bottoms the up land is as usial Open divircified
plains, generally
rich & leavel.
[Clark, October 13,
1804]
13th of October
Satturday 1804
one man J. Newmon
Confined for mutinous expression Set out early
proceeded on,
passd. a Camp of Seauex on the S. S. those people only
viewed us & did
not Speak one word- The visiters of last evening all
except one returned
which is the Brother of the Chief we have on board
passed (1) a Creek
on the S. S. 13 yds. at 18 me. above the Town
heading in Some
Ponds a Short Diste. to the N. E we call Stone Idol C.
(well to observe
here that the Yankton or R Jacque heads at about 2
Days March of this
place Easterly, the R de Seauex one Day further, the
Chien a branch of
R. Rouche Still beyend, and the River St. Peters 4
Days March from
this place on the Same direction Informtn. of the
Rickores). passed 2
large willow (2) & Sand Islands above the mouth of
the last Creek- at
21 miles above the Village passed a (3) Creek about
15 yards wide on
the L. S. we Call after 2d Chief Pocasse (or Hay)
nearly opposit this
creek a fiew miles from the river on the S. S. 2
Stones resembling
humane persons & one resembling a Dog is Situated in
the open Prarie, to
those Stone the Rickores pay Great reverance make
offerings whenever
they pass (Infomtn. of the Chief & Intepeter) those
people have a
Curious Tredition of those Stones, one was a man in Love,
one a Girl whose
parents would not let marry, the Dog went to mourn
with them all
turned to Stone gradually, Commenceing at the feet. Those
people fed on
grapes untill they turned, & the woman has a bunch of
grapes yet in her
hand on the river near the place those are Said to be
Situated, we obsd.
a greater quantity of fine grapes than I ever Saw at
one place.
The river about the
Island on which the lower Rickores Village is
Situated is narrow
and Conts. a great propotion of Timber than below,
the bottoms on both
Sides is Covered with timber the up lands naked the
Current jentle and
Sand bars Confined to the points Generally
We proceeded on
under a fine Breeze from the S.E. and Camped late at
the upper part of
Some wood on the Starboard Side, Cold & Some rain
this evening. we
Sent out hunters Killed one Deer.
We Tried the
Prisoner Newmon last night by 9 of his Peers they did
"Centence him
75 Lashes & Disbanded the party."
[Lewis and Clark,
October 13, 1804]
Orders
13th of October
1804
A court Martial to
Consist of nine members will set to day at 12 oClock
for the trial of
John Newman now under Confinement Capt. Clark will
attend to the forms
& rules of a president without giveing his opinion
Detail for the
Court Martial
Sert. John Ordaway
Sergeant Pat. Gass
Jo. Shields
H. Hall
Jo. Collins
Wm. Werner
Wm. Bratten
Jo. Shannon
Silas Goodrich
Meriwether Lewis
Capt. 1st U S.
Regt. Infty.
Win Clark Capt
or E. N W D
In conformity to
the above order the Court martial convened this day
for the trial of
John Newman, charged with "having uttered repeated
expressions of a
highly criminal and mutinous nature; the same having a
tendency not only
to distroy every principle of military discipline,
but also to
alienate the affections of the individuals composing this
Detachment to their
officers, and disaffect them to the service for
which they have
been so sacredly and solemnly engaged."- The Prisonar
plead not guilty to
the charge exhibited against him. The court after
having duly
considered the evidence aduced, as well as the defense of
the said prisonor,
are unanimously of opinion that the prisonar John
Newman is guilty of
every part of the charge exhibited against him, and
do sentence him
agreeably to the rules and articles of war, to receive
seventy five lashes
on his bear back, and to be henceforth discarded
from the perminent
party engaged for North Western discovery; two
thirds of the Court
concurring in the sum and nature of the punishment
awarded. the
commanding officers approve and confirm the sentence of
the court, and
direct the punishment take place tomorrow between the
hours of one and
two P.M.- The commanding officers further direct that
John Newman in
future be attatched to the mess and crew of the red
Perogue as a
labouring hand on board the same, and that he be deprived
of his arms and
accoutrements, and not be permited the honor of
mounting guard
untill further orders; the commanding officers further
direct that in lue
of the guard duty from which Newman has been
exempted by virtue
of this order, that he shall be exposed to such
drudgeries as they
may think proper to direct from time to time with a
view to the general
relief of the detachment.-
[Clark, October 14,
1804]
14th of October
Sunday 1804 Some rain last night we Set out in the rain
which continued all
day passed a Creek on the L. S. Piaheto 15 yds
Wide, halted on a
Sand bar and had the punishmt inflicted on Newmon,
which caused the
indian Chieif to cry untill the thing was explained to
him Camped opposit
an antient fortification which is on the L. S, when
I explained to the
Chief the Cause of whipping N- he observed that
examples were
necessary & that he himself had made them by Death, but
his nation never
whiped even from their bearth.
[Clark, October 14,
1804]
14th of October
Sunday 1804.
Some rain last
night all wet & Cold, we Set early the rain contind all
Day at ____ miles
we passed a (1) Creek in the L. S. 15 yards wide this
Creek we Call after
the 3rd Chief Piaheto (or Eagles feather) at 1
oClock we halted on
a Sand bar & after Dinner executed the Sentence of
the Court Martial
So far as giveing the Corporal punishment, &
proceeded on a fiew
miles, the wind a head from N. E. Camped in a Cove
of the bank on the
S. S. imediately opposit our Camp on the L. Side I
observe an antient
fortification the walls of which appear to be 8 or
10 feet high, the
evening wet and disagreeable, the river Something
wider more timber
on the banks
The punishment of
this day allarmd. the Indian Chief verry much, he
Cried aloud (or
effected to Cry) I explained the Cause of the
punishment and the
necessity He thought examples were also necessary, &
he himself had made
them by Death, his nation never whiped even their
Children, from
their burth.
[Clark, October 15,
1804]
15th of October
Rained all last night, passed a Ricara hunting camp on
the S.S. &
halted at another on the L.S, Several from the 1t Camp
visited us and gave
meat as also those of the Camp we halted at, we
gave them fish
hooks Some beeds &c. as we proceeded on we Saw a number
of Indians on both
Sides all day, Saw L. S some Curious Nnobs high and
much the
resemblance of a hiped rough house, we halted at a Camp of 10
Lodges of Ricaras
on the S. S., we visited thier Lodges & were friendly
recved by all-
their women fond of our men- &c.
[Clark, October 15,
1804]
15th of October
Monday 1804
rained all last
night, we Set out early and proceeded on at 3 Miles
passed an Ind. Camp
on the S. S. we halted above and about 30 of the
Indians came over
in their Canoos of Skins, we eate with them, they
give us meat, in
return we gave fishhooks & Some beeds, about a mile
higher we came too
on the L. S. at a Camp of Ricres of about 8 Lodges,
we also eate &
they gave Some meat, we proceded on Saw numbers of
Indians on both
Sides passing a Creek, Saw many Curious hills, high and
much the
resemblance of a house with a hiped roof, at 12 oClock it
Cleared away and
the evening was pleasent, wind from the N. E.- at
Sunset we arrived
at a Camp of Ricares of 10 Lodges on the S. S. we
Came too and Camped
near them Capt Lewis & my Self went with the Chief
who accompanis us,
to the Huts of Several of the men all of whome
Smoked & gave
us Something to eate also Some meat to take away, those
people were kind
and appeared to be much plsd. at the attentioned paid
them.
Those people are
much pleased with my black Servent- Their womin verry
fond of carressing
our men. &.
[Clark, October 16,
1804]
16th of October
Tuesday 1804 Some rain this morning 2 Squars verry
anxious to
accompany us we Set out with our Chief on Board by name Ar
ke tar nar shar (or
Chief of the Town) a little above our Camp on the
L. S. passed an old
Shyenne Village, which appears to have been
Serounded with a
wall of earth; this is the retreat & first Stand of
this nation after
being reduced by the Sioux and drove from their
Countrey on the
heads of red River of L Winipic where they Cultivated
the landspassed a
Creek I call So-harch or Girl Creek L. S. 2 miles
higher passed Woman
Crreek or Char-parts passed an Island Situated in a
bend to the S. S.
at the lower point of this Island a Creek comes in
Called Kee-tooth
Sar-kar-nar- or the
place of Beaver above the Island a Small River on
the Same S. Side
Called War-re-Con nee Elk shed their horns, this river
is 35 yards wide
& heads near the River au Jacque, Carp Island wind
hard a head from
the N W. Saw great numbers of goats or Antelope on
Shore, Capt Lewis
one man & the Ricara Chief walked on Shore, in the
evening I
discovered a number of Indians on each Side and goats in the
river or Swiming
& on Sand bars, when I came near Saw the boys in the
water Swiming
amongst the goats & Killing them with Sticks, and then
hauling them to the
Shore those on Shore Kept them in the water, I saw
58 Killed in this
way and on the Shore, the hunter with Cap Lewis Shot
3 goats I came too
and Camped above the Ricara Camp on the L. S.
Several Indians
visited us duereing the night Some with meat, Sang and
were merry all
night.
[Clark, October 16,
1804]
16th October
Tuesday 1804
Some rain this
morning, 2 young Squars verry anxious to accompany us,
we Set out with our
Chief on board by name Ar ke tar na Shar or Chief
of the Town, a
little above our Camp on the L. S. passed a Circular
work, where the,
Shar ha (or Chien, or Dog Indians) formerly lived, a
Short distance abov
passed a Creek which we Call Chien Creek, above is
a willow Island
Situated near (i ) the L. Side a large Sand bar above &
on both Sides (2)
passed a Creek above the Island on the L. S. call
So-harch (or Girls)
Creek, at 2 miles higher up (3) passed a Creek on
L. S. call Char
part (or womins) Creek passed (5) an Island Situated in
a bend to the S. S.
this Isd. is about 11/2 miles long, Covered with
timber Such as Cotton
wood, opsd. the lower point a creek coms in on
the S. S. called by
the Indians Kee tooth Sar kar nar (or place of
Beavr) above the
Island a Small river about 35 yards wide corns in
Called War re con
ne or (Elk Shed their horns). The Island is Called
Carp Island by
Ivens. wind hard from the N. W. Saw great numbers of
Goats on the Shore
S. S. proceeded on Capt. Lewis & the Indian Chief
walked on Shore,
Soon after I discovered Great numbers of Goats in the
river, and Indians
on the Shore on each Side, as I approached or got
nearer I discovered
boys in the water Killing the Goats with Sticks and
halling them to
Shore, Those on the banks Shot them with arrows and as
they approachd. the
Shore would turn them back of this Gangue of Goats
I counted 58 of
which they had killed & on the Shore, one of our
hunters out with
Cap Lewis killed three Goats, we passed the Camp on
the S. S. and
proceeded 1/2 mile and Camped on the L. S. many Indians
came to the boat to
See, Some Came across late at night, as they
approach they
hollowed and Sung, after Staying a Short time 2 went for
Some meat, and
returned in a Short time with fresh & Dried Buffalow,
also goat, those
Indians Strayed all night, They Sung and was verry
merry the greater
part of the night
[Lewis, October 16,
1804]
October 16th
This day took a
small bird alive of the order of the ____ or goat
suckers. it
appeared to be passing into the dormant state. on the
morning of the 18th
the murcury was at 30 above 0. the bird could
scarcely move.- I
run my penknife into it's body under the wing and
completely
distroyed it's lungs and heart- yet it lived upwards of two
hours this
fanominon I could not account for unless it proceeded from
the want of
circulation of the blood.- the recarees call this bird
to'-na it's note is
at-tah-to'-nah'; at-tah'to'-nah'; to-nah, a
nocturnal bird,
sings only in the night as does the whipperwill.- it's
weights oz 17
Grains Troy
[Clark, October 17,
1804]
17th of October
1804 Wind S. W. I walked on Shore with the Ricara Chief
and an Inteprieter,
they told me maney extroadenary Stories, I Killed 3
Dear & a Elk,
the Chief Killed a Deer and our hunters Killed 4 Deer, in
my absenc the wind
rose So high that the Boat lay too all Day; Latd 46°
23' 57" N, I
caught a Small uncommon whiperwill we observe emence herds
of Goats, or
Antelopes flocking down from the N E Side & Swiming the
River, the Chief
tels me those animals winter in the Black Mountain,
and in the fall
return to those mounts from every quarter, and in the
Spring disperse in
the planes, those emence herds we See all of which
is on the N E Side
of the River is on their way to the mountain, and in
the Spring they
will be as noumeroes on their return (some ganges
winter on the
Missouri)- camped on the L. S.
note from the
Ricares to the River Jacque near N. E. is about 40 mes.
to the Chien a fork
of R Rogue 20 passing the Souix River near the
Chien this from
information of Mr. Graveline who passed through this
Countrey
[Clark, October 17,
1804]
17th October
Wednesday 1804.
Set out early a
fine morning the wind from the N W. after brackfast I
walked on Shore
with the Indian Chief & Interpeters, Saw Buffalow Elk
and Great numbers
of Goats in large gangues (I am told by Mr. G. that
those Animals
winter in the Black mountains and this is about the
Season they Cross
from the East of the Missouris to go to that
Mountain, they
return in the Spring and pass the Missourie in Great
numbers). This
Chief tells me of a number of their Treditions about
Turtles, Snakes,
&. and the power of a perticiler rock or Cave on the
next river which
informs of everr thing none of those I think worth
while mentioning-
The wind So hard a head the boats Could not move aftr
10 oClock, Capt
Louis Took the altitude of the Sun Laid. 46° 23' 57" I
Killed 3 Deer and
the hunters with me killed 3 also the Indian Shot one
but Could not get
it- I Scaffeled up the Deer & returned & met the boat
after night on the
L. S. about 6 miles above the place we Camped last
night- one of the
men Saw a number of Snakes, Capt Lewis Saw a large
Beaver house S. S.
I Cought a Whipprwill Small & not Common-. the
leaves are falling
fast-. the river wide and full of Sand bars,-. Great
numbers of verry
large Stone on the Sides of the hills & Some rock of a
brownish Colour in
the Ld. Bend below this-.
Great numbers of
Goats are flocking down to the S. Side of the river on
their way to the
Black Mountains where they winter those animals return
in the Spring in
the Same way & Scatter in different directions.
[Clark, October 18,
1804]
18th of October
1804. at 6 miles passed the mouth of La Bullet or
Cannon Ball River
on the L. Side about 140 yards Wide, and heads near
the Black Mountains
above the mouth of this River, in and at the foot
of the Bluff, and
in the water is a number of round Stones, resembling
Shells and Cannon
balls of Different Sises, and of excellent grit for
Grindstons- the
Bluff continus for about a mile, The water of this
River is confined
within 40 yards- we met 2 french men in a Canoe, who
informed us they
wer trapping near the mandans and were robed of 4
Traps, & part
of their Skins and Several other articles by Indians he
took to be Mandans
those men return with us, Saw emence numbers of
Goats all Day S. S.
our hunters Kill Sevral passed a large Creek Called
Che wah or fish
Creek on the S. S. 28 yds. wide, passed a Small Creek
at 2 m on the L. S.
Camped on the L. S. Saw a no of Buffalow, & in one
gangue 248 Elk our
hunters Killed 6 Deer & 4 Elk this evening, The
Countrey is leavel
and fine Some high Short hills, and ridges at a
Distance, Bottoms
fine and Partially timbered with Cotton wood
principally Some
ash & Elm.
[Clark, October 18,
1804]
18th of October
Thursday 1804
Set out early
proceeded on at 6 mes. passed the mouth of (1) la Boulet
(or Cannon Ball
River) about 140 yards wide on the L. S. this river
heads in the Court
not or Black mountains) (a fine Day) above the mouth
of this river Great
numbers of Stone perfectly round with fine Grit are
in the Bluff and on
the Shore, the river takes its name from those
Stones which
resemble Cannon Balls.- The water of this river is
Confined within 40
yards. We met 2 french men in a perogue Desending
from hunting, &
complained of the Mandans robing them of 4 Traps ther
fur & Seeveral
othr articles Those men were in the imploy of our
Ricaree interpeter
Mr. Gravelin they turned & followered us.
Saw Great numbers
of Goats on the S. S. Comeing to the river our
hunters Killed 4 of
them Some run back and others crossed & prosceed on
their journey to
the Court Noir, at (3) passed a Small River Called Che
wah or fish river
on the S. S. this river is about 28 yards wide and
heads to the N. E,
passed a Small creek on the L. S. 1 mile abov the
last, and Camped on
a Sand bar on the L. S. opposit to us we Saw a
Gangue of Buffalow
bulls which we did not think worth while to kill-
our hunters Killd.
4 Goats 6 Deer 4 Elk & a pelican & informs that they
Saw in one Gang 248
Elk, (I walked on Shore, in the evining with a view
to See Some of
those remarkable places mentioned by evens, none of
which I could
find,) The Countrey in this quarter is Generally leavel &
fine Some high
Short hills, and some ragid ranges of Hills at a Distans
The ricara Indians
inform us that they find no black tail Deer as high
up as this place,
those we find are of the fallow Deer Kind
The Ricareis are
not fond of Spiritous liquers, nor do they apper to be
fond of receiveing
any or thank full for it
[Clark, October 19,
1804]
19th of October
Friday 1804. Set out early under a gentle Breeze from
the S. E. more
timber than Common in the bottoms passed a large Pond on
the S. S. I walked
out on the high land L. Side and observed great
numbers of
Buffalows, I counted in view at one time 52 gangues of
Buffalow & 3 of
Elk, besides Deer & goats &c. all the Streems falling
from the hills or
high lands So brackish that the water Can't be Drank
without effecting
the person making use of it as Globesalts-, I saw in
my walk Several
remarkable high Conocal hills, one 90 feet, one 60 and
others Smaller-the
Indian Chief Say that the Callemet Bird live in the
hollows of those
hills, which holes are made by the water passing from
the top &
&. I also Saw an old Village fortified Situated on the top of
a high Point, which
the Ricarra Chief tels me were Mandans, we Camped
on the L. S. I
Killed a Deer & Saw Swans &c. our hunters Killed 4 Elk
and 6 Deer to Day
[Clark, October 19,
1804]
19th October Friday
1804
a fine morning wind
from the S. E. we Set out early under a gentle
Breeze and
proceeded on verry well, more timber than Common on the
banks on this part
of the river- passed a large Pond on the S. S.- I
walked out on the
Hills & observed Great numbers of Buffalow feedeing
on both Sides of
the river I counted 52 Gangues of Buffalow & 3 of Elk
at one view, all
the runs which come from the high hills which is
Generally about one
or 2 miles from the water is brackish and near the
Hills (the Salts
are) and the Sides of the Hills & edges of the
Streems, the
mineral salts appear I saw Som remarkable round hills
forming a Cone at
top one about 90 foot one 60 & Several others
Smaller, the Indian
Chief Say that the Callemet bird live in the holes
of those hills, the
holes form by the water washing thro Some parts in
its passage Down
from the top- near one of those noles, on a point of a
hill 90 feet above
the lower plane I observed the remains of an old
village, which had
been fortified, the Indian Chief with us tels me, a
party of Mandins
lived there, Here first saw ruins of Mandan nation we
proceeded on &
Camped on the L. S. opposit the upper of those Conocal
hills our hunters
killed 4 Elk 6 Deer & a pelican, I saw Swans in a
Pond & Killed a
fat Deer in my walk, Saw above 10 wolves. This day is
pleasent
[Clark, October 20,
1804]
20th of October
1804 wind from the S E, I walked out to view those
remarkable places
pointed out by Evens, and continud all day Saw an old
Village of the
Mandans below the Chess chi ter R. appear to have been
fortified above the
village on the Same L. S. is a coal bank where we
Campd. passed a
Small Creek on the S. S. and an Island on the L. S
Covered with
willows Small Cotton the Countrey thro which I passed this
day is Delightfull,
Timber in the bottoms, Saw great nos. of Buffalow
Elk Goats &
Deer as we were in want of them I Killed 3 Deer, our
hunters 10 Deer and
wounded a white Bear, I Saw Several fresh tracks of
that animal double
the Sise of the largest track I ever Saw, great
numbers of wolves,
those animals follow the buffalow and devour, those
that die or are
Killed, and those too fat or pore to Keep up with the
gangue
[Clark, October 20,
1804]
20th of October
Satterday 1804
Set out early this
morning and proceeded on the wind from the S. E
after brackfast I
walked out on the L. Side to See those remarkable
places pointed out
by Evins, I saw an old remains of a villige on the
Side of a hill
which the Chief with us Too ne tels me that nation lived
in a number
villages on each Side of the river and the Troubleson
Seauex caused them
to move about 40 miles higher up where they remained
a fiew years &
moved to the place they now live, (2) passed a Small
Creek on the S. S.
(3) and one on the L. S. passed (4) a Island Covered
with willows laying
in the middle of the river no current on the L. S.
Camped on the L. S.
above a Bluff containing Coal (5) of an inferior
quallity, this bank
is imedeately above the old village of the Mandans-
The Countrey is
fine, the high hills at a Distanc with gradual assents,
I Kild 3 Deer The
Timber Confined to the bottoms as usial which is much
larger than below.
Great numbers of Buffalow Elk & Deer, Goats. our
hunters killed 10
Deer & a Goat to day and wounded a white Bear I saw
Several fresh track
of those animals which is 3 times as large as a
mans track-, The
wind hard all Day from the N. E. & East, great numbers
of buffalow Swiming
the river
I observe near all
large gangues of buffalow wolves and when the
buffalow move those
Anamals follow and feed on those that are killed by
accident or those
that are too pore or fat to Keep up with the gangue.
[Lewis, October 20,
1804]
20th October
Peter Crusat this
day shot at a white bear he wounded him, but being
alarmed at the
formidable appearance of the bear he left his tomahalk
and gun; but
shortly after returned and found that the bear had taken
the oposite rout.-
soon after he shot a buffaloe cow broke her thy, the
cow pursued him he
concealed himself in a small raviene.-
[Clark, October 21,
1804]
21t of October
Sunday 1804 a verry Cold night wind hard from the N. E.
Some rain in the
night which feesed as it fell, at Day began to Snow
and Continued all
the fore part of the day, at 1/4 of a mile passed the
Mouth of Chess-che
tar (or Heart) River L. S. 38 yards wide, this river
heads near Turtle
mountain with Knife River on this River is a Smothe
Stone which the
Indians have great fath in & Consult the Stone on all
great occasions
which they Say Marks or Simblems are left on the Stone
of what is to take
place &c. an old mandan Village above the mouth of
this Little River,
I saw a Single tree in the open Plains which the
Mandans formerly
paid great Devotion to run Cords thro their flesh &
tie themselves to
the tree to make them brave, passed an old Village on
a Small run on the
S S. one on the bank L. and Camped, I Killed a fat
Buffalow this
evening- Little gun all my hunting
[Clark, October 21,
1804]
21st October Sunday
1804
a verry Cold night
wind hard from the N. E Some rain in the night which
frosed up it fell
at Day light it began to Snow and Continud all the
fore part of the
Day passed just above our Camp (1) a Small river on
the L. S. Called by
the Indians Chiss-Cho-tar this river is about 38
yards wide Containing
a good Deel of water Some Distance up this River
is Situated a Stone
which the Indians have great fath in & Say they See
painted on the
Stone, "all the Calemites & good fortune to hapin the
nation & partes
who visit it"- a tree (an oak) which Stands alone near
this place about 2
miles off in the open prarie which has with Stood
the fire they pay
Great respect to, make Holes and tie Strings thro the
Skins of their
necks and around this tree to make them brave (all this
is the information
of Too ne is a whipper will) the Chief of the
Ricares who
accompanied us to the Mandins, at 2 miles (2) passed the
2nd Villages of the
Manden, which was in existance at the Same time
with the 1st this
village is at the foot of a hill on the S. S. on a
butifull
&extensive plain - at this time Covered with Buffalow- a
Cloudy afternoon, I
killed a fine Buffalow, we Camped on the L. S.
verry Cold ground
Covered with Snow. one orter KIM.
[Clark, October 22,
1804]
22nd of October
1804 last night at about 1 oClock I was violently
attacked with
Rhumetism in my neck, which was so violently I could not
move, Cap L.
applied a hot Stone raped in flannel which gave temperry
ease, we passed a
War party of Tetons on their way as we Supposed to
the Mandans of 12
men on the L. S. we gave them nothing and refused to
put them across the
river, passed 2 old Villages at the mouth of a
large Creek L. S
and a Small Island at the head of which is a bad
place, an old
Village on the S. S. and the upper of the 6 Villages the
Mandans occupied
about 25 years ago this village was entirely cut off
by the Sioux &
one of the others nearly, the Small Pox distroyed great
Numbers
[Clark, October 22,
1804]
22nd October Monday
1804
last night at 1
oClock I was violently and Suddinly attacked with the
Rhumitism in the
neck which was So violent I could not move Capt.
applied a hot Stone
raped in flannel, which gave me some temporry
ease,-. we Set out
early, the morning Cold at 7 oClock we Came too at a
Camp of Teton Seaux
on the L. S. those people 12 in number were naikd
and had the
appearanc of war, we have every reason to believ that they
are going or have
been to Steel horses from the Mandins, they tell two
Stories, we gave
them nothing after takeing brackfast proceeded on- my
Neck is yet verry
painfull at times Spasms.
Camped on the L
Side, passed an Island Situated on the L. Side at the
head of which &
Mandans village S. S. we passd a bad place- The hunters
killed a buffalow
bull, they Say out of about 300 buffalow which they
Saw, they did not
See one Cow. Great Deel of Beaver Sign. Several
Cought every night.
[Clark, October 23,
1804]
23rd of October
1804 Some Snow, passed 5 Lodges fortified the place the
two french men were
robed Those are the hunting Camps of the mandans,
who has latterly
left them. we camped on the L. S.
[Clark, October 23,
1804]
23rd of October
Tuesday 1804
a cloudy morning
Some Snow Set out early pass five Lodges which was
Diserted, the fires
yet burning we Suppose those were the Indians who
robed the 2 french
Trappers a fiew days ago those 2 men are now with us
going up with a
view to get their property from the Indians thro us.
cold & Cloudy
camped on The L. S. of the river
[Clark, October 24,
1804]
24th of October
Cloudy Some little Snow (my Rhumetism Continue, not So
bad as the 2 last
days,) a butufull Countrey on both Sides, bottoms
covered with wood,
we See no game to day, passed an old village of a
Band of Me ne
tarres Called Mah har ha where they lived 40 year ago on
the L. S. Came too
on an Island Caused by the river cutting through a
narrow point 7
years ago, on this Island we wer visited by the grand
Chief of the
mandans a 2d Chief and Some other, who wer Camped on the
Island, those Chief
met our Ricarra Chief with great Corduallity, &
Smoked together Cap
Lewis Visited the Camps 5 Lodges, and proceeded on
& Camped near a
2d Camp of Mandans on the S. S. nearly opposit the old
Ricara & Manden
Village which the Ricarras abandaned in the year 1789
[Clark, October 24,
1804]
24th October
Wednesday 1804
Set out early a
Cloudy day Some little Snow in the morning I am
Something better of
the Rhumutim in my neck- a butifull Countrey on
both Sides of the
river. The bottoms Covd. with wood, we have Seen no
game on the river
to day a prof of the Indians hunting in the
neighbourhod (1)
passed a Island on the S. S. made by the river Cutting
through a point, by
which the river is Shortened Several miles- on this
Isld. we Saw one of
the Grand Chiefs of the Mandins, with five Lodges
hunting, this Cheif
met the Chief of the Ricares who accompanied us
with great
Cordiallity & Sermony Smoked the pipe & Capt. Lewis with the
Interpeter went
with the Chiefs to his Lodges at 1 mile distant, after
his return we
admited the Grand Chief & his brother for a few minits on
our boat. proceeded
on a Short distance and Camped on the S. S. below
the old Village of
the Mandins & ricares.- Soon after our landg. 4
Mandins Came from a
Camp above, the Ricares Chief went with them to
their Camp,
25th of October
Thursday 1804.
a Gentle Breeze from the S. E by E passed an
(1) old Village on a high
Plain where the
Mandans onced lived & after they left the Village &
moved higher the
Ricaras took possession & live until 1799 when they
abandoned it &
flew from the just revenge of the Mandans, a verry
extensive Bottom
above the Village above the Center of which (2) the
Mandans lived in
the 2 villages on the L. 5., but little timber-
Several parties of
Indians on each Side of the River going up. in view
in every
directions- we are informed that the Sioux has latterly taken
horses from the Big
Bellies or Minitaries and on their way homerwards
they fell in with
the Assinniboins who killed them and took the horses
& a frenchman
Menard who resided with the Mandan for 20 years past was
Killed a fiew days
ago on his way from the Britishment astablishments
on the Assineboin
River, 150 miles N. of this place to the mandans by
the assinniboin
Indians- we were frequently Called to by parties of
Indians & requested
to land & talk, passed a verry bad place & Camped
on a Point S S.
opposit a high hill Several Indians visit us this
evening the Sun of
the late great Chief of the Mandans who had 2 of his
fingers off and
appeared to be pearced in maney places on inquiring the
reason, was
informed that it was a testimony to their grief for
Deceased freinds,
they frequently Cut off Sevral fingers & pierced
themselves in
Different parts, a Mark of Savage effection, wind hard
from the S. W.
verry Cold R Fields with a Rhumitisum in his Neck one
man R. in his hips
my Self much better, Those Indians appear to have
Similar Customs
with the Ricaras, their Dress the Same more mild in
their language
& justures &c. &c.
[Clark, October 25,
1804]
25th of October
Thursday 1804
a Cold morning Set
out early under a gentle Breeze from the S. E. by E
proceeded on,
passed (1) the 3rd old Village of the Mandans which has
been Desd. for many
years, This village was Situated on an eminance of
about 40 foot above
the water on the L. S. back for Several miles is a
butifull plain (2)
at a Short distance above this old village on a
Continuation of the
Same eminance was Situated the which have been
avacuated only Six
years, above this village a large and extensive
bottom for Several
miles in which the Squars raised ther Corn, but
little timber near
the villages, on the S. S. below is a point of
excellent timber,
and in the point Several miles above is fine timber,
Several parties of
Mandins rode to the river on the S. S. to view us
indeed they are
continuelly in Sight Satisying their Curiossities as to
our apperance
&c. we are told that the Seaux has latterly fallen in
with & Stole
the horses of the Big belley, on their way home they fell
in with the
Ossiniboin who killed them and took the horses- a frenchman
has latterly been
killed by the Indians on the Track to the tradeing
establishment on
the Ossinebine R. in the North of this place (or
British fort) This
frenchman has lived many years with the Mandins- we
were frequently
called on to land & talk to parties of the Mandins on
the Shore, wind
Shifted to the S. W at about 11 oClock and blew hard
untill 3 OCk.
clouded up river full of Sand bars & we are at a great
loss to find the
Channel of the river, frequently run on the Sand bars
which Detain us
much passed a verry bad riffle of rocks in the evining
by takeing the L.
S. of a Sand bar and Camped on a Sand point on the S.
S. opposit a high
hill on the L. S. Several Indians Come to See us this
evening, amongst
others the Sun of the late great Cheif of the Mandins,
this man has his
two little fingers off-; on inqureing the Cause, was
told it was
Customary for this nation to Show their greaf by Some
testimony of pain,
and that it was not uncommon for them to take off 2
Smaller fingers of
the hand and Some times more with ther marks of
Savage effection
The wind blew verry
hard this evening from the S. W. verry Cold
R. Fields with the
rhumitim in his neck, P. Crusat with the Same
Complaint in his
Legs- the party other wise is well, as to my Self I
feel but Slight
Simptoms of that disorder at this time,
[Clark, October 26,
1804]
26th of October
1804
wind from the S. E
we Set the Ricara Chief on Shore with Some Mandans,
many on each Side
veiwing of us, we took in 2 Chiefs (Coal and Big Man)
and halted a feiw
minits at their Camps, on the L. S. fortified in
their way, here we
Saw a trader from the Ossinniboin River Called
McCracken, this man
arrived 9 day ago with goods to trade for horses &
Roabs one other man
with him- we Camped on the L. Side a Short distanc
below the r st
rnandan village on the L. S. many men women & Children
flocked down to See
us- Capt Lewis walked to the Village with the Chief
and interpeters, my
Rheumitism increasing prevented me from going also,
and we had
Deturmined that both would not leave the boat at the Same
time untill we Knew
the Desposition of the Nativs, Some Chieef visited
me & I Smoked
with them- they appeared delighted with the Steel Mill
which we were
obliged to use, also with my black Servent, Capt Lewis
returned late
[Clark, October 26,
1804]
26th of October
Friday 1804
Set out early wind
from the S W proceeded on Saw numbers of the Mandins
on Shore, we Set
the Ricare Chief on Shore, and we proceeded on to the
Camp of two of
their Grand Chiefs where we delayed a fiew minits, with
the Chiefs and
proceeded on takeing two of their Chiefs on board & Some
of the heavy
articles of his house hole, Such as earthen pots & Corn,
proceeded on, at
this Camp Saw a McCracken Englishmon from the N. W
Company this mana
Came nine Days ago to trade for horses & Buffalo
robes,- one other
man Came with him. the Indians Continued on the banks
all day- but little
wood on this part of the river, many Sand bars and
bad places, water
much devided between them
for the 26th. Octr.
we came too and Camped on the L. S. about 1/2 a
mile below the ist.
Manddin Town on the L. S. Soon after our arrival
many men womin
& Children flocked down to See us, Capt Lewis walked to
the village with
the principal Chiefs and our interpters, my rhumatic
Complaint
increasing I could not go- if I was well only one would have
left the Boat &
party untill we new the Disposition of the Inds. I
Smoked with the
Cheifs who Came after. Those people apd much pleased
with the Corn mill
which we were obliged to use, & was fixed in the
boat.
[Clark, October 27,
1804]
27th of October
Satturday 1804 we Set out early and Came too at the
village on the L.
S. where we delayed a few minits, I walked to a
Chiefs Logg &
Smoked with them, but Could not eat, which did displease
them a little, here
I met with a Mr. Jessomme, who lived in this nation
13 years, I got him
to interpet & he proceedd on with us we proceeded
on to a Centeral
point opposit the Knife River, & formed a Camp on the
S. S. above the 2d
Mandan village & opsd. the Mah-har-ha village- and
raised a flag
Staff- Capt Lewis & the Intepeters walked down to the 2d
Village of Mandans,
& returned in about an hour, we Sent 3 Carrotes of
tobacco to the
other villages & enviting them to come down and Council
with us tomorrow,-
we endeaver to precure Some Knowledge of the
principal Chiefs of
the Different nations &.- well to give my ideas as
to the impression
thais man makes on me is a Cunin artfull an insoncear
- he tels me he was
once empld. by my brother in the Illinois & of his
description I
conceve as a Spye upon the British of Michillinicknac &
St Joseph,s we
think he may be made use full to us & do employ him as
an interpeter- no.
of Indians bring their wives &c. to the campes of
our party on Shore
&c.
[Clark, October 27,
1804]
27th of October
Satturday 1804
we Set out arly
Came too at this Village on the L. S. this village is
Situated on an
eminance of about 50 feet above the Water in a handson
Plain it Containes
houses in a kind of Picket work. the houses are
round and Verry
large Containing Several families, as also their horses
which is tied on
one Side of the enterance, a Discription of those
houses will be
given hereafter, I walked up & Smoked a pipe with the
Cheifs of this
Village they were anxious that I would Stay and eat with
them, my
indisposition provented my eating which displeased them,
untill a full
explination took place, I returned to the boat and Sent 2
Carrots of Tobacco
for them to Smoke, and proceeded on, passed the 2d
Village and Camped
opsd. the Village of the Weter Soon or ah wah bar
ways which is
Situated on an eminance in a plain on the L. S. this
Village is Small
and Contains but fiew inhabitents. above this village
& also above
the Knife river on the Same Side of the Missouri the Big
bellies Towns are
Situated a further Discription will be given here
after as also of
the Town of Mandans on this Side of the river i e S.
Side
a fine worm Day we
met with a french man by the name of jassamme which
we imploy as an
interpeter This man has a wife & Children in the
Village- Great
numbers on both Sides flocked down to the bank to view
us as wee passed.
Capt. Lewis with
the Interpetr. walked down to the village below our
Camp After delaying
one hour he returned and informed me the Indians
had returned to
their village &c., &c., we Sent three Carrots of
Tobacco by three
young men, to the three Villages above inviting them
to come Down &
Council with us tomorrow. many Indians Came to view us
Some Stayed all
night in the Camp of our party- we procured Some
information of Mr.
Jessomme of the Chiefs of the Different Nations
[Clark, October 28,
1804]
28th of October
1804
the wind So hard
from the S. W. We could not meet the Indians in
Councils, those who
visited us we Sent to the nearest village,
Consulted the Black
Cat M Chief about the Chiefs of the Different
Villages, who gave
his Oppinion to us.
[Clark, October 28,
1804]
Sunday 28th of October
1804
a windey Day, fair
and Clear many of the Grosvantres (or Big Bellies)
and Watersons Came
to See us and hear the Council the wind being So
violently hard from
the S. W. provented our going into Councel, (indeed
the Chiefs of the
Manodans from the lower Village Could not Cross, we
made up the
presents and entertained Several of the Curious Cheifs
whome, wished to
See the Boat which was verry Curious to them viewing
it as great
medison, as they also viewed my black Servent The Black Cat
Grand Chief of the
Mandans, Capt Lewis & my Self with an Interpeter
walked up the river
about 11/2 miles our views were to examine the
Situation &
Timbers for a fort, we found the Situation good but the
Timber Scerce, or
at least Small timbr Such as would answer us-, we
Cunsulted the Grand
Chief in respect to the other Chiefs of the
Defferent Villages
he gave the names of 12- George Drewyer Cought 2
Beaver above our
Camp last night, we had Several presents from the
Woman of Corn boild
homney, Soft Corn &c. &c. I prosent ajar to the
Chiefs wife who
recved it with much pleasure our men verry Chearfull
this evening- we
Sent the Cheifs of the Gross Vantres to Smoke a pipe
with the Grand Chef
of the Mandins in his Village, & told them we would
Speek tomorrow.
[Clark, October 29,
1804]
29th of October
1804 a fine morning after Brackfast we were Visited by
the Old Chief of
the Big Bellies or me ne tar res, this Man has Given
his power to his
Son who is now on a war party against the Snake
Indians who inhabit
the Rockey Mountains, the S W wind verry high- we
met in Council
under an orning and our Sales Stretched round to keep
out as much wind as
possible & Delivered a long Speach Similar to what
had been Said to
the nations below, the old Chief was restless before
the Speech was half
ended, observed his Camp was exposed & could wait
no longer &c.
at the Conclusion of the Speach we mentioned the Ricaras
& requested
them to make a peace & Smoke out of the Sacred Stem with
their Chief which I
intreduced and gave him the pipe of peace to hand
around, they all
Smoked with eagerness out of the pipe held by the
Ricara Chief
Ar-ke-tar-na-Shar we mentioned our hands that were to be
discharged here,
also the roberrey commited on th 2 french men below, &
requested them to
answere us tomorrow, gave the Chief Small preasents
and a fiew presents
for each village Shot the air gun which both
Surprised and
astonished the nativs, and Soon dispersed
our Ricara Chief
Came told me he wished to return to his nation
tomorrow I put him
off & Said we would Send a talk by him after the
Chiefs had Spoken
to us- we gave a Steel mill to the mandans which was
verry pleasing to
them
The Chief who
recved Medals to Day are as follows viz-in Council
is Mandan village
Ma-too-ton kai s Chief Sha-ha-ka Big White 2nd
Ka-goh-ha-me little
Crows
2 do village Roop
tar-hee
1 s & grand
Chief Poss-cop-sa-he Black Cat
2d Chief
Car-gar-no-mok-she raven man Chief
Mah har-ha village
is Chief Ta-tuck-co
pin re has, white Buffalow Skin unfolded
Little Menetarre
village
is Chief
Omp-Se-ha-ra Black mockerson. 2d Chief Oh-hark little Fox.
The Grand village
of Manetarres, The One Eye is the principal Chief and
he is out on a
hunting party. we Send by the Grape all the articles for
this grand Chief
and all the Village what goods was intended for that
Village- The Prarie
got on fire and went with Such Violenc & Speed as
to Catch a man
& woman & burn them to Death, Several escapd. among
other a Small boy
who was Saved by getting under a green Buffalow Skin,
this boy was half
white, & the Indians Say all white flesh is medisan,
they Say the grass
was not burnt where the boy Sat &c. &. this fire
passed us at 8
oClock, and lookd truly tremendious.
[Clark, October 29,
1804]
29th October Monday
1804
a fair fine morning
after Brackfast we were visited by the old Cheaf of
the Big bellies or
____ this man was old and had transfered his power
to his Sun, who was
then out at war against the Snake Indians who
inhabit the rockey
mountains- at 10 oClock the S W. wind rose verry
high, we Collected
the Chiefs and Commened a Council ounder a Orning
and our Sales
Stretched around to Keep out as much wind as possible, we
delivered a long
Speech the Substance of which Similer to what we had
Delivered to the
nations below. the old Chief of the Grossanters was
verry restless
before the Speech was half ended observed that he Could
not wait long that
his Camp was exposed to the hostile Indians, &c. &.
he was rebuked by
one of the Chiefs for his uneasiness at Such a time
as the present, we
at the end of the Speech mentioned the Ricare who
Accompanied us to
make a firm peace, they all Smoked with him (I gave
this Cheaf a Dollar
of the American Coin as a Meadel with which he was
much pleased) In
Councel we prosented him with a Certificate of his
Sincrrity and good
Conduct &c. we also Spoke about the fur which was
taken from 2 french
men by a Mandan, and informd of our intentions of
Sending back the
french hands- after the Council we gave the presents
with much
Seremoney, and put the Meadels on the Cheifs we intended to
make viz. one for
each Town to whome we gave Coats hats & flags, one
Grand Cheif to each
nation to whome we gave meadels with the presidents
likeness in Councel
we requested them to give us an answer tomorrow or
as Soon as possible
to Some points which required their Deliberation-
after the Council
was over we Shot the Air gun which appeared to
assonish the nativs
much, the greater part them retired Soon after
The Ricare Cheaf
Ar-ke-tar-na-shar Came to me this evening and tells me
that he wishes to
return to his Village & nation, I put him off Saying
tomorrow we would
have an answer, to our talk to the Satisfaction &
Send by him a
String of wompom informing what had passed here. a Iron
or Steel Corn Mill
which we gave to the Mandins, was verry Thankfully
recived- (rte The
Prarie was Set on fire (or Cought by accident) by a
young man of the
Mandins, the fire went with Such velocity that it
burnt to death a
man and woman, who Could not Get to any place of
Safty, one man a
woman & Child much burnt and Several narrowly escaped
the flame- a boy
half white was Saved un hurt in the midst of the
flaim, Those
ignerent people Say this boy was Saved by the great Spirit
medisin because he
was white- The Cause of his being Saved was a Green
buffalow Skin was
thrown over him by his mother who perhaps had more
fore Sight for the
pertection of her Son, and less for herself than
those who escaped
the flame, the Fire did not burn under the Skin
leaving the grass
round the boy This fire passed our Camp last about 8
oClock P.M. it went
with great rapitidity and looked Tremendious
The following
Chiefs were made in Councel to day
Mar-too-ton-ha or
Lower Village of the Mandans
1st Cheif Sha-ha-ka
or Big White
2 do Ka-goh-ha-mi
or Little raven
Roop-tar-hee or
Second Village of the Mandans
1st and Grand
Cheif-Pass-cop-sa-he or black Cat
2nd Cheif
Car-gar-no-mok-She raven man Cheaf
Mah-har-ha 3rd
Village
Chief
Ta-tuck-co-pin-re-ha (white Buffalow robe unfolded)
Me-ne-tar-re Me-te
har-tar
1st
Cheif-Omp-se-ha-ra. Black Mockersons
2 do. Oh-harh or
Little fox
we Sent the
presents intended for the Grand Chief of the Mi-ne-tar-re
or Big Belley, and
the presents flag and wompoms by the Old Chief and
those, and those intended
for the Cheif of the Lower Village by a young
Cheif
The following
Cheifs were recommended in addition to those Viz.
1st Village
Oh-hee-nar Big Man-
a Chien
Sho-ta-har ro-ra
2d Village
Taw nish-e-o-
Bel-lar sa ra
Ar-rat-ta
na-mock-She- Wolf Man Chief
3rd Village
Min-nis-Sur-ra-ree
(Neighing horse)
Lo-tong-gar-ti har-
old woman at a distance
4th Village
Mar-noh-tah the big
Steeler
Man-se-rus-se- tale
of Callumet bird
5th Village
Ad hako ho pin nee
Little Wolfs medisons
Ar-rat-toe-no
mook-gu (man wolf Chief) (at war)
Cal-tar co ta-
(Cherry grows on a bush) old Chief and father to the
above mentd.
Chief
Maw-pah'-pir-re-cos-sa too- This chief is near this hunting and a
verry Considerable
man
To the 1st Chiefs
we gave a medal with the Imp. of the President of the
U S.
To the 2d Chiefs a
medal of weaveing & Domestic animals.
To the 3rd Chiefs a
medal with the impression of a man Sowing wheat.
4th Village
1 Ea pa no pa- Two
taled Calumet bird young Chief
2 War he ras sa the
red Shield young Chief of Big belley-big town
[Clark, October 30,
1804]
30th of October
Tuesday 1804
many Indian Chief
visit us today I went in th Perogou to the Island 7
miles above to look
out a proper place for to winter, it being near the
tim the ice begins
to run at this place, and the Countrey after a few
leagues high is
Said to be barron of timber, I found no place Soutable,
& we concluded
to drop down to th next point below & build a fort to
winter in the Party
Danced which Delited the Indians.
[Clark, October 30,
1804]
30th October
Tuesday 1804
Two Chiefs came to
have Some talk one the princapal of the lower
Village the other
the one who thought himself the principal mane, &
requested to hear
Some of the Speech that was Delivered yesterday they
were gratified, and
we put the medal on the neck of the Big White to
whome we had Sent
Clothes yesterday & a flag, those men did not return
from hunting in
time to join the Counell, they were well pleased (2d of
those is a Chien) I
took 8 men in a Small perogue and went up the river
as far as the 1st
Island about 7 miles to See if a Situation Could be
got on it for our
Winter quarters, found the wood on the Isd. as also
on the pt. above So
Distant from the water that, I did not think that
we Could get a good
wintering ground there, and as all the white men
here informed us
that wood was Sceres, as well as game above, we
Deturmined to drop
down a fiew miles near wood and game on my return
found maney Inds.
at our Camp, gave the party a dram, they Danced as is
verry Comn. in the
evening which pleased the Savages much. Wind S. E
[Clark, October 30,
1804]
Mandans
Ka gar no mogh ge
the 2d Chief of the 2d Village of Mandins Came the
30t of Octr. and
Spoke to us as follows. Viz
Will you be So good
as to go to the Village the Grand Chief will Speek
& give Some
Corn, if you will let Some men take bags it will be well. I
am going with, the
Chief of the ricares to Smoke a pipe with that
nation- I concluded
to go down
Mockerson Indians
The principal Chief
of the Wau to Soon Came and Spoke a fiew words on
Various Subjects
not much to the purpose. we Smoked and after my
Shooting the air
gun he departed, Those nations know nothing of
reagular Councils,
and know not how to proceed in them, they are
restless &c-
[Clark, October 31,
1804]
31st of October
Wednesday 1804 The main Chief of the mandans Sent 2
Cheifs for to
envite us to Come to his Lodge, and here what he has to
Say I with 2
interpetes walked down, and with great Cerimony was Seated
on a Robe by the
Side of the Chief; he threw a Robe highly decoraterd
over my Sholders,
and after Smokeing a pipe with the old men in the
Circle, the Chief
Spoke he belived all we had told him, and that peace
would be genl.
which not only gave himself Satisfaction but all his
people; they now
Could hunt without fear & their women could work in
the fields without
looking every moment for the ememey, as to the
Ricaras addressing
himself to the Chief with me you know we do not wish
war with your
nation, you have brought it on your Selves, that man
Pointing to the 2d
Chief and those 2 young warriers will go with you &
Smoke in the pipes
of peace with the Ricaras- I will let you see my
father addressing
me that we wish to be at peace with all and do not
make war upon any-
he continud to Speak in this Stile (refer to notes)
he delivered 2 of
the Traps to me which was taken from the french men,
gave me 2 bushels
of Corn, I answered the Speech which appeared to give
general
Satisfactionand returned to the boat, In the evening the Chief
Visited us Dressed
in his new Suit, &delayed untill late the men Dancd
untill 10 oClock
which was common with them wrote to the N W Copanys
agent on the
Ossinniboin River by a Mr. McCruckin.
[Clark, October 31,
1804]
31st of October
Wednesday 1804
a fine morning, the
Chief of the Mandans Sent a 2d Chief to invite us
to his Lodge to
recive Some Corn & here what he had to Say I walked
down and with great
ceremoney was Seeted on a roab by the Side of the
Chief, he threw a
handsom Roabe over me and after smokeing the pipe
with Several old
men arround, the Chief Spoke Said he believed what we
had told them, and
that peace would be general, which not only gave him
Satisfaction but
all his people, they now Could hunt without fear, &
ther womin Could
work in the fields without looking everry moment for
the Enemey, and put
off their mockersons at night, as to the Reares we
will Show you that
we wish peace with all, and do not make war on any
without Cause, that
Chief pointing to the 2d and Some brave men will
accompy. the Ricare
Chief now with you to his village & nation, to
Smoke with that
people, when you Came up the Indians in the
neighbouring
Villages, as well as those out hunting when they heard of
you had great
expectations of reciving presents they those hunting
imediately on
hearing returned to the Village and all was Disapointed,
and Some
Dessatisfied, as to himself he was not much So but his Village
was- he would go
and See his great father &c. &c.
he had put before
me 2 of the Steel traps which was robed from the
french a Short tim
ago. about 12 bushels of Corn which was brought and
put before me by
the womin of the Village after the Chief finished &
Smoked in great
cerrimony, I answered the Speech which Satisfied them
verry much and
returned to the boat. met the princapal Chief of the 3d
Village and the
Little Crow both of which I invited into the Cabin and
Smoked & talked
with for about one hour. Soon after those Chiefs left
us the Grand Chief
of the Mandans Came Dressed in the Clothes we had
given with his 2
Small Suns, and requested to See the men Dance which
they verry readily
gratified him in,- the wind blew hard all the after
part of the day
from the N E and Continud all night to blow hard from
that point, in the
mornig it Shifed N W. Capt Lewis wrote to the N W
Companys agent on
the Orsineboine River abt. North of this place
[Clark, October 31,
1804]
black Cat or
Pose-cop-sa-he 1st Chief of the Mandans & 2d Village
"I believe
what you have told us in Council, & that peace will be
general, which not
only givs me pleasure, but Satisfaction to all the
nation, they now
Can hunt without fear, and our womin Can work in the
fields without
looking every moment for the enimey-" as to the Ricares
we will Show you
that we wish piace with all, and do not make war on
any with out Cause,
that Chief pointing to the 2d of the Village and
Some young men will
accompany the Ricrea Chief home to his Nation to
Smoke with that
people- When the Indians of the Different Villages
heard of your
Comeing up they all Came in from hunting to See, they
expected Great
presents. they were disapointed, and Some dissatisfied-
as to my Self I am
not much So, but my Village are- he believed the
roade was open; and
he would go and See his great father- he Delivered
Up 2 Traps which
had been taken from the french, & gave me a roabe &
about 12 bushels of
Corn- & smoked &c
I answered the
Speech it explained, many parts which he Could not
understand-of the
Speech of yesterday.
[Lewis, October 31,
1804]
Wednesday October
31st 1804.
The river being
very low and the season so far advanced that it
frequently shuts up
with ice in this climate we determined to spend the
Winter in this
neighbourhood, accordingly Capt. Clark with a party of
men reconnoitred
the countrey for some miles above our encampment; he
returned in the
evening without having succeed in finding an eligible
situation for our
purpose.-
[Clark, November 1,
1804]
1 November 1804
Visited by Several Chiefs of the lower Village who
requested we would
call on them &c. Spoke to the Same purpote with the
Grand Chief. we Set
out in the evening & I with the Party droped down
to the place we
intended to winter & Cap Lewis called at the Village 3
miles above &.
&.
[Clark, November 1,
1804]
1st of November
Thursday 1804
the wind hard from
the N W. Mr. McCrackin a Trader Set out at 7 oClock
to the fort on the
Ossiniboin by him Send a letter, (incloseing a Copy
of the British
Ministers protection) to the principal agent of the
Company- at about
10 OClock the Cheifs of the Lower Village Cam and
after a Short time
informed us they wished they would us to call at
their village &
take Some Corn, that they would make peace with the
Ricares they never
made war against them but after the rees Killed
their Chiefs they
killed them like the birds, and were tired and would
Send a Chief and
Some brave men to the Ricares to Smoke with that
people in the
evening we Set out and fell down to the lower Village
where Capt. Lewis
got out and continud at the Village untill after
night I proceeded
on & landed on the S. S. at the upper point of the
1st Timber on the
Starboard Side after landing & Continuinge- all night
droped down to a
proper place to build Capt Lewis Came down after
night, and informed
me he intended to return the next morning by the
perticular Request
of the Chiefs.
We passed the
Villages on our Decent in veiw of Great numbers of the
inhabitents
[Clark, November 1,
1804]
The 1st of Novr.
Mandins is Village
the Main Chief Big
White & 2 others i e the Big Man or Sha-ha-ca and
____ Came early to
talk, and Spoke as follows, after Smoking, Viz.
Is it Certain that
the ricares intend to make good with us our wish is
to be at peace with
all, we will Send a Chief with the pania Chief and
Some young men to
Smoke and make good peace-? are you going to Stay
abov or below this
Cold.- answer by C. L We are going down a few miles
to look a place we
can find no place abov proper.
The panias know's
we do not begin the war, they allway begin, we Sent a
Chief and a pipe to
the Pania to Smoke and they killed them-, we have
killed enough of
them we kill them like the birds, we do not wish to
kill more, we will,
make a good peace
We were Sorry when
we heard of your going up but now you are going
down, we are glad,
if we eat you Shall eat, if we Starve you must
Starve also, our
village is too far to bring the Corn to you, but we
hope you will Call
on us as you pass to the place you intend to Stop
C L answered the
above-
[Lewis, November 1,
1804]
Thursday November
1st 1804
The wind blew so
violently during the greater part of this day that we
were unable to quit
our encampment; in the evening it abated;- we
droped down about
seven miles and land on N. E. side of the river at a
large point of
Woodland.
[Clark, November 2,
1804]
2nd Novr. 1804
Friday- Capt Lewis returned to the Village & I fixed on
a place for to
build a fort and Set to work Cap Lewis returned in the
eveng with 11 bushels
of Corn, the Ricarre Chief Set out for his
Village accompanied
by Several mandans
[Clark, November 2,
1804]
2nd November Friday
1804 This morning at Day light I went down the
river with 4 men to
look for a proper place to winter proceeded down
the river three
miles & found a place well Supld. with wood, &
returned, Capt.
Lewis went to the village to here what they had to Say
& I fell down,
and formed a camp near where a Small Camp of Indian were
huntig Cut down the
Trees around our Camp, in the evening Capt. Lewis
returned with a
present of 11 bushels of Corn, our recaree Chief Set
out acccompanied by
one Chief and Several Brave men, he Called for Some
Small article which
we had given but as I could not understand him he
Could not get. the
wind from the S. E. a fine day- many Indians to day
[Lewis, November 2,
1804]
Friday November 2nd
1804" This morning early we fixed on the site for
our fortification
which we immediately set about.
This place we have
named Fort Mandan in honour of our Neighbours.
[Clark, November 3,
1804]
3rd of November
Satturday 1804 wind hard from the west Commence
building our
Cabins, Dispatched 6 hunters in a perogue Down the River
to hunt, Discharged
the french hands, Mr. Jessomme his Squar & child
moved to camp, the
little Crow loaded his Squar with meat for us also a
Roabe, we gave the
Squar an ax & &. Cought 2 bever near Camp
[Clark, November 3,
1804]
3rd of November
Satterday 1804
a fine morning wind
hard from the West we commence building our
Cabins, Send Down
in Perogue 6 men to hunt Engaged one man, Set the
french who intend
to return to build a perogue, many Indians pass to
hunt, Mr. Jessomme
with his Squar & Children. come Down to live, as
Interpter, we
recive a hors for our Sirvice, in the evening the Ka goh
ha mi or little
ravin Came & brought us on his Squar about 60 Wt. of
Dried Buffalow meat
a roabe, & Pot of Meal &. they Delayed all night-
we gave his Squar
an ax & a fiew Small articles & himself a piece of
Tobacco, the Men
were indulged with a Dram, this evening two Beaver
Cought This
morning- and one Trap Lost
[Clark, November 4,
1804]
4th of Novr. a
french man by Name Chabonah, who Speaks the Big Belley
language visit us,
he wished to hire & informed us his 2 Squars were
Snake Indians, we
engau him to go on with us and take one of his wives
to interpet the
Snake language The Indians Horses & Dogs live in the
Same Lodge with
themselves
[Clark, November 4,
1804]
4th November Sunday
1804 Fort Mandan
a fine morning we
Continued to Cut Down trees and raise our houses, a
Mr. Chaubonee,
interpeter for the Gross Vintre nation Came to See us,
and informed that
he came Down with Several Indians from a Hunting
expedition up the
river, to here what we had told the Indians in Councl
this man wished to
hire as an interpeter, the wind rose this evining
from the East &
Clouded up- Great numbers of Indians pass hunting and
Some on the return-
[Clark, November 5,
1804]
5th November Monday
1804
I rose verry early
and commenced raising the 2 range of Huts the timber
large and heavy all
to Carry on Hand Sticks, Cotton wood & Elm Som ash
Small, our
Situation Sandy, great numbers of Indians pass to and from
hunting a Camp of
Mandans, A fiew miles below us Cought within two days
100 Goat, by
Driveing them in a Strong pen, derected by a Bush fence
widening from the
pen &c. &. the Greater part of this day Cloudy, wind
moderate from the
N. W. I have the Rhumitism verry bad, Cap Lewis
writeing all Day-
we are told by our interpeter that 4 Ossiniboin
Indians, have
arrived at the Camps of the Gross Venters & 50 Lodges are
Comeing
[Clark, November 6,
1804]
6th of Nov. Mr.
Gravolin our Ricara Interpreter & 2 of our french hands
& 2 boys Set
out in a Canoe for the Ricaras Mr. ravellin is to
accompany the
Ricaras Chiefs to the City of Washington in the Spring,
Great numbers of
Geese pass to the South which is a certain approach of
ice
[Clark, November 6,
1804]
6th November
Tuesday 1804 Fort Mandan
last night late we
wer awoke by the Sergeant of the Guard to See a
nothern light,
which was light, not red, and appeared to Darken and
Some times nearly
obscered, and open, many times appeared in light
Streeks, and at
other times a great Space light & containing floating
Collomns which
appeared opposite each other & retreat leaveing the
lighter Space at no
time of the Same appearence
This morning I rose
a Day light the Clouds to the North appeared black
at 8 oClock the
wind begun to blow hard from the N W. and Cold, and
Continud all Day
Mr. Jo Gravilin our ricare interpeter Paul premor,
Lajuness & 2
french Boys, who Came with us, Set out in a Small perogue,
on their return to
the ricaree nation & the Illinois, Mr. Gravilin has
instructions to
take on the recarees in the Spring &c.- Continue to
build the huts, out
of Cotton Timber, &c. this being the only timber we
have.
[Clark, November 7,
1804]
7th November
Wednesday 1804
a termperate day we
continued to building our hut, Cloudy and fogging
all day
[Clark, November 8,
1804]
8th Novr. Thursday
1804
a Cloudy morning
Jussome our interpreter went to the Village, on his
return he informed
us that three English men had arrived from the
Hudsons Bay
Company, and would be here tomorrow, we Contd. to build our
huts, many Indians
Come to See us and bring their horses to Grass near
us
[Clark, November 9,
1804]
9th Novr. Friday
1804 a verry hard frost this morning we Continue to
build our Cabens,
under many disadvantages, Day Cloudy wind from the N
W. Several Indians
pass with flying news, we got a White weasel, (Taile
excepted which was
black at the end) of an Indian Capt Lewis walked to
the hill abt. 3/4
of a mile- we are Situated in a point of the Missouri
North Side in a
Cotton wood Timber, this Timber is tall and heavy
Containing an
imence quantity of water Brickle & Soft food for Horses
to winter (as is
Said by the Indians) The Mandans Graze their horses in
the day on Grass,
and at night give them a Stick of Cotton wood to
eate, Horses Dogs
& people all pass the night in the Same Lodge or
round House, Covd.
with earth with a fire in the middle
great number of
wild gees pass to the South, flew verry high
[Clark, November
10, 1804]
10th November
Satturday 1804
rose early
continued to build our fort numbers of Indians Came to See
us a Chief Half
Partia & brought a Side of a Buffalow, in return We
Gave Some fiew
small things to himself & wife & Son, he Crossed the
river in the
Buffalow Skin Canoo & and, the Squar took the Boat and
proceeded on to the
Town 3 miles the Day raw and Cold wind from the N
W, the Gees
Continue to pass in gangues as also brant to the South,
Some Ducks also
pass
[Clark, November
11, 1804]
11th November
Sunday 1804 Fort Mandan
a Cold Day Continued
at work at the Fort Two men Cut themselves
with an ax, The
large Ducks pass to the South an Indian gave me Several
roles of parched
meal two Squars of the Rock Mountain, purchased from
the Indians by a
frenchmen Came down The Mandans out hunting the
Buffalow
[Clark, November
12, 1804]
12th November
Monday 1804
a verry Cold night
early this morning the Big White princapal Chief of
the lower Village
of the Mandans Came Down, he packd about 100 W. of
fine meet on his
Squar for us, we made Some Small presents to the
Squar, & Child
gave a Small ax which She was much pleased- 3 men Sick
with the ____
Several, Wind Changeable verry cold evening, freesing all
day Some ice on the
edges of the river.
Swans passing to
the South, the Hunters we Sent down the river to hunt
has not returned
The interpeter Says
that the Mandan nation as they old men Say Came out
of a Small lake
where they had Gardins, maney years ago they lived in
Several Villages on
the Missourie low down, the Smallpox destroyed the
greater part of the
nation and reduced them to one large Village and
Some Small ones,
all nations before this maladey was affrd. of them
after they were
reduced the Sioux and other Indians waged war, and
killed a great
maney, and they moved up the Missourie, those Indians
Still continued to
wage war, and they moved Still higher, untill they
got in the Countrey
of the Panias, whith this ntn. they lived in
friendship maney
years, inhabiting the Same neighbourhood untill that
people waged war,
They moved up near the watersoons & winataree where
they now live in
peace with those nations, the mandans Specke a
language peculial
to themselves
they can rase about
350 men, the Winatarees about 80 and the Big
bellies about 600
or 650 men. the mandans and Seauex have the Same word
for water-The Big
bellies Winitarees & ravin Indians Speake nearly the
Same language and
the presumption is they were origionally the Same
nation The Ravin
Indians have 400 Lodges & about 1200 men, & follow the
Buffalow, or hunt
for their Subsistance in the plains & on the Court
not & Rock
Mountains, & are at war with the Sioux Snake Indians
The Big bellies
& Watersoons are at war with the Snake Indians &
Seauex, and were at
war with the Ricares untill we made peace a fiew
days passd.- The Mandans
are at War with all who make war on them, at
present with the
Seauex only, and wish to be at peace with all nations,
Seldom the
agressors-
[Clark, November
13, 1804]
13th The Ice begin
to run we move into our hut, visited by the Grand
Chief of the
Mandans, and Che chark Lagru a Chief of the Assinniboins &
7 men of that
Nation, I Smoke with them and gave the Chief a Cord & a
Carrot of Tobacco-
this Nation rove in the Plains above this and trade
with the British
Companes on the Ossinniboin River, they are Divided
into Several bands,
the decendants of the Sioux & Speak nearly their
langguage a bad
disposed Set & Can raies about moo men in the 3 bands
near this place,
they trade with the nations of this neighbourhood for
horses Corn &
Snow all Day Capt. L. at the village.
[Clark, November
13, 1804]
13th Novr. Tuesday
1804
The Ice began to
run in the river 1/2 past 10 oClock P. M we rose early
& onloaded the
boat before brackfast except, the Cabin, & Stored away
in a Store house-
at 10 oClock A M the Black Cat the Mandin Chief and
Lagru Che Chark
Chief & 7 men of note visited us at Fort Mandan, I gave
him a twist of
Tobacco to Smoke with his people & a Gold Cord with a
view to Know him
again, The nation Consists of about 600 men, hunt in
the Plains &
winter and trade on the Ossiniboin River, they are
Decendants of the
Siaux and Speake their language, they Come to the
nations to this
quarter to trade or (make preasthts) for horses the
method of this Kind
of Trafick by addoption Shall be explained
hereafter &,
Snow'd all day, the Ice ran thick and air Cold.
[Clark, November
14, 1804]
Fort Mandan
14th of November
Wednesday 1804
a Cloudy morning,
ice runing verry thick river rose 1/2 Inch last night
Some Snow falling,
only two Indians visit us to day Owing to a Dance at
the Village last
night in Concluding a Serimoney of adoption, and
interchange of
property, between the Ossiniboins, Christinoes and the
nations of this
neighbourhood- we Sent one man by land on hors back to
know the reason of
the Delay of our hunters, this evening 2 french men
who were traping
below Came up-with 20 beaver we are compelled to use
our Pork which we
doe Spearingly for fear of Some falur in precureing a
Sufficiency from
the Woods.
our Interpeter
informs that 70 Lodges one of 3 bands of Assinniboins &
Some Crestinoes,
are at the Mandan Village. The Crrirstinoes are abt.
300 men Speak the
Chipaway-Language, the live near Fort De peare
[Clark, November
15, 1804]
15th of November
Thursday 1804
a Cloudy morning,
the ice run much thicker than yesterday at 10 oClock
G Drewyer & the
frenchman we Dispatched yesterday came up from the
Hunters, who is
incamped about 30 miles below- after a about one hour
we Dispatched a man
with orders to the hunters to proceed on without
Delay thro the
floating ice, we Sent by the man Tin, to put on the
parts of the
Perogue exposed to the ice & a toe roape- The wind
Changeable- all
hands work at their huts untill 1 oClock at night Swans
passing to the
South- but fiew fowls water to be Seen- not one Indian
Came to our fort to
day
[Clark, November
16, 1804]
16th November
Friday 1804
a verry white frost
all the trees all Covered with ice, Cloudy, all the
men move into the
huts which is not finishd Several Indians Come to
Camp to day, The
Ossiniboins is at the Big bellie Camp, Some trouble
like to take place
between them from the loss of horses &c. as is Said
by an old Indian
who visited us with 4 buffalow robes & Corn to trade
for a pistol which
we did not let him have, men imployed untill late in
dobing their huts,
Some horses Sent down to Stay in the woods near the
fort, to prevent
the Ossniboins Steeling them
[Clark, November
17, 1804]
17 th November
Satturday 1804
a fine morning,
last night was Cold, the ice thicker than yesterday,
Several Indians
visit us, one Chief Stayed all day we are much engaged
about our huts.
[Clark, November
18, 1804]
18th Novr. Sunday
1804
a Cold morning Some
wind the Black Cat, Chief of the Mandans Came to
See us, he made
Great inquiries respecting our fashions. he also Stated
the Situation of
their nation, he mentioned that a Council had been
held the day before
and it was thought advisable to put up with the
resent insults of
the Ossiniboins & Christonoes untill they were
Convinced that what
had been told thim by us, Mr. Evins had deceived
them & we might
also, he promised to return & furnish them with guns &
amunitiion, we
advised them to remain at peace & that they might depend
upon Getting Supplies
through the Channel of the Missouri, but it
requred time to put
the trade in opperation. The Assiniboins &c have
the trade of those
nations in their power and treat them badly as the
Soux does the
Ricarees and they cannot resent for fear of loseing their
trade &.
[Clark, November
19, 1804]
19th of November
1804 our hunters return with 32 Deerr, 12 Elk & a
Buffalow Ice ran
which detained the huntes much Cap lewis visit the Me
ne tar rees, the
25th and returned the 27th of Nov. with 2 Chiefs &c.
&c. and told me
that 2 Clerks & 5 men of the N W Company & Several of
the hudsons Bay
Company had arrived with goods to trade with the
Indians a Mr. La
Roche & Mc Kinzey are the Celerks (Distant 150 Miles
across)
[Clark, November
19, 1804]
19th Novr. Monday a
Cold day the ice Continue to run our Perogue of
Hunters arrive with
32 Deer, 12 Elk & a Buffalow, all of this meat we
had hung up in a
Smoke house, a timeley supply- Several Indians here
all day- the wind
bley hard from the N. W. by W. our men move into
their huts, Several
little Indian aneckdts. told me to day
[Clark, November
20, 1804]
20th November
Tuesday 1804
Capt Lewis & my
Self move into our huts, a verry hard wind from the W.
all the after part
of the day a temperate day Several Indians Came Down
to Eat fresh meat,
three Chiefs from the 2d Mandan Village Stay all
Day, they are verry
Curious in examining our works. Those Chiefs
informs us that the
Souix settled on the Missourie above Dog River,
threten to attacked
them this winter, and have treated 2 Ricares who
Carried the pipe of
peace to them Verry roughly. whiped & took their
horses from them
&c. &c. & is much displeased with Ricares for makeing
a peace with the
Mandans &. &. through us, &. we gave them a
Sattisfactory
answer. &c. &c.
[Clark, November
21, 1804]
21st Novr.
Wednesday a fine Day dispatched a perogu and Collected Stone
for our Chimnys,
Some wind from the S. W. arrange our different
articles- maney
Indians visit us to day, G D hurd his hand verry bad-
all the party in
high Spirits- The river Clear of ice, & riseing a
little
[Clark, November
22, 1804]
22nd of November
Thursday 1804
a fine morning
Dispatched a perogue and 5 Men under the Derection of
Sergeant Pryor to
the 2nd Village for 100 bushels of Corn in ears which
Mr. Jessomme, let
us have did not get more than 80 bushels- I was
allarmed about 10
oClock by the Sentinal, who informed that an Indian
was about to Kill
his wife in the interpeters fire about 60 yards below
the works, I went
down and Spoke to the fellow about the rash act which
he was like to
commit and forbid any act of the kind near the fort-
Some
missunderstanding took place between this man & his wife about 8
days ago, and She
came to this place, & Continued with the Squars of
the interpeters, 2
days ago She returned to the Villg. in the evening
of the Same day She
came to the interpeters fire appearently much beat,
& Stabed in 3
places- We Detected that no man of this party have any
intercourse with
this woman under the penelty of Punishment- he the
Husband observed
that one of our Serjeants Slept with his wife & if he
wanted her he would
give her to him, We derected the Serjeant Odway to
give the man Some
articles, at which time I told the Indian that I
believed not one
man of the party had touched his wife except the one
he had given the
use of her for a nite, in his own bed, no man of the
party Should touch
his Squar, or the wife of any Indian, nor did I
believe they touch
a woman if they knew her to be the wife of another
man, and advised
him to take his Squar home and live hapily together in
future,- at this
time the Grand Chief of the nation arrived, & lecturd
him, and they both
went off apparently dis
The grand Chief
continued all day a warm Day fair afternoon- many
Indian anickdotes
one Chief & his familey Stay all night.
[Clark, November
23, 1804]
23rd , a fair warm
Day, wind from the S. E. Send after Stone Several
men with bad Colds,
one man Sheilds with the Rhumitism the river on a
Stand haveing rose
4 Inches in all
[Clark, November
24, 1804]
24th of November
Satturday 1804
a warm Day Several
men with bad Coalds we continue to Cover our Huts
with hewed
punchens, finishd. a Cord to draw our boat out on the bank,
this is made 9
Straps of Elk Skin,- the wind from the S. E.
[Clark, November
25, 1804]
25th of Novr.
Sunday 1804
a fine day warm
& pleasent Capt. Lewis 2 Interpeters & 6 men Set out to
See the Indians in
the different Towns & Camps in this neighbour hood,
we Continu to Cover
& dob our huts, two Chiefs Came to See me to day
one named
Wau-ke-res-sa-ra, a Big belley and the first of that nation
who has visited us
Since we have been here, I gave him a Handkerchef
Paint & a Saw
band, and the other Some fiew articles, and paid a
perticular
attention which pleased them verry much, the interpeters
being all with
Capt. Lewis I could not talk to them. we Compleated our
huts- Several men
with bad Colds, river fall 11/2 inch
[Clark, November
26, 1804]
26th of Novr. 1804
Monday Fort Mandan
a little before day
light the wind shifted to the N. W. and blew hard
and the air Keen
& Cold all day, Cloudy and much the appearance of
Snow; but little
work done to day it being Cold &c.
[Clark, November
27, 1804]
27th of November
Tuesday 1804
a cloudy morning
after a verry Cold night, the River Crouded with
floating ice wind
from the N W. finished Dobing Capt. Lewis returned
from the Villages
with two Chiefs Mar-noh toh & Man-nes-sur ree & a
Considerate man
with the party who accompanied him, The Menitares, (or
Big bellies) were
allarmed at the tales told them by the Mandans Viz:
that we intended to
join the Seaux to Cut off them in the Course of the
winter, many
Circumstances Combind to give force to those reports i e
the movements of
the interpeters & their families to the Fort, the
strength of our
work &. &.
all those reports
was contridicted by Capt Louis with a Conviction on
the minds of the
Indians of the falsity of those reports- the Indians
in all the towns
& Camps treated Capt Lewis & the party with Great
respect except one
of the principal Cheifs Mar par pa par ra pas a too
or (Horned Weasel)
who did not Chuse to be Seen by the Capt. & left
word that he was
not at home &.
Seven Traders
arrived from the fort on the Ossinaboin from the N W
Companey one of
which Lafrances took upon himself to speak unfavourably
of our intentions
&. the princpal Mr. La Rock, (& Mr. McKensey) was
informed of the
Conduct of their interpeter & the Consiquinces if they
did not put a Stop
to unfavourable & ill founded assursions &c. &.
The two Chiefs much
pleased with their treatments & the Cherefullness
of the party, who
Danced to amuse them &c. &c.
The river fall 2
Inches verry Cold and began to Snow at 8 oClock P M
and Continued all
night- Some miss understanding with Jussomm & his
woman- at Day the
Snow Seased
[Clark, November
28, 1804]
28th Novr.
Wednesday 1804
a cold morning wind
from the N. W river full of floating ice, began to
Snow at 7 oClock a
m and continued all day at 8 oClock the
Poss-cop-so-he or
Black Cat Grand Chief of the Mandans Came to See us,
after Showing Those
Chiefs many thing which was Curiossities to them,
and Giveing a fiew
presents of Curioes Handkerchiefs arm bans & paint
with a twist of
Tobaco they departed at 1 oClock much pleased, at
parting we had Some
little talk on the Subject of the British Trader
Mr. Le rock Giveing
Meadils & Flags, and told those Chiefs to impress
it on the minds of
their nations that those Simbells were not to be
recved by any from
them, without they wished incur the displieasure of
their Great
American Father- a verry disagreeable day- no work done to
day river fall 1
Inch to day
[Clark, November
29, 1804]
29th November
Thursday 1804
A verry Cold windey
day wind from the N. W by W. Some Snow last night
the Detpt of the
Snow is various in the wood about 13 inches, The river
Closed at the
Village above and fell last night two feet Mr. La Rock
and one of his men
Came to visit us we informed him what we had herd of
his intentions of
makeing Chiefs &c. and forbid him to give meadels or
flags to the
Indians, he Denied haveing any Such intention, we agreeed
that one of our
interpeters Should Speak for him on Conditions he did
not Say any thing
more than what tended to trade alone- he gave fair
promises &.
[Clark, November
30, 1804]
30h of Nov. an
Indian Chief Came and informed us that five Men of the
Mandans Nation was
on a hunting party to the S W, distance about Eight
Leagues, they were
Surprised one man Killed two wounded and nine horses
taken, Severale
others men wer on hunting partes & were to have
returned Several
days ago & had not yet returned, & that they expected
to be attacked by
an army of Sioux I took 23 men and went to the
Village deturmined
to Collect the warriers of the Different Villages
and meet the Sioux-
The village not expecting Such Strong aid in So
Short a time was a
little alarmed of the formable appearance of my
party The principal
Chiefs met me at 200 yards Distance from the Town,
and envited me to
his Lodge. I told the Nation the Cause of Comeing &.
was to assist in
Chastiseing the enimies of my Dutifull Children- I
requested great
Chief to repeat the Cercunstance of the Sioux attack as
it realy happined
which he did- I told them to Send runners to the
other villages
& assemble the warriers & we Would go and Chastize the
Sioux for Spilling
the Blood of my Dutifull Children- after a
Conversation of a
few minits amongst themselves, a Chief Said that they
now Saw that what
we had told them was the trooth and we were ready to
protect them and
Kill those who did not listen to our Councils (and
after a long
Speech) he concluded Said "the Sious who Spilt our Blood
is gorn home- The
Snow is deep and it is Cold, our horses Cannot Travel
thro the plains in
pursute- If you will go and conduct us in the Spring
after the Snow is
gorn, we will assemble all the warriers & Brave men
in all the villages
and go with you." I answered the Speach at Some
length, explained
to them their Situation declareing our intentions of
Defending them at
any time dureing the time we Should Stay in ther
nieghbourhood,
explained the Situation of the Ricaras & told them not
to get angrey with
them untill they were Certain of their haveing
violated the treaty
&c. &. I crossed the River on the Ice and returned
to the fort
[Clark, November
30, 1804]
30th in the morning
early a Indian Came to the river opposit & requsted
to be brought over,
that he had Some thing to Say from his nation we
Sent for him, and
after he had Smoked- he Said he thought the river was
frosted across here
& expected to Cross on the ice
7 or 8 Mandans out
hunting in a S. W, Derection from this place about 8
Leagues, after they
had made their hunt and on their return was
attackted by a
large Party of Seaux, one of the party a young Chief was
Killed 2 wounded
& 9 horses taken, the men who made their escape Say
the one half of the
party who attacked them was Panias-
The two Panias who
Came here a fiew days ago was imediately Sent home,
for fear of their
being put to death by the party Defeated
Two of the
attacting party was Known to be Panies. The man who was
killed mentioned
that after he was wounded, that he had been at war &
been wounded,
"this day I shall die like a man before my Enimies,! tell
my father that I
died bravely, and do not greive for me-"
4 of the Big
bellies who were Camped near thos is missing, and
Searching for him
in their Camps above- no one Dare to go to the ground
where the battle
was for fear of the Sioux being noumerous-.
[Clark, November
30, 1804]
30th of November
Friday 1804
This morning at 8
oClock an Indian Calld from the other Side and
informed that he
had Something of Consequence to Communicate. we Sent a
perogue for him
& he informed us as follows. Viz: "five men of the
Mandan Nation out
hunting in a S. W. derection about Eight Leagues was
Suprised by a large
party of Sceoux & Panies, one man was Killed and
two wounded with
arrows & 9 Horses taken, 4 of the We ter Soon nation
was missing, &
they expected to be attacked by the Souix &c. &." we
thought it well to
Show a Disposition to ade and assist them against
their enimies,
perticularly those who Came in oppersition to our
Councils, and I
Deturmined to go to the town with Some men, and if the
Sceoux were comeing
to attact the nation to Collect the worriers from
each Village and
meet them, thos Ideas were also those of Capt Lewis, I
crossed the river
in about an hour after the arrival of the Indian
express with 23 men
including the interpeters and flankd the Town &
came up on the back
part The Indians not expecting to receive Such
Strong aide in So
Short a time was much Supprised, and a littled
allarmed at the
formadable appearance of my party- The principal Chiefs
met me Some
Distance from the town (Say 200 yards) and invited me in to
town, I ord my pty
into dft. lodges & I explained to the nation the
cause of my comeing
in this formadable manner to their Town, was to
asst and Chastise
the enimies of our Dutifull Children,- I requested
the Grand Cheif to
repeat the Circumstancies as they hapined which he
did as was
mentioned by the Express in the morning- I then informed
them that if they
would assemble their warrers and those of the
different Towns I
would to meet the Army of Souix & Chastise thim for
takeing the blood
of our dutifull Children &c. after a conversation of
a fiew minits
anongst themselves, one Chief the Big Man Cien Said they
now Saw that what
we hade told them was the trooth, whin we expected
the enimies of
their Nation was Comeing to attact them, or had spilt
their blood were
ready to protect them, and Kill those who would not
listen to our Good
talk- his people had listened to what we had told
them and Cearlessly
went out to hunt in Small parties believing
themselves to be
Safe from the other Nations- and have been killed by
the Panies &
Seauex. "I knew Said he that the Panies were Tiers, and
told the old Chief
who Came with you (to Confirm a piece with us) that
his people were
hers and bad men and that we killed them like the
Buffalow, when we
pleased, we had made peace Several times and you
Nation have always
Commened the war, we do not want to Kill you, and
will not Suffer you
to Kill us or Steal our horses, we will make peace
with you as our two
fathers have derected, and they Shall See that we
will not be the
Ogressors, but we fear the Ricares will not be at
peace-long- My
father those are the words I Spoke to the Ricare in Your
presents- you See
they have not opened their ears to your good
"Councils but
have Spuilt our blood. two Ricarees whome we Sent home
this day for fear
of our peoples Killing them in their greaf-informed
us when they Came
here Several days ago, that two Towns of the Ricares
were makeing their
Mockersons, and that we had best take care of Our
horses & a
number of Sieuex were in their Towns, and they believed not
well disposed
towards us- four of the Wetersoons are now absent they
were to have been
back in 16 days they have been out 24 we fear they
have fallen. my
father the Snow is deep and it is cold our horses
Cannot travel thro
the the plains,- those people who have Spilt our
blood have gorn
back? if you will go with us in the Spring after the
Snow goes off we
will raise the Warriers of all the Towns & nations
around about us,
and go with you."
I told this nation
that we Should be always willing and ready to defend
them from the
insults of any nation who would dare to Come to doe them
injurey dureing the
time we would remain in their neighbourhood, and
requstd. that they
would inform us of any party who may at any time be
discovered by their
Patroles or Scouts;
I was Sorry that
the Snow in the Plains had fallen So Deep Sence the
Murder of the young
Chief by the Scioux as prevented, their horses from
traveling I wished
to meet those Scioux & all others who will not open
their ears, but
make war on our dutifull Children, and let you See that
the Wariers of your
great father will Chastize the enimies of his
dutifull Children
the Mandans, wetersoons & Winitarees, who have opend.
their ears to his
advice- you Say that the Panies or Ricares were with
the Sciaux, Some
bad men may have been with the Sciaux you know there
is bad men in all
nations, do not get mad with the racarees untill we
know if those bad
men are Counternoncd. by their nation, and we are
Convsd. those people
do not intend to follow our Councils- you know
that the Sceaux
have great influence over the ricarees and perhaps have
led Some of them
astray- you know that the Ricarees, are Dependant on
the Sceaux for
their guns, powder, & Ball, and it was policy in them to
keep on as good
terms as possible with the Siaux untill they had Some
other means of
getting those articles &c. &. you know your Selves that
you are Compelled
to put up with little insults from the Christinoes &
Ossinaboins (or
Stone Inds.) because if you go to war with those
people, they will
provent the traders in the north from bringing you
Guns Powder &
Ball and by that means distress you verry much, but whin
you will have
Certain Suppliers from your Great American father of all
those articls you
will not Suffer any nation to insult you &c. after
about two hours
conversation on various Subjects all of which tended
towards their
Situation &c. I informed them I Should return to the
fort, the Chief
Said they all thanked me verry much for the fatherly
protection which I
Showed towards them, that the Village had been
Crying all the
night and day for the death of the brave young man, who
fell but now they
would wipe away their tears, and rejoice in their
fathers
protection-and Cry no more
I then Paraded
& Crossed the river on the ice and Came down on the N.
Side the Snow So
deep, it was verry fatigueing arrved at the fort after
night, gave a
little Taffee, a Cold night the river rise to its former
hite- The Chief
frequently thanked me for Comeing to protect them- and
the whole Village
appeared thankfull for that measure
[Clark, December 1,
1804]
1s Decr. a young
Chief arrived
7 Chiens Came to
the Village with a pipe & the 3 Ricares who Came here
a fiew days ago
& Sent off yesterday have returned and Say that the
Sieaux &
ricares are Camped together
[Clark, December 1,
1804]
1st of December
Satturday 1804
wind from the N W.
all hands ingaged in pitting pickets &. at 10 oClock
the half brother of
the man who was killed Came and informd. us that
after my departure
last night Six Chiens So Called by the french Shar
ha Indians had
arrived with a pipe and Said that The mandans
apprehended danger
from the Shar has as they were at peace with the
Seaux; and wished
to Kill them and the Ricarees (or Parties) but the
Cheifs informed the
nation "it was our wish that they Should not be
hurt, and forbid
being Killed &c." we gave a little Tobacco &c. & this
man Departed well
Satisfied with our councils and advice to him in the
evening a Mr. G
Henderson in the imploy of the hudsons bay Company Sent
to trade with the
Gros ventre-or big bellies So Called by the french
traders
[Clark, December 2,
1804]
2d of Decr. 1804
Visited by Several Mandan Chiefs and 4 Chyannes Inds.
who Came with a
pipe to the Mandans, Sent a Speech to ther Nation a
flag & Some
tobacco, also written a Speech to the Ricaras & Sioux,
informe them what
they might depend on if they would not open their
ears, & &.
[Clark, December 2,
1804]
2nd of December
Sunday 1804
The latter part of
last night was verry warm and Continued to thaw
untill ____ oClock
when the wind Shifted to the North at 11 oClock the
Chiefs of the Lower
village of the Mandans with maney of theire young
men and 4 of the
Shar-ha's who had come to Smoke with the pipe of Peace
with the Mandans,
we explained to them our intentions our views and
advised them to be
at peace, Gave them a flag for theire nation, Some
Tobacco with a
Speech to Deliver to their nation on theire return, also
Sent by them a
letter to Mrs. Tabbo & Gravoline, at the Ricares
Village, to
interseid in proventing Hostilities, and if they Could not
effect those
measures to Send & informe us of what was going on,
Stateing to the
Indians the part we intend to take if the Rickores &
Seauex did not
follow our Derections and be at peace with the nations
which we had
addopted- We made Some fiew Small presents to those Shar
ha's and also Some
to the Mandans & at 3 oClock they all Departed well
pleased, haveing
Seen many Curisossties, which we Showed them-. river
rise one inch
[Clark, December 3,
1804]
3rd December Monday
1804.
a fine morning the
after part of the day Cold & windey the wind from
the N W. The Father
of the Mandan who was killed Came and made us a
present of Some
Dried Simnens & a little pemicon, we made him Some
Small preasents for
which he was much pleased
[Clark, December 4,
1804]
4th of December
Tuesday 1804
a Cloudy raw Day
wind from the N. W. the Black Cat and two young Chiefs
Visit us and as
usial Stay all Day the river rise one inch finish the
main bastion, our
interpetr. we discover to be assumeing and
discontent'd
[Clark, December 5,
1804]
5th December
Wednesday 1804
a Cold raw morning
wind from the S. E. Some Snow, two of the N W.
Companey Came to
See us, to let us Know they intended to Set out for
the establishment
on the osinniboin River in two Days-& their party
would Consist of 5
men, Several Indians also visited us one brought
Pumpkins or Simmins
as a preasent a little Snow fell in the evening at
which time the wind
Shifted round to N. E.
[Clark, December 6,
1804]
Fort Mandan
6th of December
Thursday 1804
The wind blew
violently hard from the N, N W. with Some Snow the air
Keen and Cold. The
Thermometer at 8 oClock A, M, Stood at 10 dgs. above
o- at 9 oClock a
man & his Squar Came down with Some meat for the
inturpeter his
dress was a par mockersons of Buffalow Skin Pr. Legins
of Goat Skin &
a Buffalow robe, 14 ring of Brass on his fingers, this
metel the Mandans
ar verry fond off- Cold after noon river rise 11/2
Inch to day
[Clark, December 7,
1804]
at Fort mandan
7th of December
1804, we were informed by a Chief that great numbers of
Buffalow were on
the hills near us Cap Lewis with a party went out &
Killed 11three in
view of our fort, The weather so excesive Cold &
wolves plenty, we
only saved 5 of them, I with a party turned on the
8th out and found
the Buffalow at 7 ms. distant Killed 8 & a Deer, I
returned with 2
Cows leaving men with remaining meat- Several men badly
frost bit- The
Themormeter Stood this morning at 44 d. below Breizing.
Capt Lewis went out
9th & Stayed all night out Killed 9 buffalowmaney
of the Buffalow
Killed were So meager that they not fit for use
Collected by the
ade of Some horses the best of the meat in fact all we
could Save from
wolves & I went on a hunting party the 14 & 15 of
Decr.- much Snow
verry cold 52° below freesinge. N W. & H Bay Clerks
Visit us the 16th
also Mr Hainey, Cold Tem. 74° below freesing
I visit the Mandans
on the 1s of January Capt Lewis the 2nd
[Clark, December 7,
1804]
7th of December
Friday 1804
a verry Cold day
wind from the N W. the Big White Grand Chief of the 1s
Village, Came and
informed us that a large Drove of Buffalow was near
and his people was
wating for us to join them in a Chase Capt. Lewis
took 15 men &
went out joined the Indians, who were at the time he got
up, Killing the
Buffalows on Horseback with arrows which they done with
great dexterity,
his party killed 14 Buffalow, five of which we got to
the fort by the
assistance of a horse in addition to what the men
Packed on their
backs- one Cow was killed on the ice after drawing her
out of a vacancey
in the ice in which She had fallen, and Butchered her
at the fort- those
we did not get in was taken by the indians under a
Custon which is
established amongst them i e. any person Seeing a
buffalow lying
without an arrow Sticking in him, or Some purticular
mark takes
possesion, many times (as I am told) a hunter who Kills
maney Buffalow in a
chase only Gets a part of one, all meat which is
left out all night
falls to the Wolves which are in great numbers,
always in the
Buffalows- the river Closed opposit the fort last night
11/2 inches thick
The Thermometer Stood this morning at 1 d. below o-
three men frost bit
badly to day
[Clark, December 8,
1804]
8th December
Satturday 1804
a verry Cold
morning, the Thermometer Stood at 12 d. below 0 which is
42 d. below the
freesing point, wind from the N W I with 15 men turned
out Indians joined
us on horseback, shot with arrows rode along side of
buffaloel and
killed 8 buffalow & one Deer, one Cow and Calf was
brought in, two
Cows which I killed at 7 miles Dst. I left 2 men to
Skin & Keep off
the wolves, and brought in one Cow & a calf, in the
evening on my
return to the fort Saw great numbers of Buffalow Comeing
into the Bottoms on
both Sides of the river This day being Cold Several
men returned a
little frost bit; one of men with his feet badly frost
bit my Servents
feet also frosted & his P-s a little, I feel a little
fatigued haveing
run after the Buffalow all day in Snow many Places 10
inches Deep,
Generally 6 or 8, two men hurt their hips verry much in
Slipping down- The
Indians kill great numbers of Buffalow to day- 2
reflectings Suns to
day
[Clark, December 9,
1804]
9th December Sunday
1804
The Thermometer
Stood this morning at 7° above 0, wind from the E. Capt
Lewis took 18 men
& 4 horses and went out Send in the meet killed
yesterday and kill
more, the Sun Shown to day Clear, both interpeters
went to the
Villages to day at 12 oClock two Chiefs Came loaded with
meat one with a dog
& Slay also loaded with meat, Capt. Lewis Sent in 4
Hors's loaded with
meat, he continued at the hunting Camp near which
they killed 9
buffalow.
[Clark, December
10, 1804]
10th Monday Decr.
1804 Fort Mandan
a verry Cold Day
The Thermometer to day at 10 & 11 Degrees below 0.,
Capt. Lewis
returned, to day at 12 oClock leaveing 6 men at the Camp to
prepare the meat
for to pack 4 Horse loads Came in, Capt Lewis had a
Cold Disagreeable
night last in the Snow on a Cold point with one Small
Blankett the
Buffaloe Crossed the river below in emence herds without
brakeing in. only 2
buffalow killed to day one of which was too pore to
Skin, The men which
was frost bit is gitting better. the rise 11/2 inch
wind North
[Clark, December
11, 1804]
11th December
Tuesday 1804
a verry Cold
morning Wind from the north The Thermomettr at (4 oClock A
M at 21°) Sunrise
at 21° See list. below 0 which is 53° below the freesing
point and getting
colder, the Sun Shows and reflects two imigies, the
ice floating in the
atmespear being So thick that the appearance is
like a fog
Despurceing
Sent out three
horses for meat & with Derections for all the hunters to
return to the fort
as Soon as possible at 1 oClock the horses returned
loaded at night all
the hunters returned, Several a little frosted, The
Black Cat Chief of
the Mandans paid us a Visit to day continue Cold all
day river at a
Stand
[Clark, December
12, 1804]
12th December
Wednesday 1804
a Clear Cold
morning wind from the north the Thormometer at Sun rise
Stood at 38° below
0, moderated untill 6 oClock at which time it began to
get Colder. I line
my Gloves and have a cap made of the Skin of the
Louservia (Lynx)
(or wild Cat of the North) the fur near 3 inches long
a Indian Of the
Shoe nation Came with the half of a Cabra ko ka or
Antilope which he
killed near the Fort, Great numbers of those animnals
are near our fort
but the weather is So Cold that we do not think it
prudent to turn out
to hunt in Such Cold weather, or at least untill
our Consts. are
prepared to under go this Climate. I measure the river
from bank to bank
on the ice and make it 500 yards
[Clark, December
13, 1804]
13th December
Thursday 1804
The last night was
verry Clear & the frost which fell Covered the ice
old Snow & thos
parts which was naked 1/6 of an inch, The Thermotr.
Stands this morning
at 20° below 0, a fine day. find it imposible to make
an Observation with
an artifical Horsison Joseph Fields kill a Cow and
Calf to day one
mile from the fort river falls
[Clark, December
14, 1804]
14th December
Friday 1804
a fine morning.
wind from the S. E. the murckerey Stood at '0' this
morning I went with
a party of men down the river 18 miles to hunt
Buffalow, Saw two
Bulls too pore to kill, the Cows and large gangues
haveing left the
River, we only killed two Deer & Camped all night with
Some expectation of
Seeing the Buffalow in the morning, a verry Cold
night, Snowed.
[Clark, December
15, 1804]
15th of December
1804 Satturday
a Cold Clear
morning, Saw no buffalow, I concluded to return to the
Fort & hunt on
each Side of the river on our return which we did
without Success-
the Snow fell 11/2 inches deep last night. wind North-
on my return to the
fort found Several Chiefs there
[Clark, December
16, 1804]
Fort Mandan
16th December,
Sunday 1804
a clear Cold
morning, the Thermtr. at Sun rise Stood at 22° below 0, a
verry Singaler
appearance of the Moon last night, as She appeared thro
The frosty
atmispear- Mr. Henny, from the Establishment on River
Ossinnniboin, with
a letter from, Mr Charles Chaboillez one of the Cos
arrived in 6 Days,
Mr. C in his letters expressed a great anxiety to
Serve us in any
thing in his power-
a root Discribed by
Mr. Henry for the Cure of a Mad Dog
Mr. Le rock a
Clerk, of the N W Company and Mr. George Bunch a Clerk of
the Hudsons bay
Compy accompanied Mr. Henny from the Village
[Clark, December
17, 1804]
17th December
Monday 1804
a verry Cold
morning the Thrmt. Stood a 43° below 0. We found Mr. Henny a
verry intelligent
man from whome we obtained Some Scetches of the
Countrey between
the Mississippi & Missouri, and Some Sketches from
him, which he had
obtained from the Indins. to the West of this place
also the names and
charecktors of the Sceoux &c about 8 oClock P M. the
thermometer fell to
74° below the freesing pointe- the Indian Chiefs Sent
word that Buffalow
was in our neighbourhood, and if we would join them,
in the morning they
would go and kill them-
[Clark, December
18, 1804]
18th December
Tuesday 1804
The Themometer the
Same as last night Mr. Haney & La Rocke left us for
the Grossventre
Camp, Sent out 7 men to hunt for the Buffalow They
found the weather
too cold & returned, Several Indians Came, who had
Set out with a veiw
to Kill buffalow, The river rise a little I imploy
my Self makeing a
Small map of Connection &. Sent Jessomme to the Main
Chief of the
mandans to know the Cause of his detaining or takeing a
horse of Chabonoe
our big belly interpeter, which we found was thro the
rascallity of one
Lafrance a trader from the N W. Company, who told
this Cheif that
Chabonah owd. him a horse to go and take him he done So
agreeable to an
indian Custom- he gave up the horse
[Clark, December
19, 1804]
19th December
Wednesday 1804
The wind from S. W.
the weather moderated a little, I engage my self in
Connecting the
Countrey from information. river rise a little
[Clark, December
20, 1804]
20th December
Thursday 1804
The wind from the N
W a moderate day, the Thermometr 37° above 0, which
givs an oppertunity
of putting up our pickets next the river, nothing
remarkable took
place to Day river fall a little
[Clark, December
21, 1804]
21st December
Friday 1804
a fine Day worm and
wind from the N W by W, the Indian whome I stoped
from Commiting
murder on his wife, thro jellousy of one of our
interpeters, Came
& brought his two wives and Showed great anxiety to
make up with the
man with whome his joulassey Sprung- a womin brought a
Child with an
abcess on the lower part of the back, and offered as much
corn as She Could
carry for Some medison, Capt Lewis administered &c.
[Clark, December
22, 1804]
22nd December
Satturday 1804
a number of Squars
womn & men Dressed in Squars Clothes Came with Corn
to Sell to the men
for little things, we precured two horns of the
animale the french
Call the rock mountain Sheep those horns are not of
the largest kind-
The mandans Indians Call this Sheep Ar-Sar-ta it is
about the Size of a
large Deer, or Small Elk, its Horns Come out and
wind around the
head like the horn of a Ram and the teckere not unlike
it much larger and
thicker perticelarly that part with which they but
or outer part which
is ____ inchs thick, the length of those horns,
which we have is
[Clark, December
23, 1804]
23rd December
Sunday 1804
a fine Day great
numbers of indians of all discriptions Came to the
fort many of them
bringing Corn to trade, the little Crow, loadd. his
wife & Sun with
corn for us, Cap. Lewis gave him a few presents as also
his wife, She made
a Kettle of boild Simnins, beens, Corn & Choke
Cherris with the
Stones which was paletable
This Dish is
Considered, as a treat among those people, The Chiefs of
the Mandans are
fond of Stayin & Sleeping in the fort
[Clark, December
24, 1804]
24 December Monday
1804
Several Chiefs and
members of men womin and Children at the fort to
day, Some for
trade, the most as lookers on, we gave a fellet of Sheep
Skin (which we
brought for Spunging) to 3 Chiefs one to each of 2
inches wide, which
they lay great value (priseing those felets equal to
a fine horse), a
fine Day we finished the pickingen around our works
[Clark, December
25, 1804]
25th December
Christmass Tuesday
I was awakened
before Day by a discharge of 3 platoons from the Party
and the french, the
men merrily Disposed, I give them all a little
Taffia and permited
3 Cannon fired, at raising Our flag, Some men went
out to hunt &
the Others to Danceing and Continued untill 9 oClock P,
M, when the frolick
ended &c.
[Clark, December 26,
1804]
26th Decr.
Wednesday 1804
a temperate day no
Indians to day or yesterday. A man from the N W
Company Came Down
from the Gross Vintres to Get one of our interpeters
to assist them in
trade This man informed that the Party of Gross
Ventres who persued
the Ossinboins that Stold their horses, has all
returned in their
usial way by Small parties, the last of the party
bringing 8 horses
which they Stole from a Camp of Asniboins which they
found on Mouse
river-
[Clark, December
27, 1804]
27th December 1804
Thursday
a little fine Snow
weather something Colder than yesterday Several
Indians here to
Day, much Surprised at the Bellos & method of makeing
Sundery articles of
Iron wind hard from the N W.
[Clark, December
28, 1804]
28th of December
Friday 1804
blew verry hard
last night, the frost fell like a Shower of Snow,
nothing remarkable
to day, the Snow Drifting from one bottom to another
and from the leavel
plains into the hollows &c
[Clark, December
29, 1804]
29th December
Satturday 1804
The frost fell last
night nearly a 1/4 of an inch Deep and Continud to
fall untill the Sun
was of Some bite, the Murcurey Stood this morning
at 9 d below 0
which is not considered Cold, as the Changes take place
gradually without
long intermitions
a number of Indians
here
[Clark, December
30, 1804]
30th December
Sunday 1804
Cold the Termtr. at
20 d below 0 a number of Indians here to day they
are much Supprised
at the Bellows one Deer Killed
[Clark, December
31, 1804]
Fort Mandan
31st of December
Monday 1804
a fine Day Some
wind last night which mixed the Snow and Sand in the
bend of the river,
which has the appearance of hillocks of Sand on the
ice, which is also
Covered with Sand & Snow, the feost which falls in
the night continues
on the earth & old Snow &c. &c.- a Number of
indians here every
Day our blckSmitth mending their axes hoes &c. &c.
for which the
Squars bring Corn for payment
[Clark, January 1,
1805]
Fort Mandan on the
N E bank of the Missouries 1600 miles up
January the 1st
1805 Tuesday
The Day was ushered
in by the Discharge of two Cannon, we Suffered 16
men with their
musick to visit the 1st Village for the purpose of
Danceing, by as
they Said the perticular request of the Chiefs of that
village, about 11
oClock I with an inturpeter & two men walked up to
the Village (my
views were to alay Some little miss understanding which
had taken place
thro jelloucy and mortificatiion as to our treatment
towards them) I
found them much pleased at the Danceing of our men, I
ordered my black
Servent to Dance which amused the Croud verry much,
and Some what
astonished them, that So large a man Should be active &c.
&.
I went into the
lodges of all the men of note except two, whome I heard
had made Some
expressions not favourable towards us, in Compareing us
with the trabers
from the north- Those Cheifs observed what they Sayed
was in just &
lafture.- just as I was about to return the 2d Chief and
the Black man, also
a Chief returnd from a mission on which they had
been Sent to meet a
large party 150 of Gross Ventres who were on their
way down from their
Camps 10 Miles above to revenge on the Shoe tribe
an injurey which
they had received by a Shoe man Steeling a Gross
Venters Girl, those
Chiefs gave the pipe turned the party back, after
Delivering up the
girl, which the Shoe Chief had taken and given to
them for that
purpose. I returned in the evening, at night the party
except 6 returned,
with 3 robes, an 13 Strings of Corn which the
indians had given
them, The Day was worm, Themtr. 34° abov 0, Some fiew
Drops of rain about
Sunset, at Dark it began to Snow, and Snowed the
greater part of the
night, (the temptr for Snow is about o) The Black
Cat with his family
visited us to day and brought a little meet
[Clark, January 2,
1805]
2nd of January
Wednesdey 1805
a Snowey morning a
party of men go to Dance at the 2nd Village to
Dance, Capt Lewis
& the interptr visit the 2d Village, and return in
the evening, Some
Snow to Day verry Cold in the evining
[Clark, January 3,
1805]
3rd of January
Thursday 1805
Soome Snow to day;
8 men go to hunt the buffalow, killed a hare & wolf
Several Indians
visit us to day & a Gross Ventre came after his wife,
who had been much
abused, & come here for Protection.
[Clark, January 4,
1805]
Fort Mandan
4th of January
Friday 1805
a worm Snowey
morning, the Themtr. at 28° abov 0, Cloudy, Sent out 3 men
to hunt down the
river, Several Indians Came today the little Crow, who
has proved friendly
Came we gave him a handkerchf & 2 files, in the
evening the weather
became cold and windey, wind from the N W. I am
verry unwell the
after part of the Daye
[Clark, January 5,
1805]
5th of January
Satturday 1805
a cold day Some
Snow, Several Indians visit us with thier axes to get
them mended, I
imploy my Self drawing a Connection of the Countrey from
what information I
have recved- a Buffalow Dance (or Medison) for 3
nights passed in
the 1st Village, a curious Custom the old men arrange
themselves in a
circle & after Smoke a pipe, which is handed them by a
young man, Dress up
for the purpose, the young men who have their wives
back of the circle
go to one of the old men with a whining tone and
request the old man
to take his wife (who presents necked except a
robe) and- the Girl
then takes the Old man (who verry often can
Scercely walk) and
leades him to a Convenient place for the business,
after which they
return to the lodge, if the Old man (or a white man)
returns to the
lodge without gratifying the man & his wife, he offers
her again and
again; it is often the Case that after the 2d time
without Kissing the
Husband throws a nice robe over the old man & and
begs him not to
dispise him, & his wife (we Sent a man to this Medisan
last night, they
gave him 4 Girls) all this is to cause the buffalow to
Come near So that
They may kill thim 2
[Clark, January 6,
1805]
6th of January
Sunday 1805
a Cold day but fiew indians to day I am
ingaged as yesterday
[Clark, January 7,
1805]
7th of January
Monday 1805 Fort Mandan
a verry Cold clear
Day, the Themtr Stood at 22 d below 0 wind N W., the
river fell 1 inch
Several indians returned from hunting, one of them
the Big White Chef
of the Lower Mandan Village, Dined With us, and gave
me a Scetch of the
Countrey as far as the high mountains, & on the
South Side of the
River Rejone, he Says that the river rejone recves 6
Small rivers on the
S. Side, & that the Countrey is verry hilley and
the greater part
Covered with timber, Great numbers of beaver &c.- the
3 men returned from
hunting, they kill'd 4 Deer & 2 wolves, Saw
Buffalow a long ways
off, I continue to Draw a connected plote from the
information of
Traders, Indians & my own observation & idea- from the
best information,
the Great falls is about 800 miles nearly west,-
[Clark, January 8,
1805]
8th of January
Tuesday 1805
a Cold Day but fiew
indians at the fort to day wind from the N, W, one
man at the Village
[Clark, January 9,
1805]
9th of January
Wednesday 1805
A Cold Day
Themometer at 21° below 0, Great numbers of indians go to Kill
Cows, the little
Crow Brackft. with us, Several Indians Call at the
Fort nearly frosed,
one man reported that he had Sent his Son a Small
boy to the fort
about 3 oClock, & was much distressed at not finding
him here, the after
part of this day verry Cold, and wind Keen
[Clark, January 10,
1805]
10th Of January
1805 This morning a boy of 13 years of age Came to the
fort with his feet
frozed, haveing Stayed out all night without fire,
with no other
Covering than a Small Robe goat skin leagens & a pr.
Buffalow Skin
mockersons- The Murcery Stood at 72° below the freesing
point- Several
others Stayed out all night not in the least hurt, This
boy lost his Toes
only-
[Clark, January 10,
1805]
10th of January
Thursday 1805
last night was
excessively Cold the murkery this morning Stood at 40°
below 0 which is
72° below the freesing point, we had one man out last
night, who returned
about 8 oClock this morning The Indians of the
lower Villages
turned out to hunt for a man & a boy who had not returnd
from the hunt of
yesterday, and borrowd a Slay to bring them in
expecting to find
them frosed to death about 10 oclock the boy about 13
years of age Came
to the fort with his feet frosed and had layen out
last night without
fire with only a Buffalow Robe to Cover him, the
Dress which he wore
was a pr of Cabra Legins, which is verry thin and
mockersons- we had
his feet put in Cold water and they are Comeing too-
Soon after the
arrival of the Boy, a man Came in who had also Stayed
out without fire,
and verry thinly Clothed, this man was not the least
injured Customs
& the habits of those people has ancered to bare more
Cold than I thought
it possible for man to indure
Send out 3 men to
hunt Elk below about 7 miles
[Clark, January 11,
1805]
11th January Friday
1805
verry Cold, Send
out 3 men to join 3 now below & hunt,
Pose-cop se ha or
Black Cat came to See us and Stay all night
Sho sa har ro ra or
Coal also Stayd all night, the inturpeter oldst
wife Sick, Some of
our men go to See a war medison made at the village
on the opposit Side
of the river, this is a
[Clark, January 12,
1805]
Fort Manden
12th of January
Satturday 1805
a verry Cold Day
three of our hunters J. & R Fields withe 2 Elk on a
Slay Sent one more
hunter out.
[Clark, January 13,
1805]
13th of January
Sunday (1805)
a Cold Clear Day
(great number of Indians move Down the River to hunt)
those people Kill a
number of Buffalow near their Villages and Save a
great perpotion of
the meat, their Custom of makeing this article of
life General leaves
them more than half of their time without meat
Their Corn &
Beans &c they Keep for the Summer, and as a reserve in
Case of an attack
from the Soues, which they are always in dread, and
Sildom go far to
hunt except in large parties, about 1/2 the Mandan
nation passed this
to day to hunt on the river below, they will Stay
out Some Days, Mr.
Chabonee (our inturpeter) and one man that
accompanied him to
Some loges of the Minatarees near the Turtle Hill
returned, both
frosed in their faces.
Chaboneu informs
that the Clerk of the Hudsons Bay Co. with the Me ne
tar res has been
Speaking Some fiew expressns. unfavourable towards us,
and that it is Said
the N W Co. intends building a fort at the Mene tar
re's- he Saw the
Grand Chief of the Big bellies who Spoke Slightly of
the Americans,
Saying if we would give our great flag to him he would
Come to See us.
[Clark, January 14,
1805]
14th of January
1805 Monday
This morning early
a number of indians men womin children Dogs &c &
passed down on the ice
to joine those that passed yesterday, we Sent
Sergt Pryor and
five men with those indians to hunt one of our hunters
Sent out Several
days arived & informs that one Man (Whitehouse) is
frost bit and Can't
walk home-
[Clark, January 15,
1805]
Fort Mandan
15th January
Tuesday 1805
between 12 & 3
oClock this morning we had a total eclips of the moon, a
part of the
observations necessary for our purpose in this eclips we
got which is at 12h
57m 54s Total Darkness of the moon @ 1 44 00 End of
total Darkness of
This moon @ 2 39 10 End of the eclips-
This morning not So
Cold as yesterday wind from the S. E. wind choped
around to the N W.
Still temperate four Considerate men of the
Minetarre Came to
See us we Smoked in the pipe, maney mands. present
also, we Showed to
those men who had been impressed with an
unfavourable
oppinion of us.
[Clark, January 16,
1805]
16th January
Wednesday 1805
about thirty
Mandans Came to the fort to day, 6 Chiefs. Those Me ne to
rees told them they
were liars, had told them if they came to the fort
the whites men
would kill them, they had been with them all night,
Smoked in the pipe
and have been treated well and the whites had danced
for them, observing
the Mandans were bad and ought to hide themselves-
one of the 1st War
Chiefs of the big belles nation Came to See us to
day with one man
and his Squar to wate on him we Shot the Air gun, and
gave two Shots with
the Cannon which pleased them verry much, the
little Crow 2d Chf
of the lower village came & brought us Corn &. 4 men
of ours who had
been hunting returned one frost'd
This war Chief gave
us a Chart in his way of the Missourie, he informed
us of his
intentions of going to war in the Spring against the Snake
Indians we advised
him to look back at the number of nations who had
been distroyed by
war, and reflect upon what he was about to do,
observing if he
wished the hapiness of his nation, he would be at peace
with all, by that
by being at peace and haveing plenty of goods amongst
them & a free
intercourse with those defenceless nations, they would
get on easy terms a
great Number of horses, and that nation would
increas, if he went
to war against those Defenceless people, he would
displease his great
father, and he would not receive that pertection &
Care from him as
other nations who listened to his word- This Chief who
is a young man 26
yr. old replied that if his going to war against the
Snake indians would
be displeasing to us be would not go, he had horses
enough.
we observed that what
we had Said was the words of his Great father,
and what we had
Spoken to all the nations which we Saw on our passage
up, they all promis
to open their ears and we do not know as yet if any
of them has Shut
them (we are doubtfull of the Souxs) if they do not
attend to what we
have told them their great father will open their
ears- This Cheif
Said that he would advise all his nation to Stay at
home untill we Saw
the Snake Indians & Knew if they would be friendly,
he himself would
attend to what we had told him
[Clark, January 17,
1805]
17th January
Thursday 1805 a verry windey morning hard from the North
Thermometer at 0,
Several Indians here to day
[Clark, January 18,
1805]
18th January Friday
1805 a fine worm morning, Mr. La Rock & McKinzey
Came down to See us
with them Several of the Grosse Venrees.
[Clark, January 19,
1805]
19th January
Satturday 1805.
a find Day Messrs.
Larock & McKinzey returned home, Sent three horses
down to our hunting
Camp for the meet they had killed, Jussoms Squar,
left him and went
to the Village
[Clark, January 20,
1805]
20th a Cold fair
day Several Indians at the fort to day a miss
understanding took
place between the two inturpeters on account of
their Squars, one
of the Squars of Shabownes Squars being Sick, I
ordered my Servent
to, give her Some froot Stewed and tee at dift Tims
which was the Cause
of the misundstd
[Clark, January 21,
1805]
Fort Mandan
21st Monday January
1805
a number of Indians
hereto day a fine day nothing remarkable one ban
verry bad with the
pox
[Clark, January 22,
1805]
22nd January 1805
Tuesday
a find warm Day
attempted to Cut the Boat & the perogues out of the
Ice, found water at
about 8 inches under the 1st Ice, the next
thickness about 3
feet
[Clark, January 23,
1805]
23rd January 1805
Wednesday a Cold Day Snow fell 4 Inches deep, the
occurrences of this
day is as is common
[Clark, January 24,
1805]
24th January
Thursday 1805
a fine day, our
inturpeters appear to understand each others better
than a fiew days
past Sent out Several hunters, they returned without
killing any thing,
Cut Coal wood
[Clark, January 25,
1805]
25th of January
1805 Friday
we are informed of
the arrival of a Band of Asniboins at the Villages
with the Grand
Cheif of those Tribes call the (Fee de petite veau) to
trade, one of our
interpeter & one man Set out to the Big Belley Camp
opposit the Island
men employ'd in Cutting the Boat out of the ice, and
Collecting Coal
wood.
[Clark, January 26,
1805]
26th of January
Satturday 1805
a verry fine warm
Day Several Indians Dine with us and are much
Pleased- one man
taken violently Bad with the Plurisee, Bleed & apply
those remedeis
Common to that disorder.
[Lewis, January 26,
1805]
Saturday January
26th 1805 Observed Meridian Altitude of sun's U. L.
with sextant and
artificl. Horzn. of water 48° 50 Latitude deduced from
this observatn. N.
47 21 47
[Clark, January 27,
1805]
27th of January
Sunday 1804
a fine day, attempt
to Cut our Boat and Canoos out of the Ice, a
deficuelt Task I
fear as we find waters between the Ice, I Bleed the
man with the
Plurisy to day & Swet him, Capt Lewis took of the Toes of
one foot of the Boy
who got frost bit Some time ago, Shabonoe our
interpeter
returned, & informed that the Assiniboins had returned to
their Camps, &
brough 3 horses of Mr. Laroches to Stay here for fear of
their being Stolen
by the Assiniboins who are great rogues- Cut off the
boy toes
[Clark, January 28,
1805]
28th January Monday
1805
attempt to cut
through the ice &c get our Boat and Canoo out without
Suckcess, Several
Indians here wishing to get war hatchets made this
shape the man Sick
yesterday is getting well Mr. Jessome our interpeter
was taken verry
unwell this evening warm day
[Clark, January 29,
1805]
29th January
Tuesday 1805
Gave Jassome a Dost
of Salts we Send & Collect Stones and put them on a
large log heap to
heet them with a View of warming water in the Boat
and by that means,
Sepperate her from the Ices, our attempt appears to
be defeated by the
Stones all breaking & flying to peaces in the fire,
a fine warm Day, we
are now burning a large Coal pit, to mend the
indians hatchets,
& make them war axes, the only means by which we
precure Corn from
them
[Clark, January 30,
1805]
30th January
Wednesday 1805
a fine morning,
Clouded up at 9 oClock, Mr. La Rocke paid us a Visit, &
we gave him an
answer respecting the request he made when last here of
accompanying us on
our journey &c.
[Clark, January 31,
1805]
31st January
Thursday, 1805
Snowed last night,
wind high from the N W. Sawed off the boys toes Sent
5 men down the
river to hunt with 2 horses, our interpeter Something
better, George
Drewyer taken with the Ploursey last evening Bled & gave
him Some Sage tea,
this morning he is much better- Cold disagreeable
[Clark, February 1,
1805]
1st of February
Friday 1805
a cold windey Day
our hunters returnd. haveing killed only one Deer, a
war Chief of the Me
ne tar ras Came with Some Corn requested to have a
War hatchet made,
& requested to be allowed to go to war against the
Souis &
Ricarres who had Killed a mandan Some time past- we refused,
and gave reassons,
which he verry readily assented to, and promised to
open his ears to
all we Said this man is young and named (Seeing Snake
Mar-book,
She-ah-O-ke-ah) this mans woman Set out & he prosued her, in
the evening
[Clark, February 2,
1805]
2nd of February
Satturday 1805
a find Day one Deer
Killed our interpeter Still unwell, one of the
wives of the Big
belley interptr taken Sick- Mr. Larocke leave us to
day (this man is a
Clerk to the N W Company, & verry anxious to
accompany us)
[Lewis, February 3,
1805]
3rd of February
Sunday 1805.
a fine day; the
blacksmith again commences his opperations. we were
visited by but few
of the natives today. the situation of our boat and
perogues is now
allarming, they are firmly inclosed in the Ice and
almost covered with
snow. The ice which incloses them lyes in several
stratas of unequal
thicknesses which are seperated by streams of water.
this peculiarly
unfortunate because so soon as we cut through the first
strata of ice the
water rushes up and rises as high as the upper
surface of the ice
and thus creates such a debth of water as renders it
impracticable to
cut away the lower strata which appears firmly
attatched to, and
confining the bottom of the vessels. the instruments
we have hitherto
used has been the ax only, with which, we have made
several attempts
that proved unsuccessful) from the cause above
mentioned. we then
determined to attempt freeing them from the ice by
means of boiling
water which we purposed heating in the vessels by
means of hot
stones, but this expedient proved also fruitless, as every
species of stone
which we could procure in the neighbourhood partook so
much of the
calcarious genus that they burst into small particles on
being exposed to
the heat of the fire. we now determined as the dernier
resort to prepare a
parse) of Iron spikes and attatch them to the end
of small poles of
convenient length and endeavour by means of them to
free the vessels
from the ice. we have already prepared a large rope of
Elk-skin and a
windless by means of which we have no doubt of being
able to draw the
boat on the bank provided we can free from the ice.
[Clark, February 3,
1805]
3rd of February
1805 our provisions of meat being nearly exorsted I
concluded to Decend
the River on the Ice & hunt, I Set out with about
16 men 3 horses
& 2 Slays Descended nearly 60 miles Killed & loaded the
horses back, &
made 2 pens which we filed with meat, & returned on the
13th we Killed 40
Deer, 3 Bulls 19 Elk, maney So meager that they were
unfit for use
[Lewis, February 4,
1805]
4th February,
Monday 1805.
This morning fair
tho could the thermometer stood at 18° below Naught,
wind from N. W.
Capt Clark set out with a hunting party consisting of
sixteen of our
command and two frenchmen who together with two others,
have established a
small hut and resided this winter within the
vicinity of Fort
Mandane under our protection. visited by many of the
natives today. our
stock of meat which we had procured in the Months of
November &
December is now nearly exhausted; a supply of this articles
is at this moment
peculiarly interesting as well for our immediate
consumption, as
that we may have time before the approach of the warm
season to prepare
the meat for our voyage in the spring of the year.
Capt. Clark
therefore deturmined to continue his rout down the river
even as far as the
River bullet unless he should find a plenty of game
nearer- The men
transported their baggage on a couple of small wooden
Slays drawn by
themselves, and took with them 3 pack horses which we
had agreed should
be returned with a load of meat to fort mandane as
soon as they could
procure it. no buffaloe have made their appearance
in our
neighbourhood for some weeks; and I am informed that our Indian
neighbours-suffer
extreemly at this moment for the article of flesh.
Shields killed two
deer this evening, both very lean- one a large buck,
he had shed his
horns.
[Lewis, February 5,
1805]
5th February
Tuesday 1805.
Pleasent morning
wind from N. W. fair; visited by many of the natives
who brought a
considerable quanty of corn in payment for the work which
the blacksmith had
done for them- they are pecuarly attatched to a
battle ax formed in
a very inconvenient manner in my opinion. it is
fabricated of iron
only, the blade is extreemly thin, from 7 to nine
inches in length
and from 43/4, to 6 Inches on it's edge, from whence
the sides proceed
nearly in a straight line to the eye where it's width
is generally not
more than an inch. The eye is round & about one inch
in diameter. the
handle seldom more than fourteen inches in length, the
whole weighing
about one pound- the great length of the blade of this
ax, added to the
small size of the handle renders a stroke uncertain
and easily avoided,
while the shortness of the handel must render a
blow much less
forceable if even well directed, and still more
inconvenient as
they uniformly use this instrument in action on
horseback. The
oalder fassion is still more inconvenient, it is
somewhat in the
form of the blade of an Espantoon but is attatchd to a
helve of the dementions
before discribed the blade is sometimes by way
of ornament
purforated with two three or more small circular holes- the
following is the
general figure it is from 12 to 15 inces in length
[Lewis, February 6,
1805]
6th February
Wednesday 1805.
Fair morning Wind
from N. W. had a sley prepared against the return of
the horses which
Capt Clark had promised to send back as soon as he
should be able to
procure a load of meat. visited by many of the
natives among
others the Big white, the Coal, big-man, hairy horn and
the black man, I
smoked with them, after which they retired, a
deportment not
common, for they usually pester us with their good
company the
ballance of the day after once being introduced to our
apartment. Shields
killed three antelopes this evening. the blacksmiths
take a considerable
quantity of corn today in payment for their labour.
the blacksmith's
have proved a happy resoce to us in our present
situation as I
believe it would have been difficult to have devised any
other method to
have procured corn from the natives. the Indians are
extravegantly fond
of sheet iron of which they form arrow-points and
manufacter into
instruments for scraping and dressing their buffaloe
robes- I permited
the blacksmith to dispose of a part of a sheet-iron
callaboos which had
been nearly birnt out on our passage up the river,
and for each piece
about four inches square he obtained from seven to
eight gallons of
corn from the natives who appeared extreemly pleased
with the exchange-
[Lewis, February 7,
1805]
7th February
Thursday 1805.
This morning was
fair Thermometer at 18° above naught much warmer than it
has been for some
days; wind S. E. continue to be visited by the
natives. The Sergt.
of the guard reported that the Indian women (wives
to our
interpreters) were in the habit of unbaring the fort gate at any
time of night and
admitting their Indian visitors, I therefore directed
a lock to be put to
the gate and ordered that no Indian but those
attatched to the
garrison should be permitted to remain all night
within the fort or
admitted during the period which the gate had been
previously ordered
to be kept shut which was from sunset untill sunrise.
[Lewis, February 8,
1805]
8th February Friday
1805.
This morning was
fair wind S. E. the weather still warm and pleasent-
visited by the
black-Cat the principal chief of the Roop-tar-he, or
upper mandane
vilage. this man possesses more integrety, firmness,
inteligence and
perspicuety of mind than any indian I have met with in
this quarter, and I
think with a little management he may be made a
usefull agent in
furthering the views of our government. The black Cat
presented me with a
bow and apologized for not having completed the
shield he had
promised alledging that the weather had been too could to
permit his making
it, I gave him som small shot 6 fishing-hooks and 2
yards of ribbon his
squaw also presented me with 2 pair of mockersons
for which in return
I gave a small lookingglass and a couples of
nedles. the chief
dined with me and left me in the evening. he informed
me that his people
suffered very much for the article of meat, and that
he had not himself
tasted any for several days.
[Lewis, February 9,
1805]
9th February Saturday
1805.
The morning fair
and pleasent, wind from S. E.- visted by Mr. McKinzey
one the N. W.
Company's clerks. this evening a man by the name of
Howard whom I had
given permission to go the Mandane vilage returned
after the gate was
shut and rether than call to the guard to have it
opened scaled the
works an indian who was looking on shortly after
followed his
example. I convinced the Indian of the impropryety of his
conduct, and
explained to him the riske he had run of being severely
treated, the fellow
appeared much allarmed, I gave him a small piece of
tobacco and sent
him away Howard I had comitted to the care of the
guard with a
determineation to have him tryed by a Courtmartial for
this offence. this
man is an old soldier which still hightens this
offnce-
[Lewis, February
10, 1805]
10th February
Sunday 1805.
This Morning was
Cloudy after a slight snow which fell in the course of
the night the wind
blue very hard from N. W. altho the thermometer
stood at 18° Above
naught the violence of the wind caused a degree of
could that was much
more unpleasent than that of yesterday when
thermometer stood
at 10° only above the same point. Mr. McKinzey left me
this morning.
Charbono returned with one of the Frenchmen and informed
that he had left
the three Horses and two men with the meat which Capt.
Clark had sent at
some distance below on the river- he told me that the
horses were heavy
loaded and that not being shod it was impossible for
horses to travel on
the ice. I determined to send down some men with
two small slays for
the meat and accordingly I gave orders that they
should set out
early the next morning. two men were also sent to
conduct the horses
by way of the plain.
[Lewis, February
11, 1805]
11th February
Monday 1805.
The party that were
ordered last evening set out early this morning.
the weather was
fair and could wind N. W. about five oclock this
evening one of the
wives of Charbono was delivered of a fine boy. it is
worthy of remark
that this was the first child which this woman had
boarn and as is
common in such cases her labour was tedious and the
pain violent; Mr.
Jessome informed me that he had freequently
adminstered a small
portion of the rattle of the rattle-snake, which he
assured me had
never failed to produce the desired effect, that of
hastening the birth
of the child; having the rattle of a snake by me I
gave it to him and
he administered two rings of it to the woman broken
in small pieces
with the fingers and added to a small quantity of
water. Whether this
medicine was truly the cause or not I shall not
undertake to
determine, but I was informed that she had not taken it
more than ten
minutes before she brought forth perhaps this remedy may
be worthy of future
experiments, but I must confess that I want faith
as to it's
efficacy.-
[Lewis, February
12, 1805]
12th February
Tuesday 1805.
The morning was
fair tho could, thermometer at 14° below naught wind S.
E. ordered the
Blacksmith to shoe the horses and some others to prepare
some gears in order
to send them down with three slays to join the
hunting party and
transport the meat which they may have pocured to
this place- the the
men whom I had sent for the meat left by Charbono
did not return
untill 4 OClock this evening. Drewyer arrived with the
horses about the
same time, the horses appeared much fatieged I
directed some meal
brands given them moisened with a little water but
to my astonishment
found that they would not eat it but prefered the
bark of the cotton
wood which forms the principall article of food
usually given them
by their Indian masters in the winter season; for
this purpose they
cause the trees to be felled by their women and the
horses feed on the
boughs and bark of their tender branches. the
Indians in our neighbourhood
are freequently pilfered of their horses
by the Recares,
Souixs and Assinniboins and therefore make it an
invariable rule to
put their horses in their lodges at night. in this
situation the only
food of the horse consists of a few sticks of the
cottonwood from the
size of a man's finger to that of his arm. The
Indians are
invariably severe riders, and frequently have occasion for
many days together
through the whole course of the day to employ their
horses in pursuing
the Buffaloe or transporting meat to their vilages
during which time
they are seldom suffered to tast food; at night the
Horse returned to
his stall where his food is what seems to me a scanty
allowance of wood.
under these circumstances it would seem that their
horses could not
long exist or at least could not retain their flesh
and strength, but
the contrary is the fact, this valuable anamall under
all those
disadvantages is seldom seen meager or unfit for service.- A
little after dark
this evening Capt. Clark arrived with the hunting
party- since they
set out they have killed forty Deer, three buffaloe
bulls, &
sixteen Elk, most of them were so meager that they were unfit
for uce,
particularly the Buffaloes and male Elk- the wolves also which
are here extreemly
numerous heped themselves to a considerable
proportion of the
hunt- if an anamal is killed and lyes only one night
exposed to the
wolves it is almost invariably devoured by them.
[Lewis, February
13, 1805]
13th February
Wednesday 1805.
The morning cloudy
thermometer 2° below naught wind from S. E. visited by
the Black-Cat gave
him a battle ax with which he appeared much
gratifyed.
[Clark, February
13, 1805]
I returned last
night from a hunting party much fatigued, haveing
walked 30 miles on
the ice and through of wood land Points in which the
Snow was nearly
Knee Deep
The 1st day I left
the fort proceeded on the ice to new Mandan Island,
22 miles &
Camped Killed nothing, & nothing to eat,
The 2d day the
morning verry Cold & Windey, I broke thro the ice and
got my feet and
legs wet, Sent out 4 hunters thro a point to Kill a
Deer & Cook it
by the time the party Should get up, those hunters
killed a Deer &
2 Buffalow Bulls the Buffalow too Meagur to eate, we
eate the Deer &
proceeded on to an old Indian Lodge, Sent out the
hunters & they
brought in three lean Deer, which we made use of for
food,- walking on
uneaven ice has blistered the bottom of my feat, and
walking is painfull
to me
3rd day Cold
morning the after party of the Day worm, Camped on a Sand
point near the
mouth of a Creek on the S W. Side we Call hunting Creek,
I turned out with
the hunters, I Killed 2 Deer the hunters killed an
Elk, Buffalow Bull
& 5 Deer. all Meager
4th Day hunted the
two bottoms near the Camp Killed 9 Elk, 18 Deer,
brought to camp all
the meat fit to eate & had the bones taken out.
every man ingaged
either in hunting or Collecting & packing the meat to
Camp
5th Day Dispatched
one of the party our Interpeter & 2 french men with
the 3 horses loaded
with the best of the meat to the fort 44 miles
Distant, the
remaining meat I had packed on the 2 Slays & drawn down to
the next point
about 3 miles below, at this place I had all the meat
Collected which was
killed yesterday & had escaped the wolves, Raven &
Magpie, (which are
verry noumerous about this Place) and put into a
close pen made of
logs to secure it from the wolves & birds & proceeded
on to a large
bottom nearly opposit the Chisscheter (heart) River, in
this bottom we
found but little game, Great No. of wolves, on the hills
Saw Several parsels
of Buffalow.- Camped. I killed a Buck
6th Day The
Buffalow Seen last night provd to be Bulls. lean & unfit
for to make uce of
as food, the Distance from Camp being nearly 60
miles, and the
packing of meat that distance attended with much
difficuity
deturmined me to return and hunt the points above, we Set
out on our return
and halted at an old Indian lodge 40 miles below Fort
Mandan Killed 3 Elk
& 2 Deer-.
7th Day a cold Day
wind blew hard from the N. W. J Fields got one of
his ears frosed
deturmined to lay by and hunt today Killed an Elk & 6
deer,* this meat I
had Boned & put onto a Close pen made of logs- *all
that was fit for
use
8th day air keen
halted at the old Camp we Stayed in on the 2d night
after we left the
Fort, expecting to meat the horses at this Place,
killed 3 Deer,
Several men being nearly out of Mockersons & the horses
not returning
deturmind me to return to the Fort on tomorrow
9th day. Set out
early, Saw great numbers of Grouse feeding on the
young willows, on
the Sand bars one mans I sent in persute of a gangue
of Elk killed three
near the old Ricara Village and joined at the fort,
Sent him back to
Secure the meat one man with him- The ice on the parts
of the River which
was verry rough, as I went down, was Smothe on my
return, this is
owing to the rise and fall of the water, which takes
place every day or
two, and Caused by partial thaws, and obstructions
in the passage of
the water thro the Ice, which frequently attaches
itself to the
bottom.- the water when riseing forses its way thro the
cracks & air
holes above the old ice, & in one night becoms a Smothe
Surface of ice 4 to
6 Inchs thick,- the river falls & the ice Sink in
places with the
water and attaches itself to the bottom, and when it
again rises to its
former hite, frequently leavs a valley of Several
feet to Supply with
water to bring it on a leavel Surfice.
The water of the
Missouri at this time is Clear with little Tinges.
I saw Several old
Villages near the Chisscheta River on enquirey found
they were Mandan
Villages destroyed by the Sous & Small Pox, they
noumerous and lived
in 6 Villages near that place.
[Clark, February
14, 1805]
14th Sent 4 men
with the Horses Shod & 2 Slays down for the meat I had
left, 22 miles
below those men were rushed on by 106 Sioux who robed
them of 2 of their
horses- & they returned
[Clark, February
14, 1805]
14th of February
Thursday 1805
The Snow fell 3
inches Deep last night, a fine morning, Dispatched
George Drewyer
& 3 men with two Slays drawn by 3 horses for the meat
left below-
[Clark, February
15, 1805]
15th Capt. Lewis
with a party of men & 4 Indians went in pursute of the
Sioux, the Indians
returned the next Day & informed me that the Sioux
had Burnt all my
meat & Born home (they Saw me but was afraid to attact
me) Capt Lewis
returned the 21st with 2400 l. of meat, haveing Killed
36 Deer & 14
Elk, the Sioux burnt one of my meet houses; they did not
find the other
[Clark, February
15, 1805]
15th of February
Friday 1805
at 10 oClock P M.
last night the men that dispatched yesterday for the
meat, returned and
informed us that as they were on their march down at
the distance of
about 24 miles below the Fort about 105 Indians which
they took to be
Souis rushed on them and Cut their horses from the
Slays, two of which
they carried off in great hast, the 3rd horse was
given up to the
party by the intersetion of an Indian who assumd Some
authority on the
accasion, probably more thro fear of himself or Some
of the Indians
being killed by our men who were not disposed to be
Robed of all they
had tamely, they also forced 2 of the mens knives & a
tamahawk, the man
obliged them to return the tamahawk the knives they
ran off with G
Drewyer Frasure, S Gutterage, & Newmon with a broken Gun
we dispatched two
men to inform the mandans, and if any of them chose
to pursue those
robers, to come down in the morning, and join Capt
Lewis who intended
to Set out with a party of men verry early, by 12
oClock the Chief of
the 2ed Village Big white Came down, and Soon after
one other Chief and
Several men- The Chief observed that all the young
men of the 2
Villages were out hunting, and but verry fiew guns were
left,Capt. Lewis
Set out at Sunrise with 24 men, to meet those Soues
&c. Several
Indians accompanied him Some with Bows & arrows Some withe
Spears & Battle
axes, a 2 with fusees - the morning fine the
Thermometer Stood
at 16° below 0, Nought, visited by 2 of the Big Bellies
this evening,- one
Chief of the Mandans returned from Capt Lewises
Party nearly blind-
this Complaint is as I am infomd. Common at this
Season of the year
and caused by the reflection of the Sun on the ice &
Snow, it is cured
by jentilley Swetting the part affected by throweng
Snow on a hot Stone
verry Cold part of
the night- one man Killed a verry large Red Fox to
day
[Clark, February
16, 1805]
16th of February
Satturday 1805
a fine morning,
visited by but fiew Indians to day, at Dusk two of the
Indians who wint
down with Capt. Lewis returned, Soon after two others
and one man
(Howard) with his feet frosted, and informed that the Inds.
who Commited the
roberry of the 2 horses was So far a head that they
could not be
overtaken, they left a number of pars of Mockersons which,
the Mandans knew to
be Souix mockersons,- This war party Camped verry
near the last camp
I made when on my hunting party, where they left
Some Corn, as a deception,
with a view to induc a belief that they were
Ricarras.
Capt Lewis &
party proceeded on down the meat I left at my last Camp
was taken.
[Clark, February
17, 1805]
17th of February
Sunday 1805
this morning worm
& a little Cloudy, the Coal & his Son visited me to
day with about 30
w. of Drid Buffalow meat, & Some Tallow Mr. McKinsey
one of the N W.
Compys. Clerks visited me (one of the hoses the Sous
robed a fiew Days
past belonged to this man) The after part of the day
fair,
[Clark, February
18, 1805]
18th of February
Monday 1805
a cloudy morning
Some Snow, Several Indians here today Mr. McKinsey
leave me, the after
part of the day fine I am much engaged makeing a
discriptive List of
the Rivers from Information our Store of Meat is
out to day
[Clark, February
19, 1805]
19th of February
Tuesday 1805
a fine Day visited
by Several of the Mandans to day, our Smiths are
much engaged
mending and makeing Axes for the Indians for which we get
Corn
[Clark, February
20, 1805]
Fort Mandan
20th February
Wednesday 1805
a Butifull Day,
visited by the Little raven verry early this morning I
am informed of the
Death of an old man whome I Saw in the Mandan
Village. this man,
informed me that he "was 120 winters old, he
requested his grand
Children to Dress him after Death & Set him on a
Stone on a hill
with his face towards his old Village or Down the
river, that he
might go Streight to his brother at their old village
under ground"I
observed Several Mandan verry old Chiefly men
[Clark, February 21,
1805]
21st February
Thursday 1805
a Delightfull Day
put out our Clothes to Sun- Visited by the big white
& Big man they
informed me that Several men of their nation was gorn to
Consult their
Medison Stone about 3 day march to the South West to know
What was to be the
result of the insuing year- They have great
confidence in this
Stone and Say that it informs them of every thing
which is to happen,
& visit it every Spring & Sometimes in the Summer
"They haveing
arrived at the Stone give it Smoke and proceed to the
wood at Some
distance to Sleep the next morning return to the Stone,
and find marks
white & raised on the Stone representing the piece or
war which they are
to meet with, and other changes, which they are to
meet" This
Stone has a leavel Surface of about 20 feet in Surcumfrance,
thick and pores,
and no doubt has Some mineral qualtites effected by
the Sun.
The Big Bellies
have a Stone to which they ascribe nearly the Same
Virtues
Capt Lewis returned
with 2 Slays loaded with meat, after finding that
he could not
overtake the Souis war party, (who had in their way
distroyd all the
meat at one Deposit which I had made & Burnt the
Lodges) deturmined
to proceed on to the lower Deposit, which he found
had not been
observed by Soux he hunted two day Killed 36 Deer & 14
Elk, Several of
them So meager, that they were unfit for use, the meet
which he killed and
that in the lower Deposit amounting to about 3000
wt was brought up
on two Slays, one Drawn by 16 men had about 2400 wt
on it
[Clark, February
22, 1805]
Fort Mandan
22nd of February
Friday 1805.
a Cloudy morning, at about 12 oClock it began
to rain and Continud for
a fiew minits, and
turned to Snow, and Continud Snowing for about one
hour, and Cleared
away fair The two hunters left below arrived, They
killed two Elk, and
hung them up out of the reach of the wolves- The
Coal a Ricara who
is a considerable Chief of the Mandans visited us to
day, and maney
others of the three nations in our neighbourhood.
[Clark, February
23, 1805]
23rd of February
1805 Satturday
All hands employed
in Cutting the Perogus Loose from the ice, which was
nearly even with
their top; we found great difficuelty in effecting
this work owing to
the Different devisions of Ice & water after Cutting
as much as we Could
with axes, we had all the Iron we Could get & Some
axes put on long
poles and picked throught the ice, under the first
water, which was
not more the 6 or 8 inches deep- we disengaged one
Perogue, and nearly
disingaged the 2nd in Course of this day which has
been warm &
pleasent vised by a no of Indians, jessomme & familey went
to the Shoes
Indians Villag to day
The father of the
Boy whose feet were frose near this place, and nearly
Cured by us took
him home in a Slay-
[Clark, February
24, 1805]
24th February
Sunday 1805
The Day fine, we
Commenced very early to day the Cutting loose the boat
which was more
difficuelt than the perogus with great exertions and
with the assistance
of Great prises we lousened her and turned the
Second perogue upon
the ice, ready to Draw out, in Lousening the boat
from the ice Some
of the Corking drew out which Caused her to Leake for
a few minits untill
we Discovered the Leake & Stoped it- Jessomme our
interpeter &
familey returned from the Villages Several Indians visit
us today
[Clark, February
25, 1805]
25th of February
Monday 1805 we fixed a Windlass and Drew up the two
Perogues on the
upper bank and attempted the Boat, but the Roap which
we bade made of Elk
Skins proved too weak & broke Several times night
Comeing on obliged
us to leave her in a Situation but little advanced-
we were Visited by
the Black mockerson Chief of the little Village of
Big Bellies, the
Cheef of the Shoe Inds and a number of others those
Chiefs gave us Some
meat which they packed on their wives, and one
requested a ax to
be made for hies Sun, Mr. Bunch, one of the under
traders for the
hudsons Bay Companey- one of the Big Bellies asked
leave for himself
& his two wives to Stay all night, which was granted,
also two Boys
Stayed all night, one the Sun of the Black Cat.
The Day has been
exceedingly pleasent
[Clark, February
26, 1805]
26th of Feby 1805
Drew up the Boat & perogus, after Cutting them out of
the ice with great
Dificuelty-& trouble
[Clark, February
26, 1805]
26th February
Tuesday 1805
a fine Day Commencd
verry early in makeing preparations for drawing up
the Boat on the
bank, at Sunset by repeated exertions the whole day we
accomplished this
troublesom task, just as we were fixed for having the
Boat the ice gave
away near us for about 100 yds in length- a number of
Indians here to day
to See the Boat rise on the Bank
[Clark, February
27, 1805]
27th of February Wednesday
1805
a fine day,
prepareing the Tools to make perogues all day- a feiw
Indians visit us to
day, one the largest Indian I ever Saw, & as large
a man as ever I
Saw, I commence a Map of the Countrey on the Missouries
& its waters
&c. &c.-
[Clark, February
28, 1805]
28th of February
1805 Thursday Mr. Gravilin 2 frenchmen and 2 Ricaras
arrived from the
Ricaras with letters from Mr. Tahoe &c. informing us
of the
Deturmination of the Ricaras to follow our councils- and the
threts & intintions
of the Sioux in Killing us whenever they again met
us- and that a
party of Several bands were formeing to attacke the
Mandans &c.
&c.
we informed the
Mandans & others of this information & also the wish
the Ricars had to
live near them & fite the Sioux &c. &c. &c.
despatched 16 Men 5
Miles abov to build 6 Canoes for the voyage, being
Deturmend to Send
back the Barge
[Clark, February
28, 1805]
28th of February
Thursday 1805
a fine morning, two
men of the N W Compy arrve with letters and Sacka
comah also a Root
and top of a plant presented by Mr. Haney, for the
Cure of mad Dogs
Snakes &c, and to be found & used as follows vz: "this
root is found on
high lands and asent of hills, the way of useing it is
to Scarify the part
when bitten to chu or pound an inch or more if the
root is Small, and
applying it to the bitten part renewing it twice a
Day. the bitten
person is not to chaw nor Swallow any of the Root for
it might have
contrary effect."
Sent out 16 men to
make four Perogus those men returned in the evening
and informed that
they found trees they thought would answer.
Mr. Gravelin two
frenchmen & two Inds. arrive from the Ricara Nation
with Letters from
Mr. Anty Tabeaux, informing us of the peaceable
dispositions of
that nation towards the Mandans & Me ne to res & their
avowed intentions
of pursueing our Councils & advice, they express a
wish to visit the
Mandans, & Know if it will be agreeable to them to
admit the Ricaras
to Settle near them and join them against their
common Enimey the
Souis we mentioned this to the mandans, who observed
they had always
wished to be at peace and good neighbours with the
Ricaras, and it is
also the Sentiments of all the Big Bellies, & Shoe
Nations
Mr. Gravilin
informs that the Sisetoons and the 3 upper bands of the
Tetons, with the
Yanktons of the North intend to come to war in a Short
time against the
nations in this quarter, & will Kill everry white man
they See- Mr. T.
also informes that Mr. Cameron of St peters has put
arms into the hands
of the Souls to revenge the death of 3 of his men
Killed by the
Chipaways latterly- and that the Band of tetons which we
Saw is desposed to
doe as we have advised them- thro the influenc of
their Chief the
Black Buffalow
Mr. Gravilin
further informs that the Party which Robed us of the 2
horses laterly were
all Sieoux 100 in number, they Called at the
Ricaras on their
return, the Ricares being displeased at their Conduct
would not give them
any thing to eate, that being the greatest insult
they could
peaceably offer them, and upbraded them.
[Clark, March 1,
1805]
March 1st Friday
1805
a fine Day I am
ingaged in Copying a map, men building perogus, makeing
Ropes, Burning
Coal, Hanging up meat & makeing battle axes for Corn
[Clark, March 2,
1805]
2nd of March 1805
Satturday
a fine Day the
river brake up in places all engaged about Something Mr.
La Rocque a Clerk
of the N W Company visit us, he has latterly returned
from the
Establishments on the Assinniboin River with Merchindize to
tarade with
Indians- Mr. L informs us the N, W. & X Y Companies have
joined, & the
head of the N W. Co. is Dead Mr. McTavish of Monteral,-
visted by the Coal
& Several Indians
[Clark, March 3,
1805]
3rd of March Sunday
1805
a fine Day wind
from the W, a large flock of Ducks pass up the
Rivervisited by the
black Cat, Chief of the Mandans 2d Cheif and a Big
Belley, they Stayed
but a Short time we informed those Chiefs of the
news recved from
the Ricaras, all hands employd
[Clark, March 4,
1805]
Fort Mandan
4th March Monday
1805
a Cloudy morning
wind from the N W the after part of the day Clear,
visited by the
Black Cat & Big White, who brought a Small present of
meat, an Engage of
the N W Co. Came for a horse, and requested in the
name of the woman of
the princapal of his Department Some Silk of three
Colours, which we
furnished-. The Assinniboins who visited the Mandans
a fiew Days ago
returned and attempted to take horses of the Minetarres
& were fired on
by them
[Clark, March 5,
1805]
5th March Tuesday
1805
A fine Day
Themometer at 40° abo 0. Several Indians visit us to day one
frenchman cross to
join a Indian the two pass through by Land to the
Ricaras with a
Letter to Mr. Tabbow
[Clark, March 6,
1805]
6th of March
Wednesday 1805
a Cloudy morning
& Smokey all Day from the burning of the plains, which
was Set on fire by
the Minetarries for an early crop of Grass as an
endusement for the
Buffalow to feed on- the horses which was Stolen
Some time ago by
the Assinniboins from the minetarries were returned
yesterday- visited
by Oh-harh or the Little fox 2d Chief of the lower
Village of the Me
ne tar ries- one man Shannon Cut his foot with the
ads in working at a
perogue, George & Graviline go to the Village, the
river rise a little
to day-
[Clark, March 7,
1805]
7th of March
Thursday 1805
a little Cloudy and
windey N E. the Coal visited us with a Sick child,
to whome I gave
Some of rushes Pills- Shabounar returned this evening
from the Gross
Vintres & informed that all the nation had returned from
the hunting- he our
menetarre interpeter had received a present from
Mr. Chaboilleiz of
the N. W. Company of the following articles 3 Brace
of Cloath 1 Brace
of Scarlet a par Corduroy Overalls 1 Vests 1 Brace
Blu Cloth 1 Brace
red or Scarlet with 3 bars, 200 balls & Powder, 2
bracs Tobacco, 3
Knives.
[Clark, March 8,
1805]
8th of March Friday
1805
a fair morning Cold
and windey, wind from the East, visited by the
Greesey head &
a Riarca to day, those men gave Some account of the
Indians near the
rockey mountains
a young Indian same
nation & Differnt Village Stole the Doughter of the
Black man, he went
to his Village took his horse & returned & took away
his doughter
[Clark, March 9,
1805]
on the 9th of March
we were Visited by the Grand Chief of the
Minetarres, to
whome we gave a medal & Some Cloths & a flag. Sent a
French Man & a
Indian with a letter to Mr. Tabboe informing them the
Ricarras of the
desire the Mandans had to See them &. &.
[Clark, March 9,
1805]
9th of March Satturday
1805
a Cloudy Cold and
windey morning wind from the North- walked up to See
the Party that is
makeing Perogues, about 5 miles above this, the wind
hard and Cold on my
way up I met The Main Chief of the Manitarres with
four Indians on
Thier way to See us, I requested him to proceed on to
the fort where he
would find Capt. Lewis I should be there my Self in
corse of a fiew
hours, Sent the interpeter back with him and proceeded
on my Self to the
Canoes found them nearly finished, the timber verry
bad, after visiting
all the perogues where I found a number of Indans I
wind to the upper
mandan Village & Smoked a pipe the greatest mark of
friendship and
attention with the Chief and returned on my return found
the Manitarree
Chief about Setting out on his return to his village,
having recieved of
Captain M. Lewis a medel Gorget armbans, a Flag
Shirt, Scarlet
&c. &c. &c. for which he was much pleased Those Things
were given in place
of Sundery articles Sent to him which he Sais he
did not receive 2
guns were fired for this Great man
[Clark, March 10,
1805]
10th of March
Sunday 1805.
a Cold winday Day.
we are visited by the Black mockersons, Chief of the
2d Manetarre
Village and the Chief of the Shoeman Village or Mah ha ha
V. those Chiefs
Stayed all day and the latter all night and gave us
many Strang
accounts of his nation &c this Little tribe or band of
Menitaraies Call
themselves Ah-nah-haway or people whose village is on
the hill. nation
formerleyed lived about 30 miles below this but beeing
oppressed by the
Asinniboins & Sous were Compelled to move 5 miles the
Minitaries, where,
the Assinniboins Killed the most of. them those
remaining built a
village verry near to the Minitarries at the mouth of
Knife R where they
now live and Can raise about 50 men, they are
intermixed with the
Mandans & Minatariers- the Manclans formerly lived
in 6 large villages
at and above the mouth of Chischeter or Heart River
five Villages on
the West Side & two on the East one of those Villages
on the East Side of
the Missouri & the larges was intirely Cut off by
the Sioux & the
greater part of the others and the Small Pox reduced
the others.
[Clark, March 11,
1805]
Fort Mandan
11th of March
Monday 1805
A Cloudy Cold
windey day, Some Snow in the latter part of the day, we
deturmin to have
two other Perogues made for us to transport our
Provisions &c.
We have every
reason to believe that our Menetarre interpeter, (whome
we intended to take
with his wife, as an interpeter through his wife to
the Snake Indians
of which nation She is) has been Corupted by the ____
Companeys &c.
Some explenation has taken place which Clearly proves to
us the fact, we
give him to night to reflect and deturmin whether or
not he intends to
go with us under the regulations Stated.
[Clark, March 12,
1805]
12th a fine day
Some Snow last night our Interpeter Shabonah, detumins
on not proceeding
with us as an interpeter under the terms mentioned
yesterday he will
not agree to work let our Situation be what it may
not Stand a guard,
and if miffed with any man he wishes to return when
he pleases, also
have the disposial of as much provisions as he Chuses
to Carrye.
in admissable and
we Suffer him to be off the engagement which was only
virbal wind N W
[Clark, March 13,
1805]
13th of March
Wednesday 1805
a fine day visited
by Mr. Mckinsey one of the Clerks of the N W
Companey, the river
riseing a little- maney Inds. here to day all
anxiety for war
axes the Smiths have not an hour of Idle time to Spear
wind S W
[Clark, March 14,
1805]
14th March Thursday
1805. a fine day Set all hands to Shelling Corn &c.
Mr. McKinsey leave
us to day maney Indians as usial. wind west river
Still riseing
[Clark, March 15,
1805]
15th of March
Friday 1805
a fine day I put
out all the goods & Parch meal Clothing &c to Sun, a
number of Indians
here to day They make maney remarks respecting our
goods &c. Set
Some men about Hulling Corn &c.
[Lewis, March 16,
1805]
March 16th, 1804.
Mr. Gurrow a
Frenchman who has lived many years with the Ricares &
Mandans shewed us
the process used by those Indians to make beads. the
discovery of this
art these nations are said to have derived from the
Snake
Indians who have
been taken prisoners by the Ricaras. the art is kept a
secret by the
Indians among themselves and is yet known to but few of
them.
the Prosess is as
follows,- Take glass of as many different colours as
you think proper,
then pound it as fine as possible puting each colour
in a seperate
vessel. wash the pounded glass in several waters throwing
off the water at
each washing. continue this opperation as long as the
pounded glass
stains or colours the water which is poured off and the
residium is then
prepared for uce. You then provide an earthen pot of
convenient size say
of three gallons which will stand the fire; a
platter also of the
same materials sufficiently small to be admitted in
the mouth of the
pot or jar. the pot has a nitch in it's edge through
which to watch the
beads when in blast. You then provide some well
seasoned clay with
a propertion of sand sufficient to prevent it's
becoming very hard
when exposed to the heat. this clay must be tempered
with water untill
it is about the consistency of common doe. of this
clay you then
prepare, a sufficient number of little sticks of the size
you wish the hole
through the bead, which you do by roling the clay on
the palm of the
hand with your finger. this done put those sticks of
clay on the platter
and espose them to a red heat for a few minutes
when you take them
off and suffer them to cool. the pot is also heated
to cles it
perfectly of any filth it may contain. small balls of clay
are also mad of
about an ounce weight which serve each as a pedestal
for a bead. these
while soft ar distributed over the face of the
platter at such
distance from each other as to prevent the beads from
touching. some
little wooden paddles are now provided from three to
four inches in
length sharpened or brought to a point at the extremity
of the handle. with
this paddle you place in the palm of the hand as
much of the wet
pounded glass as is necessary to make the bead of the
size you wish it.
it is then arranged with the paddle in an oblong
form, laying one of
those little stick of clay crosswise over it; the
pounded glass by
means of the paddle is then roped in cilindrical form
arround the stick
of clay and gently roled by motion of the hand
backwards an
forwards until you get it as regular and smooth as you
conveniently can.
if you wish to introduce any other colour you now
purforate the
surface of the bead with the pointed end of your little
paddle and fill up
the cavity with other pounded glass of the colour
you wish forming
the whole as regular as you can. a hole is now made in
the center of the
little pedestals of clay with the handle of your
shovel sufficiently
large to admit the end of the stick of clay arround
which the bead is
formed. the beads are then arranged perpindicularly
on their pedestals
and little distance above them supported by the
little sticks of
clay to which they are attatched in the manner before
mentioned. Thus
arranged the platter is deposited on burning coals or
hot embers and the
pot reversed with the apparture in it's edge turned
towards coverd the
whole. dry wood pretty much doated _; is then plased
arron the pot in
sush manner as compleatly to cover it is then set on
fire and the
opperator must shortly after begin to watch his beads
through the
apparture of the pot lest they should be distroyed by being
over heated. he
suffers the beads to acquire a deep red heat from which
when it passes in a
small degree to a pailer or whitish red, or he
discovers that the
beads begin to become pointed at their upper
extremities he
removes the fire from about the pot and suffers the
whole to cool
gradually. the pot is then removed and the beads taken
out. the clay which
fills the hollow of the beads is picked out with an
awl or nedle, the
bead is then fit for uce. The Indians are extreemly
fond of the large
beads formed by this process. they use them as
pendants to their
years, or hair and sometimes wear them about their
necks.
[Clark, March 16,
1805]
16th of March
Satturday 1805
a Cloudy day wind
from the S. E one Indian much displeased with
whitehouse for
Strikeing his hand when eating with a Spoon for
behaveing badly.
Mr. Garrow Shew'd us the way the ricaras made their
large Beeds
[Clark, March 17,
1805]
17th of March
Sunday a windey Day attempted to air our goods &. Mr.
Chabonah Sent a
french man of our party that he was Sorry for the
foolissh part he
had acted and if we pleased he would accompany us
agreeabley to the
terms we had perposed and doe every thing we wished
him to doe &c.
&c. he had requested me Some thro our French inturpeter
two days ago to
excuse his Simplicity and take him into the cirvise,
after he had taken
his things across the River we called him in and
Spoke to him on the
Subject, he agreed to our terms and we agreed that
he might go on with
us &c &c. but fiew Indians here to day; the river
riseing a little
and Severall places open.
[Clark, March 18,
1805]
18th of March 1805
a cold cloudy Day wind from the N. I pack up all the
merchindize into 8
packs equally devided So as to have Something of
every thing in each
Canoe & perogue I am informed of a Party of
Christanoes &
assinniboins being killed by the Sioux, 50 in Number near
the Estableishments
on the assinniboin R. a fiew days ago (the effect
of Mr. Cammeron,
revenge on the Chipaway for Killing 3 of his men) Mr.
Tousent Chabono,
Enlisted as an Interpreter this evening, I am not well
to day.
[Clark, March 19,
1805]
19th of March 1805
Cold windey Day Cloudy Some little Snow last night
Visited to Day by
the big white & Little Crow, also a man & his wife
with a Sick Child,
I administer for the child I am told that two
parties are gorn to
war from the Big bellies and one other party going
to war Shortly.
[Clark, March 20,
1805]
I visited the
Mandans on the 20th & have the canoes taken to the River,
ready to Decend to
the fort when the River Clears,
[Clark, March 20,
1805]
Fort Mandan
20th March
Wednesday 1805.
I with all the men
which could be Speared from the Fort went to Canoes,
there I found a
number of Indians the men carried 4 to the River about
11/2 miles thro the
Bottom, I visited the Chief of the Mandans in the
Course of the Day
and Smoked a pipe with himself and Several old men.
cloudy wind hard
from N.
[Clark, March 21,
1805]
I return on the
21st and on my return I passed on the points of the
high hills S. S.
where I saw an emence quantity of Pumice Stone, and
evident marks of
the hills being on fire I collected some Pumice Stone,
burnt Stone &
hard earth and put them into a furnace, the hard earth
melted and glazed
the other two a part of which i, e, the Hard Clay
became a
Pumice-Stone, I also collected a Plant the root of which is a
Cure for the Bite
of a mad dog & Snake which I shall Send- Mr. Haney (I
think it grows in
the Blue R Barrens) the Indians make large Beeds of
Different Colours-
[Clark, March 21,
1805]
21st March Thursday
1805
a Cloudy Day Some
snow, the men Carried the remaining the 2 remained
Canoes to the
River, all except 3 left to take care & complete the
Canoes, returned to
the fort with their baggage, on my return to day to
the Fort I came on
the points of the high hills, Saw an emence quantity
of Pumice Stone on
the Sides & foot of the hills and emence beds of
Pumice Stone near
the Tops of the hills with evident marks of the Hill
haveing once been
on fire, I collected Some the differnt i e Stone
Pumice Stone &
a hard earth and put them into a furnace the hard earth
melted and glazed
the others two and the hard Clay became a pumice
Stone Glazed. I
collected Some plants &c.
[Clark, March 22,
1805]
22nd of March 1805
Visited by the 2nd Chief of the Grand Village of the
Minetarrees to
whome we gave a medal & Some Clothes acknowledging him
as a 2d Chief, he
Delayed all night, & Saw the men Dance, which is
common amusement
with the men he returned the 23rd with Mr. La Rocque &
McKinsey two of the
N W. Companys Clerks- Some few Drops of rain this
evening for the
first time this Winter visited by many Indians to day
[Clark, March 22,
1805]
March 22, 1805
23rd of March
Friday 1805 a Cloudy Day visited by Mrs. Lack McKinsey &
the 2d Chief of the
Bigbellies, the white wolf and many other
Menataries, we gave
a Medal Some Clothes and wampoms to the 2 Chief and
Delivered a Speach,
which they all appeared well pleased with in The
evening the men
Danced Mr. Jessomme displeased
[Clark, March 24,
1805]
24th of March
Satturday 1805
after Brackfast Mr.
La Rocke and Mr. McKinsey and the Chiefs & men of
the Minetarras
leave us- Soon after we were visited by a Brother of the
Burnia who gave us
a Vocabulary of his Language- the Coal & many other
Mandans also visit
us to Day. a find Day in the fore part in the
evening a little
rain & the first this winter
[Clark, March 25,
1805]
25th of March
Sunday 1805
a Cloudy morning
wind from the N E the after part of the Day fair,
Several Indians
visit us today, prepareing to Set out on our journey
Saw Swans &
wild Gees flying N E this evening
[Clark, March 25,
1805]
March 25, 1805
26h The ice broke
up in Several places in the evenig broke away and was
nearly takeing off
our new Canoes river rise a little
[Clark, March 26,
1805]
26th of March Monday
1805
a find Day wind S.
W. but fiew Inds visit us to day the Ice haveing
broken up in
Several places, The ice began to brake away this evening
and was near
distroying our Canoes as they wer decnding to the fort,
river rose only 9
Inches to day prepareing to Depart
[Clark, March 27,
1805]
27th of March
Tuesday 1805
The river choked up
with ice opposit to us and broke away in the
evening raised only
1/2 Inch all employed prepareing to Set out
[Clark, March 28,
1805]
28th had all the
Canoes, the Perogus corked pitchd & lined cover the
Cotton Wood, which
is win Shaken (the Mandans feed their horses on the
cotton wood Sticks
in places of corn).
[Clark, March 28,
1805]
28th of March
Friday 1805
a windey Blustering
Day wind S W ice running the river Blocked up in
view for the Space
of 4 hours and gave way leaveing great quantity of
ice on the Shallow
Sand bars. had all the canoes corked pitched &
tirred in and on
the cracks and windshake which is universially in the
Cotton wood
[Clark, March 28,
1805]
March 28, 1805
25th the ice Stoped
running owing to Some obstickle above all
prepareing to Set
out but few Indians visit us to day they are watching
to catch the
floating Buffalow which brake through the ice in Crossing,
those people are
fond of those animals tainted and Catch great numbers
every Spring
[Clark, March 29,
1805]
29th of March
Satturday 1805
The ice has Stoped
running owing to Som obstickle above, repare the
Boat &
Perogues, and prepareing to Set out but few Indians visit us to
day they are now
attending on the river bank to Catch the floating
Buffalow
[Clark, March 30,
1805]
30th of March. The
Ice is passing in great quantites, river ran a
little,
The Plains are on
fire on both Sides of the river it is common for the
indians to Set
those Plains on fire near their village for the
advantage of
early Grass for the
hors & as an inducement to the Buffalow to visit
them
[Clark, March 30,
1805]
30th of March
Sunday 1805
The obstickle broke
away above & the ice came dow in great quantites
the river rose 13
inches the last 24 hours I observed extrodanary
dexterity of the
Indians in jumping from one Cake of ice to another,
for the purpose of
Catching the buffalow as they float down maney of
the Cakes of ice
which they pass over are not two feet Square. The
Plains are on fire
in view of the fort on both Sides of the River, it
is Said to be
common for the Indians to burn the Plains near their
villages every
Spring for the benifit of ther horse, and to induce the
Buffalow to come
near to them.
[Clark, March 31,
1805]
31 h of March
Monday 1805 Cloudy Several gangus of Ducks and Gees pass
up not much ice
floating. All the party in high Spirits, but fiew
nights pass without
a Dance they are helth. except the-vn. -which is
common with the
Indians and have been communicated to many of our party
at this place-
those favores bieng easy acquired. all Tranquille
[Clark, March 31,
1805]
31t of March Monday
1805
Cloudy Day Seven
Gangs of Gees and Ducks pass up the river- but a Small
portion of ice
floating down to day- but fiew Inds visit us to day all
the party in high
Spirits they pass but fiew nights without amuseing
themselves danceing
possessing perfect harmony and good understanding
towards each other
Generally healthy except venerials complains which
is verry Commion
amongst the natives and the men Catch it from them
[Clark, April 1,
1805]
April 1st 1805 we
have Thunder lightning hail and rain to day the first
rain of note Sinc
the 15 of October last, I had the Boat Perogus &
Canos put in the
water, and expect to Set off the boat with despatches
in her will go 6
Americans 3 frenchmen, and perhaps Several ricarra
Chief imediately
after we Shall assend in 2 perogus & 6 canoes,
accompanied by 5
french who intends to assend a Short distance to trap
the beavr which is
in great abundance highr up our party will consist
of one Interpter
& Hunter, one French man as an interpreter with his
two wives (this man
Speaks Minetary to his wives who are L hiatars or
Snake Indians of
the nations through which we Shall pass, and to act as
interpretress thro
him)- 26 americans & french my servant and an Mandan
Indian and
provisions for 4 months
[Clark, April 1,
1805]
Fort Mandan
April the 1st
Tuesday 1805
The fore part of to
day haile rain with Thunder & lightning, the rain
continued by
intimitions all day, it is worthey of remark that this is
the 1st rain which
has fallen Since we have been here or Since the 15
of October last,
except a fiew drops at two or three defferent times
had the Boat Perogus
& Canoes all put into the water.
[Clark, April 2,
1805]
April the 2nd a
Cold rain day we are writeing and prepareing dispatches
all day- I conclude
to Send my journal to the President of the United
States in its
original State for his own perusial, untill I call for it
or Some friend if I
should not return, an this journal is from the 13th
of May 1804 untill
the 3rd of April 1805. wrote untill verry late at
night but little
time to devote to my friends, the river is falling
fast.
[Clark, April 2,
1805]
April the 2nd
Friday 1805
a cloudy day rained
all the last night we are preparing to Set out all
thing nearly ready.
The 2d Chief of the 2d Mandan Village took a miff
at our not
attending to him perticelarely after being here about ten
day and moved back to
his village
The mandans Killed
twenty one elk yesterday 15 miles below this, they
were So meager that
they Scercely fit for use
[Clark, April 3,
1805]
3rd of April we
Shall pack up to day and Set out tomorrow.
[Clark, April 3,
1805]
April the 3rd Thursday
1805
a white frost this morning, Some ice on the
edge of the water, a fine
day Pack up and
prepare to load
Mrs. La Roche &
McKinsey Clerk to the N W. Compy. visit us. Mr.
McKinzey wishes to
get pay for his horse lost in our Service this
winter and one of
which was robed this winter by the Tetons, we Shall
pay this man for
his horse. we are all day ingaged packing up Sundery
articles to be Sent
to the President of the U. S.
bow an quiver of
arrows-with some Ricara's tobacco seed
No. 11 a Martin Skin,
Containing the tail of a Mule Deer, a weasel and
three Squirels from
the Rockey mountains.
No. 12. The bones
& Skeleton of a Small burrowing wolf of the Praries
the Skin being lost
by accident.
No. 99 The Skeliton
of the white and Grey hare.
Box No. 2, contains
4 Buffalow Robes, and a ear of Mandan Corn.
The large Trunk
Contains a male & female Brarow and female's Skeliton.
a Carrote of
Ricaras Tobacco
a red fox Skin
Containing a Magpie.
No. 14 Minitarras
Buffalow robe Containing Some articles of Indian
dress.
No. 15 a Mandan
robe containing two burrowing Squirels, a white weasel
and the Skin of a
Loucirvea.
also
13 red fox Skins.
1 white Hare Skin &.
4 horns of the mountain ram
1 Robe representing a battle between
the Sioux & Ricaras,
Minetarras and
Mandans.
In Box No. 3.
nos. 1 & 2 The
Skins of the Male & female Antelope with their
Skelitons. &
the Skin of a yellow Bear which I obtained from the Scions
No. 4. Box
Specimens of plants numbered from 1 to 67.
Specimens of Plants
numbered frome 1 to 60.
1 Earthen pot Such as the Mandans
Manufacture and use for
culinary purposes .
Box No 4 Continued
1 Tin box,
containing insects mice &c. a Specimine of the fur of the
antelope.
a Specimon of a
plant, and a parcel of its roots highly prized by the
natives as
an efficatious
remidy in Cases of the bite of the rattle Snake or Mad
Dog.
In a large Trunk
Skins of a Male and
female Braro, or burrowing Dog of the Prarie, with
the Skeliton of the
female.
1 Skin of the red
fox Containing a Magpie.
2 Cased Skins of
the white hare.
1 Minitarra
Buffalow robe Containing Some articles of Indian Dress
1 Mandan Buffalow
robe Containing a dressed Lousirva Skin, and 2 Cased
Skins of the
Burrowing Squirel of the Praries.
13 red fox Skins
4 Horns of the
Mountain Ram or big horn.
1 Buffalow robe
painted by a mandan man representing a battle fought 8
years Since by the
Sioux & Ricaras against the mandans, menitarras & Ah
wah bar ways
(Mandans &c. on horseback)
Cage No. 6.
Contains a liveing
burrowing Squirel of the praries
Cage No. 7.
Contains 4 liveing
magpies
Cage No. 9.
Containing a
liveing hen of the Prarie
a large par of Elks
horns containing by the frontal bone-
[Clark, April 4,
1805]
April the 4th 1805
Wednesday
a blustering windey Day the Clerks of the N W.
Co. leave us we are
arrangeing all
things to Set out &c.
[Clark, April 5,
1805]
April the 5th 1805
Thursday
we have our 2
perogues & Six Canoes loaded with our Stores &
provisions,
principally provisions. the wind verry high from the N W. a
number of Mandans
visit us to day
[Clark, April 6,
1805]
April the 6th
Friday Saturday 1805
a fine day visited
by a number of mandans, we are informed of the
arrival of the
whole of the ricarra nation on the other Side of the
river near their
old village. we Sent an interpreter to See with orders
to return
imediately and let us know if their Chiefs ment to go down to
See their great
father.
[Lewis, April 7,
1805]
Fort Mandan April
7th 1805.
Having on this day
at 4 P.M. completed every arrangement necessary for
our departure, we
dismissed the barge and crew with orders to return
without loss of
time to S. Louis, a small canoe with two French hunters
accompanyed the
barge; these men had assended the missouri with us the
last year as
engages. The barge crew consisted of six soldiers and two
____ Frenchmen; two
Frenchmen and a Ricara Indian also take their
passage in her as
far as the Ricara Vilages, at which place we expect
Mr. Tiebeau to
embark with his peltry who in that case will make an
addition of two,
perhaps four men to the crew of the barge. We gave
Richard Warfington,
a discharged Corpl., the charge of the Barge and
crew, and confided
to his care likewise our dispatches to the
government, letters
to our private friends, and a number of articles to
the President of
the United States. One of the Frenchmen by the Name of
Gravline an honest
discrete man and an excellent boat-man is imployed
to conduct the
barge as a pilot; we have therefore every hope that the
barge and with her
our dispatches will arrive safe at St. Louis. Mr.
Gravlin who speaks
the Ricara language extreemly well, has been
imployed to conduct
a few of the Recara Chiefs to the seat of
government who have
promised us to decend in the barge to St. Liwis
with that view.-
At same moment that
the Barge departed from Fort Mandan, Capt. Clark
embaked with our
party and proceeded up the river. as I had used no
exercise for
several weeks, I determined to walk on shore as far as our
encampment of this
evening; accordingly I continued my walk on the N.
side of the River
about six miles, to the upper Village of the Mandans,
and called on the
Black Cat or Pose cop'se ha, the great chief of the
Mandans; he was not
at home; I rested myself a minutes, and finding
that the party had
not arrived I returned about 2 miles and joined them
at their encampment
on the N. side of the river opposite the lower
Mandan village. Our
party now consisted of the following Individuals.
Sergts. John
Ordway, Nathaniel Prior, & Patric Gass; Privates, William
Bratton, John
Colter, Reubin, and Joseph Fields, John Shields, George
Gibson, George
Shannon, John Potts, John Collins, Joseph Whitehouse,
Richard Windsor,
Alexander Willard, Hugh Hall, Silas Goodrich, Robert
Frazier, Peter
Crouzatt, John Baptiest la Page, Francis Labiech, Hue
McNeal, William
Werner, Thomas P. Howard, Peter Wiser, and John B.
Thompson.
Interpreters,
George Drewyer and Tauasant Charbono also a Black man by
the name of York,
servant to Capt. Clark, an Indian Woman wife to
Charbono with a
young child, and a Mandan man who had promised us to
accompany us as far
as the Snake Indians with a view to bring about a
good understanding
and friendly intercourse between that nation and his
own, the Minetares
and Ahwahharways.
Our vessels
consisted of six small canoes, and two large perogues. This
little fleet altho
not quite so rispectable as those of Columbus or
Capt. Cook were
still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those
deservedly famed
adventurers ever beheld theirs; and I dare say with
quite as much
anxiety for their safety and preservation. we were now
about to penetrate
a country at least two thousand miles in width, on
which the foot of
civillized man had never trodden; the good or evil it
had in store for us
was for experiment yet to determine, and these
little vessells
contained every article by which we were to expect to
subsist or defend
ourselves. however as this the state of mind in which
we are, generally
gives the colouring to events, when the immagination
is suffered to
wander into futurity, the picture which now presented
itself to me was a
most pleasing one. entertaing as I do, the most
confident hope of
succeading in a voyage which had formed a darling
project of mine for
the last ten years, I could but esteem this moment
of my departure as
among the most happy of my life. The party are in
excellent health
and sperits, zealously attatched to the enterprise,
and anxious to
proceed; not a whisper of murmur or discontent to be
heard among them,
but all act in unison, and with the most perfect
harmony. I took an
early supper this evening and went to bed. Capt.
Clark myself the
two Interpretters and the woman and child sleep in a
tent of dressed
skins. this tent is in the Indian stile, formed of a
number of dressed
Buffaloe skins sewed together with sinues. it is cut
in such manner that
when foalded double it forms the quarter of a
circle, and is left
open at one side where it may be attatched or
loosened at
pleasure by strings which are sewed to its sides to the
purpose. to erect
this tent, a parsel of ten or twelve poles are
provided, fore or
five of which are attatched together at one end, they
are then elivated
and their lower extremities are spread in a circular
manner to a width
proportionate to the demention of the lodge, in the
same position
orther poles are leant against those, and the leather is
then thrown over
them forming a conic figure.
[Clark, April 7,
1805]
7th of April
Satturday 1805"
a windey day, The
Interpreter we Sent to the Villages returned with
Chief of the
Ricara's & 3 men of that nation this Chief informed us
that he was Sent by
his nation to Know the despositions of the nations
in this
neighbourhood in respect to the recara's Settleing near them,
that he had not yet
made those arrangements, he request that we would
Speek to the
Assinniboins, & Crow Inds. in their favour, that they
wished to follow
our directions and be at peace with all, he viewed all
nations in this
quarter well disposed except the Sioux. The wish of
those recaras
appears to be a junction with the Mandans & Minetarras in
a Defensive war
with the Sioux who rob them of every Spece of property
in Such a manner
that they Cannot live near them any longer. I told
this Chief we were
glad to See him, and we viewed his nation as the
Dutifull Children
of a Great father who would extend his protection to
all those who would
open their ears to his good advice, we had already
Spoken to the
Assinniboins, and Should Speeke to the Crow Indians if we
Should See them
&c. as to the Sioux their Great father would not let
them have any more
good Guns &c. would take Care to prosu Such measurs
as would provent
those Sioux from Murding and taking the property from
his dutyfull red
Children &c.- we gave him a certificate of his good
Conduct & a
Small Medal, a Carrot of Tobacco and a String of Wompom- he
requested that one
of his men who was lame might decend in the boat to
their nation and
returned to the Mandans well Satisfied
The name of this
Chief of War is Kah-kah, we to-Raven brave.
This Cheif delivered
us a letter from Mr. Taboe. informing us of the
wish of the Grand
Chiefs of the Ricarras to visit their Great father
and requesting the
privolage of put'g on board the boat 3000 w of Skins
&c. &
adding 4 hands and himself to the party. this preposeal we Shall
agree to, as that
addition will make the party in the boat 15 Strong
and more able to
defend themselves from the Seoux &c.
[Clark, April 7,
1805]
Fort Mandan April
7th 1805"
Sunday, at 4 oClock
P M, the Boat, in which was 6 Soldiers 2 frenchmen
& an Indian,
all under the command of a corporal who had the charge of
dispatches,
&c.-and a Canoe with 2 french men, Set out down the river
for St. Louis. at
the same time we Sout out on our voyage up the river
in 2 perogues and 6
canoes, and proceded on to the 1st villg. of
Mandans &
Camped on the S. S.- our party consisting of Sergt. Nathaniel
Pryor Sgt. John
Ordway Sgt. Pat. Gass, William Bratten, John Colter
Joseph & Reubin
Fields, John Shields George Gibson George Shannon, John
Potts, John
Collins, Jos. Whitehouse, Richard Windser, Alexander
Willard, Hugh Hall,
Silas Gutrich, Robert Frazure, Peter Crouzat, John
Baptiest la page,
Francis Labich, Hugh McNeal, William Werner, Thomas
P. Howard, Peter
Wiser, J. B. Thompson and my Servent york, George
Drewyer who acts as
a hunter & interpreter, Shabonah and his Indian
Squar to act as an
Interpreter & interpretress for the snake
Indians-one Mandan
& Shabonahs infant. Sah-kah-gar we a
[Lewis, April 8,
1805]
April 8th Set out
early this morning, the wind blew hard against us
from the N. W. we
therefore traveled very slowly. I walked on shore,
and visited the
black Cat, took leave of him after smoking a pipe as is
their custom, and
then proceeded on slowly by land about four miles
where I wated the
arrival of the party, at 12 Oclock they came up and
informed me that
one of the small canoes was behind in distress. Capt
Clark returned foud
she had filled with water and all her loading wet.
we lost half a bag
of hisquit, and about thirty pounds of powder by
this accedent; the
powder we regard as a serious loss, but we spread it
to dry immediately
and hope we shall still be enabled to restore the
greater part of it.
this was the only powder we had which was not
perfectly secure
from geting wet. we took dinner at this place, and
then proceed on to
oure encampment, which was on the S. side opposite
to a high bluff.
the Mandan man came up after we had encamped and
brought with him a
woman who was extreemly solicitous to accompany one
of the men of our
party, this however we positively refused to permit.
From the upper
point on an island (being the point to which Capt. Clark
took his last
course when he assended the river in surch of a place for
winter quarters 1st
November last) to a point of wood land Stard side,
passing a high
bluff on the Lard. N 40° W. 31/2
[Clark, April 8,
1805]
8th of April Monday
1805
Set out verry early
wind hard a head from the N. W. proceeded on passed
all the villages
the inhabitents of which flocked down in great numbers
to view us, I took
my leave of the great Chief of the Mandans who gave
me a par of
excellent mockersons, one Canoe filed with water every
thing in her got
wet. 2/3 of a barrel of powder lost by this accedent.
Camped on the S. S.
opsd. a high bluff an Indian joined us, also an
Indian woman with a
view to accompany us, the woman was Sent back the
man being
acquainted with the Countrey we allowed him to accompanie ns
[Lewis, April 9,
1805]
Tuesday April 9th
Set out as early as
it was possible to see this morning and proceed
about five miles
where we halted and took beakfas- the Indian man who
had promised us to
accompany us as far as the Snake Indians, now
informed us of his
intention to relinquish the journey, and accordingly
returned to his
village. we saw a great number of brant passing up the
river, some of them
were white, except the large feathers in the first
and second joint of
the wing which are black. there is no other
difference between
them and the common gray brant but that of their
colour- their note
and habits are the same, and they are freequently
seen to associate
together. I have not yet positively determined
whether they are
the same, or a different species.- Capt Clark walked
on shore to-day and
informed me on his return, that passing through the
prarie he had seen
an anamal that precisely resembled the burrowing
squrril, accept in
point of size, it being only about one third as
large as the
squirrel, and that it also burrows. I have observed in
many parts of the
plains and praries the work of an anamal of which I
could never obtain
a view. their work resembles that of the salamander
common to the sand
hills of the States of South Carolina and Georgia;
and like that
anamal also it never appears above the ground. the little
hillocks which are
thrown up by these anamals have much the appearance
of ten or twelve
pounds of loose earth poared out of a vessel on the
surface of the
plain. in the state they leave them you can discover no
whole through which
they throw out this earth; but by removing the
loose earth gently
you may discover that the soil has been broken in a
circle manner for
about an inch and a half in diameter, where it
appears looser than
the adjacent surface, and is certainly the place
through which the
earth has been thrown out, tho the operation is
performed without
leaving any visible aperture.- the Bluffs of the
river which we
passed today were upwards of a hundred feet high, formed
of a mixture of
yellow clay and sand- many horizontal stratas of
carbonated wood,
having every appearance of pitcoal at a distance; were
seen in the the
face of these bluffs. these stratas are of unequal
thicknesses from I
to 5 feet, and appear at different elivations above
the water some of
them as much as eighty feet. the hills of the river
are very broken and
many of them have the apearance of having been on
fire at some former
period. considerable quantities of pumice stone and
lava appear in many
parts of these hills where they are broken and
washed down by the
rain and melting snow. when we halted for dinner the
squaw busied
herself in serching for the wild artichokes which the mice
collect and deposit
in large hoards. this operation she performed by
penetrating the
earth with a sharp stick about some small collections
of drift wood. her
labour soon proved successful, and she procurrd a
good quantity of
these roots. the flavor of this root resembles that of
the Jerusalem
Artichoke, and the stalk of the weed which produces it is
also similar, tho
both the root and stalk are much smaller than the
Jarusalem
Artichoke. the root is white and of an ovate form, from one
to three inches in
length and usually about the size of a man's finger.
one stalk produces from
two to four, and somitimes six of these roots.
at the distance of
6 miles passed a large wintering or hunting camp of
the Minetares on
the Stard. side. these lodges about thirty in number
are built of earth
and timber in their usual stile. 21/4 miles higher
we passed the
entrance of Miry Creek, which discharges itself on the
Stard. side. this
creek is but small, takes it's rise in some small
lakes near the
Mouse river and passes in it's course to the Missouri,
through beatifull,
level, and fertile plains, intirely destitute of
timber.- Three
miles above the mouth of this creek we passed a hunting
camp of Minetares
who had prepared a park and were wating the return of
the Antelope; which
usually pass the Missouri at this season of the
year from the Black
hills on the South side, to the open plains on the
north side of the
river; in like manner the Antelope repasses the
Missouri from N. to
South in the latter end of Autumn, and winter in
the black hills,
where there is considerable bodies of woodland. we
proceed on 111/2
miles further and encamped on the N. side in a most
beatifull high
extensive open bottom
[Clark, April 9,
1805]
9th of April
Tuesday 1805.
Set out this
morning verry early under a gentle breeze from the S. E.
at Brackfast the
Indian deturmined to return to his nation. I saw a
Musquetor to day
great numbers of Brant flying up the river, the Maple,
& Elm has buded
& Cotton and arrow wood beginning to bud. I saw in the
prarie an animal
resembling the Prarie dog or Barking Squirel & burrow
in the Same way,
this animal was about 1/3 as large as the barking
Squirel. But fiew
resident birds or water fowls which I have Seen as
yet at 6 miles
passed an old hunting camp of Menitarrees on the S. S.
21/2 miles higher
passed the mouth of Miry Creek on the S. S. passed a
hunting Camp of
Minetarees on the S. S. waiting the return of the
Antilope, Saw Great
numbers of Gees feedin in the Praries on the young
grass, I saw
flowers in the praries to day, juniper grows on the Sides
of the hills, &
runs on the ground all the hills have more or Less
indefferent Coal in
Stratias at different bites from the waters edge to
80 feet. those
Stratias from 1 inch to 5 feet thick. we Campd. on the
S. S. above some
rocks makeing out in the river in a butifull ellivated
plain.
[Lewis, April 10,
1805]
Wednesday April
10th 1805.
Set out at an early
hour this morning at the distance of three miles
passed some
Minetares who had assembled themselves on the Lard shore to
take a view of our
little fleet. Capt Clark walked on shore today, for
several hours, when
he returned he informed me that he had seen a gang
of Antelopes in the
plains but was unable to get a shoot at them he
also saw some geese
and swan. the geese are now feeding in considerable
numbers on the
young grass which has sprung up in the bottom prariesthe
Musquetoes were
very troublesome to us today. The country on both sides
of the missouri
from the tops of the river hills, is one continued
level fertile plain
as far as the eye can reach, in which there is not
even a solitary
tree or shrub to be seen except such as from their
moist situations or
the steep declivities of hills are sheltered from
the ravages of the
fire. at the distance of 12 miles from our
encampment of last
night we arrived at the lower point of a bluff on
the Lard side;
about 11/2 miles down this bluff from this point, the
bluff is now on
fire and throws out considerable quantities of smoke
which has a strong
sulphurious smell. the appearance of the coal in the
blufs continues as
yesterday. at 1 P.M. we overtook three french
hunters who had set
out a few days before us with a view of traping
beaver; they had
taken 12 since they left Fort Mandan. these people
avail themselves of
the protection which our numbers will enable us to
give them against
the Assinniboins who sometimes hunt on the Missouri
and intend
ascending with us as far as the mouth of the Yellow stone
river and continue
there hunt up that river. this is the first essay of
a beaver hunter of
any discription on this river. the beaver these
people have already
taken is by far the best I have ever seen. the
river bottoms we
have passed to-day are wider and possess more timber
than usualthe
courant of the Missouri is but moderate, at least not
greater than that
of the Ohio in high tide; it's banks are falling in
but little; the
navigation is therefore comparitively with it's lower
portion easy and
safe.- we encamped this evening on a willow point,
Stard. side just
above a remarkable bend in the river to the S. W.
which we called the
little bason.-
[Clark, April 10,
1805]
10th of April
Wednesday 1805
Set out verry
early. the morning cool and no wind proceeded on passed a
camp of Inds. on
the L. S. this day proved to be verry worm, the
Misquetors
troublesom. I Saw Several Antilope on the S. S. also gees &
Swan, we over took
3 french men Trappers The countrey to day as usial
except that the
points of Timber is larger than below, the Coal
Continue to day,
one man Saw a hill on fire at no great distance from
the river, we
camped on the S. S. just above a remarkable bend in the
river to the S W,
which we call the little bacon.
[Lewis, April 11,
1805]
Thursday April 11th
Set out at an early
hour; I proceeded with the party and Capt Clark
with George Drewyer
walked on shore in order to procure some fresh meat
if possible. we
proceeded on abot five miles, and halted for breakfast,
when Capt Clark and
Drewyer joined us; the latter had killed, and
brought with him a
deer which was at this moment excepable as we had
had no fresh meat
for several days. the country from fort Mandan to
this place is so
constantly hunted by the Minetaries that there is but
little game we
halted at two P.M. and made a comfortable dinner on a
venison stake and
beavers tales with the bisquit which got wet on the
8th inst. by the
accidant of the canoe filling with water before
mentioned. the
powder which got wet by the same accedent, and which we
had spread to dry
on the baggage of the large perogue, was now examined
and put up; it
appears to be almost restored, and our loss is therefore
not so great as we
had at first apprehended.- the country much the same
as yesterday. on
the sides of the hills and even the banks of the
rivers and
sandbars, there is a white substance that appears in
considerable
quantities on the surface of the earth, which tastes like
a mixture of common
salt and glauber salts. many of the springs which
flow from the base
of the river hills are so strongly impregnated with
this substance that
the water is extreemly unpleasant to the taste and
has a purgative
effect.- saw some large white cranes pass up the river-
these are the
largest bird of that genus common to the country through
which the Missouri
and Mississippi pass. they are perfectly white
except the large
feathers of the two first joints of the wing which are
black. we encamped
this evening on the Stard. shore just above the
point of woodland
which formed to extremity of the last course of this
day. there is a
high bluff opposite to us, under which we saw some
Indians, but the
river is here so wide that we could not speake to
them; suppose them
to be a hunting party of Minetares.- we killed two
gees today.
[Clark, April 11, 1805]
11th of April
Thursday 1805
Set out verry early
I walked on Shore, Saw fresh bear tracks, one deer
& 2 beaver
killed this morning in the after part of the day killed two
gees; Saw great
numbers of Gees Brant & Mallard Some White Cranes Swan
& guls, the
plains begin to have a green appearance, the hills on
either side are
from 5 to 7 miles asunder and in maney places have been
burnt, appearing at
a distance of a redish brown choler, containing
Pumic Stone &
lava, Some of which rolin down to the base of those
hills- In maney of
those hills forming bluffs to the river we procieve
Several Stratums of
bituminious Substance which resembles Coal; thong
Some of the pieces
appear to be excellent Coal it resists the fire for
Some time, and
consumes without emiting much flaim.
The plains are high
and rich Some of them are Sandy Containing Small
pebble, and on Some
of the hill Sides large Stones are to be Seen- In
the evening late we
observed a party of Me ne tar ras on the L. S. with
horses and dogs
loaded going down, those are a part of the Menetarras
who camped a little
above this with the Ossinniboins at the mouth of
the little Missouri
all the latter part of the winter we Camped on the
S. S. below a
falling in bank. the river raise a little.
[Lewis, April 12,
1805]
Friday April the
12th 1805.
Set out at an early
hour. our peroge and the Canoes passed over to the
Lard side in order
to avoid a bank which was rappidly falling in on the
Stard. the red
perogue contrary to my expectation or wish passed under
this bank by means
of her toe line where I expected to have seen her
carried under every
instant. I did not discover that she was about to
make this attempt
untill it was too late for the men to reembark, and
retreating is more
dangerous than proceeding in such cases; they
therefore continued
their passage up this bank, and much to my
satisfaction
arrived safe above it. this cost me some moments of
uneasiness, her
cargo was of much importance to us in our present
advanced situation-
We proceeded on six miles and came too on the lower
side of the
entrance of the little Missouri on the Lard shore in a fine
plain where we
determined to spend the day for the purpose of celestial
observation. we
sent out 10 hunters to procure some fresh meat. at this
place made the
following observations.-
The night proved so
cloudy that I could make no further observations.
George Drewyer shot
a Beaver this morning, which we found swiming in
the river a small
distance below the entrance of the little Missouri.
the beaver being
seen in the day, is a proof that they have been but
little hunted, as
they always keep themselves closly concealed during
the day where they
are so.- found a great quantity of small onions in
the plain where we
encamped; had some of them collected and cooked,
found them
agreeable. the bulb grows single, is of an oval form, white,
and about the size
of a small bullet; the leaf resembles that of the
shive, and the
hunters returned this eying with one deer only. the
country about the
mouth of this river had been recently hunted by the
Minetares, and the
little game which they had not killed and frightened
away, was so
extreemly shy that the hunters could not get in shoot of
them.
The little Missouri
disembogues on the S. side of the Missouri 1693
miles from the
confluence of the latter with the Mississippi. it is 134
yards wide at it's
mouth, and sets in with a bould current but it's
greatest debth is
not more than 21/2 feet. it's navigation is extreemly
difficult, owing to
it's rapidity, shoals and sand bars. it may however
be navigated with
small canoes a considerable distance. this river
passes through the
Northern extremity of the black hills where it is
very narrow and
rapid and it's banks high an perpendicular. it takes
it's rise in a
broken country West of the Black hills with the waters
of the yellow stone
river, and a considerable distance S. W. of the
point at which it
passes the black hills. the country through which it
passes is generally
broken and the highlands possess but little timber.
there is some
timber in it's bottom lands, which consists of Cottonwood
red Elm, with a
small proportion of small Ash and box alder. the under
brush is willow,
red wood, (sometimes called red or swamp willow-) the
red burry, and
Choke cherry the country is extreamly broken about the
mouth of this
river, and as far up on both sides, as we could observe
it from the tops of
some elivated hills, which stand betwen these two
rivers, about 3
miles from their junction. the soil appears fertile and
deep, it consists
generally of a dark rich loam intermixed with a small
proportion of fine
sand. this river in it's course passed near the N.
W. side of the
turtle mountain, which is said to be no more than 4 or 5
leagues distant
from it's entrance in a straight direction, a little to
the S. of West.-
this mountain and the knife river have therefore been
laid down too far
S. W. the colour of the water, the bed of the river,
and it's appearance
in every respect, resembles the Missouri; I am
therefore induced
to believe that the texture of the soil of the
country in which it
takes it's rise, and that through which it passes,
is similar to the
country through which the Missouri passes after
leaving the woody
country, or such as we are now in.- on the side of a
hill not distant
from our camp I found some of the dwarf cedar of which
I preserved a
specimen (See No. 2). this plant spreads it's limbs
alonge the surface
of the earth, where they are sometimes covered, and
always put forth a
number of roots on the under side, while on the
upper there are a
great number of small shoots which with their leaves
seldom rise higher
than 6 or eight inches. they grow so close as
perfectly to
conceal the eath. it is an evergreen; the leaf is much
more delicate than
the common Cedar, and it's taste and smell the same.
I have often
thought that this plant would make very handsome edgings
to the borders and
walks of a garden; it is quite as handsom as box,
and would be much
more easily propegated.- the appearance of the
glauber salts and
Carbonated wood still continue.
[Clark, April 12,
1805]
12th April Friday
1805
a fine morning Set
out verry early, the murcery Stood 56° above 0.
proceeded on to the
mouth of the Little Missouri river and formed a
Camp in a butifull
elivated plain on the lower Side for the purpose of
takeing Some
observations to fix the Latitude & Longitude of this
river. this river
falls in on the L. Side and is 134 yards wide and 2
feet 6 Inches deep
at the mouth, it takes its rise in the N W extremity
of the black
mountains, and through a broken countrey in its whole
course washing the
N W base of the Turtle Mountain which is Situated
about 6 Leagues S W
of its mouth, one of our men Baptiest who came down
this river in a
canoe informs me that it is not navagable, he was 45
days descending.
One of our men Shot
a beaver Swimming below the mouth of this river.
I walked out on the
lower Side of this river and found the countrey
hilley the Soil
composed of black mole & a Small perportion of Sand
containing great
quantity of Small peable Some limestone, black flint,
& Sand Stone I
killed a Hare Changeing its Colour Some parts retaining
its long white fur
& other parts assumeing the Short grey, I Saw the
Magpie in pars,
flocks of Grouse, the old field lark & Crows, &
observed the leaf
of the wild Chery half grown, many flowers are to be
seen in the plains,
remains of Minetarra & Ossinneboin hunting Camps
are to be Seen on
each Side of the two Missouris
The wind blew verry
hard from the S. all the after part of the day, at
3 oClock P M. it
became violent & flowey accompanied with thunder and a
little rain. We
examined our canoes &c found Several mice which had
already commenced
cutting our bags of corn & parched meal, the water of
the little Missouri
is of the Same texture Colour & quallity of that of
the Big Missouri
the after part of the day so Cloudy that we lost the
evening
observation.
[Lewis, April 13,
1805]
Saturday April 13th
Being disappointed
in my observations of yesterday for Longitude, I was
unwilling to remain
at the entrance of the river another day for that
purpose, and
therefore determined to set out early this morning; which
we did accordingly;
the wind was in our favour after 9 A.M. and
continued
favourable untill three 3 P.M. we therefore hoisted both the
sails in the White
Perogue, consisting of a small squar sail, and
spritsail, which
carried her at a pretty good gate, untill about 2 in
the afternoon when
a suddon squall of wind struck us and turned the
perogue so much on
the side as to allarm Sharbono who was steering at
the time, in this
state of alarm he threw the perogue with her side to
the wind, when the
spritsail gibing was as near overseting the perogue
as it was possible
to have missed. the wind however abating for an
instant I ordered
Drewyer to the helm and the sails to be taken in,
which was instant
executed and the perogue being steered before the
wind was agin
placed in a state of security. this accedent was very
near costing us
dearly. beleiving this vessell to be the most steady
and safe, we had
embarked on board of it our instruments, Papers,
medicine and the
most valuable part of the merchandize which we had
still in reserve as
presents for the Indians. we had also embarked on
board ourselves,
with three men who could not swim and the squaw with
the young child,
all of whom, had the perogue overset, would most
probably have
perished, as the waves were high, and the perogue upwards
of 200 yards from
the nearest shore; however we fortunately escaped and
pursued our journey
under the square sail, which shortly after the
accident I directed
to be again hoisted. our party caught three beaver
last evening; and
the French hunters 7. as there was much appearance of
beaver just above
the entrance of the little Missouri these hunters
concluded to remain
some days; we therefore left them without the
expectation of
seeing them again.- just above the entrance of the
Little Missouri the
great Missouri is upwards of a mile in width, tho
immediately at the
entrance of the former it is not more than 200 yards
wide and so shallow
that the canoes passed it with seting poles. at the
distance of nine
miles passed the mouth of a creek on the Stard. side
which we called
onion creek from the quantity of wild onions which grow
in the plains on
it's borders. Capt. Clark who was on shore informed me
that this creek was
16 yards wide a mile & a half above it's entrance,
discharges more
water than creeks of it's size usually do in this open
country, and that
there was not a stick of timber of any discription to
be seen on it's
borders, or the level plain country through which it
passes. at the
distance of 10 miles further we passed the mouth of a
large creek;
discharging itself in the center of a deep bend. of this
creek and the
neighbouring country, Capt Clark who was on shore gave me
the following
discription "This creek I took to be a small river from
it's size, and the
quantity of water which it discharged. I ascended it
11/2 miles, and
found it the discharge of a pond or small lake, which
had the appearance
of having formerly been the bed of the Missouri.
several small
streems discharge themselves into this lake. the country
on both sides
consists of beautifull level and elivated plains;
asscending as they
recede from the Missouri; there were a great number
of Swan and gees in
this lake and near it's borders I saw the remains
of 43 temperary
Indian lodges, which I presume were those of the
Assinniboins who
are now in the neighbourhood of the British
establishments on
the Assinniboin river-" This lake and it's discharge
we call Boos Egg
from the circumstance of Capt Clark shooting a goose
while on her nest
in the top of a lofty cotton wood tree, from which we
afterwards took one
egg. the wild gees frequently build their nests in
this manner, at
least we have already found several in trees, nor have
we as yet seen any
on the ground, or sand bars where I had supposed
from previous
information that they most commonly deposited their eggs.-
saw some Bufhaloe and Elk at a distance today
but killed none of them.
we found a number
of carcases of the Buffaloe lying along shore, which
had been drowned by
falling through the ice in winter and lodged on
shore by the high
water when the river broke up about the first of this
month. we saw also
many tracks of the white bear of enormous size,
along the river
shore and about the carcases of the Buffaloe, on which
I presume they
feed. we have not as yet seen one of these anamals, tho
their tracks are so
abundant and recent. the men as well as ourselves
are anxious to meet
with some of these bear. the Indians give a very
formidable account
of the strengh and ferocity of this anamal, which
they never dare to
attack but in parties of six eight or ten persons;
and are even then
frequently defeated with the loss of one or more of
their party. the
savages attack this anamal with their bows and arrows
and the indifferent
guns with which the traders furnish them, with
these they shoot
with such uncertainty and at so short a distance, that
they frequently mis
their aim & fall a sacrefice to the bear. two
Minetaries were
killed during the last winter in an attack on a white
bear. this anamall
is said more frequently to attack a man on meeting
with him, than to
flee from him. When the Indians are about to go in
quest of the white
bear, previous to their departure, they paint
themselves and
perform all those superstitious rights commonly observed
when they are about
to make war uppon a neighbouring nation. Oserved
more bald eagles on
this part of the Missouri than we have previously
seen saw the small
hawk, frequently called the sparrow hawk, which is
common to most
parts of the U States. great quantities of gees are seen
feeding in the
praries. saw a large flock of white brant or gees with
black wings pass up
the river; there were a number of gray brant with
them; from their
flight I presume they proceed much further still to
the N. W.- we have
never been enabled yet to shoot one of these birds,
and cannot
therefore determine whether the gray brant found with the
white are their
brude of the last year or whether they are the same
with the grey brant
common to the Mississippi and lower part of the
Missouri.- we
killed 2 Antelopes today which we found swiming from the
S. to the N. side
of the river; they were very poor.- We encamped this
evening on the
Stard. shore in a beautiful) plain, elivated about 30
feet above the
river.
[Clark, April 13,
1805]
13th of April
Satturday 1805
Set out this
morning at 6 oClock, the Missouri above the mouth of
Little Missouri
widens to nearly a mile containing a number of Sand
bars this width
&c. of the River Continues Generally as high as the
Rochejhone River.
Cought 3 beaver
this morning, at 9 miles passd. the mouth of a Creek on
the S. S. on the
banks of which there is an imence quantity of wild
onions or garlick,
I was up this Creek 1/2 a m. and could not See one
Stick of timber of
any kind on its borders, this creek is 16 yds wide
1/2 a mile up it
and discharges more water than is common for Creeks of
its Size. at about
10 miles higher we pass a Creek about 30 yards wide
in a deep bend to
the N W. This creek I took to be a Small river from
its Size & the
quantity of water which it discharged, I ascended it
11/2 mes and found
it the discharge of a pond or Small Lake which has
appearance of
haveing been once the bead of the river, Some Small
Streams discharge
themselves into this Lake. the Countery on both Side
is butifull
elevated plains assending in Some parts to a great distance
near the aforesaid
Lake (which we call Goose egg L from a Circumstance
of my Shooting a
goose on her neast on Some Sticks in the top of a high
Cotton wood tree in
which there was one egg) We Saw 8 buffalow at a
distance, We also
Saw Several herds of Elk at a distance which were
verry wild, I Saw
near the Lake the remains of 43 lodges, which has
latterly been
abandond I Suppose them to have been Ossinniboins and now
near the british
establishments on the Ossinniboin River tradeing. we
camped on the S. S.
in a butifull Plain. I observe more bald Eagles on
this part of the
Missouri than usial also a Small Hawk Killed 2
Antelopes in the
river to day emence numbers of Geese to be seen pared
&c. a Gange of
brant pass one half of the gange white with black wings
or the large
feathers of the 1 s & 2d joint the remds. of the comn.
color. a voice much
like that of a goos & finer &c.
[Lewis, April 14,
1805]
Sunday April 14th
1805.
One of the hunters
saw an Otter last evening and shot at it, but missed
it. a dog came to
us this morning, which we supposed to have been lost
by the Indians who
were recently encamped near the lake that we passed
yesterday. the
mineral appearances of salts, coal and sulpher, together
with birnt hills
& pumicestone still continue.- while we remained at
the entrance of the
little Missouri, we saw several pieces of pumice
stone floating down
that stream, a considerable quanty of which had
lodged against a
point of drift wood a little above it's entrance.
Capt. Clark walked
on shore this morning, and on his return informed me
that he had passed
through the timbered bottoms on the N. side of the
river, and had
extended his walk several miles back on the hills; in
the bottom lands he
had met with several uninhabited Indian lodges
built with the
boughs of the Elm, and in the plains he met with the
remains of two
large encampments of a recent date, which from the
appearance of some
hoops of small kegs, seen near them we concluded
that they must have
been the camps of the Assinniboins, as no other
nation who visit
this part of the missouri ever indulge themselves with
spirituous liquor.
of this article the Assinniboins are pationately
fond, and we are
informed that it forms their principal inducement to
furnish the British
establishments on the Assinniboin river with the
dryed and pounded
meat and grease which they do. they also supply those
establishments with
a small quantity of fur, consisting principally of
the large and small
wolves and the small fox skins. these they barter
for small kegs of
ruin which they generally transport to their camps at
a distance from the
establishments, where they revel with their friends
and relations as
long as they possess the means of intoxication, their
women and children
are equally indulged on those occations and are all
seen drunk
together. so far is a state of intoxication from being a
cause of reproach
among them, that with the men, it is a matter of
exultation that
their skill and industry as hunters has enabled them to
get drunk
frequently. in their customs, habits, and dispositions these
people very much
resemble the Siouxs from whom they have descended. The
principal
inducement with the British fur companies, for continuing
their establishments
on the Assinniboin river, is the Buffaloe meat and
grease they procure
from the Assinniboins, and Christanoes, by means of
which, they are
enabled to supply provision to their engages on their
return from rainy
Lake to the English river and the Athabaskey country
where they winter;
without such resource those voyagers would
frequently be
straitened for provision, as the country through which
they pass is but
scantily supplyed with game, and the rappidity with
which they are
compelled to travel in order to reach their winter
stations, would
leave therm but little leasure to surch for food while
on their voyage.
The Assinniboins
have so recently left this neighbourhood, that the
game is scarce and
very shy. the river continues wide, and not more
rapid than the Ohio
in an averge state of it's current. the bottoms are
wide and low, the
moister parts containing some timber; the upland is
extreemly broken,
chonsisting of high gaulded nobs as far as the eye
can reach on ether
side, and entirely destitute of timber. on these
hills many aromatic
herbs are seen; resembling in taste, smel and
appearance, the
sage, hysop, wormwood, southernwood and two other herbs
which are strangers
to me; the one resembling the camphor in taste and
smell, rising to
the hight of 2 or 3 feet; the other about the same
size, has a long,
narrow, smooth, soft leaf of an agreeable smel and
flavor; of this
last the Atelope is very fond; they feed on it, and
perfume the hair of
their foreheads and necks with it by rubing against
it. the dwarf cedar
and juniper is also found in great abundance on the
sides of these
hills. where the land is level, it is uniformly fertile
consisting of a
dark loam intermixed with a proportion of fine sand. it
is generally
covered with a short grass resembling very much the blue
grass.- the miniral
appearances still continue; considerable quantities
of bitumenous
water, about the colour of strong lye trickles down the
sides of the hills;
this water partakes of the taste of glauber salts
and slightly of allumn.-
while the party halted to take dinner today
Capt Clark killed a
buffaloe bull; it was meagre, and we therefore took
the marrow bones
and a small proportion of the meat only. near the
place we dined on
the Lard. side, there was a large village of
burrowing
squirrels. I have remarked that these anamals generally
celect a South
Easterly exposure for their residence, tho they are
sometimes found in
the level plains.- passed an Island, above which two
small creeks fall
in on Lard side; the upper creek largest, which we
called Sharbono's
Creek after our interpreter who encamped several
weeks on it with a
hunting party of Indians. this was the highest point
to which any
whiteman had ever ascended; except two Frenchmen who
having lost their
way had straggled a few miles further, tho to what
place precisely I
could not learn.- I walked on shore above this creek
and killed an Elk,
which was so poor that it was unfit for uce; I
therefore left it,
and joined the party at their encampment on the
Stard shore a
little after dark. on my arrival Capt Clark informed me
that he had seen
two white bear pass over the hills shortly after I
fired, and that
they appeared to run nearly from the place where I
shot. the lard.
shore on which I walked was very broken, and the hills
in many places had
the appearance of having sliped down in masses of
several acres of
land in surface.- we saw many gees feeding on the
tender grass in the
praries and several of their nests in the trees; we
have not in a
single instance found the nest of this bird on or near
the ground. we saw
a number of Magpies their nests and eggs. their
nests are built in
trees and composed of small sticks leaves and grass,
open at top, and
much in the stile of the large blackbird comm to the U
States. the egg is
of a bluish brown colour, freckled with redish brown
spots. one of the
party killed a large hooting owl. I observed no
difference between
this burd and those of the same family common to the
U States, except
that this appeared to be more booted and more thickly
clad with
feathers.-
[Clark, April 14,
1805]
14th of April
Sunday 1805.
a fine morning, a
dog came to us this morning we Suppose him to be left
by the Inds. who
had their camps near the Lake we passd. yesterday not
long Sence, I
observed Several Single Lodges built of Stiks of cotten
timber in different
parts of the bottoms. in my walk of this day which
was through the
wooded bottoms and on the hills for several miles back
from the river on
the S. S. I Saw the remains of two Indian incampments
with wide beeten
tracks leading to them. those were no doubt the Camps
of the Ossinnaboin
Indians (a Strong evidence is hoops of Small Kegs
were found in the
incampments) no other nation on the river above the
Sioux make use of
Spiritious licquer, the Ossinniboins is said to be
pasionately fond of
Licquer, and is the principal inducement to their
putting themselves
to the trouble of Catching the fiew wolves and foxes
which they furnish,
and recive their liquor always in small Kegs. The
Ossinniboins make
use of the Same kind of Lodges which the Sioux and
other Indians on
this river make use of- Those lodges or tents are made
of a number of
dressed buffalow Skins Sowed together with Sinues &
deckerated with the
tales, & Porcupine quils, when open it forms a half
circle with a part
about 4 Inches wide projecting about 8 or 9 Inches
from the center of
the Streight Side for the purpose of attaching it to
a pole to it the
hight they wish to raise the tent, when they errect
this tent four
poles of equal length are tied near one end, those poles
are elevated and 8
10 or 12 other poles are anexed forming a Circle at
the ground and
lodging in the forks of the four attached poles, the
tents are then raised,
by attach the projecting part to a pole and
incumpassing the
poles with the tent by bringing the two ends together
and attached with a
Cord, or laied as high as is necessary, leaveing
the lower part open
for about 4 feet for to pass in & out, and the top
is generally left
open to admit the Smoke to pass- The Borders of the
river has been So
much hunted by those Indians who must have left it
about 8 or 10 days
past and I prosume are now in the neighbourhood of
British
establishments on the Osinniboin; the game is Scerce and verry
wild. The River
Continues wide and the current jentle not more rapid
than the Current of
the Ohio in middle State- The bottoms are wide and
low and the moist
parts of them Contain Som wood such as cotton Elm &
Small ash, willow
rose bushes &c. &c. &. next to the hills Great
quantity of wild
Isoop, the hills are high broken in every direction,
and the mineral
appearance of Salts Continue to appear in a greater
perportion, also
Sulpher, Coal & bitumous water in a Smaller quantity,
I have observed but
five burnt hills, about the little Missouri, and I
have not Seen any
pumey stone above that River I Saw Buffalow on the L.
S. Crossed and
dureing the time of dinner killed a Bull, which was
pore, we made use
of the best of it, I Saw a village of Burrowing dogs
on the L. S. passed
a Island above which two Small Creeks falls in on
the L. S. the upper
of which is the largest and we call Shabonas Creek
after our
interpreter who incamped several weeks on this Creek and is
the highest point
on the Missouri to which a white man has been
previous to this
time. Capt. Lewis walked out above this creek and
killed an Elk which
he found So meager that it was not fit for use, and
joined the boat at
Dusk at our Camp on the S. S. opposit a high hill
Several parts of
which had Sliped down. on the Side of those hills we
Saw two white bear
running from the report of Capt. Lewis Shot, those
animals assended
those Steep hills with Supprising ease & verlocity.
they were too far
to discover their prosise Colour & Size- Saw Several
gees nests on
trees, also the nests & egs of the Magpies, a large grey
owl killed, booted
& with ears &c.
[Lewis, April 15,
1805]
Monday April 15th
1805.
Set out at an early
hour this morning. I walked on shore, and Capt.
Clark continued
with the party it being an invariable rule with us not
to be both absent
from our vessels at the same time. I passed through
the bottoms of the
river on the Stard. side. they were partially
covered with timber
& were extensive, level and beatifull. in my walk
which was about 6
miles I passed a small rivulet of clear water making
down from the
hills, which on tasting, I discovered to be in a small
degree brackish. it
possessed less of the glauber salt, or alumn, than
those little
streams from the hills usually do.- in a little pond of
water fromed by
this rivulet where it entered the bottom, I heard the
frogs crying for
the first time this season; their note was the same
with that of the
small frogs which are common to the lagoons and swamps
of the U States.- I
saw great quantities of gees feeding in the
bottoms, of which I
shot one. saw some deer and Elk, but they were
remarkably shy. I
also met with great numbers of Grouse or prarie hens
as they are called
by the English traders of the N. W. these birds
appeared to be
mating; the note of the male is kuck, kuck, kuck, coo,
coo, coo. the first
part of the note both male and female use when
flying. the male
also dubbs something like the pheasant, but by no
means as loud.
after breakfast Capt. Clark walked on the Std. shore,
and on his return
in the evening gave me the following account of his
ramble. "I
ascended to the high country, about 9 miles distant from the
Missouri. the
country consists of beatifull, level and fertile plains,
destitute of timber
I saw many little dranes, which took their rise in
the river hills,
from whence as far as I could see they run to the N.
E." these
streams we suppose to be the waters of Mous river a branch of
the Assinniboin
which the Indians informed us approaches the Missouri
very nearly, about
this point. "I passed," continued he, "a Creek about
20 yards
wide," which falls into the Missouri; the bottoms of this
creek are wide
level and extreemly fertile, but almost entirely
destitute of
timber. the water of this creek as well as all those
creeks and rivulets
which we have passed since we left Fort Mandan was
so strongly
impregnated with salts and other miniral substances that I
was incapable of
drinking it. I saw the remains of several camps of the
Assinniboins; near
one of which, in a small ravene, there was a park
which they had
formed of timber and brush, for the purpose of taking
the Cabrie or
Antelope. it was constructed in the following manner. a
strong pound was
first made of timbers, on one side of which there was
a small apparture,
sufficiently large to admit an Antelope; from each
side of this
apparture, a curtain was extended to a considerable
distance, widening
as they receded from the pound.- we passed a rock
this evening
standing in the middle of the river, and the bed of the
river was formed
principally of gravel. we encamped this evening on a
sand point on Lard.
side. a little above our encampment the river was
confined to a
channel of 80 yards in width.-
[Clark, April 15,
1805]
15th of April
Monday 1805
Set out at an early
hour, Captn Lewis walked on Shore and Killed a
goose, passed a
Island in a bend to the L. S. the wind hard from the S.
E. after brackfast
I walked on Shore and assended to the high Countrey
on the S. S. and
off from the Missouri about three miles the countrey
is butifull open
fertile plain the dreans take theer rise near the
Clifts of the river
and run from the river in a N E derection as far as
I could See, this
is the part of the River which Mouse river the waters
of Lake Winnipec
approaches within a fiew miles of Missouri, and I
believe those
dreans lead into that river. we passed a creek about 20
yds. wide on the S.
S. the bottoms of this Creek is extensive &
fertile, the water
of this as also, all the Streams which head a fiew
miles in the hills
discharge water which is black & unfit for use (and
can Safely Say that
I have not Seen one drop of water fit for use above
fort Mandan except
Knife and the little Missouris Rivers and the
Missouri, the other
Streams being So much impregnated with mineral as
to be verry
disagreeble in its present State.) I saw the remains of
Several Camps of
ossinniboins, near one of those camps & at no great
distance from the
mouth of the aforesid Creek, in a hollow, I saw a
large Strong pen
made for the purpose of Catching the antelope, with
wings projecting
from it widining from the pen
Saw Several gangs
of Buffalow and Some elk at a distance, a black bear
Seen from the
Perogues to day- passed a rock in the Middle of the
river, Some Smaller
rocks from that to the L. Shore, the dog that came
to us yesterday
morning continues to follow us, we camped on a Sand
point to the L. S.
[Lewis, April 16,
1805]
Tuesday April 16th
1805.
Set out very early
this morning. Capt. Clark walked on Shore this
morning, and killed
an Antelope, rejoined us at 1/2 after eight A.M.-
he informed me that
he had seen many Buffaloe Elk and deer in his
absence, and that
he had met with a great number of old hornets nests
in the woody
bottoms through which he had passed.- the hills of the
river still
continue extreemly broken for a few miles back, when it
becomes a fine
level country of open fertile lands immediately on the
river there are many
fine leavel extensive and extreemly fertile high
plains and meadows.
I think the quantity of timbered land on the river
is increasing. the
mineral appearances still continue. I met with
several stones
today that had the appearance of wood first carbonated
and then petrefyed
by the water of the river, which I have discovered
has that effect on
many vegitable substances when exposed to it's
influence for a
length of time. l believe it to be the stratas of Coal
seen in those hills
which causes the fire and birnt appearances
frequently met with
in this quarter. where those birnt appearances are
to be seen in the
face of the river bluffs, the coal is seldom seen,
and when you meet
with it in the neighbourhood of the stratas of birnt
earth, the coal
appears to be presisely at the same hight, and is
nearly of the same
thickness, togeter with the sand and a sulphurious
substance which
ususually accompanys it. there was a remarkable large
beaver caught by
one of the party last night. these anamals are now
very abundant. I
have met with several trees which have been felled by
them 20 Inches in
diameter. bark is their only food; and they appear to
prefer that of the
Cotton wood and willow; as we have never met with
any other species
of timber on the Missouri which had the appearance of
being cut by them.-
we passed three small creeks on the Stard. side.
they take their
rise in the river hills at no great distance. we saw a
great number of
geese today, both in the plains and on the river- I
have observed but
few ducks, those we have met with are the Mallard and
blue winged Teal
[Clark, April 16,
1805]
16th of April
Tuesday 1805
Wind hard from the
S. E I walked on Shore and Killed an antilope which
was verry meagre,
Saw great numbers of Elk & some buffalow & Deer, a
verry large Beaver
Cought this morning. Some verry handsom high planes
& extensive
bottoms, the mineral appearances of Coal & Salt together
with Some
appearance of Burnt hils continue. a number of old hornets
nests Seen in every
bottom more perticularly in the one opposit to the
place we camped
this night- the wooded bottoms are more extensive to
day than Common.
passed three Small Creeks on the S. S. to day which
take their rise in
the hills at no great distance, Great numbers of
Gees in the river
& in the Plains feeding on the Grass.
[Lewis, April 17,
1805]
Wednesday April
17th 1805.
A delightfull
morning, set out at an erly hour. the country though
which we passed to
(lay was much the same as that discribed of
yesterday; there
wase more appearance of birnt hills, furnishing large
quanties of lava
and pumice stone, of the latter some pieces were seen
floating down the
river. Capt. Clark walked on shore this morning on
the Stard. side,
and did not join us untill half after six in the
evening. he
informed me that he had seen the remains of the Assinniboin
encampments in
every point of woodland through which he had passed. we
saw immence
quantities of game in every direction around us as we
passed up the
river; consisting of herds of Buffaloe, Elk, and
Antelopes with some
deer and woolves. tho we continue to see many
tracks of the bear
we have seen but very few of them, and those are at
a great distance
generally runing from us; I thefore presume that they
are extreemly wary
and shy; the Indian account of them dose not
corrispond with our
experience so far. one black bear passed near the
perogues on the
16th and was seen by myself and the party but he so
quickly disappeared
that we did not shoot at him.- at the place we
halted to dine on
the Lard. side we met with a herd of buffaloe of
which I killed the
fatest as I concieved among them, however on
examining it I
found it so poar that I thought it unfit for uce and
only took the
tongue; the party killed another which was still more
lean. just before
we encamped this evening we saw some tracks of
Indians who had
passed about 24 hours; they left four rafts of timber
on the Stard. side,
on which they had passed. we supposed them to have
been a party of the
Assinniboins who had been to war against the rocky
mountain Indians,
and then on their return. Capt. Clark saw a Curlou
today. there were
three beaver taken this morning by the party. the men
prefer the flesh of
this anamal, to that of any other which we have, or
are able to procure
at this moment. I eat very heartily of the beaver
myself, and think
it excellent; particularly the tale, and liver. we
had a fair wind
today which enabled us to sail the greater part of the
distance we have
travled, encamped on the Lard shore the extremity of
the last course
[Clark, April 17,
1805]
17th of April
Wednesday 1805
a fine morning wind
from the S E. Genly to day handsom high extencive
rich Plains on each
Side, the mineral appearances continue with greater
appearances of
Coal, much greater appearance of the hills haveing been
burnt, more Pumice
Stone & Lava washed down to the bottoms and some
Pumice Stone
floating in the river, I walked on the S. S. Saw great
numbs. of Buffalow
feeding in the Plains at a distance Capt. Lewis
killed 2 Buffalow
buls which was near the water at the time of dineing,
they were So pore
as to be unfit for use. I Saw Several Small parties
of antelopes large
herds of Elk, Some white wolves, and in a pond
(formed on the S.
S. by the Missouries Changeing its bead) I Saw Swan
Gees &
different kinds of Ducks in great numbers also a Beaver house.
Passed a Small
Creek on the S. S. & Several runs of water on each Side,
Saw the remains of
Indian camps in every point of timbered land on the
S. S. in the
evining a thunder gust passed from the S W, without rain,
about Sunset Saw
Some fresh Indians track and four rafts on the shore
S. S. Those I
prosume were Ossinniboins who had been on a war party
against the Rockey
Mountain Indians- Saw a Curlow, Some verry large
beaver taken this
morning. those animals are made use of as food and
preferred by the
party to any other at this Season
[Lewis, April 18,
1805]
Thursday April 18th
1805.
A fine morning, set
out at an early hour. one Beaver caught this
morning by two
traps, having a foot in each; the traps belonged to
different
individuals, between whom, a contest ensued, which would have
terminated, most
probably, in a serious rencounter had not our timely
arrival at the
place prevented it. after breakfast this morning, Capt.
Clark walked on
Stad. shore, while the party were assending by means of
their toe lines, I
walked with them on the bank; found a species of pea
bearing a yellow
flower, and now in blume; it seldom rises more than 6
inches high, the leaf
& stalk resembles that of the common gardin pea,
the root is
pirenial. (See specimen of vegitables No. 3.) I also saw
several parsels of
buffaloe's hair hanging on the rose bushes, which
had been bleached
by exposure to the weather and became perfectly
white. it every
appearance of the wool of the sheep, tho much finer and
more silkey and
soft. I am confident that an excellent cloth may be
made of the wool of
the Buffaloe. the Buffaloe I killed yesterday had
cast his long hare,
and the poll which remained was very thick, fine,
and about 2 inches
in length. I think this anamal would have furnished
about five pounds
of wool. we were detained today from one to five P.M.
in consequence of
the wind which blew so violently from N. that it was
with difficulty we
could keep the canoes from filling with water altho
they were along
shore; I had them secured by placing the perogues on
the out side of
them in such manner as to break the waves off them. at
5 we proceed, and
shortly after met with Capt. Clark, who had killed an
Elk and a deer and
was wating our arrival. we took the meat on board
and continued our
march untill nearly dark when we came too on the
Stard side under a
boald welltimbered bank which sheltered us from the
wind which had
abated but not yet ceased. here we encamped, it being
the extremity of
the last course of this day.-
[Clark, April 18,
1805]
18th of April
Thursday 1805
Set out at an early
hour one Beaver & a Musrat Cought this morning, the
beaver cought in
two traps, which like to have brought about a
missunderstanding
between two of the party &c. after brackfast I
assended a hill and
observed that the river made a great bend to the
South, I concluded
to walk thro the point about 2 miles and take
Shabono, with me,
he had taken a dost of Salts &c. his Squar followed
on with his child,
when I Struck the next bend of the river could See
nothing of the
Party, left this man & his wife & Child on the river
bank and went out
to hunt, Killed a young Buck Elk, & a Deer, the Elk
was tolerable meat,
the Deer verry pore, Butcherd the meat and
Continued untill
near Sunset before Capt Lewis and the party Came up,
they were detained
by the wind, which rose Soon after I left the boat
from the N W. &
blew verry hard untill verry late in the evening. we
Camped on the S. S.
in an excellent harbor, Soon after We came too, two
men went up the
river to Set their beaver traps they met with a Bear
and being without
their arms thought prodent to return &c. the wild
Cheries are in bloom,
Great appearance of Burnt hills Pumice Stone &c.
the Coal & Salt
appearance Continued, the water in the Small runs much
better than below,-
Saw Several old Indian Camps, the game, Such as
Buffalow Elk,
antelopes & Deer verry plenty
[Lewis, April 19, 1805]
Friday April 19th
1805.
The wind blew So
hard this morning from N. W. that we dared not to
venture our canoes
on the river.- Observed considerable quantities of
dwarf Juniper on
the hillsides (see specimen No. 4) it seldom rises
higher then 3
feet.- the wind detained us through the couse of this
day, tho we were
fortunate in having placed ourselves in a safe
harbour. the party
killed one Elk and a beaver today. The beaver of
this part of the
Missouri are larger, fatter, more abundant and better
clad with fur than
those of any other part of the country that I have
yet seen; I have
remarked also that their fur is much darker.
[Clark, April 19,
1805]
19th of April
Friday 1805
a blustering windey
day the wind So hard from the N, W. that we were
fearfull of
ventering our Canoes in the river, lay by all day on the S.
Side in a good
harber, the Praries appear to green, the cotton trees
bigin to leave, Saw
some plumb bushes in full bloom, those were the
plumb bushes which
I have Seen for Some time. Killed an Elk an a Beaver
to day- The beaver
of this river is much larger than usial, Great deal
of Sign of the
large Bear,
[Lewis, April 20,
1805]
Saturday April 20th
1805.
The wind continued
to blow tolerably hard this morning but by no means
as violently as it
(lid yesterday; we determined to set out and
accordingly
departed a little before seven. I walked on shore on the N.
side of the river,
and Capt Clark proceeded with the party. the river
bottoms through
which I passed about seven miles were fertil and well
covered with
Cottonwood some Box alder, ash and red Elm. the under
brush, willow, rose
bushes Honeysuccle, red willow, goosbury, currant
and servicebury
& in the open grounds along the foot of the river hills
immence quantities
of the hisop. in the course of my walk I killed two
deer, wounded an
Elk and a deer; saw the remains of some Indian hunting
camps, near which
stood a small scaffold of about 7 feet high on which
were deposited two
doog slays with their harnis. underneath this
scaffold a human
body was lying, well rolled in several dressed
buffaloe skins and
near it a bag of the same materials containg sundry
articles belonging
to the disceased; consisting of a pare of
mockersons, some
red and blue earth, beaver's nails, instruments for
dressing the
Buffalo skin, some dryed roots, several platts of the
sweet grass, and a
small quantity of Mandan tobacco.- I presume that
the body, as well
as the bag containing these articles, had formerly
been placed on the scaffold
as is the custom of these people, but had
fallen down by
accedent. near the scaffold I saw the carcase of a large
dog not yet
decayed, which I supposed had been killed at the time the
human body was left
on the scaffold; this was no doubt the reward,
which the poor doog
had met with for performing the ____-friendly
office to his
mistres of transporting her corps to the place of
deposit. it is
customary with the Assinniboins, Mandans, Minetares &c
who scaffold their
dead, to sacrefice the favorite horses and doggs of
their disceased
relations, with a view of their being servicable to
them in the land of
sperits. I have never heard of any instances of
human sacrefices on
those occasions among them.
The wind blew so
hard that I concluded it was impossible fror the
perogues and canoes
to proceed and therefore returned and joined them
about three in the
evening. Capt. Clark informed me that soon after
seting out, a part
of the bank of the river fell in near one of the
canoes and had very
nearly filled her with water. that the wind became
so hard and the
waves so high that it was with infinite risk he had
been able to get as
far as his present station. the white perrogue and
several of the
canoes had shiped water several times but happily our
stores were but
little injured; those which were wet we put out to dry
and determined to
remain untill the next morning. we sent out four
hunters who soon
added 3 Elk 4 gees and 2 deer to our stock of
provisions. the
party caught six beaver today which were large and in
fine order. the
Buffaloe, Elk and deer are poor at this season, and of
tours are not very
palitable, however our good health and apetites make
up every necessary
deficiency, and we eat very heartily of them.-
encamped on Stard
side; under a high well timbered bank.
[Clark, April 20,
1805]
20th of April
Satturday 1805
wind a head from
the N W. we Set out at 7 oClock proceeded on, Soon
after we Set out a
Bank fell in near one of the Canoes which like to
have filled her
with water, the wind became hard and waves So rought
that we proceeded
with our little Canoes with much risque, our
Situation was Such
after Setting out that we were obliged to pass round
the 1st Point or
lay exposed to the blustering winds & waves, in
passing round the
Point Several canoes took in water as also our large
Perogue but without
injuring our Stores & much I proceeded on to the
upper part of the
1st bend and came too at a butifull Glade on the S.
S., about 1 mile
below Capt Lewis who had walked thro the point, left
his Coat & a
Deer on the bank which we took on board,-. a Short
distance below our
Camp I Saw Some rafts on the S. S. near which, an
Indian woman was
Scaffeled in the Indian form of Deposing their dead, &
fallen down She was
or had been raised about 6 feet inclosed in Several
robes tightly laced
around her, with her dog Slays, her bag of
Different coloured
earths paint Small bones of animals beaver nales and
Several other
little trinkets, also a blue jay, her dog was killed and
lay near her. Capt.
Lewis joined me Soon after I landed & informed me
he has walked
Several miles higher, & in his walk killed 2 Deer &
wounded an Elk
& a Deer, our party Shot in the river four beaver &
cought two, which
were verry fat and much admired by the men, after we
landed they killed
3 Elk 4 Gees & 2 Deer we had Some of our Provisions
& which got a
little wet aired, the wind Continued So hard that we were
Compelled to delay
all day. Saw Several buffalow lodged in the drift
wood which had been
drouned in the winter in passing the river; Saw the
remains of 2 which
had lodged on the Side of the bank & eate by the
bears.
This morning was
verry cold, Some Snow about 2 oClock from flying
clouds, Some frost
this morning & the mud at the edge of the water was
frosed
[Lewis, April 21,
1805]
Sunday April 21st
1805.
Set out at an early
hour this morning. Capt Clark walked on shore; the
wind tho a head was
not violent. the country through which we passed is
very simelar in
every rispect to that through which we have passed for
several days.- We
saw immence herds of buffaloe Elk deer & Antelopes.
Capt Clark killed a
buffaloe and 4 deer in the course of his walk
today; and the
party with me killed 3 deer, 2 beaver, and 4 buffaloe
calves. the latter
we found very delicious. I think it equal to any
veal I ever tasted.
the Elk now begin to shed their horns. passed one
large and two small
creeks on the Lard. side, tho neither of them
discharge any water
at present. the wind blew so hard this evening that
we were obliged to
halt several hours. we reached the place of
incampment after
dark, which was on the Lard. side a little above White
earth river which
discharges itself on the Stard. side. immediately at
the mouth of this
river it is not more than 10 yards wide being choked
up by the mud of
the Missouri; tho after leaving the bottom lands of
this river, or even
sooner, it becomes a boald stream of sixty yards
wide and is deep
and navigable. the course of this river as far as I
could see from the
top of Cut bluff, was due North. it passes through a
beatifull level and
fertile vally about five miles in width. I think I
saw about 25 miles
up this river, and did not discover one tree or bush
of any discription
on it's borders. the vally was covered with Elk and
buffaloe. saw a
great number of gees today as usual, also some swan and
ducks.
[Clark, April 21,
1805]
21st of April
Sunday 1805
Set out early the
wind gentle & from the N. W. the river being verry
Crooked, I
concluded to walk through the point, the Countrey on either
Side is verry
Similar to that we have passed, Saw an emence number of
Elk & Buffalow,
also Deer Antelopes Geese Ducks & a fiew Swan, the
Buffalow is about
Calveing I killed a Buffalow & 4 Deer in my walk to
day, the party
killed 2 deer 2 beaver & 4 Buffalow Calves, which was
verry good veele. I
Saw old Camps of Indians on the L. Side, we passed
1 large & 2
Small Creeks on the L. Side neither of them discharge any
water into the
river, in the evening the wind became verry hard a head,
we made Camp at a
late hour which was on the L. Side a little above the
mouth of White
Earth River which falls in on the Stad Side and is 60
yds. wide, several
Mes. up
[Lewis, April 22,
1805]
Monday April 22cd
1805.
Set out at an early
hour this morning; proceeded pretty well untill
breakfat, when the
wind became so hard a head that we proceeded with
difficulty even
with the assistance of our toe lines. the party halted
and Cpt. Clark and
myself walked to the white earth river which
approaches the
Missouri very near at this place, being about 4 miles
above it's
entrance. we found that it contained more water than streams
of it's size
generally do at this season. the water is much clearer
than that of the
Missouri. the banks of the river are steep and not
more than ten or
twelve feet high; the bed seems to be composed of mud
altogether. the
salts which have been before mentioned as common on the
Missouri, appears
in great quantities along the banks of this river,
which are in many
places so thickly covered with it that they appear
perfectly white.
perhaps it has been from this white appearance of it's
banks that the
river has derived it's name. this river is said to be
navigable nearly to
it's source, which is at no great distance from the
Saskashawan, and I
think from it's size the direction which it seems to
take, and the
latitude of it's mouth, that there is very good ground to
believe that it
extends as far North as latitude 50°.- this stream passes
through an open country
generally.- the broken hills of the Missouri
about this place
exhibit large irregular and broken masses of rocks and
stones; some of
which tho 200 feet above the level of the water seem at
some former period
to have felt it's influence, fo they appear smoth as
if woarn by the
agetation of the water. this collection consists of
white & grey
gannite, a brittle black rock, flint, limestone,
freestone, some
small specimens of an excellent pebble and occasionally
broken stratas of a
stone which appears to be petrefyed wood, it is of
a black colour, and
makes excellent whetstones. Coal or carbonated wood
pumice stone lava
and other mineral apearances still continue. the coal
appears to be of
better quality; I exposed a specimen of it to the fire
and found that it
birnt tolerably well, it afforded but little flame or
smoke, but produced
a hot and lasting fire.- I asscended to the top of
the cutt bluff this
morning, from whence I had a most delightfull view
of the country, the
whole of which except the vally formed by the
Missouri is void of
timber or underbrush, exposing to the first glance
of the spectator
immence herds of Buffaloe, Elk, deer, & Antelopes
feeding in one
common and boundless pasture. we saw a number of bever
feeding on the bark
of the trees alonge the verge of the river, several
of which we shot,
found them large and fat. walking on shore this
evening I met with
a buffaloe calf which attatched itself to me and
continued to follow
close at my heels untill I embarked and left it. it
appeared allarmed
at my dog which was probably the cause of it's so
readily attatching
itself to me. Capt Clark informed me that he saw a
large drove of
buffaloe pursued by wolves today, that they at length
caught a calf which
was unable to keep up with the herd. the cows only
defend their young
so long as they are able to keep up with the herd,
and seldom return
any distance in surch of them.-
[Clark, April 22,
1805]
22nd of April
Monday 1805
a verry cold
morning Some frost, we Set out at an early hour and
proceeded on verry
well untill brackfast at which time the wind began
to blow verry hard
ahead, and Continued hard all day we proceeded on
with much
dificuelty with the assistance of the toe Ropes. Capt. Lewis
& my Self
walked to the ____ River which is near the Missouri four
miles above its
mouth, this river is 60 yards wide and contains a
greater perportion
of water at this time than is Common for Rivers of
its Size it appears
navagable as fur as any of the party was, and I am
told to near its
Source in morrasses in the open Plains, it passes (as
far as we can See
which is 6 or 7 Leagus) thro a butifull extinsive
vallie, rich &
fertile and at this time Covered with Buffalow, Elk &
antelopes, which
may be Seen also in any other direction in this
quarter- this river
must take its rise at no great distance Easte of
the Saskashawan,
and no doubt as far N. as Latd. 50°
Some of the high
plains or the broken Revien of the river contains
great quantity of
Pebble Stones of various Sizes, The Stratum of Coal
is much richer than
below, the appearances of Mineral & burnt hills
Still continue the
river riseing a little, Saw an emence number of
beaver feeding on
the waters edge & Swiming Killed Several, Capt. Lewis
assended a hill
from the top of which he had a most inchanting prospect
of the Countrey
around & the meanderings of the two rivers, which is
remarkable Crooked-
a buffalow calf which was on the Shore alone
followed Cap Lewis
Some distance,- I observed a large drove of buffalow
prosued by wolves
the wolves cought one of their Calves in my view,
those animals
defend their young as long as they Can keep up with the
drove
[Lewis, April 23,
1805]
Tuesday April 23rd
Set out at an early
hour this morning. about nine A.M. the wind arose,
and shortly after
became so violent that we were unabled to proceed, in
short it was with
much difficulty and some risk that I was enabled to
get the canoes and
perogues into a place of tolerable safety, there
being no timber on
either side of the river at this place. some of the
canoes shiped
water, and wet several parsels of their lading, which I
directed to be
opened and aired we remained untill five in the evening
when the wind
abating in some measure, we reloaded, and proceeded.
shortly after we
were joined by Capt. Clark who had walked on shore
this morning, and
passing through the bottom lands had fallen on the
river some miles
above, and concluding that the wind had detained us,
came down the river
in surch of us. he had killed three blacktaled, or
mule deer, and a
buffaloe Calf, in the course of his ramble. these hard
winds, being so
frequently repeated, become a serious source of
detention to us.-
incamped on the Stard. side.-
[Clark, April 23,
1805]
23rd of April 1805
a cold morning at
about 9 oClock the wind as usial rose from the N W
and continued to
blow verry hard untill late in the evening I walked on
Shore after
brackfast in my walk on the S side passed through extensive
bottoms of timber
intersperced with glades & low open plains, I killed
3 mule or black
tail Deer, which was in tolerable order, Saw Several
others, I also
killed a Buffalow Calf which was verry fine, I Struck
the river above the
Perogus which had Come too in a bend to the L. S.
to Shelter from the
wind which had become violently hard, I joined Capt
Lewis in the
evening & after the winds falling which was late in the
evening we
proceeded on & encamped on the S. S. The winds of this
Countrey which blow
with Some violence almost every day, has become a
Serious obstruction
in our progression onward, as we Cant move when the
wind is high
without great risque, and if there was no risque the winds
is generally a head
and often too violent to proceed
[Lewis, April 24,
1805]
Wednesday April
24th
The wind blew so
hard during the whole of this day, that we were unable
to move.
notwithstanding that we were sheltered by high timber from the
effects of the
wind, such was it's violence that it caused the waves to
rise in such manner
as to wet many articles in the small canoes before
they could be
unloaded. we sent out some hunters who killed 4 deer & 2
Elk, and caught
some young wolves of the small kind.- Soar eyes is a
common complaint
among the party. I believe it origenates from the
immence quantities
of sand which is driven by the wind from the
sandbars of the
river in such clouds that you are unable to discover
the opposite bank
of the river in many instances. the particles of this
sand are so fine
and light that they are easily supported by the air,
and are carried by
the wind for many miles, and at a distance
exhibiting every
appearance of a collumn of thick smoke. so penitrating
is this sand that
we cannot keep any article free from it; in short we
are compelled to
eat, drink, and breath it very freely. my pocket
watch, is out of
order, she will run only a few minutes without
stoping. I can
discover no radical defect in her works, and must
therefore attribute
it to the sand, with which, she seems plentifully
charged,
notwithstanding her cases are double and tight.
[Clark, April 24,
1805]
24th of April
Wednesday 1805
The wind rose last
night and continued blowing from the N. & N W. and
Sometimes with
great violence, untill 7 oClock P. M, Several articles
wet in the Perogues
by their takeing water &c. as the wind was a head
we could not move
today Sent out hunters, they killed 4 Deer 2 Elk &
cought Some young
wolves of the Small kind, The party complain much of
the Sand in their
eyes, the Sand is verry fine and rises in clouds from
the Points and bars
of the river, I may Say that dureing those winds we
eat Drink &
breeth a prepotion of Sand.
[Lewis, April 25,
1805]
Thursday April 25th
1805.
The wind was more
moderate this morning, tho still hard; we set out at
an early hour. the
water friezed on the oars this morning as the men
rowed. about 10
oclock A.M. the wind began to blow so violently that we
were obliged to lye
too. my dog had been absent during the last night,
and I was fearfull
we had lost him altogether, however, much to my
satisfaction he
joined us at 8 Oclock this morning. The wind had been
so unfavorable to
our progress for several days past, and seeing but
little prospect of
a favourable chang; knowing that the river was
crooked, from the
report of the hunters who were out yesterday, and
beleiving that we
were at no very great distance from the Yellow stone
River; I
determined, in order as mush as possible to avoid detention,
to proceed by land
with a few men to the entrance of that river and
make the necessary
observations to determine it's position, which I
hoped to effect by
the time that Capt. Clark could arrive with the
party; accordingly
I set out at 1 t OCk. on the Lard. side, accompanyed
by four men. we
proceeded about four miles, when falling in with some
bufaloe I killed a
yearling calf, which was in good order; we soon
cooked and made a
hearty meal of a part of it, and renewed our march
our rout lay along
the foot of the river hills. when we had proceeded
about four miles, I
ascended the hills from whence I had a most
pleasing view of
the country, perticularly of the wide and fertile
values formed by
the missouri and the yellowstone rivers, which
occasionally
unmasked by the wood on their borders disclose their
meanderings for
many miles in their passage through these delightfull
tracts of country.
I could not discover the junction of the rivers
immediately, they
being concealed by the woods, however, sensible that
it could not be
distant I determined to encamp on the bank of the
Yellow stone river
which made it's appearance about 2 miles South of
me. the whol face
of the country was covered with herds of Buffaloe,
Elk &
Antelopes; deer are also abundant, but keep themselves more
concealed in the
woodland. the buffaloe Elk and Antelope are so gentle
that we pass near
them while feeding, without apearing to excite any
alarm among them,
and when we attract their attention, they frequently
approach us more
nearly to discover what we are, and in some instances
pursue us a
considerable distance apparenly with that view.- in our way
to the place I had
determined to encamp, we met with two large herds of
buffaloe, of which
we killed three cows and a calf. two of the former,
wer but lean, we
therefore took their tongues and a part of their
marrow-bones only.
I then proceeded to the place of our encampment with
two of the men,
taking with us the Calf and marrowbones, while the
other two remained,
with orders to dress the cow that was in tolerable
order, and hang the
meat out of the reach of the wolves, a precaution
indispensible to
it's safe keeping, even for a night. we encamped on
the bank of the
yellowstone river, 2 miles South of it's confluence
with the Missouri.
On rejoining Capt. Clark, the 26th in the evening,
he informed me,
that at 5 P.M. after I left him the wind abated in some
measure and he
proceeded a few miles further and encamped.
[Clark, April 25,
1805]
25th of April
Thursday 1805
The wind was
moderate & ahead this morning, we Set out at an early hour
The morning cold,
Some flying Clouds to be Seen, the wind from the N.
ice collected on
the ores this morning, the wind increased and became
So violent about 1
oClock we were obliged to lay by our Canoes haveing
taken in Some
water, the Dog which was lost yesterday, joined us this
morning.
finding that the
winds retarded our progression for maney days past,
and no apparance of
an alteration, and the river being Crooked that we
could never have 3
miles fair wind, Capt. Lewis concluded to go by land
as far as the
Rochejhone or yellow Stone river, which we expect is at
no great distance
by land and make Some Selestial observations to find
the Situation of
its mouth, and by that measure not detain the Perogues
at that place any
time for the purpose of makeing those necessary
observations he
took 4 men & proceeded on up the Missouri on the L.
Side, at 5 oClock
the wind luled and we proceeded on and incamped.
[Lewis, April 26,
1805]
Friday April 26th
1805.
This morning I
dispatched Joseph Fields up the yellowstone river with
orders to examine
it as far as he could conveniently and return the
same evening; two
others were directed to bring in the meat we had
killed last
evening, while I proceeded down the river with one man in
order to take a
view of the confluence of this great river with the
Missouri, which we
found to be two miles distant on a direct line N. W.
from our
encampment. the bottom land on the lower side of the
yellowstone river
near it's mouth for about one mile in width appears
to be subject to
inundation; while that on the opposite side of the
Missouri and the
point formed by the junction of these rivers is of the
common elivation,
say from twelve to 18 feet above the level of the
water, and of
course not liable to be overflown except in extreem high
water, which dose
not appear to be very frequent there is more timber
in the
neighbourhood of the junction of these rivers, and on the
Missouri as far
below as the White earth river, than there is on any
part of the
Missouri above the entrance of the Chyenne river to this
place. the timber
consists principally of Cottonwood, with some small
elm, ash and
boxalder. the under growth on the sandbars and verge of
the river is the
small leafed willow; the low bottoms, rose bushes
which rise to three
or four feet high, the redburry, servicebury, and
the redwood; the
high bottoms are of two discriptions either timbered
or open; the first
lies next to the river and it's under brush is the
same with that of
the low timbered bottoms with the addition of the
broad leafed
willow, Goosbury, choke cherry, purple currant; and
honeysuckle bushis;
the open bottoms border on the hills, and are
covered in many
parts by the wild hyssop which rises to the hight of
two feet. I observe
that the Antelope, Buffaloe Elk and deer feed on
this herb; the willow
of the sandbars also furnish a favorite winter
food to these
anamals as well as the growse, the porcupine, hare, and
rabbit. about 12
Olock I heard the discharge of several guns at the
junction of the
rivers, which announced to me the arrival of the paty
with Capt Clark; I
afterwards learnt that they had fired on some
buffaloe which they
met with at that place, and of which they killed a
cow and several
Calves; the latter are now fine veal. I dispatched one
of the men to Capt
Clark requesting him to send up a canoe to take down
the meat we had
killed and our baggage to his encampmt, which was
accordingly
complyed with. after I had completed my observations in the
evening I walked
down and joined the party at their encampment on the
point of land fromed
by the junction of the rivers; found them all in
good health, and
much pleased at having arrived at this long wished for
spot, and in order
to add in some measure to the general pleasure which
seemed to pervade
our little community, we ordered a dram to be issued
to each person;
this soon produced the fiddle, and they spent the
evening with much
hilarity, singing & dancing, and seemed as perfectly
to forget their
past toils, as they appeared regardless of those to
come. in the
evening, the man I had sent up the river this morning
returned, and
reported that he had ascended it about eight miles on a
streight line; that
he found it crooked, meandering from side to side
of the valley
formed by it; which is from four to five miles wide. the
corrent of the
river gentle, and it's bed much interrupted and broken
by sandbars; at the
distance of five miles he passed a large Island
well covered with
timber, and three miles higher a large creek falls in
on the S. E. sides
above a high bluff in which there are several
stratas of coal.
the country bordering on this river as far as he could
percieve, like that
of the Missouri, consisted of open plains. he saw
several of the
bighorned anamals in the couse of his walk; but they
were so shy that he
could not get a shoot at them; he found a large
horn of one of
these anamals which he brought with him. the bed of the
yellowstone river
is entirely composed of sand and mud, not a stone of
any kind to be seen
in it near it's entrance. Capt Clark measured these
rivers just above
their confluence; found the bed of the Missouri 520
yards wide, the
water occupying 330. it's channel deep. the yellowstone
river including
it's sandbar, 858 yds. of which, the water occupyed 297
yards; the depest
part 12 feet; it was falling at this time & appeard
to be nearly at
it's summer tide.- the Indians inform that the
yellowstone river
is navigable for perogues and canoes nearly to it's
source in the Rocky
Mountains, and that in it's course near these
mountains it passes
within less than half a day's march of a navigable
part of the
Missouri. it's extreem sources are adjacent to those of the
Missouri, river
platte, and I think probably with some of the South
branch of the
Columbia river. the first part of its course lies through
a mountanous rocky
country tho well timbered and in many parts fertile;
the middle, and
much the most extensive portion of the river lies
through a
delightfull rich and fertile country, well covered with
timber,
intersperced with plains and meadows, and well watered; it is
some what broken in
many parts. the lower portion consists of fertile
open plains and
meadows almost entirely, tho it possesses a
considerable
proportion of timber on it's borders. the current of the
upper portion is
extreemly rappid, that of the middle and lower
portions much more
gentle than the Missouri. the water of this river is
turbid, tho dose
not possess as much sediment as that of the Missouri.
this river in it's
course recieves the waters of many large tributary
strains principally
from the S. E. of which the most considerable are
the Tongue and
bighorn rivers the former is much the largest, and heads
with the river
Platte and Bighorn river, as dose the latter with the
Tongue river and
the river Platte.- a suficient quantity of limestone
may be readily
procured for building near the junction of the Missouri
and yellowstone
rivers. I could observe no regular stratas of it, tho
it lies on the
sides of the river hills in large irregular masses, in
considerable
quantities; it is of a light colour, and appears to be of
an excellent
quality.-
[Clark, April 26,
1805]
26th of April
Friday 1805
last night was
verry Cold. the Thermometer Stood at 32 abov 0 this
morning. I Set out
at an early hour, as it was cold I walked on the
bank, & in my
walk Shot a beaver & 2 Deer, one of the Deer in tolerable
order, the low
bottom of the river is generaly Covered with wood
willows & rose
bushes, red berry, wild Cherry & red or arrow wood
intersperced with
glades The timber is Cottonwood principally, Elm
Small ash also
furnish a portion of the timber, The Clay of the bluffs
appear much whiter
than below, and Contain Several Stratums of Coal, on
the hill Sides I
observe pebbles of different Size & Colour- The river
has been riseing
for Several days, & raised 3 inches last night, at 12
oClock arrived at
the forks of the Roche Johne & Missouri and formed a
Camp on the point
Soon after George Drewyer Came from Capt Lewis &
informed me that he
was a little way up the Roche johne and would join
me this evining, I
Sent a canoe up to Capt Lewis and proceeded measure
the width of the
rivers, and find the debth. The Missouri is 520 yards
wide above the
point of yellow Stone and the water covers 330 yards;
the YellowStone
River is 858 yards wide includeing its Sand bar, the
water covers 297
yards and the deepest part is 12 feet water, it is at
this time falling,
the Missouri rising The Indians inform that the
yellow Stone River
is navagable for Perogues to near its Source in the
Rocky Mountains, it
has many tributary Streams, principally on the S.
E. Side, and heads
at no great distance from the Missouri, the largest
rivers which fall
into it is Tongue river which heads with the waters
of River Platt, and
Big horn river which also heads with Platt & Tongue
R the current of
this river is Said to be rapid near its mouth it is
verry jentle, and
its water is of a whitish colour much Clearer of
Sediment than the
Missouri. the Countrey on this river is Said to be
broken in its whole
Course & Contains a great deel of wood, the
countrey about its
mouth is verry fine, the bottoms on either Side is
wooded with Cotton
wood, ash, Elm &c. near the banks of the river back
is higher bottoms
and Covered with red berry, Goose berry & rose bushes
&. interspersed
with Small open Glades, and near the high land is
Generally open rich
bottoms- at our arrival at the forks I observed a
Drove of Buffalow
Cows & Calves on a Sand bar in the point, I directed
the men to kill the
fattest Cow, and 3 or 4 Calves, which they did and
let the others
pass, the Cows are pore, Calves fine veele.
Capt Lewis joined
me in the evening after takeing equal altitudes a
little way up the
YellowStone river the Countrey in every direction is
plains except the
moist bottoms of the river, which are covered with
Some indifferent
timber Such as Cotton wood Elm & Small ash, with
different kind of
Stubs & bushes in the forks about 1 mile from the
point at which
place the 2 rivers are near each other a butifull low
leavel plain
Commences, and extends up the Missourie & back, this plain
is narrow at its
commencement and widens as the Missouri bends north,
and is bordered by
an extencive wood land for many miles up the yellow
Stone river, this
low plain is not Subject to over flow, appear to be a
few inches above
high water mark and affords a butifull commanding
Situation for a
fort near the commencement of the Prarie, about ____
miles from the
Point & ____ yards from the Missouri a Small lake is
Situated, from this
lake the plain rises gradually to a high butifull
Countrey, the low
Plain continues for Some distance up both rivers on
the Yellow Stone it
is wide & butifull opsd. the point on the S. Side
is Some high
timbered land, about 11/2 miles below on the Same Side a
little distance
from the water is an elivated plain- Several of the
party was up the
yellow Stone R Several miles, & informed that it
meandered throught
a butifull Countrey Joseph Fields discovered a large
Creek falling into
the Yellowstone River on the S E Side 8 miles up
near which he Saw a
big horn animal, he found in the Prarie the horn of
one of those
animals which was large and appeared to have laid Several
years I Saw maney
buffalow dead on the banks of the river in different
places Some of them
eaten by the white bears & wolves all except the
Skin & bones,
others entire, those animals either drounded in
attempting to Cross
on the ice dureing the winter or Swiming across to
bluff banks where
they Could not get out & too weak to return we Saw
several in this
Situation.
emence numbers of
antelopes in the forks of the river, Buffalow & Elk &
Deer is also plenty
beaver is in every bend. I observe that the Magpie
Goose duck &
Eagle all have their nests in the Same neighbourhood, and
it is not uncommon
for the Magpie to build in a few rods of the eagle,
the nests of this
bird is built verry Strong with Sticks Covered verry
thickly with one or
more places through which they enter or escape, the
Goose I make no
doubt falls a pray to those vicious eagles
[Lewis, April 27,
1805]
Saturday April 27th
1805. Previous to our seting out this morning I
made the following
observations.
This morning I
walked through the point formed by the junction of the
rivers; the
woodland extends about a mile, when the rivers approach
each other within
less than half a mile; here a beatifull level low
plain commences and
extends up both rivers for many miles, widening as
the rivers recede
from each other, and extending back half a mile to a
plain about 12 feet
higher than itself; the low plain appears to be a
few inches higher
than high water mark and of course will not be liable
to be overflown;
tho where it joins the high plain a part of the
Missouri when at
it's greatest hight, passes through a channel of 60 or
70 yards wide and
falls into the yellowstone river. on the Missouri
about 21/2 miles
from the entrance of the yellowstone river, and
between this high
and low plain, a small lake is situated about 200
yards wide
extending along the edge of the high plain parallel with the
Missouri about one
mile. on the point of the high plain at the lower
extremity of this
lake I think would be the most eligible site for an
establishment.
between this low plain and the Yellowstone river their
is an extensive
body of timbered land extending up the river for many
miles. this site
recommended is about 400 yards distant from the
Missouri and about
double that distance from the river yellowstone;
from it the high
plain, rising very gradually, extends back about three
miles to the hills,
and continues with the same width between these
hills and the
timbered land on the yellowstone river, up that stream,
for seven or eight
miles; and is one of the hadsomest plains I ever
beheld. on the
Missouri side the hills sircumscribe it's width, & at
the distance of
three miles up that river from this site, it is not
more than 400 yards
wide. Capt Clark thinks that the lower extremity of
the low plane would
be most eligible for this establishment; it is true
that it is much
nearer both rivers, and might answer very well, but I
think it reather
too low to venture a permanent establishment,
particularly if
built of brick or other durable materials, at any
considerable
expence; for so capricious, and versatile are these
rivers, that it is
difficult to say how long it will be, untill they
direct the force of
their currents against this narrow part of the low
plain, which when
they do, must shortly yeald to their influence; in
such case a few
years only would be necessary, for the annihilation of
the plain, and with
it the fortification.- I continued my walk on
shore; at 11 A.M.
the wind became very hard from N. W. insomuch that
the perogues and
canoes were unable either to proceede or pass the
river to me; I was
under the necessity therefore of shooting a goose
and cooking it for
my dinner. the wind abated about 4. P.M. and the
party proceeded tho
I could not conveniently join them untill night.
altho game is very
abundant and gentle, we only kill as much as is
necessary for food.
I believe that two good hunters could conveniently
supply a regiment
with provisions. for several days past we have
observed a great
number of buffaloe lying dead on the shore, some of
them entire and
others partly devoured by the wolves and bear. those
anamals either
drownded during the winter in attempting to pass the
river on the ice
during the winter or by swiming acrss at present to
bluff banks which
they are unable to ascend, and feeling themselves too
weak to return
remain and perish for the want of food; in this
situation we met
with several little parties of them.- beaver are very
abundant, the party
kill several of them every day. The Eagles,
Magpies, and gees
have their nests in trees adjacent to each other; the
magpye particularly
appears fond of building near the Eagle, as we
scarcely see an
Eagle's nest unaccompanyed with two or three Magpies
nests within a
short distance.- The bald Eagle are more abundant here
than I ever observed
them in any part of the country.
[Clark, April 27,
1805]
27th of April
Satturday 1805
after take the
azmuth of the Sun & brackfasting we Set out wind
moderate & a
head, at 11 oClock the wind rose and continued to blow
verry hard a head
from the N. W. untill 4 oClock P M, which blew the
Sand off the Points
in Such clouds as almost Covered us on the opposit
bank, at 4 I Set
out from my unpleasent Situation and proceeded on,
Capt. Lewis walked
on Shore in the Point to examine & view the Countrey
and could not get
to the boats untill night, Saw great numbers of Goats
or antilopes, Elk,
Swan Gees & Ducks, no buffalow to day I Saw Several
beaver and much
Sign, I Shot one in the head which imediately Sunk,
altho the game of
different kinds are in abundance we Kill nothing but
what we can make
[Lewis, April 28,
1805]
Sunday April 28th
1805.
Set out this
morning at an early hour; the wind was favourable and we
employed our sails
to advantage. Capt Clark walked on shore this
morning, and I
proceeded with the party. the country through which we
passed today is
open as usual and very broken on both sides near the
river hills, the
bottoms are level fertile and partially covered with
timber. the hills
and bluffs exhibit their usual mineral appearances,
some birnt hills
but no appearance of Pumicestone; coal is in great
abundance and the
salts still increase in quantity; the banks of the
river and sandbars
are incrusted with it in many places and appear
perfectly white as
if covered with snow or frost.- the woods are now
green, tho the
plains and meadows appear to abate of the verdure those
below exhibited
some days past. we past three small runs today. two
falling in on the
Stard. and one on the Lard. side, they are but small
afford but little
water and head a few miles back in the hills. we saw
great quantities of
game today; consisting of the common and mule deer,
Elk, Buffaloe, and
Antelopes; also four brown bear, one of which was
fired on and
wounded by one of the party but we did not get it; the
beaver have cut
great quantities of timber; saw a tree nearly 3 feet in
diameter that had
been felled by them. Capt. Clark in the course of his
walk killed a deer
and a goose; & saw three black bear; he thinks the
bottoms are not so
wide as they have been for some days past.
[Clark, April 28,
1805]
28th of April
Sunday 1805
a fine day river
falling, wind favourable from the S. E. and moderate,
I walked on Shore
to view the Countrey, from the top of the high hills,
I beheld a broken
& open Countrey on both Sides, near the river Some
verry handsom low
plains, I killd. a Deer & a goose, Saw three black
bear great numbers
of Elk antelopes & 2 Gangues of Buffalow, the hills
& Bluffs Shew
the Straturs of Coal, and burnt appearances in maney
places, in and
about them I could find no appearance of Pumice Stone,
the wood land have
a green appearance, the Plains do not look So green
as below, The
bottoms are not So wide this afternoon as below Saw four
bear this evening,
one of the men Shot at one of them. The Antilopes
are nearly red, on
that part which is Subject to change i e the Sides &
2/3 of the back
from the head, the other part as white as Snow, 2 Small
runs fall in on the
S. Side and one this evening on the Lard Side those
runs head at a fiew
miles in the hills and discharge but little water,
the Bluffs in this
part as also below Shew different Straturs of Coal
or carbonated wood,
and Coloured earth, such as dark brown, yellow a
lightish brown,
& a dark red &c.
[Lewis, April 29,
1805]
Monday April 29th
1805.
Set out this
morning at the usual hour; the wind was moderate; I walked
on shore with one
man. about 8 A.M. we fell in with two brown or yellow
bear; both of which
we wounded; one of them made his escape, the other
after my firing on
him pursued me seventy or eighty yards, but
fortunately had
been so badly wounded that he was unable to pursue so
closely as to
prevent my charging my gun; we again repeated our fir and
killed him. it was
a male not fully grown, we estimated his weight at
300 lbs. not having
the means of ascertaining it precisely. The legs of
this bear are
somewhat longer than those of the black, as are it's
tallons and tusks
incomparably larger and longer. the testicles, which
in the black bear
are placed pretty well back between the thyes and
contained in one
pouch like those of the dog and most quadrupeds, are
in the yellow or
brown bear placed much further forward, and are
suspended in
seperate pouches from two to four inches asunder; it's
colour is yellowish
brown, the eyes small, black, and piercing; the
front of the fore
legs near the feet is usually black; the fur is finer
thicker and deeper
than that of the black bear. these are all the
particulars in
which this anamal appeared to me to differ from the
black bear; it is a
much more furious and formidable anamal, and will
frequently pursue
the hunter when wounded. it is asstonishing to see
the wounds they
will bear before they can be put to death. the Indians
may well fear this
anamal equiped as they generally are with their bows
and arrows or
indifferent fuzees, but in the hands of skillfull
riflemen they are
by no means as formidable or dangerous as they have
been represented.
game is still very abundant we can scarcely cast our
eyes in any
direction without percieving deer Elk Buffaloe or
Antelopes. The
quantity of wolves appear to increase in the same
proportion; they
generally hunt in parties of six eight or ten; they
kill a great number
of the Antelopes at this season; the Antelopes are
yet meagre and the
females are big with young; the wolves take them
most generally in
attempting to swim the river; in this manner my dog
caught one drowned
it and brought it on shore; they are but clumsey
swimers, tho on
land when in good order, they are extreemly fleet and
dureable. we have
frequently seen the wolves in pursuit of the Antelope
in the plains; they
appear to decoy a single one from a flock, and then
pursue it,
alturnately relieving each other untill they take it. on
joining Capt Clark
he informed me that he had seen a female and faun of
the bighorned
anamal; that they ran for some distance with great
aparent ease along
the side of the river bluff where it was almost
perpendicular; two
of the party fired on them while in motion without
effect. we took the
flesh of the bear on board and proceeded. Capt.
Clark walked on
shore this evening, killed a deer, and saw several of
the bighorned
anamals. there is more appearance of coal today than we
have yet seen, the
stratas are 6 feet thick in some instances; the
earth has been
birnt in many places, and always appears in stratas on
the same level with
the stratas of coal. we came too this evening in
the mouth of a
little river, which falls in on the Stard. side. This
stream is about 50
yards wide from bank to bank; the water occupyes
about 15 yards. the
banks are of earth only, abrupt, tho not high- the
bed, is of mud
principally. Capt Clark, who was up this streeam about
three miles,
informed me that it continued about the same width, that
it's current was
gentle and it appeared navigable for perogus it
meanders through an
extensive, fertile, and beautifull vally as far as
could bee seen
about N. 30°W. there was but one solitary tree to be seen
on the banks of
this river after it left the bottom of the Missouri.
the water of this
river is clear, with a brownish yelow tint. here the
highlands receede
from the Missouri, leaving the vally formed by the
river from seven to
eight miles wide, and reather lower then usual.-
This stream my
friend Capt. C. named Marthas river
[Clark, April 29,
1805]
29th of April
Monday 1805
Set out this
morning at the usial hour. the wind is moderate & from the
N E had not
proceeded far eer we Saw a female & her faun of the Bighorn
animal on the top
of a Bluff lying, the noise we made allarmed them and
they came down on
the Side of the bluff which had but little Slope
being nearly
purpindicular, I directed two men to kill those anamals,
one went on the top
and the other man near the water they had two Shots
at the doe while in
motion without effect, Those animals run & Skiped
about with great
ease on this declivity & appeared to prefur it to the
leavel bottom or
plain. Capt Lewis & one man walkd on Shore and he
killed a yellow
Bear & the man with him wounded one other, after
getting the flesh
of the bear on bord which was not far from the place
we brackfast, we
proceeded on Saw 4 gangus of buffalow and great
numbers of
Antelopes in every direction also Saw Elk and Several
wolves, I walked on
Shore in the evening & killed a Deer which was So
meager as to be
unfit for use The hills Contain more Coal, and has a
greater appearance
of being burnt that below, the burnt parts appear on
a parrilel with the
Stratiums of Coal, we Came too in the mouth of a
Little river on the
S. S. which is about 50 or 60 yards from bank to
bank, I was up this
Stream 3 miles it continues its width and glides
with a gentle
Current, its water is about 15 yards wide at this time,
and appears to be
navagable for Canoes &c. it meanders through a
butifull &
extencive vallie as far as can be Seen about N 30° W. I saw
only a Single tree
in this fertile vallie The water of the River is
clear of a
yellowish Colour, we call this river Martheys river in honor
to the Selebrated
M. F
Here the high land
widen from five to Eight miles and much lower than
below, Saw Several
of the big horn animals this evening. The Wolves
distroy great
numbers of the antilopes by decoying those animals
Singularly out in
the plains and prosueing them alternetly, those
antelopes are
Curious and will approach any thing which appears in
motion near them
&c.
[Lewis, April 30,
1805]
Tuesday April 30th
1805.
Set out at sunrise.
the wind blew hard all last night, and continued to
blow pretty hard
all day, but not so much, as to compell us to ly by.
the country as
usual is bare of timber; the river bottoms are level and
fertile and
extensive, but possess but little timber and that of an
indifferent quality
even of it's kind; principally low cottonwood,
either too small
for building, or for plank or broken and dead at top
and unsound in the
center of the trunk. saw great quantities of game as
usual. Capt. Clark
walked on shore the greater part of the day, past
some old Indian
lodges built of drift wood; they appear to be of
antient date and
not recently inhabited. I walked on shore this evening
and killed a buck
Elk, in tolerable order; it appeared to me to be the
largest I had seen,
and was therefore induced to measure it; found it
five feet three
inches from the point of the hoof, to the top of the
sholders; the leg
and hoof being placed as nearly as possible in the
same position they
would have been had the anamal been standing.
[Clark, April 30,
1805]
30th of April
Tuesday 1805
The wind blew hard
from the N E all last night, we Set out at Sunrise
the wind blew hard
the greater part of the day and part of the time
favourable, we did
not lie by to day on account of the wind I walked on
Shore to day our
interpreter & his Squar followed, in my walk the Squar
found & brought
me a bush Something like the Current, which She Said
bore a delicious
froot and that great quantites grew on the Rocky
Mountains, this
Srub was in bloom has a yellow flower with a deep Cup,
the froot when ripe
is yellow and hangs in bunches like Cheries, Some
of those berries
yet remained on the bushes. The bottoms above the
mouth of the last
river is extensive level & fertile and covered with
indifferent timber
in the points, the up land appear to rise gradually,
I saw Great numbers
of Antelopes, also Scattering Buffalow, Elk, Deer,
wolves, Gees, ducks
& Grows- I Killed 2 Gees which we dined on to day
Capt Lewis walked
on Shore and killed an elk this evening, and we Came
too & camped on
the S. S the Countrey on both Sides have a butifull
appearance.
[Lewis, May 1,
1805]
Wednesday May 1st
1805.
Set out this
morning at an early, the wind being favourable we used our
sales which carried
us on at a good pace untill about 12 OCk. when the
wind became so high
that the small canoes were unable to proceed one of
them which
seperated from us just befor the wind became so violent, is
now lying on the
opposite side of the river, being unable to rejoin us
in consequence of
the waves, which during those gusts run several feet
high. we came too
on the Lard. shore in a handsome bottom well stocked
with cottonwood
timber; here the wind compelled us to spend the
ballance of the
day. we sent out some hunters who killed a buffaloe, an
Elk, a goat and two
beaver. game is now abundant. the country appears
much more pleasant
and fertile than that we have passed for several
days; the hills are
lower, the bottoms wider, and better stocked with
timber, which
consists principally of cottonwood, not however of large
size; the
under-growth willow on the verge of the river and sandbars,
rose bushes, red
willow and the broad leafed willow in the bottom
lands; the high
country on either side of the river is one vast plain,
intirely destitute
of timber, but is apparently fertile, consisting of
a dark rich mellow
looking lome. John Shields sick today with the
rheumatism. Shannon
killed a bird of the plover kind. weight one pound.
it measured from
the tip of the toe, to the extremity of the beak, 1
foot 10 Inches;
from tip to tip of wings when extended 2 F. 5 I.; Beak
3 5/8 inches; tale
3 1/8 inches; leg and toe 10 Ins.- the eye black,
piercing, prominent
and moderately large. the legs are Hat thin,
slightly imbricated
and of a pale sky blue colour, being covered with
feathers as far as
the mustle extends down it, which is about half it's
length. it has four
toes on each foot, three of which, are connected by
a web, the fourth
is small and placed at the heel about the 1/8 of an
inch up the leg.
the nails are black and short, that of the middle toe
is extreemly
singular, consisting of two nails the one laping on or
overlaying the
other, the upper one somewhat the longest and sharpest.
the tale contains
eleven feathers of equal length, & of a bluish white
colour. the boddy
and underside of the wings, except the large feathers
of the 1st &
2cd joints of the same, are white; as are also the
feathers of the
upper part of the 4th joint of the wing and part of
those of the 3rd
adjacent thereto, the large feathers of the 1st or
pinion and the 2cd
joint are black; a part of the larger feathers of
the 3rd joint on
the upper side and all the small feathers which cover
the upper part of
the wings are black, as are also the tuft of long
feathers on each
side of the body above the joining of the wing,
leaving however a
stripe of white betwen them on the back. the head and
neck are shaped
much like the grey plover, and are of a light brickdust
brown; the beak is
black and flat, largest where it joins the head, and
from thence
becoming thiner and tapering to a very sharp point, the
upper chap being
1/8 of an inch the longest turns down at the point and
forms a little
hook. the nostrils, which commence near the head are
long, narrow,
connected, and parallel with the beak; the beak is much
curved, the
curvature being upwards in stead of downwards as is common
with most birds;
the substance of the beak precisely resembles
whalebone at a
little distance, and is quite as flexable as that
substance their note
resembles that of the grey plover, tho is reather
louder and more
varied, their habits appear also to be the same, with
this difference;
that it sometimes rests on the water and swims which I
do not recollect
having seen the plover do. this bird which I shall
henceforth stile
the Missouri plover, generally feeds about the shallow
bars of the river;
to collect it's food which consists of ____, it
immerces it's beak
in the water and throws it's head and beak from side
to side at every
step it takes.
[Clark, May 1,
1805]
May the 1st
Wednesday 1805
We Set out at Sun
rise under a Stiff Breeze from the East, the morning
Cool & Cloudy.
one man J. Shields Sick with rhumetism- one of the men
(Shannon) Shot a
Gull or pleaver, which is about the Size of an Indian
hen, with a Sharp
pointed bill turning up & 4 Inches long, the head and
neck of a light
brown, the breast, the underfeathers of the 2nd and 3d
joint of the wings,
the Short feathers on the upper part of the 3rd
joint of the wings,
down the back the rump & tail white. The large
feathers of the 1st
joints of the wing the upper feathers of the 2d
joints of the
wings, on the body on the joints of the wing and the bill
is black.- the legs
long and of a Skie blue. The feet webed &c. This
fowl may be
properly Stiled the Missouri Pleaver- the wind became verry
Hard and we put too
on the L. Side, as the wind Continued with Some
degree of violence
and the waves too high for the Canoes we were
obliged to Stay all
day
[Lewis, May 1,
1805]
May 1st 1805.
Shannon killed a
bird of the plover kind the weight one pound.- eye
black percing and
prominent
Measure
F.
Inchs
from the tip of the
toe to the extremity of the beak
1
10
from tip to tip of
wing when extended
2 5
length of beak
3
5/8
length of tale
3
1/8
length of leg and
toe
10
the legs are flat,
of pale skye blue colour and but slightly
imbricated. the
second joint, as low as the mustle extends is covered
with feathers which
is about half it's length. it has three toes on a
foot connected by a
web. there is also a small toe on each foot placed
about the eighth of
an inch up the leg behind. the nails are black and
short and those of
the middle toes ar singular-there being two nails on
each the one above
the other the upper one the longest and sharpest.-
the tale contains
eleven feathers of the same length of a bluish white
colour. the body
and under side of the wings except the large feathers
of the 1 & 2cd
joints of the wings are white, as are also the feathers
of the upper part
of the 4th joint of the wing. and some of those of
the 3rd adjoining.-
the large feathers of the pinion or first (joint) &
the second joint
are black; a part of the larger feathers of the third
joint on the upper
side and all the smaller feathers which cover the
upper part of these
joints ar black; as are also the tuft of long
feathers on each
side of the body above the joining of the wing,
leaving however a
stripe of white between them on the back. the head
and neck are shaped
much like the grey plover, and is a light brickdust
brown. the beak is
black and flat, largest where it joins the head and
from thence
tapering every way gradually to a very sharp point the
upper beak being
1/8 of an inch the longest turning down at the point.
the nostrils are
parrallal with the beak and are long narrow and
connected. the beak
is curvated and invirted; the Curvature being
upwards in stead of
downwards as those of most birds are- the substance
of the beak is as
flexable as whalebone and at a little distance
precisely resembles
that substance. their note is like that of the
common whistling or
grey plover tho reather louder, and more varied,
and their habits
are the same with that bird so far as I have been
enabled to learn,
with this difference however that this bird sometimes
lights in the water
and swims.- it generally feads about the shallow
bars of the river;
to collect it's food, it immerces it's beak in the
water, and thows
it's head and beak from side to side at every step it
takes.
[Lewis, May 2,
1805]
Thursday May 2ed
1805
The wind continued
violent all night nor did it abate much of it's
violence this
morning, when at daylight it was attended with snow which
continued to fall
untill about 10 A.M. being about one inch deep, it
formed a singular
contrast with the vegitation which was considerably
advanced. some
flowers had put forth in the plains, and the leaves of
the cottonwood were
as large as a dollar. sent out some hunters who
killed 2 deer 3 Elk
and several buffaloe; on our way this evening we
also shot three
beaver along the shore; these anamals in consequence of
not being hunted
are extreemly gentle, where they are hunted they never
leave their lodges
in the day, the flesh of the beaver is esteemed a
delecacy among us;
I think the tale a most delicious morsal, when
boiled it resembles
in flavor the fresh tongues and sounds of the
codfish, and is
usually sufficiently large to afford a plentifull meal
for two men. Joseph
Fields one of the hunters who was out today found
several yards of
scarlet cloth which had been suspended on the bough of
a tree near an old
indian hunting camp, where it had been left as a
sacrefice to the
deity by the indians, probably of the Assinniboin
nation, it being a
custom with them as well as all the nations
inhabiting the
waters of the Missouri so far as they are known to us,
to offer or
sacrefice in this manner to the deity watever they may be
possessed off which
they think most acceptable to him, and very
honestly making
their own feelings the test of those of the deity offer
him the article
which they most prize themselves. this being the most
usual method of
weshiping the great sperit as they term the deity, is
practiced on
interesting occasions, or to produce the happy eventuation
of the important
occurrances incident to human nature, such as relief
from hungar or
mallady, protection from their enemies or the delivering
them into their
hands, and with such as cultivate, to prevent the
river's overflowing
and distroying their crops &c. screfices of a
similar kind are
also made to the deceased by their friends and
relatives. the are
was very piercing this evening the water friezed on
the oars as they
rowed. the wind dying at 5 P.M. we set out.
every thing which
is incomprehensible to the indians they call big
medicine, and is
the opperation of the presnts and power of the great
sperit. this
morning one of the men shot the indian dog that had
followed us for
several days, he would steal their cooked provision.
[Clark, May 2,
1805]
May 2nd Thursday
1805
The wind blew verry
hard all the last night, this morning about Sunrise
began to Snow, (The
Thermomtr. at 28 abov o) and Continued untill about
10 oClock, at which
time it Seased, the wind Continued hard untill
about 2 P.M. the
Snow which fell to day was about 1 In deep, a verry
extroadernaley
Climate, to behold the trees Green & flowers Spred on
the plain, &
Snow an inch deep. we Set out about 3 oClock and proceeded
on about five 1/2
miles and encamped on the Std Side, the evening verry
cold, Ice freesing
to the Ores, I Shot a large beaver & Drewyer three
in walking on the
bank, the flesh of those animals the party is fond of
eating &c.
[Lewis, May 3,
1805]
Friday May 3rd
1805.
The morning being
very could we did not set out as early as usual; ice
formed on a kettle
of water 1/4 of an inch thick. the snow has melted
generally in the
bottoms, but the hills still remain covered. on the
lard side at the
distance of 2 miles we passed a curious collection of
bushes which had
been tyed up in the form of a faciene and standing on
end in the open
bottom it appeared to be about 30 feet high and ten or
twelve feet in
diameter, this we supposed to have been placed there by
the Indians, as a
sacrefice for some purpose. The wind continued to
blow hard from the
West but not so strong as to compel us to ly by.
Capt. Clark walked
on shore and killed an Elk which he caused to be
butched by the time
I arrived with the party, here we halted and dined
being about 12 OCk.
our usual time of halting for that purpose. after
dinner Capt. Clark
pursued his walk, while I continued with the party,
it being a rule
which we had established, never to be absent at the
same time from the
party. the plains or high lands are much less
elivated than they
were, not being more than from 50 to 60 feet above
the river bottom,
which is also wider than usual being from 5 to 9 ms.
in width; traces of
the ancient beds of the river are visible in many
places through the
whole extent of this valley. since the hills have
become lower the
appearance of the stratas of coal burnt hills and
pumice stone have
in a great measure ceased; I saw none today. we saw
vast quantities of
Buffaloe, Elk, deer principally of the long tale
kind, Antelope or
goats, beaver, geese, ducks, brant and some swan.
near the entrance
of the river mentioned in the 10th course of this
day, we saw an
unusual number of Porcupines from which we determined to
call the river
after that anamal, and accordingly denominated it
Porcupine river.
this stream discharges itself into the Missouri on the
Stard. side 2000
miles above the mouth of the latter, it is a beatifull
bold runing stream,
40 yards wide at it's entrance; the water is
transparent, it
being the first of this discription that I have yet
seen discharge
itself into the Missouri; before it enters a large sand
bar through which
it discharges itself into the missouri it's banks and
bottom are formed
of a stiff blue and black clay; it appears to be
navigable for
canoes and perogues at this time and I have no doubt but
it might be
navigated with boats of a considerable size in high water.
it's banks appear
to be from 8 to ten feet high and seldom overflow;
from the quantity
of water furnished by this river, the appearance of
the country, the
direction it pursues, and the situation of it's
entrance, I have
but little doubt but it takes it's source not far from
the main body of
the Suskashawan river, and that it is probably
navigable 150
miles; perhaps not very distant from that river. should
this be the case, it
would afford a very favorable communication to the
Athebaskay country,
from whence the British N. W. Company derive so
large a portion of
their valuable furs.- Capt. Clark who ascended this
river several miles
and passed it above where it entered the hills
informed me on his
return that he found the general width of the bed of
the river about one
hundred yards, where he passed the river the bed
was 112 yards wide,
the water was knee deep and 38 yard in width; the
river which he
could observe from the rising grounds for about 20
miles, bore a
little to the East of North. there was a considerable
portion of timber
in the bottom lands of this river. Capt Clark also
met with limestone
on the surface of the earth in the course of his
walk. he also saw a
range of low mountains at a distance to the W of N
, their direction
being N. W. the country in the neighborhood of this
river, and as far
as the eye can reach, is level, fertile, open and
beatifull beyond
discription. 1/4 of a mile above the entrance of this
river a large creek
falls in which we called 2000 mile creek. I sent
Rubin Fields to
examine it, he reported it to be a bold runing stream,
it's bed 30 yards
wide. we proceeded about 3 miles abov this creek and
encamped on the
Stard. shore. I walked out a little distance and met
with 2 porcupines
which were feeding on the young willow which grow in
great abundance on
all the sandbars; this anamal is exceedingly clumsy
and not very
watchfull I approached so near one of them before it
percieved me that I
touched it with my espontoon.- found the nest of a
wild goose among
some driftwood in the river from which we took three
eggs. this is the
only nest we have met with on driftwood, the usual
position is the top
of a broken tree, sometimes in the forks of a large
tree but almost
invariably, from 15 to 20 feet or upwards high.-
[Clark, May 3,
1805]
May 3rd Friday 1805
we Set out reather
later this morning than usial owing to weather being
verry cold, a frost
last night and the Thermt. Stood this morning at 26
above 0 which is 6
Degrees blow freeseing- the ice that was on the
Kittle left near
the fire last night was 1/4 of an inch thick. The Snow
is all or nearly
all off the low bottoms, the Hills are entireley
Covered. three of
our party found in the back of a bottom 3 pieces of
Scarlet one brace
in each, which had been left as a Sacrifice near one
of their Swet
houses, on the L. S. we passed to day a curious
collection of
bushes tied up in the shape of fascene about 10 feet
diamuter, which
must have been left also by the natives as an offering
to their medison
which they Convinced protected or gave them relief
near the place, the
wind Continued to blow hard from the West, altho
not Sufficently So
to detain us, I walked on Shore and killed an Elk &
had him bucchured
by the time the Perogus Came up which was the usial
time of dineing.
The high lands are low and from 8 to 9 miles apart and
there is evident
marks of the bead of the river having been changed
frequently but
little appearance of the Coal & burnt hills to day-
Great numbers of
Buffalow, Elk, Deer, antilope, beaver, Porcupins, &
water fowls Seen to
day, Such as, Geese, ducks of dift. kinds, & a fiew
Swan- I continued
my walk on Shore after dinner, and arrived at the
mouth of a river on
the St. Side, which appeared to be large, and I
concluded to go up
this river a few miles to examine it accordingly I
Set out North 1
mile thro wood or timbered bottom, 2 miles through a
butifull leavel
plain, and 1 mile over a high plain about 50 feet
higher than the
bottom & Came to the little river, which I found to be
a butifull clear
Stream of about 100 yds. from bank to bank, (I waded
this river at the
narrowest part and made it 112 Steps from bank to
bank and at this place
which was a kind of fording place the water was
near Knee deep, and
38 steps wide, the bottom of a hard stiff Black
Clay,) I observed a
Great perportion of timber in the bottoms of this
river as far as I
could See which was to the East of N. 18 or 20 miles,
it appears to be
navigable at this time for Canoes, and from
appearances must be
navagable a long distance for Perogus & boats in
high water. This
river we call Porcupine from the great number of those
anamals found about
it's mouth.- a Short distance above about 1/4 mile
and on the Lard
Side a large Creek falls in, which R. Fields went to
examine &
reports that it is a bold running Stream, 30 yds wide as this
Creek is 2000 miles
up the Missouri we Call it the 2000 mile Creek, we
proceeded on 3
miles & Camped on the S. S. here I joined Capt Lewis who
had in my absens
walkd. on the upper Side of Porcupine River for Some
distance- This
river from its Size & quantity of water must head at no
great distance from
the Saskashawan on this river I Saw emence herds
Elk & Buffalow
& many deer & Porcupine. I also Saw the top of a
mountain which did
not appear verry high to the West of N. & bore N W.
I Saw on the high
land limestone & pebble- The Countrey about the mouth
of this river and
as far as the eye Can reach is butifull open
Countrey. The
greater part of the Snow is melted.
[Lewis, May 4,
1805]
Saturday May 4th
1805.
We were detained
this morning untill about 9 OCk. in order to repare
the rudder irons of
the red perogue which were broken last evening in
landing; we then
set out, the wind hard against us. I walked on shore
this morning, the
weather was more plesant, the snow has disappeared;
the frost seems to
have effected the vegetation much less than could
have been expected
the leaves of the cottonwood the grass the box alder
willow and the
yellow flowering pea seem to be scarcely touched; the
rosebushes and
honeysuckle seem to have sustaned the most considerable
injury. The country
on both sides of the Missouri continues to be open
level fertile and
beautifull as far as the eye can reach which from
some of the
eminences is not short of 30 miles. the river bottoms are
very extensive and
contain a much greater proportion of timber than
usual; the fore
part of this day the river was bordered with timber on
both sides, a
circumstance which is extreemly rare and the first which
has occurred of any
thing like the same extent since we left the
Mandans, in the
after part of the day we passed an extensive beautifull
plain on the Stard.
side which gradually ascended from the river. I saw
immence quantities
of buffaloe in every direction, also some Elk deer
and goats; having
an abundance of meat on hand I passed them without
firing on them;
they are extreemly gentle the bull buffaloe
particularly will
scarcely give way to you. I passed several in the
open plain within
fifty paces, they viewed me for a moment as something
novel and then very
unconcernedly continued to feed. Capt. Clark walked
on shore this
evening and did not rejoin us untill after dark, he
struck the river
several miles above our camp and came down to us. we
saw many beaver
some which the party shot, we also killed two deer
today. much sign of
the brown bear. passed several old Indian hunting
camps in the course
of the day one of them contained two large lodges
which were
fortifyed with old driftwood and fallen timber; this
fortification
consisted of a circular fence of timber lade horizontally
laping on and over
laying each other to the hight of 5 feet. these
pounds are
sometimes built from 20 to 30 feet in diameter and covered
over with the
trunks and limbs of old timber. the usual construction of
the lodges we have
lately passed is as follows. three or more strong
sticks the thickness
of a man's leg or arm and about 12 feet long are
attatched together
at one end by a with of small willows, these are
then set on end and
spread at the base, forming a circle of ten twelve
or 14 feet in
diameter; sticks of driftwood and fallen timber of
convenient size are
now placed with one end on the ground and the other
resting against
those which are secured together at top by the with and
which support and
give the form to the whole, thus the sticks are laid
on untill they make
it as thick as they design, usually about three
ranges, each piece
breaking or filling up the interstice of the two
beneath it, the
whole forming a connic figure about 10 feet high with a
small apperture in
one side which answers as a door. leaves bark and
straw are sometimes
thrown over the work to make it more complete, but
at best it affords
a very imperfect shelter particularly without straw
which is the state
in which we have most usually found them.
At noon the sun was
so much obscured that I could not obtain his
maridian Altitude
which I much wished in order to fix the latitude of
the entrance of
Porcupine river. Joseph Fields was very sick today with
the disentary had a
high fever I gave him a doze of Glauber salts,
which operated very
well, in the evening his fever abated and I gave
him 30 drops of
laudnum.-
[Clark, May 4,
1805]
May 4th Satturday
1805
The rudder Irons of
our large Perogue broke off last night, the
replaceing of which
detained us this morning untill 9 oClock at which
time we Set out the
wind a head from the west, The Countrey on each
Side of the
Missouri is a rich high and butifull the bottoms are
extencive with a
great deal of timber on them all the fore part of this
day the wood land
bordered the river on both Sides, in the after part a
butifull assending
plain on the Std Side we Camped on the Std. Side a
little above we
passed a Small Creek on the L. Side near which I Saw
where an Indian
lodge had been fortified many year past. Saw great
numbers of anamals
of different kinds on the banks, I Saw the black
martin to day-in
the evening I walkd. on Shore on the Std Side & Struck
the river Several
miles above our Camp & did not get to Camp untill
Some time after
night- we have one man Sick, The river has been falling
for Several days
passed; it now begins to rise a little; the rate of
rise & fall is
from one to 3 inches in 24 hours.
[Lewis, May 5,
1805]
Sunday May 5th 1805
A fine morning I
walked on shore untill 8 A M when we halted for
breakfast and in
the course of my walk killed a deer which I carried
about a mile and a
half to the river, it was in good order. soon after
seting out the
rudder irons of the white perogue were broken by her
runing fowl on a
sawyer, she was however refitted in a few minutes with
some tugs of raw
hide and nales. as usual saw a great quantity of game
today; Buffaloe Elk
and goats or Antelopes feeding in every direction;
we kill whatever we
wish, the buffaloe furnish us with fine veal and
fat beef, we also
have venison and beaver tales when we wish them; the
flesh of the Elk
and goat are less esteemed, and certainly are
inferior. we have
not been able to take any fish for some time past.
The country is as
yesterday beatifull in the extreme.
saw the carcases of
many Buffaloe lying dead along the shore partially
devoured by the
wolves and bear. saw a great number of white brant also
the common brown
brant, geese of the common kind and a small species of
geese which differ
considerably from the common canadian goose; their
neck head and beak
are considerably thicker shorter and larger than the
other in proportion
to it's size, they are also more than a third
smaller, and their
note more like that of the brant or a young goose
which has not
perfectly acquired his notes, in all other rispects they
are the same in
colour habits and the number of feathers in the tale,
they frequently
also ascociate with the large geese when in flocks, but
never saw them
pared off with the large or common goose. The white
brant ascociate in
very large flocks, they do not appear to be mated or
pared off as if
they intended to raise their young in this quarter, I
therefore doubt
whether they reside here during the summer for that
purpose.
this bird is about
the size of the common brown brant or two thirds of
the common goose,
it is not so long by six inches from point to point
of the wings when
extended as the other; the beak head and neck are
also larger and
stronger; their beak legs and feet are of a redish or
fleshcoloured
white. the eye is of moderate size, the puple of a deep
sea green incircled
with a ring of yellowish brown. it has sixteen
feathers of equal
length in the tale; their note differs but little
from the common
brant, their flesh much the same, and in my opinion
preferable to the
goose, the flesh is dark. they are entirely of a
beatifull pure
white except the large feathers of the 1st and second
joints of the wings
which are jut black. form and habits are the same
with the other
brant; they sometimes ascociate and form one common
flock. Capt Clark
found a den of young wolves in the course of his walk
today and also saw
a great number of those anamals; they are very
abundant in this
quarter, and are of two species the small woolf or
burrowing dog of
the praries are the inhabitants almost invariably of
the open plains;
they usually ascociate in bands of ten or twelve
sometimes more and
burrow near some pass or place much frequented by
game; not being
able alone to take a deer or goat they are rarely ever
found alone but
hunt in bands; they frequently watch and seize their
prey near their
burrows; in these burrows they raise their young and to
them they also
resort when pursued; when a person approaches them they
frequently bark,
their note being precisely that of the small dog. they
are of an
intermediate size between that of the fox and dog, very
active fleet and
delicately formed; the ears large erect and pointed
the head long and
pointed more like that of the fox; tale long; the
hair and fur also
resembles the fox tho is much coarser and inferior.
they are of a pale
redish brown colour. the eye of a deep sea green
colour small and
piercing. their tallons are reather longer than those
of the ordinary
wolf or that common to the atlantic states, none of
which are to be
found in this quarter, nor I believe above the river
Plat.- The large
woolf found here is not as large as those of the
atlantic states.
they are lower and thicker made shorter leged. their
colour which is not
effected by the seasons, is a grey or blackish
brown and every
intermediate shade from that to a creen coloured white;
these wolves resort
the woodlands and are also found in the plains, but
never take refuge
in the ground or burrow so far as I have been able to
inform myself. we
scarcely see a gang of buffaloe without observing a
parsel of those
faithfull shepherds on their skirts in readiness to
take care of the
mamed & wounded. the large wolf never barks, but howls
as those of the
atlantic states do. Capt. Clark and Drewyer killed the
largest brown bear
this evening which we have yet seen. it was a most
tremendious looking
anamal, and extreemly hard to kill notwithstanding
he had five balls
through his lungs and five others in various parts he
swam more than half
the distance acoss the river to a sandbar & it was
at least twenty
minutes before he died; he did not attempt to attact,
but fled and made
the most tremendous roaring from the moment he was
shot. We had no
means of weighing this monster; Capt. Clark thought he
would weigh 500
lbs. for my own part I think the estimate too small by
100 lbs. he
measured 8 Feet 71/2 Inches from the nose to the extremety
of the hind feet, 5
F. to 1/2 Inch arround the breast, 1 F. 11 I.
arround the middle
of the arm, & 3 F. 11 I. arround the neck; his
tallons which were
five in number on each foot were 4 1/8 Inches in
length. he was in
good order, we therefore divided him among the party
and made them boil
the oil and put it in a cask for future uce; the oil
is as hard as hogs
lard when cool, much more so than that of the black
bear. this bear
differs from the common black bear in several respects;
it's tallons are
much longer and more blont, it's tale shorter, it's
hair which is of a
redish or bey brown, is longer thicker and finer
than that of the
black bear; his liver lungs and heart are much larger
even in proportion
with his size; the heart particularly was as large
as that of a large
Ox. his maw was also ten times the size of black
bear, and was
filled with flesh and fish. his testicles were pendant
from the belly and
placed four inches assunder in seperate bags or
pouches.- this
animal also feeds on roots and almost every species of
wild fruit.
The party killed
two Elk and a Buffaloe today, and my dog caught a
goat, which he
overtook by superior fleetness, the goat it must be
understood was with
young and extreemly poor. a great number of these
goats are devowered
by the wolves and bear at this season when they are
poor and passing
the river from S. W. to N. E. they are very inactive
and easily taken in
the water, a man can out swim them with great ease;
the Indians take
them in great numbers in the river at this season and
in autumn when they
repass to the S. W.
[Clark, May 5,
1805]
5th of May Sunday
1805
We Set out verry
early and had not proceeded far before the rudder
Irons of one of the
Perogus broke which detained us a Short time Capt
Lewis walked on
Shore this morning and killed a Deer, after brackfast I
walked on Shore Saw
great numbers of Buffalow & Elk Saw also a Den of
young wolves, and a
number of (frown wolves in every direction, the
white & Grey
Brant is in this part of the Missouri I shot at the white
brant but at So
great a distance I did not kill, The Countrey on both
sides is as
yesterday, handsom & fertile- The river rising & Current
Strong & in the
evening we Saw a Brown or Grisley beare on a Sand
beech, I went out
with one man Geo. Drewyer & Killed the bear, which
was verry large and
a turrible looking animal, which we found verry
hard to kill we
Shot ten Balls into him before we killed him, & 5 of
those Balls through
his lights This animal is the largest of the
Carnivorous kind I
ever Saw we had nothing that could way him, I think
his weight may be
Stated at 500 pounds, he measured 8 feet 71/2 In.
from his nose to
the extremity of the Toe, 5 feet 101/2 in. arround the
breast, 1 feet 11
Ins. around the middle of the arm, 3 feet 11 Ins.
arround the neck
his tallents was 4 Inches &3/8 long, he was good
order, and appeared
verry different from the Common black bear in as
much as his
tallents were blunt, his tail Short, his liver & lights
much larger, his
maw ten times as large and Contained meat or flesh &
fish only- we had
him Skined and divided, the oile tried up & put in
Kegs for use. we Camped
on the Stard Side, our men killed three Elk and
a Buffalow to day,
and our Dog Cought an antilope a fair race, this
animal appeared
verry pore & with young.
[Lewis, May 6,
1805]
Monday May 6th
1805.
The morning being
fair and pleasant and wind favourable we set sale at
an early hour, and
proceeded on very well the greater part of the day;
the country still
continues level fertile and beautifull, the bottoms
wide and well
timbered comparitively speaking with other parts of the
river; no
appearance of birnt hills pumice stone or coal, the salts of
tartar or vegitable
salts continues to appear on the river banks, sand
bars and in many
parts of the plains most generally in the little
revines at the base
of the low hills. passed three streames today which
discharged
themselves on the Lard. side; the first of these we call
little dry creek it
contained some water in standing pools but
discharged none,
the 2ed 50 yards wide no Water, we called it Big dry
Creek, the 3rd is
bed of a conspicuous river 200 yards wide which we
called little dry
river; the banks of these streams are low and bottoms
wide with but
little timber, their beds are almost entirely formed of a
fine brown sand
intermixed with a small proportion of little pebbles,
which were either
transparent, white, green, red, yellow or brown.
these streams
appeared to continue their width without diminution as
far as we could
perceive them, which with rispect to the river was many
miles, they had
recenly discharged their waters. from the appearance of
these streams, and
the country through which they passed, we concluded
that they had their
souces in level low dry plains, which probably is
the character of
the country for a great distance west of this, or to
the vicinity of the
black hills, that the country being low on the same
level nearly and in
the same parallel of latitude, that the rains in
the spring of the
year suddonly melts the snow at the same time and
causes for a few
days a vast quantity of water which finds it's way to
the Missouri
through those channels; by reference to the diary of the
weather &c it
will be percieved that there is scarcely any rain during
the summer Autumn
and winter in this open country distant from the
mountains. Fields
still continues unwell. saw a brown bear swim the
river above us, he
disappeared before we can get in reach of him; I
find that the
curiossity of our party is pretty well satisfyed with
rispect to this
anamal, the formidable appearance of the male bear
killed on the 5th
added to the difficulty with which they die when even
shot through the
vital parts, has staggered the resolution several of
them, others
however seem keen for action with the bear; I expect these
gentlemen will give
us some amusement shotly as they soon begin now to
coppolate. saw a
great quantity of game of every species common here.
Capt Clark walked
on shore and killed two Elk, they were not in very
good order, we
therefore took a part of the meat only; it is now only
amusement for Capt.
C. and myself to kill as much meat as the party can
consum; I hope it
may continue thus through our whole rout, but this I
do not much expect.
two beaver were taken in traps this morning and one
since shot by one
of the party. saw numbers of these anamals peeping at
us as we passed out
of their wholes which they form of a cilindric
shape, by burrowing
in the face of the abbrupt banks of the river.
[Clark, May 6,
1805]
May 6th Monday 1805
a fine morning wind
from the N. E. we Set out early and proceeded on
verry well under
Sail the greater part of the day, passed two Creeks &
a River to day on
the Lard. Side, neither of them discharged any water
into the Missouri,
they were wide and Continued their width for Some
distance, the
little water of those Creeks & the little river must wash
the low Country, I
believe those Streams to be the Conveyance of the
water of the heavy
rains & melting Snows in the Countrey back &c. &c. I
walked on Shore and
Killed two Elk neither of which was fat, we saved
the best of the meat,
one beaver Shot to day. the countrey on both
Sides butifull no
appearances of either Coal or pumice Stone & burnt
hills, The Salts of
Tarter or white aprs. of Salts are yet to be Seen.
[Lewis, May 7,
1805]
Tuesday May 7th
1805.
A fine morning, set
out at an early hour; the drift wood begins to come
down in consequence
of the river's rising; the water is somewhat
clearer than usual,
a circumstance I did not expect on it's rise. at 11
A.M. the wind
became so hard that we were compelled to ly by for
several hours, one
of the small canoes by the bad management of the
steersman filled
with water and had very nearly sunk; we unloaded her
and dryed the
baggage; at one we proceed on the wind having in some
measure abated. the
country we passed today on the North side of the
river is one of the
most beautifull plains we have yet seen, it rises
gradually from the
river bottom to the hight of 50 or 60 feet, then
becoming level as a
bowling green. extends back as far as the eye can
reach; on the S.
side the river hills are more broken and much higher
tho some little
destance back the country becomes level and fertile. no
appearance of birnt
hills coal or pumicestone, that of salts still
continue.
vegitation appears to have advanced very little since the
28th Ulto.- we
continue to see a great number of bald Eagles, I presume
they must feed on
the carcases of dead anamals, for I see no fishing
hawks to supply
them with their favorite food. the water of the river
is so terbid that
no bird wich feeds exclusively on fish can subsist on
it; from it's mouth
to this place I have neither seen the blue crested
fisher nor a
fishing hawk. this day we killed 3 Buffaloe 1 Elk & 8
beaver; two of the
Buffaloe killed by Capt Clark near our encampment of
this evening wer in
good order dressed them and saved the meat, the Elk
I killed this
morning, thought it fat, but on examineation found it so
lean that we took
the tongue marrowbones and Skin only.
[Clark, May 7,
1805]
May 7th Tuesday,
1805
A fine morning
river rose 11/2 Inches last night, the drift wood
beginning to run
the water Something Clearer than usial, the wind
became verry hard,
and at 11 oClock one Canoe by bad Stearing filled
with water, which
detained us about 3 hours, had a Meridian altitude,
the Laid. from
which is 47°36' 11" 6/10 The Countrey on the North Side of
the Missouri is one
of the handsomest plains we have yet Seen on the
river the plain
rises from the river bottom gradually. The Hills on the
South Side is high
& uneavin. no appearance of Coal or burnt hills,
that of Salts Still
appear; vegitation appears to be Slow, I walked on
the bank to day and
Shot 2 beaver, in the evening Killed two Buffalow
in tolerable order
which we Saved and Camped on the Lard Side. 8
beaver, 3 buffalow
& an Elk killed to day
[Lewis, May 8,
1805]
Wednesday May 8th
1805.
Set out at an early
hour under a gentle brieze from the East. a black
cloud which
suddonly sprung up at S. E. soon over shaddowed the
horizon; at 8 A.M.
it gave us a slight sprinke of rain, the wind became
much stronger but
not so much so as to detain us. we nooned it just
above the entrance
of a large river which disimbogues on the Lard.
side; I took the
advantage of this leasure moment and examined the
river about 3
miles; I found it generally 150 yards wide, and in some
places 200. it is
deep, gentle in it's courant and affords a large
boddy of water;
it's banks which are formed of a dark rich loam and
blue clay are
abbrupt and about 12 feet high. it's bed is principally
mud. I have no
doubt but it is navigable for boats perogues and canoes,
for the latter
probably a great distance. the bottoms of this stream ar
wide, level,
fertile and possess a considerable proportion of timber,
principally
Cottonwood. from the quantity of water furnised by this
river it must water
a large extent of country; perhaps this river also
might furnish a
practicable and advantageous communication with the
Saskashiwan river;
it is sufficiently large to justify a belief that it
might reach to that
river if it's direction be such. the water of this
river possesses a
peculiar whiteness, being about the colour of a cup
of tea with the
admixture of a tablespoonful) of milk. from the colour
of it's water we
called it Milk river. (we think it possible that this
may be the river
called by the Minitares the river which scoalds at all
others or ____)
Capt Clark who walked this morning on the Lard. shore
ascended a very
high point opposite to the mouth of this river; he
informed me that he
had a perfect view of this river and the country
through which it
passed for a great distance (probably 50 or 60 Miles,)
that the country
was level and beautifull on both sides of the river,
with large herds of
Buffaloe distributed throughout that the river from
it's mouth boar N.
W. for 12 or 15 Miles when it forked, the one taking
a direction nearly
North, and the other to the West of N. West. from
the appearance of
the vallies and the timber on each of these streams
Capt. C. supposed
that they were about the same size. great appearance
of beaver on this
river, and I have no doubt but what they continue
abundant, there
being plenty of cottonwood and willow, the timber on
which they subsist.
The country on the Lard. side of the river is
generally high
broken hills, with much broken, grey black and brown
grannite scattered
on the surface of the earth in a confused manner.
The wild Licquorice
is found on the sides of these hills, in great
abundance. at a
little distance from the river there is no timber to be
seen on either
side; the bottom lands are not more than one fifth
covered with
timber; the timber as below is confined to the borders of
the river. in
future it will be understood that there is no timber of
any discription on
the upland unless particularly mentioned; and also
that one fifth of
the bottom lands being covered with timber is
considered a large
proportion. The white apple is found in great
abundance in this
neighbourhood; it is confined to the highlands
principally. The
whiteapple, so called by the French Engages, is a
plant which rises
to the hight of 6 or 9 Inchs. rarely exceeding a
foot; it puts forth
from one to four and sometimes more stalks from the
same root, but is
most generally found with one only, which is branched
but not defusely,
is cylindric and villose; the leafstalks, cylindric,
villose and very
long compared with the hight of the plant, tho
gradually diminish
in length as they ascend, and are irregular in point
of position; the
leaf, digitate, from three to five in number, oval 1
Inch long,
absolutely entire and cottony; the whole plant of a pale
green, except the
under disk of the leaf which is of a white colour
from the cottony
substance with which it is covered. the radix a
tuberous bulb;
generally ova formed, sometimes longer and more rarely
partially divided
or brancing; always attended with one or more
radicles at it's
lower extremity which sink from 4 to 6 inches deep.
the bulb covered
with a rough black, tough, thin rind which easily
seperates from the
bulb which is a fine white substance, somewhat
porus, spungy and
moist, and reather tough before it is dressed; the
center of the bulb
is penitrated with a small tough string or ligament,
which passing from
the bottom of the stem terminates in the extremity
of the radicle,
which last is also covered by a prolongation of the
rind which
invellopes the bulb. The bulb is usually found at the debth
of 4 inches and
frequently much deeper. This root forms a considerable
article of food
with the Indians of the Missouri, who for this purpose
prepare them in
several ways. they are esteemed good at all seasons of
the year, but are
best from the middle of July to the latter end of
Autumn when they
are sought and gathered by the provident part of the
natives for their
winter store. when collected they are striped of
their rhind and
strung on small throngs or chords and exposed to the
sun or placed in
the smoke of their fires to dry; when well dryed they
will keep for
several years, provided they are not permitted to become
moist or damp; in
this situation they usually pound them between two
stones placed on a
piece of parchment, untill they reduce it to a fine
powder thus
prepared they thicken their soope with it; sometimes they
also boil these
dryed roots with their meat without breaking them; when
green they are
generally boiled with their meat, sometimes mashing them
or otherwise as
they think proper. they also prepare an agreeable dish
with them by boiling
and mashing them and adding the marrow grease of
the buffaloe and
some buries, until the whole be of the consistency of
a haisty pudding.
they also eat this root roasted and frequently make
hearty meals of it
raw without sustaining any inconvenience or injury
therefrom. The
White or brown bear feed very much on this root, which
their tallons
assist them to procure very readily. the white apple
appears to me to be
a tastless insippid food of itself tho I have no
doubt but it is a
very healthy and moderately nutricious food. I have
no doubt but our
epicures would admire this root very much, it would
serve them in their
ragouts and gravies in stead of the truffles
morella.
We saw a great
number buffaloe, Elk, common and Black taled deer, goats
beaver and wolves.
Capt C. killed a beaver and a wolf, the party killed
3 beaver and a
deer. We can send out at any time and obtain whatever
species of meat the
country affords in as large quantity as we wish. we
saw where an Indian
had recently grained, or taken the hair off of a
goatskin; we do not
wish to see those gentlemen just now as we presume
they would most
probably be the Assinniboins and might be troublesome
to us. Capt C.
could not be certain but thought he saw the smoke and
some Indian lodges
at a considrable distance up Milk river.
[Clark, May 8,
1805]
May the 8th
Wednesday 1805
a verry black Cloud
to the S W. we Set out under a gentle breeze from
the N. E. about 8
oClock began to rain, but not Sufficient to wet, we
passed the mouth of
a large river on the Starboard Side 150 yards wide
and appears to be
navagable. the Countrey thro which it passes as far
as Could be seen
from the top of a verry high hill on which I was, a
butifull leavil
plain this river forks about N W from its mouth 12 or
15 miles one fork
runs from the North & the other to the West of N W.
the water of this
river will justify a belief that it has its Sourse at
a considerable
distance, and waters a great extent of Countrey- we are
willing to believe
that this is the River the Minitarres Call the river
which Scolds at all
others
the Countrey on the
Lard. Side is high & broken with much Stone
Scattered on the
hills, In walking on Shore with the Interpreter & his
wife, the Squar
Geathered on the Sides of the hills wild Lickerish, &
the white apple as
called by the angegies and gave me to eat, the
Indians of the
Missouri make great use of the white apple dressed in
different ways- Saw
great numbers of Buffalow, Elk, antelope & Deer,
also black tale
deer beaver & wolves, I killed a beaver which I found
on the bank, &
a wolf. The party killed 3 Beaver 1 Deer I saw where an
Indian had taken
the hair off a goat Skin a fiew days past- Camped
early on the Lard.
Side. The river we passed today we call Milk river
from the peculiar
whiteness of it's water, which precisely resembles
tea with a
considerable mixture of milk.
[Lewis, May 9,
1805]
Thursday May 9th
1805.
Set out at an early
hour; the wind being favourable we used our sails
and proceeded very
well; the country in appearance is much as yester,
with this
difference that the land appears more fertile particularly of
the Lard. hills
which are not so stoney and less broken; the timber has
also in some
measure declined in quantity. today we passed the bed of
the most
extraordinary river that I ever beheld. it is as wide as the
Missouri is at this
place or 1/2 a mile wide and not containing a
single drop of
runing water; some small standing pools being all the
water that could be
per-ceived. it falls in on the Lard. side. I walked
up this river about
three miles and ascended an eminence from which I
could perceive it
many miles; it's course about South for 10 or 12
miles, when it
viered around to the E of S. E. as far as I could see.
the valley of this
river is wide and possesses but a scanty proportion
of timber; the
hills which border it are not very high nor is the
country very
broken; it is what may properly be designated a wavy or
roling country
intersperced with some handsom level plains. the bank
are low and
abbrupt, seldom more than 6 or eight feet above the level
of the bed, yet
show but little appearance of being overflown; they are
of black or yellow
clay or a rich sandy loam. the bed is entirely
composed of a light
brown sand the particles of which as well as that
of the Missoury are
remarkably fine. this river I presume must extend
back as far as the
black hills and probably is the channel through
which a great
extent of plain country discharge their superfluous
waters in the
spring season. it had the appearance of having recently
discharged it's
waters; and from the watermark, it did not appear that
it had been more
than 2 feet deep at it's greatest hight. This stream
(if such it can
properly be termed) we called Big dry river. about a
mile below this
river on the same side a large creek falls in also dry
at present. The
mineral salts and quarts appear in large quantities in
this neighbourhood.
the sand of the Missouri from it's mouth to this
place has always
possessed a mixture of granulated talk or I now think
most probably that
it is this quarts. Capt C. killed 2 bucks and 2
buffaloe, I also
killed one buffaloe which proved to be the best meat,
it was in tolerable
order; we saved the best of the meat, and from the
cow I killed we
saved the necessary materials for making what our
wrighthand cook
Charbono calls the boudin blanc, and immediately set
him about preparing
them for supper; this white pudding we all esteem
one of the greatest
delacies of the forrest, it may not be amiss
therefore to give
it a place. About 6 feet of the lower extremity of
the large gut of
the Buffaloe is the first mosel that the cook makes
love to, this he
holds fast at one end with the right hand, while with
the forefinger and
thumb of the left he gently compresses it, and
discharges what he
says is not good to eat, but of which in the squel
we get a moderate
portion; the mustle lying underneath the shoulder
blade next to the
back, and fillets are next saught, these are needed
up very fine with a
good portion of kidney suit; to this composition is
then added a just
proportion of pepper and salt and a small quantity of
flour; thus far
advanced, our skilfull opporater C-o seizes his
recepticle, which
has never once touched the water, for that would
intirely distroy
the regular order of the whole procedure; you will not
forget that the
side you now see is that covered with a good coat of
fat provided the
anamal be in good order; the operator sceizes the
recepticle I say,
and tying it fast at one end turns it inwards and
begins now with
repeated evolutions of the hand and arm, and a brisk
motion of the
finger and thumb to put in what he says is bon pour
manger; thus by
stuffing and compressing he soon distends the
recepticle to the
utmost limmits of it's power of expansion, and in the
course of it's
longtudinal progress it drives from the other end of the
recepticle a much
larger portion of the ____ than was prevously
discharged by the
finger and thumb of the left hand in a former part of
the operation; thus
when the sides of the recepticle are skilfully
exchanged the outer
for the iner, and all is compleatly filled with
something good to
eat, it is tyed at the other end, but not any cut
off, for that would
make the pattern too scant; it is then baptised in
the missouri with
two dips and a flirt, and bobbed into the kettle;
from whence after
it be well boiled it is taken and fryed with bears
oil untill it becomes
brown, when it is ready to esswage the pangs of a
keen appetite or
such as travelers in the wilderness are seldom at a
loss for.
we saw a great
quantity of game today particularly of Elk and Buffaloe,
the latter are now
so gentle that the men frequently throw sticks and
stones at them in
order to drive them out of the way. we also saw this
evening emence
quantities of timber cut by the beaver which appeared to
have been done the
preceeding year, in place particularly they had cut
all the timber down
for three acres in front and on nearly one back
from the river and
had removed a considerable proportion of it, the
timber grew very
thick and some of it was as large as a man's body. the
river for several
days has been as wide as it is generally near it's
mouth, tho it is
much shallower or I should begin to dispair of ever
reaching it's
source; it has been crouded today with many sandbars; the
water also appears
to become clearer, it has changed it's complexin
very considerably.
I begin to feel extreemly anxious to get in view of
the rocky
mountains.
I killed four
plover this evening of a different species from any I
have yet seen; it
resembles the grey or whistling plover more than any
other of this
family of birds; it is about the size of the yellow
legged or large
grey plover common to the lower part of this river as
well as most parts
of the Atlantic States where they are sometimes
called the Jack
curloo; the eye is moderately large, are black with a
narrow ring of dark
yellowish brown; the head, neck, upper part of the
body and coverts of
the wings are of a dove coloured brown, which when
the bird is at rest
is the predominant colour; the brest and belley are
of a brownish
white; the tail is composed of 12 feathers of 3 Ins.
being of equal
length, of these the two in the center are black, with
traverse bars of
yellowish brown; the others are a brownish white. the
large feathers of
the wings are white tiped with blacked. the beak is
black, 21/2 inches
in length, slightly tapering, streight of a
cilindric form and
blontly or roundly pointed; the chaps are of equal
length, and
nostrils narrow. longitudional and connected; the feet and
legs are smoth and
of a greenish brown; has three long toes and a short
one on each foot,
the long toes are unconnected with a web, and the
short one is placed
very high up the leg behind, insomuch that it dose
not touch the
ground when the bird stands erect. the notes of this bird
are louder and more
various than any other of this family that I have
seen.
[Clark, May 9, 1805]
May 9th Thursday
1805
a fine Day wind
from the East we proceeded on verry well the Countrey
much the appearance
which it had yesterday the bottom & high land rich
black earth, Timber
not so abondant as below, we passed the mouth of a
river (or the
appearance of a river) on the Lard. Side the bend of
which as far as we
went up it or could See from a high hill is as large
as that of the
Missouri at this place which is near half a mile this
river did not
Contain one drop of running water, about a mile below
this river a large
Creeke joins the river L. S. which is also Dry-
Those dry Streams
which are also verry wide, I think is the Conveyance
of the melted Snow,
& heavy rains which is Probable fall in from the
high mountanious
Countrey which is Said to be between this river & the
Yellow Stone river-
I walked on Shore the fore part of this day, &
observed Great
quantities of the Shining Stone which we view as quarts,
I killed 2 Bucks
& a Buffalow, Capt Lewis also killed one which verry
good meat, I saw
emunerable herds of buffalow, & goats to day in every
derection- The
Missouri keeps its width which is nearly as wide as near
its mouth, great
number of Sand bars, the water not So muddy & Sand
finer & in
Smaller perpotion. Capt. Lewis killed 4 pleaver different
from any I have
ever before Seen, larger & have white breast & the
underfeathers of
the wings are white &c.
[Lewis, May 9,
1805]
May 9th 1805.
I killed four
plover this evening of a different kind from any I have
yet seen. it
resembles the grey or whistling plover more than any other
of this family of
birds, tho it is much larger. it is about the size of
the yellow leged
plover common to the U States, and called the jack
curlooe by some.
the legs are of a greenish brown; the toes, three and
one high at the
heel unconnected with a webb, the breast and belly of a
brownish white; the
head neck upper part of the body and coverts of the
wings are of a dove
colured brown which when the bird is at rest is the
predomanent colour.
the tale has 12 feathers of the same length of
which the two in
the center are black with transverse bars of yellowish
bron, the others
are a brownish white. the large feathers of the wings
are white tiped
with black. the eyes are black with a small ring of
dark yellowish
brown- the beak is black, 21/2 inches long, cilindrical,
streight, and
roundly or blountly pointed. the notes of this bird are
louder and more
various than of any other species which I have seen.-
[Lewis, May 10,
1805]
Friday May 10th
1805.
Set out at sunrise
and proceeded but a short distance ere the wind
became so violent
that we were obliged to come too, which we did on the
Lard. side in a
suddon or short bend of the river where we were in a
great measure
sheltered from the effects of the wind. the wind
continued violent
all day, the clouds were thick and black, had a
slight sprinkle of
rain several times in the course of the day. we sent
out several hunters
to scower the country, to this we were induced not
so much from the
want of provision as to discover the Indians whome we
had reasons to
believe were in the neighbourhood, from the circumstance
of one of their
dogs comeing to us this morning shortly after we
landed; we still
beleive ourselves in the country usually hunted by the
Assinniboins, and
as they are a vicious illy disposed nation we think
it best to be on
our guard, accordingly we inspected the arms and
accoutrements the
party and found them all in good order. The hunters
returned this
evening having seen no tents or Indians nor any fresh
sign of them; they
killed two Mule deer, one common fallow or
longtailed deer, 2
Buffaloe and 5 beaver, and saw several deer of the
Mule kind of
immence size, and also three of the Bighorned anamals.
from the appearance
of the Mule deer and the bighorned anamals we
beleive ourselves
fast approaching a hilly or mountainous country; we
have rarely found
the mule deer in any except a rough country; they
prefer the open
grounds and are seldom found in the woodlands near the
river; when they
are met with in the woodlands or river bottoms and are
pursued, they
invariably run to the hills or open country as the Elk
do. the contrary
happens with the common deer ther are several
esscential
differences between the Mule and common deer as well in form
as in habits. they
are fully a third larger in general, and the male is
particularly large;
I think there is somewhat greater disparity of size
between the male
and female of this speceis than there is between the
male and female
fallow deer; I am convinced I have seen a buck of this
species twice the
volume of a buck of any other species. the ears are
peculiarly large; I
measured those of a large buck which I found to be
eleven inches long
and 31/2 in width at the widest part; they are not
so delicately
formed, their hair in winter is thicker longer and of a
much darker grey,
in summer the hair is still coarser longer and of a
paleer red, more
like that of the Elk; in winter they also have a
considerable
quantity of a very fine wool intermixed with the hair and
lying next to the
skin as the Antelope has. the long hair which grows
on the outer sides
of the 1st joint of the hinder legs, and which in
the common deer do
not usually occupy more than 2 inches in them
occupys from 6 to
eight; their horns also differ, these in the common
deer consist of two
main beams from which one or more points project
the beam graduly
deminishing as the points procede from it, with the
mule deer the horns
consist of two beams which at the distance of 4 or
6 inches from the
head divide themselves each into two equal branches
which again either
divide into two other equal branches or terminate in
a smaller, and two
equal ones; having either 2 4 or 6 points on a beam;
the horn is not so
rough about the base as the common deer and are
invariably of a
much darker colour. the most striking difference of
all, is the white
rump and tale. from the root of the tail as a center
there is a circular
spot perfectly white, of abot 3 inches radius,
which occupys a
part of the rump and extremitys of the buttocks and
joins the white of
the belley underneath; the tail which is usually
from 8 to 9 inches
long, for the first 4 or 5 inches from it's upper
extremity is
covered with short white hairs, much shorter indeed than
the hairs of the
body; from hence for about one inch further the hair
is still white but
gradually becomes longer, the tail then terminates
in a tissue of
black hair of about 3 Inches long. from this black hair
of the tail they
have obtained among the French engages the appelation
of the black taled
deer, but this I conceive by no means characteristic
of the anamal as
much the larger portion of the tail is white. the year
and the tail of
this anamal when compared with those of the common
(leer, so well
comported with those of the mule when compared with the
horse, that we have
by way of distinction adapted the appellation of
the mule deer which
I think much more appropriate. on the inner corner
of each eye there
is a drane or large recepicle which seems to answer
as a drane to the
eye which gives it the appearance of weeping, this in
the common deer of
the atlantic states is scarcely perceptable but
becomes more
conspicuous in the fallow deer, and still more so in the
Elk; this
recepticle in the Elk is larger than in any of the pecora
order with which I
am acquainted.
Boils and
imposthumes have been very common with the party Bratton is
now unable to work
with one on his hand; soar eyes continue also to be
common to all of us
in a greater or less degree. for the imposthume I
use emmolient
poltices, and for soar eyes a solution of white vitriol
and the sugar of
lead in the proportion of 2 grs. of the former and one
of the latter to
each ounce of water.
[Clark, May 10,
1805]
May the 10th Friday
1805
river fell 3/4 of
an inch last night, wind from the N. W, we proceeded
on but a short
distance e'r'e the wind became So violent we could not
proceed came to on
the Lard. Side in a Short bend, the wind Continued
all day Several
times in the course of the day We had some fiew drops
of rain from verry
black Clouds, no thunder or lightning latterly, Soon
after we landed a
Dog came to us from the opposit Side, which induced a
belief that we had
not passd. the Assinniboin Indians, parties wer Sent
on the hills in
different derections to examine but Saw no tents or
fresh Sign.
examined the arms &c. of the party found all in good order.
Three mule deer,
two Buffalow & 5 beaver killed, 3 of the mountain ram
Seen.
[Lewis, May 11,
1805]
Saturday May 11th
1805. Set out this morning at an early hour, the
courant strong; and
river very crooked; the banks are falling in very
fast; I sometimes
wonder that some of our canoes or perogues are not
swallowed up by
means of these immence masses of earth which are
eternally
precipitating themselves into the river; we have had many
hair breadth
escapes from them but providence seems so to have ordered
it that we have as
yet sustained no loss in consequence of them. The
wind blue very hard
the forepart of last night but abated toward
morning; it again
arose in the after part of this day and retarded our
progress very much.
the high lands are broken, the hills higher and
approach nearer the
river, tho the soil of both hills and bottoms
appear equally as
furtile as below; it consists of a black looking tome
with a moderate
portion of sand; the hills and bluffs to the debth of
20 or thirty feet,
seemed to be composed entirely of this loam; when
thrown in the water
it desolves as readily as loaf sugar and
effervesses like
marle. great appearance of quarts and mineral salts,
the latter appears
both on the hills and bottoms, in the bottoms of the
gullies which make
down from the hills it lies incrusting the earth to
the debth of 2 or 3
inches, and may with a fether be swept up and
collected in large
quantities, I preserved several specimines of this
salts. the quarts
appears most commonly in the faces of the bluffs. no
coal, burnt hills,
or pumice stone. saw today some high hills on the
Stard. whose
summits were covered with pine. Capt Clark went on shore
and visited them;
he brought with him on his return som of the boughs
of this pine it is
of the pitch kind but I think the leaves somewhat
longer than ours in
Virginia. Capt C. also in his walk killed 2 Mule
deer a beaver and
two buffaloe; these last he killed about 3 miles
above where we
encamped this evening in the expectation that we would
reach that place,
but we were unable to do so from the adverse winds
and other
occurrences, and he came down and joined us about dark. there
is a dwarf cedar
growing among the pine on the hills; it rises to the
hight thre
sometimes 4 feet, but most generally spreads itself like a
vine along the
surface of the earth, which it covers very closely,
puting out roots
from the underside of the limbs; the leaf is finer and
more delicate than
the common red ceader, it's fruit and smell are the
same with the red
ceader. the tops of these hills which produce the
pine and cedar is
of a different soil from that just described; it is a
light coloured poor
sterile sandy soil, the base usually a yellow or
white clay; it
produces scarcely any grass, some scattering tuffts of
sedge constitutes
the greater part of it's grass. About 5 P.M. my
attention was
struck by one of the Party runing at a distance towards
us and making signs
and hollowing as if in distress, I ordered the
perogues to put
too, and waited untill he arrived; I now found that it
was Bratton the man
with the soar hand whom I had permitted to walk on
shore, he arrived
so much out of breath that it was several minutes
before he could
tell what had happened; at length he informed me that
in the woody bottom
on the Lard. side about 11/2 below us he had shot a
brown bear which
immediately turned on him and pursued him a
considerable
distance but he had wounded it so badly that it could not
overtake him; I
immediately turned out with seven of the party in quest
of this monster, we
at length found his trale and persued him about a
mile by the blood
through very thick brush of rosbushes and the large
leafed willow; we
finally found him concealed in some very thick brush
and shot him
through the skull with two balls; we proceeded dress him
as soon as
possible, we found him in good order; it was a monstrous
beast, not quite so
large as that we killed a few days past but in all
other rispects much
the same the hair is remarkably long fine and rich
tho he appears
parshally to have discharged his winter coat; we now
found that Bratton
had shot him through the center of the lungs,
notwithstanding
which he had pursued him near half a mile and had
returned more than
double that distance and with his tallons had
prepared himself a
bed in the earth of about 2 feet deep and five long
and was perfectly
alive when we found him which could not have been
less than 2 hours
after he received the wound; these bear being so hard
to die reather
intimedates us all; I must confess that I do not like
the gentlemen and
had reather fight two Indians than one bear; there is
no other chance to
conquer them by a single shot but by shooting them
through the brains,
and this becomes difficult in consequence of two
large muscles which
cover the sides of the forehead and the sharp
projection of the
center of the frontal bone, which is also of a pretty
good thickness. the
flece and skin were as much as two men could
possibly carry. by
the time we returned the sun had set and I
determined to
remain here all night, and directed the cooks to render
the bear's oil and
put it in the kegs which was done. there was about
eight gallons of
it.
the wild Hysop
grows here and in all the country through which we have
passed for many
days past; tho from big Dry river to this place it has
been more abundant
than below, and a smaller variety of it grows on the
hills, the leaves
of which differ considerably being more deeply
indented near it's
extremity. the buffaloe deer and Elk feed on this
herb in the winter
season as they do also on the small willow of the
sandbars. there is
another growth that begins now to make it's
appearance in the
bottom lands and is becoming extreemly troublesome;
it is a shrub which
rises to the hight of from two to four feet, much
branched, the bark
of the trunk somewhat rough hard and of light grey
colour; the wood is
firm and stif, the branches beset with a great
number of long,
shap, strong, wooddy looking thorns; the leaf is about
3/4 or an inch
long, and one 1/8 of an inch wide, it is obtuse,
absolutely entire,
veinless fleshy and gibbose; has no perceptable
taste or smell, and
no anamal appears to eat it. by way of designating
when I mention it
hereafter I shall call it the fleshey leafed thorn
[Clark, May 11,
1805]
May the 11th
Satturday 1805.
Wind hard fore part
of last night the latter part verry Cold a white
frost this morning,
the river riseing a little and verry Crooked the
high land is rugged
and approaches nearer than below, the hills and
bluff exhibit more
mineral quats & Salts than below, the gullies in
maney places are white,
and their bottoms one, two & 3 Inches deep of
this mineral, no
appearance of either burnt pumice Stone or Coal, the
Countrey hilley on
both Sides of a rich black earth, which disolves
This kind of
Countrey Continues of the Same quallity for maney miles on
either Side, we
observed Some hills which appeared to be timbered, I
walked to this
timber and found it to pitch pine & Dwarf Cedar, we
observe in every
derection Buffalow, Elk, Antelopes & Mule deer
inumerable and So
jintle that we Could approach near them with great
ease, I killed 2
Mule Deer for the benifit of their Skins for the
party, and about
the place I expected the party would get to Camp I
killed 2 fat Bulls
for theire use, in my absence they had killed a fine
fat Yellow bear
below which detained them and they did not reach the
place I expected,
but had Camped on the Lard. Side about 2 miles below
on my return to the
party I killed a fat Beaver the wind blew verry
hard from the S. W.
all the after part of this day which retarded our
progress verry
much. river rose 2 In
[Lewis, May 12,
1805]
Sunday May 12th
1805.
Set out at an early
hour, the weather clear and Calm; I walked on shore
this morning for
the benifit of exersize which I much wanted, and also
to examine the
country and it's productions, in these excurtions I most
generally went
alone armed with my rifle and espontoon; thus equiped I
feel myself more
than an equal match for a brown bear provided I get
him in open woods or
near the water, but feel myself a little diffident
with respect to an
attack in the open plains, I have therefore come to
a resolution to act
on the defencive only, should I meet these
gentlemen in the
open country. I ascended the hills and had a view of a
rough and broken
country on both sides of the river; on the North side
the summits of the
hills exhibit some scattering pine and cedar, on the
South side the pine
has not yet commenced tho there is some cedar on
the face of the
hills and in the little ravines. the choke cherry also
grows here in the
hollows and at the heads of the gullies; the choke
Cherry has been in
blume since the ninth inst. this growth has
freequently made
it's appearance on the Missouri from the neighbourhood
of the Baldpated
Prarie, to this place in the form of it's leaf colour
and appearance of
it's bark, and general figure of it's growth it
resembles much the
Morillar cherry,1 tho much smaller not generally
rising to a greater
hight than from 6 to 10 feet and ascociating in
thick clusters or
clumps in their favorit situations which is usually
the heads of small
ravines or along the sides of small brooks which
flow from the
hills. the flowers which are small and white are
supported by a common
footstalk as those of the common wild cherry are,
the corolla
consists of five oval petals, five stamen and one
pistillum, and of
course of the Class and order Pentandria Monogynia.
it bears a fruit
which much resembles the wild cherry in form and
colour tho larger
and better flavoured; it's fruit ripens about the
begining of July
and continues on the trees untill the latter end of
September- The
Indians of the Missouri make great uce of this cherry
which they prepare
for food in various ways, sometimes eating when
first plucked from
the trees or in that state pounding them mashing the
seed boiling them
with roots or meat, or with the prarie beans and
white-apple; again
for their winter store they geather them and lay
them on skins to
dry in the sun, and frequently pound them and make
them up in small
roles or cakes and dry them in the sun; when thus
dryed they fold
them in skins or put them in bags of parchment and keep
them through the
winter either eating them in this state or boiling
them as before mentioned.
the bear and many birds also feed on these
burries. the wild
hysop sage, fleshey leaf thorn, and some other herbs
also grow in the
plains and hills, particularly the arromatic herb on
which the Antelope
and large hare feed. The soil has now changed it's
texture
considerably; the base of the hills and river bottoms continue
the same and are
composed of a rich black loam while the summits of the
hills and about
half their hight downwards are of a light brown colour,
poor sterile and
intermixed with a coarse white sand. about 12 OClock
the wind veered
about to the N. W. and blew so hard that we were
obliged to Ly by
the ballance of the day. we saw great quantities of
game as usual. the
bottom lands still becomeing narrower.
About sunset it
began to rain, and continued to fall a few drops at a
time untill
midnight; the wind blew violently all night.
[Clark, May 12,
1805]
May 12th Sunday
1805.
Set out at an early
hour, the morning Clear and Calm, Capt. Lewis
walked on Shore
this morning about 12 oClock the wind becam Strong from
the E. about half
past one oClock the wind Shifted round to the N. W.
and blew verry hard
all the latter part of the day, which obliged us to
Lay by- The
Countrey is hilley & rugged and the earth of a lightish
brown and but
indifferent, Some Small Cedar is Scattered on the Sides
of the hils &
in the hollars, Some pine ridges is also to be Seen on
the North Side, we
observe great quantites of game as usual. I killed a
beaver in the
water, Saw Several Sitting on the bank near the waters
edge about Sunset
it began to rain, and rained very moderately only a
fiew drops at a
time for about half the night, wind Continued violent
all night
[Lewis, May 13,
1805]
Monday May 13th
1805.
The wind continued
to blow so violently this morning that we did not
think it prudent to
set out. sent out some hunters. At 1 P.M. the wind
abated, and altho
the hunters had not all returned we set out; the
courant reather
stronger than usual and the water continues to become
reather clearer,
from both which I anticipate a change of Country
shortly. the
country much the same as yesterday; but little timber in
the bottoms and a
scant proportion of pine an cedar crown the Stard.
hills. Capt C. who
was on shore the greater part of the day killed a
mule and a Common
deer, the party killed several deer and some Elk
principally for the
benefit of their skins which are necessary to them
for cloathing, the
Elk skins I now begin to reserve for making the
leather boat at the
falls. the hunters joined us this evening; Gibson
had wounded a very
large brown bear but it was too late in the evening
to pursue him.
[Clark, May 13,
1805]
13th of May Monday
1805
The wind Continued
to blow hard untill one oClock P M. to day at which
time it fell a
little and we Set out and proceeded on verry well about
9 miles and Camped
on the Lard Side. the countrey much the Same
appearance as
yesterday but little timber in the bottoms; Some Pine in
places on the
Stard. Hills. I killed two deer this evening one a mule
deer & the
other a common Deer, the party killed Several this morning
all for the use of
their Skins which are now good, one man Gibson
wounded a verry
large brown bear, too late this evening to prosue him-
We passed two
Creeks in a bend to the Lard Side neither them had any
water, are somewhat
wider; passed some high black bluffs. saw immence
herds of buffaloe
today also Elk deer wolves and Antelopes. passed
three large creeks
one on the Stard. and two others on the Lard. side,
neither of which
had any runing water. Capt Clark walked on shore and
killed a very fine
buffaloe cow. I felt an inclination to eat some veal
and walked on shore
and killed a very fine buffaloe calf and a large
woolf, much the
whitest I had seen, it was quite as white as the wool
of the common
sheep. one of the party wounded a brown bear very badly,
but being alone did
not think proper to pursue him. In the evening the
men in two of the rear
canoes discovered a large brown bear lying in
the open grounds
about 300 paces from the river, and six of them went
out to attack him,
all good hunters; they took the advantage of a small
eminence which
concealed them and got within 40 paces of him
unperceived, two of
them reserved their fires as had been previously
conscerted, the
four others fired nearly at the same time and put each
his bullet through
him, two of the balls passed through the bulk of
both lobes of his
lungs, in an instant this monster ran at them with
open mouth, the two
who had reserved their fires discharged their
pieces at him as he
came towards them, boath of them struck him, one
only slightly and
the other fortunately broke his shoulder, this
however only
retarded his motion for a moment only, the men unable to
reload their guns
took to flight, the bear pursued and had very nearly
overtaken them
before they reached the river; two of the party betook
themselves to a
canoe and the others seperated an concealed themselves
among the willows,
reloaded their pieces, each discharged his piece at
him as they had an
opportunity they struck him several times again but
the guns served
only to direct the bear to them, in this manner he
pursued two of them
seperately so close that they were obliged to throw
aside their guns
and pouches and throw themselves into the river altho
the bank was nearly
twenty feet perpendicular; so enraged was this
anamal that he
plunged into the river only a few feet behind the second
man he had
compelled take refuge in the water, when one of those who
still remained on
shore shot him through the head and finally killed
him; they then took
him on shore and butched him when they found eight
balls had passed
through him in different directions; the bear being
old the flesh was
indifferent, they therefore only took the skin and
fleece, the latter
made us several gallons of oil; it was after the sun
had set before
these men come up with us, where we had been halted by
an occurrence,
which I have now to recappitulate, and which altho
happily passed
without ruinous injury, I cannot recollect but with the
utmost trepidation
and horror; this is the upseting and narrow escape
of the white
perogue It happened unfortunately for us this evening that
Charbono was at the
helm of this Perogue, in stead of Drewyer, who had
previously steered
her; Charbono cannot swim and is perhaps the most
timid waterman in
the world; perhaps it was equally unluckey that Capt.
C. and myself were
both on shore at that moment, a circumstance which
rarely happened;
and tho we were on the shore opposite to the perogue,
were too far
distant to be heard or to do more than remain spectators
of her fate; in
this perogue ____ were embarked, our papers,
Instruments, books
medicine, a great part of our merchandize and in
short almost every
article indispensibly necessary to further the
views, or insure
the success of the enterprize in which we are now
launched to the
distance of 2200 miles. surfice it to say, that the
Perogue was under
sail when a sudon squawl of wind struck her
obliquely, and
turned her considerably, the steersman allarmed, in
stead of puting her
before the wind, lufted her up into it, the wind
was so violent that
it drew the brace of the squarsail out of the hand
of the man who was
attending it, and instantly upset the perogue and
would have turned
her completely topsaturva, had it not have been from
the resistance mad
by the oarning against the water; in this situation
Capt. C and myself
both fired our guns to attract the attention if
possible of the
crew and ordered the halyards to be cut and the sail
hawled in, but they
did not hear us; such was their confusion and
consternation at
this moment, that they suffered the perogue to lye on
her side for half a
minute before they took the sail in, the perogue
then wrighted but
had filled within an inch of the gunwals; Charbono
still crying to his
god for mercy, had not yet recollected the rudder,
nor could the
repeated orders of the Bowsman, Cruzat, bring him to his
recollection untill
he threatend to shoot him instantly if he did not
take hold of the
rudder and do his duty, the waves by this time were
runing very high,
but the fortitude resolution and good conduct of
Cruzat saved her;
he ordered 2 of the men to throw out the water with
some kettles that
fortunately were convenient, while himself and two
others rowed her
ashore, where she arrived scarcely above the water; we
now took every
article out of her and lay them to drane as well as we
could for the
evening, baled out the canoe and secured her; there were
two other men
beside Charbono on board who could not swim, and who of
course must also
have perished had the perogue gone to the bottom.
while the perogue
lay on her side, finding I could not be heard, I for
a moment forgot my
own situation, and involluntarily droped my gun,
threw aside my shot
pouch and was in the act of unbuttoning my coat,
before I
recollected the folly of the attempt I was about to make,
which was to throw
myself into the river and indevour to swim to the
perogue; the
perogue was three hundred yards distant the waves so high
that a perogue
could scarcely live in any situation, the water
excessively could,
and the stream rappid; had I undertaken this project
therefore, there
was a hundred to one but what I should have paid the
forfit of my life
for the madness of my project, but this had the
perogue been lost,
I should have valued but little.- After having all
matters arranged
for the evening as well as the nature of circumstances
would permit, we
thought it a proper occasion to console ourselves and
cheer the sperits
of our men and accordingly took a drink of grog and
gave each man a
gill of sperits.
[Clark, May 14,
1805]
14th of May Tuesday
1805
A verry Clear Cold
morning a white frost & some fog on the river the
Thermomtr Stood at
32 above 0, wind from the S. W. we proceeded on
verry well untill
about 6 oClock a Squawl of wind Struck our Sale broad
Side and turned the
perogue nearly over, and in this Situation the
Perogue remained
untill the Sale was Cut down in which time She nearly
filed with water-
the articles which floated out was nearly all caught
by the Squar who
was in the rear. This accident had like to have cost
us deerly; for in
this perogue were embarked our papers, Instruments,
books, medicine, a
great proportion of our merchandize, and in short
almost every
article indispensibly necessary to further the views, or
insure the success
of the enterprize in which, we are now launched to
the distance of
2,200 miles. it happened unfortunately that Capt. Lewis
and myself were
both on shore at the time of this occurrence, a
circumstance which
seldom took place; and tho we were on the shore
opposit to the perogue
were too far distant to be heard or do more than
remain spectators
of her fate; we discharged our guns with the hope of
attracting the
attention of the crew and ordered the sail to be taken
in but such was
their consternation and confusion at the instant that
they did not hear
us. when however they at length took in the sail and
the perogue
wrighted; the bowsman Cruzatte by repeated threats so far
brought Charbono
the Sternman to his recollection that he did his duty
while two hands
bailed the perogue and Cruzatte and two others rowed
her on shore were
she arrived scarcely above the water. we owe the
preservation of the
perogue to the resolution and fortitude of Cruzatte
The Countrey like
that of yesterday, passed a Small Island and the
enterence of 3
large Creeks, one on the Stard. & the other 2 on the
Lard Side, neither
of them had any running water at this time- Six good
hunters of the
party fired at a Brown or Yellow Bear Several times
before they killed
him, & indeed he had like to have defeated the whole
party, he pursued
them Seperately as they fired on him, and was near
Catching Several of
them one he pursued into the river, this bear was
large & fat
would way about 500 wt; I killed a Buffalow, & Capt. Lewis
a Calf & a wolf
this evening.
[Lewis, May 15,
1805]
Wednesday May 15th
as soon as a slight
shower of rain passed over this morning, we spread
the articles to dry
which had got wet yesterday in the white perogue;
tho the day proved
so cloudy and damp that they received but little
benifit from the
sun or air; we were enabled to put them in such a
state as to prevent
their sustaining further injury. our hunters killed
several deer, and
saw three bear one of which they wounded.
[Clark, May 15,
1805]
May 15th Wednesday
1805
Our medisons,
Instruments, merchandize, Clothes, provisions &c. &c.
which was nearly
all wet we had put out to air and dry. the day being
Cloudy & rainey
those articles dried but little to day- our hunters
killed Several deer
&c. and Saw three Bear one of which they wounded &c.
We see Buffalow on
the banks dead, others floating down dead, and
others mired every
day, those buffalow either drown in Swiming the
river or brake thro
the ice
[Lewis, May 16,
1805]
Thursday May 16th
The morning was
fair and the day proved favorable to our operations; by
4 oClock in the
evening our Instruments, Medicine, merchandize
provision &c,
were perfectly dryed, repacked and put on board the
perogue. the loss
we sustained was not so great as we had at first
apprehended; our
medicine sustained the greatest injury, several
articles of which
were intirely spoiled, and many others considerably
injured; the
ballance of our losses consisted of some gardin seeds, a
small quantity of
gunpowder, and a few culinary articles which fell
overboard and sunk,
the Indian woman to whom I ascribe equal fortitude
and resolution,
with any person onboard at the time of the accedent,
caught and
preserved most of the light articles which were washed
overboard all
matters being now arranged for our departure we lost no
time in seting out;
proceeced on tolerably well about seven miles and
encamped on the
Stard. side. in the early part of the day two of our
men fired on a
panther, a little below our encampment, and wounded it;
they informed us
that it was very large, had just killed a deer partly
devoured it, and in
the act of concealing the ballance as they
discovered him. we
caught two Antelopes at our encampment in attempting
to swim the river;
these anamals are but lean as yet, and of course not
very pleasant food.
I walked on shore this evening and killed a
buffaloe cow and
calf, we found the calf most excellent veal. the
country on either
side of the river is broken and hills much higher
than usual, the
bottoms now become narrow and the timber more scant;
some scattering
pine and cedar on the steep declivities of the hills.-
this morning a
white bear toar Labuiche's coat which he had left in the
plains.
[Clark, May 16,
1805]
May 16th Thursday
1805 a fair morning our articles all out to Dry at 4
oClock we had every
thing that was Saved dry and on bord, our loss is
Some medison,
Powder, Seeds, & Several articles which Sunk, and maney
Spoiled had a medn.
altitude which gave for Latd. _° _' _" N.- two of our
men fired at a pant
hr a little below our Camp, this animale they say
was large, had
Caught a Deer & eate it half & buried the ballance. a
fiew antilope Swam
the river near our Camp two of them were Cought by
the party in the river.
at half past 4 oClock we Set out and proceeded
on verry well ____
miles and incamped on the Std. Side the Countrey as
before hilley &
broken verry Small proprotion of timber in the points,
Some little pine
& Ceader in the hills
Buffalow & Deer
is yet plenty on the river in the small timbered
bottoms Capt Lewis
walked out on the Std. Side and killed a Cow & Calf
the calf was verry
fine their bases. it is somewhat singular that the
lower part of these
hills appear to be formed of a dark rich loam while
the upper region
about 150 feet is formed of a whiteish brown sand, so
hard in many parts
as to resemble stone; but little rock or stone of
any kind to be seen
in these hills. the river is much narrower than
usual, the bed from
200 to 300 yards only and possessing a much larger
proportion of
gravel than usual. a few scattering cottonwood trees are
the only timber
near the river; the sandbars, and with them the willow
points have almost
entirely disappeared. greater appearance than usual
of the saline incrustations
of the banks and river hills. we passed two
creeks the one on
Stard. side, and the other just below our camp on the
Lard. side; each of
these creeks afford a small quantity of runing
water, of a
brackish tast. the great number of large beds of streams
perfectly dry which
we daily pass indicate a country but badly watered,
which I fear is the
case with the country through which we have been
passing for the
last fifteen or twenty days. Capt Clark walked on shore
this evening and
killed an Elk; buffaloe are not so abundant as they
were some days
past. the party with me killed a female brown bear, she
was but meagre, and
appeared to have suckled young very recently. Capt.
Clark narrowly escaped
being bitten by a rattlesnake in the course of
his walk, the party
killed one this evening at our encampment, which he
informed me was
similar to that he had seen; this snake is smaller than
those common to the
middle Atlantic States, being about 2 feet 6 inches
long; it is of a
yellowish brown colour on the back and sides,
variagated with one
row of oval spots of a dark brown colour lying
transversely over
the back from the neck to the tail, and two other
rows of small
circular spots of the same colour which garnis the sides
along the edge of
the scuta. it's bely contains 176 scuta on the belly
and 17 on the tale.
Capt Clark informed me that he saw some coal which
had been brought
down by the water of the last creek we passed; this
creek also throws
out considerable quantities of Driftwood, though
there is no timber
on it which can be perceived from the Missouri; we
called this stream
rattlesnake creek. Capt Clark saw an Indian
fortifyed camp this
evening, which appeared to have been recently
occupyed, from
which we concluded it was probable that it had been
formed by a war
party of the Menetares who left their vilage in March
last with a view to
attack the blackfoot Indians in consequence of
their having killed
some of their principal warriors the previous
autumn. we were
roused late at night by the Sergt. of the guard, and
warned of the
danger we were in from a large tree that had taken fire
and which leant
immediately over our lodge. we had the loge removed,
and a few minutes
after a large proportion of the top of the tree fell
on the place the
lodge had stood; had we been a few minutes later we
should have been
crushed to attoms. the wind blew so hard, that
notwithstanding the
lodge was fifty paces distant from the fire it
sustained
considerable injury from the burning coals which were thrown
on it; the party
were much harrassed also by this fire which
communicated to a
collection of fallen timber, and could not be
extinguished.
[Clark, May 17,
1805]
May 17th Friday
1805
a fine morning wind
from the N W. mercury at 60° a 0. river falling a
little. we Set out
at an early hour and proceeded on verry well by the
assistance of the
Toe rope principally, the Countrey verry rugged &
hills high and the
river washing the base on each Side, Great
appearance of the
Salt Substance. a fiew Cotton trees is the only
timber which is
Scattered in the bottoms & the hills contain a fiew
Pine & Cedar,
which is Scattered. river much narrower than below from 2
to 300 yards wide,
the bottoms muddey & hills rich earth except near
their topes- We
passed 2 large Creeks to day one on the Starbd Side and
the other just
below our camp on the Lard. Side each of those creeks
has a little
running water near their mouthes which has a brackish
taste, I was nearly
treading on a Small fierce rattle Snake different
from any I had ever
Seen &c. one man the party killed another of the
Same kind. I walked
on Shore after dinner & killed an Elk- the party in
my absence Killed a
female Brown or yellow Bear which was meagre the
appearances of the
Hills & Countrey is as before mentioned except a
greater appearance
of the white appearance of Salts or tarter and Some
Coal which has been
thrown out by the floods in the last Creek-
Buffalow & Deer
is not plenty to day, Elk is yet to be Seen in
abundance we Camped
in the upper part of a Small timbered bottom on the
Lard. Side in which
I Saw a fortified Indian Camp, which I Suppose is
one of the Camps of
a Mi ne tar re war party of about 15 men, that Set
out from their
village in March last to war against the Blackfoot
Indians.
we were roused late
at night and warned of the danger of fire from a
tree which had
Cought and leaned over our Lodge, we had the lodge moved
Soon after the Dry
limbs & top of the tree fell in the place the Lodge
Stood, the wind
blew hard and the dry wood Cought & fire flew in every
direction, burnt
our Lodge verry much from the Coals which fell on it
altho at Some
distance in the plain, the whole party was much disturbed
by this fire which
could not be extinguished &c
[Lewis, May 18,
1805]
Saturday May 18th
1805.
The wind blew hard
this morning from the West. we were enabled to
employ our toe line
the greater part of the day and therefore proceeded
on tolerably well.
there are now but few sandbars, the river is narrow
and current gentle.
the timber consists of a few cottonwood trees along
the verge of the
river; the willow has in a great measure disappeared.
in the latter part
of the day the hills widened, the bottoms became
larger, and
contained more timber. we passed a creek on the Stard. side
about three oclock,
which afforded no water; came too and encamped on
the Lard. side
opposite to the lower point of a small Island, two miles
short of the
extremity of the last course of this day. Capt Clark in
the course of his
walk this evening killed four deer, two of which were
the black tailed or
mule deer; the skins are now good, they have not
yet produced their
young.- we saw a number of buffaloe, Elk, deer and
Antelopes.- the
saline substance frequently mentioned continues to
appear as usual.-
[Clark, May 18,
1805]
May 18th Satturday
1805
A windey morning
wind from the West we proceeded on verry well with the
assistance of the
Toe Coard, river narrow but flew Sand bars, & current
jentle, but a few
Cotton Trees Contained in the bottoms willow is not
common on the bears
as usial Some little on the Sides of the river is
yet to be Seen, the
after part of the day was Cloudy & at about 12
oClock it began to
rain and continued moderately for about 11/2 hours,
not Sufficient to
wet a man thro his clothes; this is the first rain
Since we Set out
this Spring The hills widen and the bottoms Contain
more timber than
for Several days past, we passed a Wisers Creek on the
Std. Side about 3
oClock and Camped on the Lard Side opposit the lower
point of a handsom
little Island near the middle of the river. I walked
on Shore and killed
four Deer, 2 common & 2 mule deer, one of which had
3 fauns, 2 others
had 2 each, those deer are fat, & their Skins
tolerable good,
which are now in demand with us for clothes Such as
Legins &
Mockersons, I Saw great numbers of Buffalows & Elk; Some of
the party Shoot
& Catch beaver every day & night
[Lewis, May 19,
1805]
Sunday May 19th
1805.
The last night was
disagreeably could; we were unable to set out untill
8 oclock A.M. in
consequence of a heavy fogg, which obscured the river
in such a manner
that we could not see our way; this is the first we
have experienced in
any thing like so great a degree; there was also a
fall of due last
evening, which is the second we have experienced since
we have entered
this extensive open country. at eight we set out and
proceeded as
yesterday by means of the cord principally, the hills are
high and the
country similar to that of yesterday. Capt Clark walked on
shore with two of
the hunters and killed a brown bear; notwithstanding
that it was shot
through the heart it ran at it's usual pace near a
quarter of a mile before
it fell. one of the party wounded a beaver,
and my dog as usual
swam in to catch it; the beaver bit him through the
hind leg and cut
the artery; it was with great difficulty that I could
stop the blood; I
fear it will yet prove fatal to him. on Capt. Clark's
return he informed
me that he had from the top of one of the adjacent
hights discovered
the entrance of a large stream which discharged
itself into the
Missouri on the Lard. side distant 6 or seven miles;
from the same place
he also saw a range of Mountains, bearing W.
distant 40 or 50
miles; they appeared to proceed in a S. S. W.
direction; the N.
N. E. extremity of these mountains appeared abrupt.
This afternoon the
river was croked, rappid and containing more sawyers
than we have seen
in the same space since we left the entrance of the
river Platte. Capt.
C. in the course of his walk killed three deer and
a beaver, I also
walked on shore this evening a few miles and killed an
Elk, a buck, and a
beaver. the party killed and caught 4 other beaver &
3 deer.
The men complain
much of sore eyes and imposthumes.
[Clark, May 19,
1805]
May 19th Sunday
1805
a verry cold night,
the murckery Stood at 38 at 8 oClock this morning,
a heavy dew which
is the 2d I have Seen this Spring. The fog (which was
the first) was So
thick this morning that we could not Set out untill
the Sun was about 2
hours up, at which time a Small breeze Sprung up
from the E. which
Cleared off the fog & we proceeded on by means of the
Cord The hills are
high & rugged the Countrey as yesterday- I walked on
Shore with two men
we killed a white or grey bear; not withstanding
that it was Shot
through the heart it ran at it's usial pace near a
quarter of a mile
before it fell. Capt Lewis's dog was badly bitten by
a wounded beaver
and was near bleading to death-. after killing the
Bear I continued my
walk alone, & killed 3 Deer & a Beaver; finding
that the Perogues
were below I assended the highest hill I could See,
from the top of
which I Saw the mouth of M. Shell R & the meanderings
of the Missouri for
a long distance. I also Saw a high mountain in a
westerley
direction, bearing S. S W. about 40 or 50 miles distant, in
the evening the
river was verry Crooked and much more rapid &
Containing more
Sawyers than any which we have passed above the River
Platte Capt Lewis
walked on Shore this after noon & killed an Elk, Buck
& a Beaver, I
kiled three Deer at dinner, the hunters killed three
other Deer to day
Several beaver also killed. We Camped on the Stard
Side in a bottom of
Small Cotton wood
[Lewis, May 20,
1805]
Monday May 20th
1805
Set out at an early
hour as usual, the banks being favourable and water
strong we employed
the toe rope principally; river narrow and croked;
country much as
that of yesterday; immence number of the prickley pears
in the plains and
on the hills. At the distance of 21/4 miles passed
the entrance of a
large Creek, affording but little water; this stream
we named Blowing
Fly Creek, from the immence quantities of those
insects found in
this neighbourhood, they infest our meat while
roasting or
boiling, and we are obliged to brush them off our provision
as we eat. At 11
A.M. we arrived at the entrance of a handsome bold
river which
discharges itself into the Missouri on the Lard. side; this
stream we take to
be that called by the Minnetares the ____ or
Muscleshell River;
if it be the same, of which I entertain but little
doubt, it takes
it's rise, by their information in the 1st Chain of the
Rocky Mountains at
no great distance from the Yellow stone river, from
whence in it's
course to this place it passes through a high and broken
country pretty well
timbered, particularly on it's borders, and
intersperced with
handsome fertile plains and medows. but from the
circumstance of the
same Indians informing us that we should find a
well timbered
country in the neighbourhood of it's mouth, I am induced
to beleive that the
timbered country of which they speak is similar to
that we have passed
for a day or two, or that in our view above, which
consists of nothing
more than a few scattering small scrubby pine and
dwarf cedar on the
summits of some of the highest hills nine tenths of
the country being
wholy destitute of timber of any kind, covered with a
short grass,
arromatic herbs and the prickley pear; the river bottom
however, so far as
we have explored it or 8 m. are well stocked with
Cottonwood timber
of tollerable size, & lands of excellent quality. We
halted at
thentrance of the river on the point formed by it's junction
with the Missouri
determining to spend the day, make the necessary
observations and
send out some hunters to explore the country. The
Muscle Shell river
falls into the Missouri 2270 miles above it's mouth,
and is 110 yards in
width, it affords much more water than streams of
it's width
generally do below, it's courant is by no means rappid, and
from appearances it
might be navigated with canoes a considerable
distance; it's bed
is coarse sand and gravel principally with an
occasion mixture of
black mud; it's banks abbrupt and about 12 feet
high yet never
appear to overflow; the waters of this river is of a
greenish yellow
cast, much more transparent than the Missouri, which
last is also much
more transparent than below but still retains it's
whiteish hue and a
proportion of it's sedement. the Missouri opposite
to this point is
deep, gentle in it's courant, and 222 yards in width.
The hunters
returned this evening and informed us that the country
continued much the
same in appearance as that we saw where we were or
broken, and that
about five miles abe the mouth of shell river a
handsome river of
about fifty yards in width discharged itself into the
shell river on the
Stard. or upper side; this stream we called
Sah-ca-gar me-ah or
bird woman's River, after our interpreter the Snake
woman. Shields also
found a bould spring or fountain issuing from the
foot of the Lard.
hills about 4 miles up the Missouri; a fountain in
this plain country
is a great novelty; I have not seen a bould fountain
of pure water
except one since I left the Mandans; there a number of
small ones but all
without exception are impregnated with the salts
which abound in
this country, and with which I believe the Missoury
itself considerably
impregnated but to us in the habit of useing it not
perceptible; the
exception I make is a very fine fountain under the
bluffs on the Lard.
side of the Missouri and at a distance from the
river about five
miles below the entrance of the yellowstone River. The
sands of the Missouri
are not so abundant as they have been for some
time past, being
confined to the points only; the bed of the river
principally mud and
still too deep to use the seting pole. Capt. Clark
walked out today
and killed two deer and an Elk, the hunters killed 4
deer and elk and a
buffaloe. I saw two large Owls with remarkable long
feathers on the
sides of the head which resembled ears; I take them to
be the large
hooting owl tho they are somewhat larger and their colours
brighter than those
common to the J States.-
[Clark, May 20,
1805]
May 20th Monday
1805
a fine morning wind
from the N E. river falling a little We Set out at
7 oClock and
proceeded on verry well as usial by the assistance of the
Cord passed Some
verry Swift water, river narrow and Crooked, at 11
oClock arrived at
the mouth of Shell river on the Lard Side and formed
a Camp for the
present. haveing passed a large Creek about 4 miles
below on the Ld
Side which we call Blowing fly Creek from the emence
quantites of those
insects which geather on our meat in Such numbers
that we are oblige
to brush them off what we eate.
muscle Shell River
falls in on Lard Side 2270 miles up Contains a
greater perportion
of water than Rivers of its Size below, I measured
it and find it to
be 110 yards wide, the water of a Greenish yellow
Colour, and appers
to be navagable for Small Craft, The Minetarras
inform us that this
river heads in the 1st of the rockey Mountains &
passes through a
broken Countrey. its head at no great distance from
the Yellow Stone
River The Countrey about this river as described
yesterday we took
the Meredian altitude 59° 50' 0" back observation and
found the Latd. to
be 47° 0' 24"
The Missouri at the
mouth of Shell River is 222 yards wide with a Smoth
Current the
Missouri water is not So muddey as below, but retains
nearly its usial
Cholour, and the Sands principally Confined to the
points I killed two
Deer & an Elk, the hunters killed an Elk & Several
deer mearly for
their Skins to make Leagins,- Sent men out in every
derection, the
Countrey generally verry broken Some leavel plains up
the Shell river The
bottoms of the Shell river is well timbered as also
a Small river which
falls into that river on the upper Side 5 miles
above its mouth.
The hills on the Lard. Contain Scattering Pine & Cedar.
[Lewis, May 21,
1805]
Tuesday May 21st
1805
A delightfull
morning set out at an early hour and proceeded on very
well, imployed the
chord principally; the shores are abbrupt and bould
and composed of a
black and yellow clay; see no extensive collection of
pure sand, the bars
are composed black mud and a small poportion of
fine sand; the
courant still pretty strong. the Missouri in it's course
downward makes a
suddon and extensive bend to receive the Muscle shell
river, the point of
country thus formed tho high is still much lower
than that
surrounding it, thus forming a valley of wavey country which
extends itself for
a great distance in a Northerly direction; the soil
is fertile,
produces a fine turf of low grass and some herbs, also
immence quantities
of the Prickley pear, without a stick of timber of
any discription.
the country on the South side is high broken and
crowned with some
scrubby pines and dwarf cedar; the leaf of this pine
is much longer than
the common pitch or red pine of Virginia, the cone
is also longer and
slimer, and the imbrications wider and thicker, and
the whole
frequently covered with rosin. Mineral appearances as usual.
the growse or
praire hen are now less abundant on the river than they
were below; perhaps
they betake themselves to the open plains at a
distance from the
river at this season.-
The wind which was
moderate all the fore part of the day continued to
encrease in the
evening, and about dark veered about to N. W. and blew
a storm all night,
in short we found ourselves so invelloped with
clouds of dust and
sand that we could neither cook, eat, nor sleep; and
were finally
compelled to remove our lodge about eight oClock at night
to the foot of an
adjacent hill where we were covered in some measure
from the wind by
the hills. several loose articles blown over board and
lost. our first
station was on a bar on Stard. opposite the lower point
of a small Island,
which we now called windy Island. the bends of the
river are short and
suddon, the points covered with some cottonwood,
larger willow, or
broadleafed willow with an abundance of the wild rose
and some small
honeysuckle bushes constitute the undergrowth, the
redwood is also
found in small quantities. Capt. C walked on shore
today and killed 2
Elk; the party killed several deer and a buffaloe
Cow.-
[Clark, May 21,
1805]
May 21st Tuesday
1805.
a butifull morning,
wind from the West, river falling a little, we Set
out at an early
hour and proceed on in the usial way by the assistance
of the Coard
principally, but little use of the Oares & less with the
poles as the
bottoms are muddey, we Se no great bodies of pure Sand the
bars & points
are rich mud mixed with fine Sand. I walked on Shore
Stard. Side the
river makes a great bend to the South to receve Shell
River, the boint
for many miles out in a Northerley direction is a rich
uneaven valley
Contain Some Short grass, and Prickley pears without
timber The Countrey
on the South Side of the Missouri is high, Soil and
mineral appearance
as usial, more Scattering pine & Cedar on the hills,
the wind which blew
moderatly all the forepart of the day increassd and
about Dark Shifted
to the N W. and Stormed all night, Several loose
articles were blown
over board, our lodge & Camp which was on a Sand
bar on the Std.
Side & opposite to the lower point of an Island we were
obliged to move
under the hills, the dust & Sand blew in clouds. The
bends of the river
are Short and points Covered with Cotton wood under
groth wild rose
bushes I killed 2 Elk to day Several Deer Killd. & a
Buffalow Cow.
[Lewis, May 22,
1805]
Wednesday May 22cd
1805.
The wind blew so
violently this morning that we did not think it
prudent to set out
untill it had in some measure abated; this did not
happen untill 10
A.M. when we proceeded principally by the toe lines
the bottoms
somewhat wider than usual, the lands fertile or apparently
so tho the short
grass and the scantey proportion of it on the hills
would indicate no
great fertility. passed Windy Island on Lard. at 1 M.
51/2 miles above
passed a large Island in a bend on Stard. side, and
three miles further
on the same side passed the entrance of grows Creek
20 yds wide,
affords but little water. this creek we named from seeing
a number of the
pointed tail praire hen near it's mouth, these are the
fist we have seen
in such numbers for some days. I walked on shore this
morning the country
is not so broken as yesterday tho still high and
roling or wavy; the
hills on Lard. side possess more pine than usual;
some also on the
Stard. hills. Salts and other mineral appearances as
usual. the river
continues about the same width or from 200 to 250 yds.
wide, fewer
sandbars and the courant more gentle and regular; game not
so abundant as
below the Muscle Shell river. I killed a deer in the
course of my walk
today. Capt. C. also walked out this evening and took
a view of the
country from a conspicuous point and found it the same as
has been discribed.
we have caught but few fish since we left the
Mandans, they do
not bite freely, what we took were the white cat of 2
to 5 lbs. I presume
that fish are scarce in this part of the river. We
encamped earlyer
this evening than usual in order render the oil of a
bear which we
killed. I do not believe that the Black bear common to
the lower part of
this river and the Atlantic States, exists in this
quarter; we have
neither seen one of them nor their tracks which would
be easily
distinguished by it's shortness of tallons when compared with
the brown grizly or
white bear. I believe that it is the same species
or family of bears
which assumes all those colours at different ages
and seasons of the
year.
[Clark, May 22,
1805]
May 22nd Wednesday
1805
The wind Continued
to blow So violently hard we did not think it
prudent to Set out
untill it luled a little, about 10 oClock we Set out
the morning Cold,
passed a Small Island in the bend to the Lard Side, &
proceeded on at 5
miles higher passed a Island in a bend to the Stard
Side, and a Creek a
Short distance above on the Stard Side 20 yds. w
Capt Lewis walked
out before dinner & Killed a Deer, I walked out after
dinner and assended
& but a few miles to view the Countrey, which I
found roleing &
of a verry rich Stickey Soil produceing but little
vegitation of any
kind except the prickley-piar, but little grass &
that verry low. a
great deal of Scattering Pine on the Lard Side & Some
fur on the Stard.
Sd. The mineral productions as described in the
proceeding days,
game not So abundant as below, the river Continue
about the Same
width, fewer Sand bars & current more regular, river
falls about an inch
a day We camped on the Stard. Side, earlier than we
intend on account
of Saveing the oil of a bear which the party killed
late this
afternoon.
Maney of the Creeks
which appear to have no water near ther mouths have
Streams of running
water higher up which rise & waste in the Sand or
gravel. the water
of those Creeks are So much impregnated with the Salt
Substance that it
cannot be Drank with pleasure.
[Lewis, May 23,
1805]
Thursday May 23rd
1805.
Set out early this
morning, the frost was severe last night, the ice
appeared along the edge
of the water, water also freized on the oars.
at the distance of
one mile passed the entrance of a creek 15 yds. wide
on Stard. side,
this we call Teapot Creek, it affords no water at it's
mouth but has
runing water at some small distance above, this I beleive
to be the case with
many of those creekes which we have passed since we
entered this hilley
country, the water is absorbed by the earth near
the river and of
course appear dry; they afford but little water at any
rate, and that is
so strongly impregnated with these salts that it is
unfit for uce; all
the wild anamals appear fond of this water; I have
tryed it by way of
experiment & find it moderately pergative, but
painfull to the
intestens in it's opperation. this creek runs directly
towards some low
mountains which lye N. W. of it and appear to be about
30 mes. distant,
perhaps it heads in them. This range of mountains
appear to be about
70 miles long runing from E to W. having their
Eastern extremity
about 30 mes. distant in a northwardly direction from
pot Island.- also
passed two small creeks on Lard. and two others on
Stard. all
inconsiderable and dry at their entrances. just above the
entrance of Teapot
Creek on the stard. there is a large assemblage of
the burrows of the
Burrowing Squirrel they generally seelect a south or
a south Easterly
exposure for their residence, and never visit the
brooks or river for
water; I am astonished how this anamal exists as it
dose without water,
particularly in a country like this where there is
scarcely any rain
during Yi of the year and more rarely any due; yet we
have sometimes
found their villages at the distance of five or six
miles from any
water, and they are never found out of the limits of the
ground which their
burrows occupy; in the Autumn when the hard frosts
commence they close
their burrows and do not venture out again untill
spring, indeed some
of them appear to be yet in winter quarters. passed
3 Islands the two
first covered with tall cottonwood timber and the
last with willows
only. river more rappid, & the country much the same
as yesterday. some
spruce pine of small size appears among the pitch
pine, and reather
more rock than usual on the face of the hills. The
musquetoes
troublesome this evening, a circumstance I did not expect
from the
temperature of the morning. The Gees begin to lose the
feathers of their
wings and are unable to fly. Capt Clark walked on
shore and killed 4
deer and an Elk. We killed a large fat brown bear
which took the
water after being wounded and was carried under some
driftwood where he
sunk and we were unable to get him. Saw but few
buffaloe today, but
a great number of Elk, deer, some antelopes and 5
bear. The wild rose
which is now in blume are very abundant, they
appear to differ
but little from those common to the Atlantic States,
the leaves of the
bushes and the bush itself appear to be of somewhat
smaller size.
[Clark, May 23,
1805]
May 23rd Thursday
1805
a Severe frost last
night, the Thrmotr. Stood at the freesing point
this morning i e 32
a 0. wind S W. the water freeses on the oars. Ice
on the edge of the
river we Set out at an early hour and passed the
mouth a Creek at 1
mile on the Stard. Side which heads in a mountain N
W of its mouth 30
or _____ miles, the Countrey on each Side is as
passed yesterday
passed 2 Small Creeks on the Stard & 2 on the Lard.
Side to day. a
mountain which appears to be 60 or 70 miles long bearing
E. & W is about
25 miles distant from this river on the Stard Side
Notherley of Pot
Island I walked on Shore and killed 4 deer & an Elk, &
a beaver in the
evening we killed a large fat Bear, which we
unfortunately lost
in the river, after being Shot took the water & was
Carried under a
drift passed in course of this day three Islands, two
of them Covered
with tall timber & a 3rd with willows
The after part of
this day was worm & the Misquitors troublesome. Saw
but five Buffalow a
number of Elk & Deer & 5 bear & 2 Antilopes to day.
the river beginning
to rise, and Current more rapid than yesterday, in
maney places I saw
Spruces on the hills Sides Stard. this evening.
[Lewis, May 24,
1805]
Friday May 24th
1805.
The water standing
in the vessels freized during the night 1/8 of an
inch thick, ice
also appears along the verge of the river. the folage
of some of the
cottonwood trees have been entirely distroyed by the
frost and are again
puting forth other buds. the high country in which
we are at present
and have been passing for some days I take to be a
continuation of
what the Indians as well as the French Engages call the
Black hills. This
tract of country so called consists of a collection
of high broken and
irregular hills and short chain of mountains
sometimes 120 miles
in width and again becomeing much narrower, but
always much higher
than the country on either side; they commence about
the head of the
Kanzas river and to the West of that river near the
Arkansas, from
whence they take their course a little to the W. of N.
W. approaching the
rockey Mountains obliquely, passing the river platte
above the forks and
intercepting the Yellowstone river near the big
bend and passing
the Missouri at this place and probably continuing to
swell the country
as far North as the Saskashawan river tho they are
lower here than
they are discribed to the Sth. and may therefore
probably terminate
before they reach the Suskashawan. the black hills
in their course
nothwardly appear to approach more nearly to the Rocky
Mountains.
We set out at an
early hour this morning and proceed on principally by
the chord untill
about 9 A.M. when a fine breeze sprung up from the S.
E. and enabled us
though the ballance of the day to employ our sails to
advantage; we
proceed at a pretty good pace notwithstanding the courant
of the river was
very strong. we passed two large and four small
Islands; also
several streams on either side; the first of these is a
large Creek or
small river which disinboged on the Stard. side about
11/2 miles above
our encampment of last evening, it is 30 yards wide
and contains some
water. the bed is gravley and intermixed with some
stone, it takes its
rise in the mountains which are situated in a
Northwardly
direction from its entrance, distant about 30 miles. the
air is so pure in
this open country that mountains and other elivated
objects appear much
nearer than they really are; these mountains do not
appear to be
further than 15 m. we sent a man up this creek to explore
the country he
returned late in the evening and informed that he had
proceeded ten miles
directly towards these mountains and that he did
not think himself
by any mean half way these mountains are rockey and
covered with some
scattering pine. This stream we call North Mountain
creek. the next
stream in order is a creek which falls in on Lard. 21/2
miles higher; this
is 15 yds. wide no water; a large village of the
burrowing or
barking squirrels on the Stard. side opposite it's
entrance, hence the
name Little dog Ck. that being the name by which
the French Engages
call this anamal. at three miles and at 10 ms. from
hence still
ascending 2 Small creek fall in on the Stard. side, no
water. 51/2 miles
higher a small river falls in on Lard. side this we
called South
Mountain creek as from it's direction it appeared to take
it's rise in a
range of Mountains lying in a S. Westerly direction from
it's entrance
distant 50 or 60 m.; this creek is 40 yards wide and
discharges a
handsome stream of water. it's bed is rockey with gravel
and sand, the banks
high and country broken it's bottom narrow and no
timber. The country
high and broken, a considerable portion of black
rock and brown
sandy rock appear in the faces of the hills; the tops of
the hills covered
with scattering pine spruce and dwarf cedar; the soil
poor and sterile,
sandy near the tops of the hills, the whole producing
but little grass;
the narrow bottoms of the Missouri producing little
else but Hysop or
southern wood and the pulpy leafed thorn. Capt. Clark
walked on shore
this evening and killed a buffaloe cow, we left 2
Canoes and six men
to dress the Cow and bring on the meat, they did not
overtake us this
evening. game is becoming more scarce, particularly
beaver, of which we
have seen but few for several days the beaver
appears to keep
pace with the timber as it declines in quantity they
also become more
scarce.
[Clark, May 24,
1805]
May 24th Friday
1805
a Cold night the
water in the Small vestles frosed 1/8 of an inch
thick, and the
thermometer Stood this morning at the freesing point. we
Set out at an early
hour and proceeded on, at 9 oClock we had a Breeze
from the S E which
Continued all day. This Breeze afforded us good
Sailing, the river
rising fast Current verry rapid. passed Several
Small Islands, two
large & two Small Creeks, the 1st of those Creeks or
Small rivers 11/2
m. above our Camp is 30 yards wide and Contains water
and appears to take
its rise in the North Mountns. which is Situated in
a northerley
detection about 20 miles distant. 21/2 m. higher a Creek
falls in on the
Lard. Side, opposit a large village of Barking
Squirels. 3 miles
Still higher a Small Creek falls in on the Stard. 13
miles higher up a
Small river falls in on the Lard Side which is 40
yards wide and has
running water. This Stream appears to take its rise
in the South
Mountains which is Situated in a Southerly direction 30 or
40 miles distant. I
walked on the high countrey on the Stard. Side
found it broken
& Dry Some pine, Spruce & Dwarf Cedar on the hill
sides, I Sent one
man 10 mile out he reports a Similarity of Countrey
back I killed a fat
buffalow a Short distance below the place we dined
2 Canoes & 6
men we left to get the meat did not join us this evening.
we Camped on the
Lard point. the Cotton wood in this point is beginning
to put out a Second
bud, the first being killed by the frost
[Lewis, May 25,
1805]
Saturday May 25th
1805.
The Two canoes
which we left behind yesterday to bring on the meat did
not arrive this
morning untill 8 A M. at which time we set out; the
wind being against
us we did not proceed with so much ease or
expedition as
yesterday, we imployed the toe line principally which the
banks favored the
uce off; the courant strong particularly arround the
points against
which the courant happened to set, and at the entrances
of the little gullies
from the hills, those rivulets having brought
down considerable
quantities of stone and deposited it at their
entrances forming
partial barriers to the water of the river to the
distance of 40 or
50 feet from the shore, arround these the water run
with great
violence, and compelled us in some instances to double our
force in order to
get a perorogue or canoe by them. as we ascended the
river today I saw
several gangs of the bighorned Anamals on the face of
the steep bluffs
and clifts on the Stard. side and sent drewyer to kill
one which he
accomplished; Capt. Clark and Bratton who were on shore
each killed one of
these anamals this evening. The head and horns of
the male which
Drewyer killed weighed 27 lbs. it was somewhat larger
than the male of
the common deer, the boddy reather thicker deeper and
not so long in
proportion to it's hight as the common deer; the head
and horns are
remakably large compared with the other part of the
anamal; the whole
form is much more delicate than that of the common
goat, and there is
a greater disparity in the size of the male and
female than between
those of either the deer or goat. the eye is large
and prominant, the
puple of a deep sea green and small, the iris of a
silvery colour much
like the common sheep; the bone above the eye is
remarkably
prominant; the head nostrils and division of the upper lip
are precisely in
form like the sheep. there legs resemble the sheep
more than any other
animal with which I am acquainted tho they are more
delicately formed,
like the sheep they stand forward in the knee and
the lower joint of
the foreleg is smallest where it joins the knee, the
hoof is black &
large in proportion, is divided, very open and roundly
pointed at the toe,
like the sheep; is much hollowed and sharp on the
under edge like the
Scotch goat, has two small hoofs behind each foot
below the ankle as
the goat sheep and deer have. the belley, inside of
the legs, and the
extremity of the rump and butocks for about two
inches arround the
but of the tale, are white, as is also the tale
excet just at it's
extremity on the upper side which is of a dark
brown. the tail is
about three inches in length covered with short
hair, or at least
not longer than that of the boddy; the outher parts
of the anamal are
of a duskey brown or reather a leadcoloured light
brown; the anamal
is now sheding it's winter coat which is thick not
quite as long as
that of the deer and appears to be intermixed with a
considerable
quantity of a fine fur which lyes next to the skin &
conceald by the
coarcer hear; the shape of the hair itself is celindric
as that of the
antelope is but is smaller shorter, and not compressed
or flattened as
that of the deer's winter coat is, I believe this
anamal only sheds
it's hair once a year. it has eight fore teeth in the
under jaw and no
canine teeth. The horns are lagest at their base, and
occupy the crown of
the head almost entirely. they are compressed, bent
backwards and
lunated; the surface swelling into wavy rings which
incircleing the
horn continue to succeed each other from the base to
the extremity and
becoming less elivated and more distant as they
recede from the
head. the horn for about two thirds of it's length is
filled with a porus
bone which is united with the frontal bone. I
obtained the bones
of the upper part of the head of this animal at the
big bone lick. the
horns of the female are small, but are also compress
bent backwards and
incircled with a succession of wavy rings. the horn
is of a light brown
colour; when dressed it is almost white extreemly
transparent and
very elastic. this horn is used by the natives in
constructing their
bows; I have no doubt but it would eligant and
ucefull hair combs,
and might probably answer as many valuable purposes
to civilized man,
as it dose to the savages, who form their watercups
spoons and platters
of it. the females have already brought forth their
young indeed from
the size of the young I suppose that they produce
them early in
March. they have from one to two at a birth. they feed on
grass but
principally on the arromatic herbs which grow on the clifts
and inaccessable
hights which they usually frequent. the places they
gerally celect to
lodg is the cranies or cevices of the rocks in the
faces of
inacessable precepices, where the wolf nor bear can reach them
and where indeed
man himself would in many instancies find a similar
deficiency; yet
these anamals bound from rock to rock and stand
apparently in the
most careless manner on the sides of precipices of
many hundred feet.
they are very shye and are quick of both sent and
sight.
At the distance of
two 3/4 miles above our encampment of last evening
we passed a Creek
20 yard wide affording no runing water, we also
passed 7 Islands in
the course of the day. The Country on either hand
is high broken and
rockey; the rock is either soft brown sand stone
covered with a thin
strata of limestone, or a hard black rugged
grannite, both
usually in horizontal stratas and the Sandy rock
overlaying the other.-
Salts and quarts still appear, some coal and
pumice stone also
appear; the river bottoms are narrow and afford
scarcely any
timber. the bars of the river are composed principally of
gravel, but little
pine on the hills. We saw a Pole-cats this evening
it is the first we
have seen for many days. buffalow are now scarce and
I begin to fear our
harvest of white puddings are at an end.
[Clark, May 25,
1805]
May 25th Satturday
1805"
The two Canoes left
for meat yesterday did not joint us untill 8 oClock
this morning at
which time we Set out, the morning Cool & pleasent wind
a head all day from
the S. W. we pass a Creek on the Lard. Side about
20 yards wide,
which does not run, we also passd 7 Islands, I walked on
Shore and killed a
female Ibex or big horn animal in my absence Drewyer
& Bratten
killed two others, this animale is a species peculiar to this
upper part of the
Missouri, the head and horns of the male which
Drewyer killed to
day weighed 27 lbs it was Somewhat larger than the
Mail of the Common
Deer;) The body reather thicker deeper and not So
long in proportion
to its hight as the common Deer; the head and horns
of the male are
remarkably large Compared with the other parts of the
animal; the whole
form is much more delicate than that of the common
goat, and there is
a greater disparity in the Size of the mail and
female than between
those of either the deer or goat. the eye is large
and prominant, the
puple of a deep Sea green and Small, the iris of a
Silvery Colour much
like the common Sheep; the bone above the Eye is
remarkably
prominant; the head nostrils and division of the upper lip
are precisely in
form like the Sheep. their legs resemble the Sheep
more than any other
animal with which I am acquainted tho they are more
delicately formed,
like the Sheep they stand foward in the Knee and the
lower joint of the
fore leg is Smallest where it joins the Knee, the
hoof is black and
large in perpotion, is divided, very open and roundly
pointed at the toe;
like the Sheep; is much hollowed and Sharp on the
under edge like the
Scotch goat, has two Small Hoofs behind each foot
below the ankle as
the goat Sheep and Deer have. the belley, iner Side
of the legs, and
the extremity of the rump and buttocks for about two
inches 1/2 around
the but of the tail, are white, as is also the tail
except just at its
extremity on the upper Side which is of a dark
brown. the tail is
about 3 inches in length covered with Short hair, or
at least not longer
than that of the boddy; the outer part of the
animal are of a
duskey brown or reather a lead coloured light brown;
the animal is now
Sheding its winter coat which is thick not quite as
long as that of the
Deer and appears to be inter mixt with a
considerable
quantity of fine fur which lies next to the Skin and
concealed by the
Coarcer hair; the Shape of the hair itself is
cylindric as that
of the Antilope is, but is Smaller, Shorter and not
Compressed or
flattened as that of the deers winter Coat is. I believe
this animal only
Sheds it's hair once a year. it has Eight fore teeth
in the underjaw and
no canine teeth. The Horns are large at their base,
and occupy the
Crown of the head almost entirely, they are compressed,
bent backwards and
lunated; the Surface Swelling into wavey rings which
incircleing the
horn continue to Succeed each other from the base to
the extremity and
becomeing less elivated and more distant as they
receed from the
head. The horn for about two thirds of its length is
filled with a porus
bone which is united with the frontal bone (Capt.
Lewis obtained the
bones of the upper part of the head of this Animal
at the big Bone
Lick in the State of Kentucky which I Saw and find to
be the Same in
every respect with those of the Missouri and the Rockey
Mountains) the
horns of the female are Small, but are also compressed
and bent backwards
and incircled with a Succession of wavy rings. the
horn is of a light
brown Colour; when Dressed it is almost white
extreamly
transparent and very elastic. this horn is used by the nativs
in constructing
their bows; I have no doubt of it's elegance and
usefullness in hair
Combs, and might probably answer as maney valuable
purpoces to
civilized man, as it does to the native indians, who form
their water Cups,
Spoons and platters of it. the females have already
brought forth their
young indeed from the Size of the young, I Suppose
that they produce
them early in March. they have from one to two at a
birth. they feed on
grass, but principally on the arramatic herbs which
grow on the Clifts
and inaccessable hights which they frequent most
commonly, and the
places they generally collect to lodge is the Cranies
or Cevices of the
rocks in the face of inaccessable precepices, where
the wolf nor Bear
Can reach them, and where indeed man himself would in
maney instances
find a Similar deficiency; yet those animals bound from
rock to rock and
Stand apparently in the most Careless manner on the
Side of precipices
of maney hundred feet. they are very Shy and quick
of both Sent and
Sight. The flesh of this animal is dark and I think
inferior to the
flesh of the Common Deer, and Superior to the antilope
of the Missouri and
the Columbian Plains-. In my walk of this day I saw
mountts. on either
side of the river at no great distance, those
mountains appeared
to be detached, and not ranges as laid down by the
Minetarrees, I also
think I saw a range of high mounts. at a great
distance to the S S
W. but am not certain as the horozon was not clear
enough to view it
with Certainty. The country on either side is high
broken and rockey a
dark brown hard rugid Stone intermixed with a Soft
white Sand Stone.
the hills contain Coal or cabonated wood as below and
Some Scattering
pumistone. the Sides of the river is bordered with
coars gravel, which
in maney places have washed either together or down
Small brooks and
forms bars at Some distance in the water, around which
the current passes
with great valocity. the bottoms between hills and
river are narrow and
Contain Scercely any timber. The appearence of
Salts, and bitumun
Still Continue. we Saw a polecat to day being the
first which we have
Seen for Some time past. The Air of this quarter is
pure and helthy.
the water of the Missouri well tasted not quite So
muddy as it is
below, not withstanding the last rains has raised the
river a little it
is less muddy than it was before the rain.
[Lewis, May 26,
1805]
Sunday May 26th
1805.
Set out at an early
hour and proceeded principally by the toe line,
using the oars
mearly to pass the river in order to take advantage of
the shores.
scarcely any bottoms to the river; the hills high and
juting in on both
sides, to the river in many places. the stone
tumbleing from
these clifts and brought down by the rivulets as
mentioned yesterday
became more troublesome today. the black rock has
given place to a
very soft sandstone which appears to be washed away
fast by the river,
above this and towards the summits of the hills a
hard freestone of a
brownish yellow colour shews itself in several
stratas of unequal
thicknesses frequently overlain or incrusted by a
very thin strata of
limestone which appears to be formed of concreted
shells. Capt. Clark
walked on shore this morning and ascended to the
summit of the river
hills he informed me on his return that he had seen
mountains on both
sides of the river runing nearly parrallel with it
and at no great
distance; also an irregular range of mountains on lard.
about 50 mes.
distant, the extremities of which boar W and N. W. from
his station. he
also saw in the course of his walk, some Elk, several
herds of the Big
horn, and the large hare; the latter is common to
every part of this
open country. scarcely any timber to be seen except
the few scattering
pine and spruce which crown the high hills, or in
some instances grow
along their sides. In the after part of the day I
also walked out and
ascended the river hills which I found sufficiently
fortiegueing. on
arriving to the summit one of the highest points in
the neighbourhood I
thought myself well repaid for any labour; as from
this point I beheld
the Rocky Mountains for the first time, I could
only discover a few
of the most elivated points above the horizon, the
most remarkable of
which by my pocket compass I found bore N. 65° W.
being a little to
the N. of the N. W. extremity of the range of broken
mountains seen this
morning by Capt. C. these points of the Rocky
Mountains were
covered with snow and the sun shone on it in such manner
as to give me the
most plain and satisfactory view. while I viewed
these mountains I
felt a secret pleasure in finding myself so near the
head of the
heretofore conceived boundless Missouri; but when I
reflected on the
difficulties which this snowey barrier would most
probably throw in
my way to the Pacific, and the sufferings and
hardships of myself
and party in them, it in some measure
counterballanced
the joy I had felt in the first moments in which I
gazed on them; but
as I have always held it a crime to anticipate evils
I will believe it a
good comfortable road untill I am compelled to
beleive
differently. saw a few Elk & bighorns at a distance on my
return to the river
I passed a creek about 20 yds. wide near it's
entrance it had a
handsome little stream of runing water; in this creek
I saw several
softshelled Turtles which were the first that have been
seen this season;
this I believe proceeded reather from the season than
from their non
existence in the portion of the river from the Mandans
hither. on the
Stard. shore I killed a fat buffaloe which was very
acceptable to us at
this moment; the party came up to me late in the
evening and
encamped for the night on the Lard. side. it was after dark
before we finished
butchering the buffaloe, and on my return to camp I
trod within five
inches of a rattle snake but being in motion I passed
before he could
probably put himself in a striking attitude and
fortunately escaped
his bite, I struck about at random with my
espontoon being
directed in some measure by his nois untill I killed
him. Our hunters
had killed two of the Bighorned Anamals since I had
left them. we also
passed another creek a few miles below Turtle Creek
on the Stard. 30
yds in width which also had runing water bed rockey.-
late this evening
we passed a very bad rappid which reached quite
across the river,
the party had considerable difficulty in ascending it
altho they doubled
their crews and used both the rope and the pole.
while they were
passing this rappid a female Elk and it's fawn swam
down throught the
waves which ran very high, hence the name of Elk
rappids which they
instantly gave this place, these are the most
considerable
rappids which we have yet seen on the missouri and in
short the only
place where there has appeared to be a suddon decent.
opposite to these
rappids there is a high bluff and a little above on
Lard. a small
cottonwood bottom in which we found sufficient timber for
our fires and
encampment. here I rejoined the party after dark. The
appearances of coal
in the face of the bluffs, also of birnt hills,
pumice stone salt
and quarts continue as yesterday. This is truly a
desert barren
country and I feel myself still more convinced of it's
being a
continuation of the black hills. we have continued every day to
pass more or less
old stick lodges of the Indians in the timbered
points, there are
two even in this little bottom where we lye.-
[Clark, May 26,
1805]
May 26th Sunday
1805
We Set out early
and proceeded as yesterday wind from the S. W. the
river enclosed with
very high hills on either Side. I took one man and
walked out this
morning, and ascended the high countrey to view the
mountains which I
thought I Saw yesterday, from the first Sumit of the
hill I could
plainly See the Mountains on either Side which I Saw
yesterday and at no
great distance from me, those on the Stard Side is
an errigular range,
the two extremities of which bore West and N. West
from me. those
Mountains on the Lard. Side appeared to be Several
detached Knobs or
mountains riseing from a leven open Countrey, at
different distances
from me, from South West to South East, on one the
most S. Westerly of
those Mountains there appeared to be Snow. I
crossed a Deep
holler and assended a part of the plain elevated much
higher than where I
first viewed the above mountains; from this point I
beheld the Rocky
Mountains for the first time with Certainty, I could
only discover a
fiew of the most elivated points above the horizon. the
most remarkable of
which by my pocket Compas I found bore S. 60 W.
those points of the
rocky Mountain were Covered with Snow and the Sun
Shown on it in Such
a manner as to give me a most plain and
Satisfactory view.
whilst I viewed those mountains I felt a Secret
pleasure in finding
myself So near the head of the heretofore Conceived
boundless Missouri;
but when I reflected on the difficulties which this
Snowey barrier
would most probably throw in my way to the Pacific
Ocean, and the
Sufferings and hardships of my Self and party in them,
it in Some measure
Counter ballanced the joy I had felt in the first
moments in which I
gazed on them; but as I have always held it little
Short of
Criminality to anticipate evils I will allow it to be a good
Comfortable road
untill I am Compelled to believe otherwise The high
Country in which we
are at present and have been passing for Some days
I take to be a
continuation of what the Indians as well as the French
Engages call the
Black hills. This tract of Country So Called Consists
of a Collection of
high broken and irregular hills and Short Chains of
Mountains,
sometimes 100 miles in width and again becoming much
narrower, but
always much higher than the Country on either Side; they
commence about the
head of the Kanzas river and to the west of that
river near the
Arkansaw river, from whence they take their Cource a
little to the west
of N. W. approaching the Rocky Mountains obliquely
passing the river
Platt near the forks, and intersepting the River
Rochejhone near the
big bend of that river, and passing the Missouri at
this place-, and probably
Continueing to Swell the Country as far North
as the Saskashawan
river. tho they are lower here than they are
discribed to the
South and may therefore termonate before they reach
the Saskashawan.
the Black hills in their Course northerly appear to
approach more
nearly the Rocky Mountains. I Saw a great number of white
brant, also the
common brown brant, Geese of the common Size & kind and
a Small Species of
geese, which differs considerably from the Common or
Canadian Goose;
their necks, head and backs are considerably thicker,
Shorter and larger
than the other in propotion to its Size they are
also more than a
third Smaller, and their note more like that of the
brant or young
goose which has not perfectly acquired his note, in all
other respect they
are the Same in Colour habits and the number of
feathers in the
tail, they frequently also ascocate with the large
Geese when in
flocks, but never Saw them pared off with the larger or
common goose. The
white Brant ascocates in very large flocks, they do
not appear to be
mated or pared off as if they intended to raise their
young in this
quarter, I therefore doubt whether they reside here
dureing the Summer
for that purpose. this bird is larger than the
Common brown brant
or 2/3 of the common goose. it is not So long by Six
inches from point
to point of the wings when extended as the other; the
back head and neck
are also larger and Stronger; their beak, legs and
feet are of a
redish flesh coloured white. the eye of a moderate Size,
the puple of a deep
Sea green encircled with a ring of yellowish brown.
it has 16 feathers
of equal length in the tail their note differs but
little from the
Common brant. they are of a pure white except the large
feathers of the 1st
and 2d joint of the wings which are jut black.
The country which
borders the river is high broken and rocky, generally
imbeded with a Soft
Sand Stone higher up the hill the Stone is of a
brownish yellow
hard and gritty those Stones wash down from the hills
into the river and
cause the Shore to be rocky &c. which we find
troublesom to
assend there is Scerce any bottom between the Hills &
river and but a
fiew trees to be Seen on either Side except Scattering
pine on the Sides
of the emence hills; we passed 2 Creeks on the Stard
Side both of them
had running water in one of those Creek Capt Lewis
tells me he saw
Soft Shell Turtle Capt Lewis in his walk killed a fat
Buffalow which we
were in want of our hunters killed 2 Mountain rams or
bighorns in the
evening late we passed a rapid which extended quite
across the river we
assended it by the assistance of a Cord & poles on
the Lard. Side the
Cliffs jut over, the opposit Side is a Small leavel
bottom, we Camped a
little above in a Small grove of Cotton trees on
the Lard. Side in
the rapid we saw a Dow Elk & her faun, which gave
rise to the name of
Elk & faun Riffle we had a few drops of rain at
Dark.- the Salts
Coal & Burnt hills & Pumicston Still Continue, game
Scerce this
Countrey may with propriety I think be termed the Deserts
of America, as I do
not Conceive any part can ever be Settled, as it is
deficent in water,
Timber & too Steep to be tilled. We pass old Indian
lodges in the woody
points everry day & 2 at our camp &c
[Lewis, May 26,
1805]
May 26, 1805.
One of the party
killed a bighorned, the head and horns of which
weighed 27 lbs. a
hare was also killed which weighed 81/2 lbs. the hare
are now of a plale
lead brown colour-
[Lewis, May 27,
1805]
Monday May 27th
1805.
The wind blew so
hard this morning that we did not sent out untill 10
A.M. we employed
the chord most of the day; the river becomes more
rappid and is
intercepted by shoals and a greater number of rocky
points at the
mouths of the little gulies than we experienced
yesterday. the
bluffs are very high steep rugged, containing
considerable
quantities of stone and border the river closely on both
sides; once perhaps
in the course of several miles there will be a few
acres of tolerably
level land in which two or thre impoverished
cottonwood trees
will be seen. great quantities of stone also lye in
the river and
garnish it's borders, which appears to have tumbled from
the bluffs where
the rains had washed away the sand and clay in which
they were imbeded.
the bluffs are composed of irregular tho horizontal
stratas of yellow
and brown or black clay, brown and yellowish white
sand, of soft
yellowish white sand stone and a hard dark brown free
stone, also of
large round kidneyformed and irregular seperate masses
of a hard black
Iron stone, which is imbeded in the Clay and sand. some
little pine spruce
and dwarf cedar on the hills. some coal or
carbonated wood
still makes it's appearance in these bluffs,
pumicestone and
birnt hills it's concommutants also are seen. the salts
and quarts are seen
but not in such abundance. the country more broken
and barren than
yesterday if possible. about midday it was very warm to
this the high
bluffs and narrow channel of the river no doubt
contributed
greatly. we passed a small untimbered Island this morning
on the Lard. side
of the river just above our encampment of last
evening. saw a few
small herds of the Bighorned anamals and two Elk
only, of the last
we killed one, the river is generally about 200 yds.
wide, very rappid
and has a perceptable fall or declination through
it's whole course.
This evening we
encamped, for the benefit of wood, near two dead toped
cottonwood trees on
the Lard. side; the dead limbs which had fallen
from these trees
furnished us with a scanty supply only, and more was
not to be obtained
in the neighbourhood.-
[Clark, May 27,
1805]
May 27th Monday
1805.
The wind blew hard
from the S W. which detained us untill about 10
oClock, at which
time we Set out and proceeded on, passed a Small
nacked Island on
the Lard Side imediately above the timber in which we
Camped The river is
verry Shoaley and the bad places are verry
numerous, i e at
the mouth of every Drean the rocks which is a hard
dark gritey Stone
is thrown out Some distance in the river which Cause
a Considerable
riffle on that Side, the hills approach the river verry
Close on either
Side, river narrow & no timber except Some Scattering
pine on the hills
& hill Sides, the Salts, Coal, burn hills & Pumice
Stone &c.
Continue, the hills are Generally Bluffs of various Coloured
earth most commonly
black with different quallities stone intermixed
Some Stratums of
Soft Sand Stone, Some hard, Some a dark brown & yellow
hard grit, those
Stones are loosened by the earths washing from them
into the river and
ultimately role down into the river, which appears
to be Crowded with
them. This day is verry worm- we only Saw a fiew
Small herds of the
big horn animals on the hills, and two Elk one of
which We killed, we
Camped at 2 dead top trees on the Lard Side. The
river is Genly
about 200 yards wide and Current very Swift to day and
has a verry
perceptiable fall in all its Course- it rises a little.
[Lewis, May 28,
1805]
Tuesday May 28th
1805.
This morning we set
forward at an early hour; the weather dark and
cloudy, the are
smokey, had a few drops of rain; we employed the chord
generally to which
we also gave the assistance of the pole at the
riffles and rocky
points; these are as numerous and many of them much
worse than those we
passed yesterday; arround those points the water
drives with great
force, and we are obliged in many instaces to steer
our vessels through
the appertures formed by the points of large sharp
rocks which reach a
few inches above the surface of the water, here
sould our chord
give way the bough is instantly drivin outwards by the
stream and the
vessel thrown with her side on the rocks where she must
inevitably overset
or perhaps be dashed to peices; our ropes are but
slender, all of
them except one being made of Elk's skin and much
woarn, frequently
wet and exposed to the heat of the weather are weak
and rotten; they
have given way several times in the course of the day
but happily at such
places that the vessel had room to wheel free of
the rocks and
therefore escaped injury; with every precaution we can
take it is with
much labour and infinite risk that we are enabled to
get around these
points. found a new indian lodge pole today which had
been brought down
by the stream, it was woarn at one end as if draged
by dogs or horses;
a football also, and several other articles were
found, which have
been recently brought down by the courant; these are
strong evedences of
Indians being on the river above us, and probably
at no great
distance; the football is such as I have seen among the
Minetaries and
therefore think it most probable that they are a band of
the Minetaries of
Fort de Prarie. the river country &c continued much
as yesterday untill
late in the evening when we arrived at the entrance
of a large Creek
discharges itself on the Stard. side, is 35 Yd. wide
and contains runing
water; here the hills recede from the river on both
sides, the bottoms
extensive particularly on the Stard. side where the
hills are
comparitively low and open into three large vallies which
extend for a
considerable distance in a Northwardly direction; here
also the river
spreads to more than 3 times it's former width and is
filled with a
number of small and handsome Islands covered with
cottonwood some
timber also in the bottoms, the land again fertile.
These appearances
were quite reviving after the drairy country through
which we had been
passing. Capt. C. walked on shore in the early part
of the day and
killed a big horned anamal; he saw a great number of
them as well as
ourselves in the broken country. at 10 A.M. a few drops
of rain again fell
and were attended with distant thunder which is the
first we have
heated since we left the Mandans.- This evening we
encamped on Stard.
opposite to the entrance of a small Creek. I beleive
the bighorn have
their young at a very early season, say early in March
for they appear now
to be half grown. One of the party saw a very large
bear today but
being some distance from the river and no timber to
conceal him he did
not think proper to fire on him.
[Clark, May 28,
1805]
May 28th Tuesday
1805
a Cloudy morning
Some fiew drops of rain and verry Smokey wind from the
S. W. we Set out at
an early hour, the Shoaley places are verry
numerous and Some
bad to get around we have to make use of the Cord &
Poles, and our tow.
ropes are all except one of Elkskin, & Stretch and
Sometimes brake
which indanger the Perogues or Canoe, as it imedeately
turns and if any
rock Should chance to be below, the rapidity of the
current would turn her
over, She Should chance to Strike the rock we
observe great
Caution at those places.
I walked on Shore
found the Countrey ruged and as described yesterday,
I Saw great numbers
of the Big horned animals, one of which I killed
their fauns are
nearly half grown- one of the Party Saw a verry large
bear, picked up on
the Shore a pole which had been made use of by the
Nativs for lodge
poles, & haul'd by dogs it is new and is a Certain
Sign of the Indians
being on the river above a foot ball and Several
other articles are
also found to Substantiate this oppinion-. at 1
oClock we had a few
drops of rain and Some thunder whic is the first
thunder we have had
Sinc we Set out from Fort Mandan; at 10 miles the
the hills begin to
widen & the river Spreds & is crouded with Islands
the bottoms Contain
Some Scattering Cotton wood the Islands also
Contain timber-
passed a Creek of running water on the Stard Side about
35 yards wide and
camped imedeately opposit to a Small Creek on the
Lard. Side we call
Bull Creek from the Circumstance of a Buffalow Bull
swiming from the
opposit Side and comeing out of the river imedeately
across one of the
Perogues without Sinking or injureing any thing in
the Perogue, and
passing with great violence thro our Camp in the night
makeing 3 angles
without hurting a man, altho they lay in every
direction, and it
was very dark The Creek below 35 yards wide I call
Thompsons Creek
after a valuable member of our party- this Creek
contains a Greater
preportion of running water than Common.
[Lewis, May 29,
1805]
Wednesday May 29th
1905.
Last night we were
all allarmed by a large buffaloe Bull, which swam
over from the
opposite shore and coming along side of the white
perogue, climbed
over it to land, he then alarmed ran up the bank in
full speed directly
towards the fires, and was within 18 inches of the
heads of some of
the men who lay sleeping before the centinel could
allarm him or make
him change his course, still more alarmed, he now
took his direction
immediately towards our lodge, passing between 4
fires and within a
few inches of the heads of one range of the men as
they yet lay
sleeping, when he came near the tent, my dog saved us by
causing him to
change his course a second time, which he did by turning
a little to the
right, and was quickly out of sight, leaving us by this
time all in an
uproar with our guns in or hands, enquiring of each
other the case of
the alarm, which after a few moments was explained by
the centinel; we
were happy to find no one hirt. The next morning we
found that the
buffaloe in passing the perogue had trodden on a rifle,
which belonged to
Capt. Clark's black man, who had negligently left her
in the perogue, the
rifle was much bent, he had also broken the
spindle, pivit, and
shattered the stock of one of the bluntderbushes on
board, with this
damage I felt well content, happey indeed, that we had
sustaned no further
injury. it appears that the white perogue, which
contains our most
valuable stores, is attended by some evil gennii.
This morning we set
out at an early hour and proceded as usual by the
Chord. at the
distance of 21/2 miles passed a handsome river which
discharged itself
on the Lard. side, I walked on shore and acended this
river about a mile
and a half in order to examine it. I found this
river about 100
yds. wide from bank to bank, the water occupying about
75 yard. the bed
was formed of gravel and mud with some sand; it
appeared to contain
much more water as the Muscle-Shell river, was more
rappid but equally
navigable; there were no large stone or rocks in
it's bed to
obstruct the navigation; the banks were low yet appeared
seldom to overflow;
the water of this River is Clear than any we have
met with great
abundance of the Argalia or Bighorned animals in the
high country
through which this river passes Cap. C who assended this
R. much higher than
I did has thought proper to call it Judieths River.
The bottoms of this
stream as far as I could see were wider and
contained more
timber than the Missouri; here I saw some box alder
intermixed with the
Cottonwood willow rose bushes and honeysuckle with
some red willow
constitute the undergrowth. on the Missouri just above
the entrance of the
Big Horn River I counted the remains of the fires
of 126 Indian
lodges which appeared to be of very recent date perhaps
12 or 15 days.
Capt. Clark also saw a large encampent just above the
entrance of this
river on the Stard. side of reather older date,
probably they were
the same Indians. The Indian woman with us exmined
the mockersons
which we found at these encampments and informed us that
they were not of
her nation the Snake Indians, but she beleived they
were some of the
Indians who inhabit the country on this side of Rocky
Mountains and North
of the Missoury and I think it most probable that
they were the
Minetaries of Fort de Prarie. At the distance of six 1/2
ms. from our
encampment of last night we passed a very bad rappid to
which we gave the
name of the Ash rappid from a few trees of that wood
growing near them; this
is the first ash I have seen for a great
distance. at this
place the hills again approach the river closely on
both sides, and the
same seen which we had on the 27th and 28th in the
morning again
presents itself, and the rocky points and riffles reather
more numerous and
worse; there was but little timber; salts coal &c
still appear. today
we passed on the Stard. side the remains of a vast
many mangled
carcases of Buffalow which had been driven over a
precipice of 120
feet by the Indians and perished; the water appeared
to have washed away
a part of this immence pile of slaughter and still
their remained the
fragments of at least a hundred carcases they
created a most
horrid stench. in this manner the Indians of the
Missouri distroy
vast herds of buffaloe at a stroke; for this purpose
one of the most
active and fleet young men is scelected and disguised
in a robe of
buffaloe skin, having also the skin of the buffaloe's head
with the years and
horns fastened on his head in form of a cap, thus
caparisoned he
places himself at a convenient distance between a herd
of buffaloe and a
precipice proper for the purpose, which happens in
many places on this
river for miles together; the other indians now
surround the herd
on the back and flanks and at a signal agreed on all
shew themselves at
the same time moving forward towards the buffaloe;
the disguised
indian or decoy has taken care to place himself
sufficiently nigh
the buffaloe to be noticed by them when they take to
flight and runing
before them they follow him in full speede to the
precepice, the
cattle behind driving those in front over and seeing
them go do not look
or hesitate about following untill the whole are
precipitated down
the precepice forming one common mass of dead an
mangled carcases;
the decoy in the mean time has taken care to secure
himself in some
cranney or crivice of the clift which he had previously
prepared for that
purpose. the part of the decoy I am informed is
extreamly
dangerous, if they are not very fleet runers the buffaloe
tread them under
foot and crush them to death, and sometimes drive them
over the precepice
also, where they perish in common with the
buffaloe.- we saw a
great many wolves in the neighbourhood of these
mangled carcases they
were fat and extreemly gentle, Capt. C. who was
on shore killed one
of them with his espontoon. just above this place
we came too for
dinner opposite the entrance of a bold runing river 40
yds. wide which
falls in on Lard. side. this stream we called slaughter
river. it's bottoms
are but narrow and contain scarcely any timber. our
situation was a
narrow bottom on the Stard. possessing some cottonwood.
soon after we
landed it began to blow & rain, and as there was no
appearance of even
wood enough to make our fires for some distance
above we determined
to remain here untill the next morning, and
accordingly fixed
our camp and gave each man a small dram.
notwithstanding the
allowance of sperits we issued did not exceed 1/2
pn. man several of
them were considerably effected by it; such is the
effects of
abstaining for some time from the uce of sperituous liquors;
they were all very
merry.- The hunters killed an Elk this evening, and
Capt. C. killed two
beaver.
[Clark, May 29,
1805]
May 29th Wednesday
1805
In the last night
we were alarmed by a Buffalow which Swam from the
opposit Shore
landed opposit the Perogue in which Capt Lewis & my Self
were in he Crossed
the perogue, and went with great force up to the
fire where Several
men were Sleeping and was 18 inches of their heads,
when one man
Sitting up allarmed him and he turned his course along the
range of men as
they lay, passing between 4 fires and within a fiew
Inches of Some of
the mens heads as they lay imediately in a direction
to our lodge about
which Several men were lying. our Dog flew out & he
changed his course
& passed without doeing more damage than bend a
rifle &
brakeing hir Stock and injureying one of the blunder busts in
the perogue as he
passed through- We Set out this morning at the usial
hour &
proceeded on at 21/2 miles passed the mouth of a river ____
yards wide,
discharging a great quantity of water, and Containing more
wood in its bottoms
than the Missouri- this river Capt Lewis walked up
for a Short
distance & he Saw an old encampment of Indians (I also saw
large encampment on
the Stard Side at the mouth of a Small Creek of
about 100 Lodges
which appeared to be 5 or 6 weeks past, the Indian
woman examined the
mockersons &c. and told us they were the Indians
which resided below
the rocky mountains & to the North of this
river,that her
nation make their mockersons differently) at 61/2 miles
passed a
considerable rapid at which place the hills approach near the
river on both
Sides, leaveing a narrow bottom on the Stard. Side, (ash
rapid) and continue
Close all day but little timber, I walked on the
bank in the evening
and saw the remains of a number of buffalow, which
had been drove down
a Clift of rocks I think from appearances that
upwards of 100 of
those animals must have perished here, Great numbers
of wolves were
about this place & verry jentle I killed one of them
with my Spear. The
hills above ash rapid Contains more rock and Coal,
and the more rapid
points. we Came too for Dinner opposit the enterence
of a Small river
which falls in on the Lard Side and is about ____
yards wide, has a
bold running Stream, Soon after we Came too it began
to rain & blow
hard, and as we were in a good harbor & Small point of
woods on the Stard
Side, and no timber for some distance above, induced
us to conclude to
Stay all night. we gave the men a dram, altho verry
Small it was
Sufficent to effect Several men. one of our hunters killed
an elk this
evening- I killed 2 beaver on the Side of the bank a table
Spoon full of water
exposed to the air in a Saucer would avaperate in
36 hours when the
mercury did not Stand higher than the temperate point
in the heat of the
day.
[Lewis, May 30,
1805]
Thursday May 30th
1805.
The rain which
commenced last evening continued with little
intermission untill
11this morning when we set out; the high wind which
accompanied the
rain rendered it impracticable to procede earlyer. more
rain has now fallen
than we have experienced since the 15th of
September last.
many circumstances indicate our near approach to a
country whos
climate differs considerably from that in which we have
been for many
months. the air of the open country is asstonishingly dry
as well as pure. I
found by several experiments that a table spoon full
of water exposed to
the air in a saucer would avaporate in 36 hours
when the murcury
did not stand higher than the temperate point at the
greatest heat of
the day; my inkstand so frequently becoming dry put me
on this experiment.
I also observed the well seasoned case of my
sextant shrunk
considerably and the joints opened. The water of the
river still
continues to become clearer and notwithstanding the rain
which has fallen it
is still much clearer than it was a few days past.
this day we
proceded with more labour and difficulty than we have yet
experienced; in
addition to the imbarrasments of the rappid courant,
riffles, &
rockey point which were as bad if not worse than yesterday,
the banks and sides
of the bluff were more steep than usual and were
now rendered so
slippery by the late rain that the men could scarcely
walk. the chord is
our only dependance for the courant is too rappid to
be resisted with
the oar and the river too deep in most places for the
pole. the earth and
stone also falling from these immence high bluffs
render it dangerous
to pass under them. the wind was also hard and
against us. our
chords broke several times today but happily without
injury to the
vessels. we had slight showers of rain through the course
of the day, the air
was could and rendered more disagreeable by the
rain. one of the
party ascended the river hills and reported on his
return that there
was snow intermixed with the rain which fell on the
hights; he also
informed us that the country was level a little back
from the river on
both sides. there is now no timber on the hills, an
only a few
scattering cottonwood, ash, box Alder and willows to be seen
along the river. in
the course of the day we passed several old
encampment of
Indians, from the apparent dates of which we conceived
that they were the
several encampments of a band of about 100 lodges
who were
progressing slowly up the river; the most recent appeared to
have been evacuated
about 5 weeks since. these we supposed to be the
Minetares or black
foot Indians who inhabit the country watered by the
Suskashawan and who
resort to the establishment of Fort de Prarie, no
part of the
Missouri from the Minetaries to this place furnishes a
perminent residence
for any nation yet there is no part of it but what
exhibits
appearances of being occasionally visited by some nation on
hunting excurtions.
The Minnetares of the Missoury we know extend their
excurtions on the
S. side as high as the yellowstone river; the
Assinniboins still
higher on the N. side most probably as high as about
Porcupine river and
from thence upwards most probably as far as the
mountains by the
Minetares of Fort de Prarie and the Black Foot Indians
who inhabit the S.
fork of the Suskashawan. I say the Missouri to the
Rocky mountains for
I am convinced that it penetrates those mountains
for a considerable
distance.- Two buffaloe killed this evening a little
above our
encampment.
[Clark, May 30,
1805]
May 30th Thursday
1805
The rain conmmenced
yesterday evining, and continued moderately through
the course of the
night, more rain has now fallin than we have
experienced Since
the 15th of September last, the rain continued this
morning, and the
wind too high for us to proceed, untill about 11
oClock at which
time we Set out, and proceeded on with great labour, we
were obliged to
make use of the Tow rope & the banks were So muddey &
Slipery that the
men could Scercely walk not with Standing we proceeded
on as well as we
could wind hard from the N W. in attempting to assend
a rapid our toe
Cord broke & we turned without injurey, those rapids or
Shoaley points are
noumerous and dificuelt, one being at the mouth of
every drean Some
little rain at times all day one man assended the high
Countrey and it was
raining & Snowing on those hills, the day has
proved to be raw
and Cold. Back from the river is tollerably leavel, no
timber of any kind
on the hills, and only a fiew Scattering cotton
willow & ash
near the river, much hard rock; & rich earth, the Small
portion of rain
which has fallen causes the rich earth as deep as is
wet to Slip into
the river or bottoms &c.
we discover in
Several places old encampments of large bands of
Indians, a fiew
weeks past and appear to be makeing up the river- Those
Indians we believe
to be the Blackfoot Inds. or Menetares who inhabit
the heads of the
Saskashowin & north of this place and trade a little
in the Fort de
Prarie establishments. we Camped in a grove of Cotton
trees on the Stard
Side, river rise 11/2 In.
[Lewis, May 31,
1805]
Friday May 31st
1805.
This morning we
proceeded at an early hour with the two perogues
leaving the canoes
and crews to bring on the meat of the two buffaloe
that were killed
last evening and which had not been brought in as it
was late and a
little off the river. soon after we got under way it
began to rain and
continued untill meridian when it ceased but still
remained cloudy
through the ballance of the day. The obstructions of
rocky points and
riffles still continue as yesterday; at those places
the men are
compelled to be in the water even to their armpits, and the
water is yet very
could, and so frequent are those point that they are
one fourth of their
time in the water, added to this the banks and
bluffs along which
they are obliged to pass are so slippery and the mud
so tenacious that
they are unable to wear their mockersons, and in that
situation draging
the heavy burthen of a canoe and walking ocasionally
for several hundred
yards over the sharp fragments of rocks which
tumble from the
clifts and garnish the borders of the river; in short
their labour is
incredibly painfull and great, yet those faithfull
fellows bear it
without a murmur. The toe rope of the white perogue,
the only one indeed
of hemp, and that on which we most depended, gave
way today at a bad
point, the perogue swung and but slightly touched a
rock, yet was very
near overseting; I fear her evil gennii will play so
many pranks with
her that she will go to the bottomm some of those
days.- Capt. C.
walked on shore this morning but found it so
excessively bad
that he shortly returned. at 12 OCk. we came too for
refreshment and
gave the men a dram which they received with much
cheerfullness, and
well deserved.
The hills and river
Clifts which we passed today exhibit a most
romantic
appearance. The bluffs of the river rise to the hight of from
2 to 300 feet and
in most places nearly perpendicular; they are formed
of remarkable white
sandstone which is sufficiently soft to give way
readily to the
impression of water; two or thre thin horizontal stratas
of white
free-stone, on which the rains or water make no impression,
lie imbeded in
these clifts of soft stone near the upper part of them;
the earth on the
top of these Clifts is a dark rich loam, which forming
a graduly ascending
plain extends back from 1/2 a mile to a mile where
the hills commence
and rise abruptly to a hight of about 300 feet more.
The water in the
course of time in decending from those hills and
plains on either
side of the river has trickled down the soft sand
clifts and woarn it
into a thousand grotesque figures, which with the
help of a little
immagination and an oblique view at a distance, are
made to represent
eligant ranges of lofty freestone buildings, having
their parapets well
stocked with statuary; collumns of various
sculpture both
grooved and plain, are also seen supporting long
galleries in front
of those buildings; in other places on a much nearer
approach and with
the help of less immagination we see the remains or
ruins of eligant
buildings; some collumns standing and almost entire
with their
pedestals and capitals; others retaining their pedestals but
deprived by time or
accident of their capitals, some lying prostrate an
broken othes in the
form of vast pyramids of connic structure bearing a
sereis of other
pyramids on their tops becoming less as they ascend and
finally terminating
in a sharp point. nitches and alcoves of various
forms and sizes are
seen at different hights as we pass. a number of
the small martin
which build their nests with clay in a globular form
attatched to the
wall within those nitches, and which were seen
hovering about the
tops of the collumns did not the less remind us of
some of those large
stone buildings in the U States. the thin stratas
of hard freestone
intermixed with the soft sandstone seems to have
aided the water in
forming this curious scenery. As we passed on it
seemed as if those
seens of visionary inchantment would never have and
end; for here it is
too that nature presents to the view of the
traveler vast
ranges of walls of tolerable workmanship, so perfect
indeed are those
walls that I should have thought that nature had
attempted here to
rival the human art of masonry had I not recollected
that she had first
began her work. These walls rise to the hight in
many places of 100
feet, are perpendicular, with two regular faces and
are from one to 12
feet thick, each wall retains the same thickness at
top which it
possesses at bottom. The stone of which these walls are
formed is black,
dence and dureable, and appears to be composed of a
large portion of
earth intermixed or cemented with a small quantity of
sand and a
considerable portion of talk or quarts. these stones are
almost invariably regular
parallelepipeds, of unequal sizes in the
walls, but equal in
their horizontal ranges, at least as to debth.
these are laid
regularly in ranges on each other like bricks, each
breaking or
covering the interstice of the two on which it rests. thus
the purpendicular
interstices are broken, and the horizontal ones
extend entire
throughout the whole extent of the walls. These stones
seem to bear some
proportion to the thickness of the walls in which
they are employed,
being larger in the thicker walls; the greatest
length of the
parallelepiped appears to form the thickness of the
thiner walls, while
two or more are employed to form that of the
thicker walls.
These walls pass the river in several places, rising
from the water's
edge much above the sandstone bluffs, which they seem
to penetrate;
thence continuing their course on a streight line on
either side of the
river through the gradually ascending plains, over
which they tower to
the hight of from ten to seventy feet until) they
reach the hills,
which they finally enter and conceal themselves. these
walls sometimes run
parallel to each other, with several ranges near
each other, and at
other times interscecting each other at right
angles, having the
appearance of the walls of ancient houses or
gardens. I walked
on shore this evening and examined these walls
minutely and
preserved a specimine of the stone. I found the face of
many of the river
hills formed of Clifts of very excellent free stone
of a light
yellowish brown colour; on these clifts I met with a species
of pine which I had
never seen, it differs from the pitchpine in the
particular of it's
leaf and cone, the first being vastly shorter, and
the latter
considerably longer and more pointed. I saw near those
bluffs the most
beautiful) fox that I ever beheld, the colours appeared
to me to be a fine
orrange yellow, white and black, I endevoured to
kill this anamal
but it discovered me at a considerable distance, and
finding that I
could get no nearer, I fired on him as he ran, and
missed him; he
concealed himself under the rocks of the clift; it
appeared to me to
be about the size of the common red fox of the
Atlantic states, or
reather smaller than the large fox common to this
country; convinced
I am that it is a distinct species. The appearance
of coal continues
but in small quantities, but little appearance of
birnt hills or
pumice stones the mineral salts have in some measure
abated and no
quarts. we saw a great number of the Bighorn some mule
deer and a few
buffaloe and Elk, no antelopes or common deer. Drewyer
who was with me and
myself killed two bighorned anamals; the sides of
the Clifts where
these anamals resort much to lodg, have the peculiar
smell of the
sheepfolds. the party killed in addition to our hunt 2
buffaloe and an
Elk. the river today has been from 150 to 250 yds. wide
but little timber
today on the river.
[Clark, May 31,
1805]
May 31st Friday
1805.
A cloudy morning we
dispatched all the Canoes to Collect the meat of 2
Buffalow killed
last night a head and a little off the river, and
proceeded on with
the perogues at an early hour. I attempted to walk on
Shore Soon found it
verry laborious as the mud Stuck to my mockersons &
was verry Slippery.
I return'd on board. it continued to rain
moderately untill
about 12 oClock when it ceased, & Continued Cloudy.
the Stone on the
edge of the river continue to form verry Considerable
rapids, which are
troublesom & dificuelt to pass, our toe rope which we
are obliged to make
use of altogether broke & we were in Some danger of
turning over in the
perogue in which I was, we landed at 12 and
refreshed the men
with a dram, our men are obliged to under go great
labour and fatigue
in assending this part of the Missouri, as they are
compelled from the
rapidity of the Current in many places to walk in
the water & on
Slippery hill Sides or the Sides of rocks, on Gravel &
thro a Stiff mud
bear footed, as they Cannot keep on Mockersons from
the Stiffness of
the mud & decline of the Slipy. hills Sides- the Hills
and river Clifts of
this day exhibit a most romantick appearance on
each Side of the
river is a white Soft Sand Stone bluff which rises to
about half the
hight of the hills, on the top of this Clift is a black
earth on points, in
maney places this Sand Stone appears like antient
ruins some like
elegant buildings at a distance, Some like Towers &c.
&c. in maney
places of this days march we observe on either Side of the
river extraodanary
walls of a black Semented Stone which appear to be
regularly placed
one Stone on the other, Some of those walls run to the
hite of 100 feet,
they are from about 1 foot to 12 feet thick and are
perpendicular,
those walls Commence at the waters edge & in Some places
meet at right angles-
those walls appear to Continue their Course into
the Sand Clifts,
the Stones which form those walls are of different
Sizes all Squar
edged, Great numbers has fallen off from the walls near
the river which
cause the walls to be of uneaquil hite, in the evening
the Countrey
becomes lower and the bottoms wider, no timber on the
uplands, except a
few Cedar & pine on the Clifts a few Scattering
Cotton trees on the
points in the river bottoms, The apparance of Coal
Continus Capt Lewis
walked on Shore & observed a Species of Pine we had
never before Seen,
with a Shorter leaf than Common & the bur different,
he also Collected
Some of the Stone off one of the walls which appears
to be a Sement of
Isin glass black earth we Camped on the Stard Side in
a Small timbered
bottom above the mouth of a Creek on the Stard Side
our hunters killed,
2 animals with big horns, 2 Buffalow & an Elk, we
Saw Great numbers
of those big horned animals on the Clifts, but fiew
Buffalow or Elk, no
antelope, a fiew mule deer, Saw a fox to day. The
river rises a
little it is from 150 to 250 yds. wide
[Clark, May 31,
1805]
May 31st Friday
1805
Cloudy morning, we
proceeded on at an early hour with the two Perogues
leaving the Canoes
and crews to bring on the meat of two Buffalow that
were killed last
evening and which had not been brought in as it was
late and a little
off the river. Soon after we got under way it began
to rain and
Continued untill 12 oClock when it Seased but Still
remained cloudy
through the ballance of the day. the obstructions of
rocky points and
riffles Still continue as yesterday; at those places
the men are
compelled to be in the water even to their armpits, and the
water is yet very
cold, and So frequent are those points that they are
one fourth of their
time in the water. added to this the bank and bluff
along which they
are obliged to pass are So Slippery and the mud So
tenatious that they
are unable to bare their mockersons, and in that
Situation dragging
the heavy burthen of a Canoe and Walking
occasionally for
Several hundred yards over the Sharp fragments of
rocks which tumble
from the Clifts; and in Short their labour is
incredibly painfull
and great, yet those faithfull fellows bear it
without a murmer.
The toe rope of the
white perogue, the only one indeed of hemp, and
that on which we
most depended, gave way to day at a bad point, the
perogue Swong and
but slightly touched a rock, yet was very near
oversetting; I fear
her evil Ginnie will play So many pranks with her
that She will go to
the bottom Some of those days.
I attempted to walk
on Shore this morning but found it so excessivily
bad that I Soon
returned on board. at 12 oClock we came too for
refreshment and
gave the men a dram which they received with much
Chearfulness, and
well deserved all wet and disagreeable. Capt. Lewis
walked on Shore, he
informed one that he Saw "the most butifull fox in
the world" the
Colour appeared to him to be of a fine Orrange yellow,
white and black, he
fired at this fox running and missed him, he
appeared to be
about the size of the common red fox of the united
States, or rather
smaller.
The hills and river
clifts which we pass to day exhibit a most romantic
appearance. The
Bluffs of the river rise to the hight of from 2 to 300
feet and in most
places nearly perpendicular; they are formed of
remarkable white
Sandstone which is Sufficiently Soft to give way
readily to the
impression of water; two or three thin horizontal
Stratas of white
free Stone, on which the rains or water make no
impression, lie
imbeded in those clifts of Soft Stone near the upper
part of them; the
earth on the top of these clifts is a dark rich loam,
which forming a
gradual ascending plain extend back from 1/2 a mile to
a mile where the
hills commence and rise abruptly to the hight of about
300 feet more. The
water in the Course of time acecending from those
hills and plains on
either Side of the river has trickled down the Soft
Sand Clifts and
woarn it into a thousand grotesque figures; which with
the help of a
little imagination and an oblique view at a distance are
made to represent
elegant ranges of lofty freestone buildings, haveing
their parapets well
Stocked with Statuary; Colloms of various
Sculptures both
Grooved and plain, are also Seen Supporting long
galleries in part
of those buildings; in other places on a much nearer
approach and with
the with the help of less immagination we See the
remains of ruins of
eligant buildings; Some Collumns Standing and
almost entire with
their pedestals and Capitals, others retaining their
pedestals but
deprived by time or accedint of their capitals, Some
lying prostrate and
broken, others in the form of vast Pyramids of
connic Structure
bearing a Serious of other pyramids on their tops
becomeing less as
they ascend and finally termonateing in a Sharp
point. nitches and
alcoves of various forms and Sizes are Seen at
different hights as
we pass. a number of the Small martin which build
their nests with
Clay of a globular form attached to the wall within
those nitches, and
which were Seen hovering about the top of the
collumns did not
the less remind us of Some of those large Stone
buildings in the
United States. The thin Stratas of hard free Stone
intermixed with the
Soft Sand Stone Seems to have aided the water in
forming this
Curious Scenery.
as we passed on it
Seemed as if those Seens of Visionary enchantment
would never have an
end; for here it is too that nature presents to the
view of the
traveler vast ranges of walls of tolerable workmanship, So
perfect indeed are
those walls that I Should have thought that nature
had attempted here
to rival the human art of Masonry had I not
recollected that
She had first began her work. These walls rise to the
hight in many
places of 100 feet, are perpindicular, with two regular
faces, and are from
one to 12 feet thick, each wall retains the Same
thickness to the
top which it possesses at bottom. The Stone of which
these walls are
formed is black, dense and dureable, and appears to be
Composed of a large
portion of earth intermixed or Cemented with a
Small quantity of
Sand and a Considerable portion of quarts. these
Stones are almost
invariably regular parallelepipeds, of unequal Sizes
in the wall, but
equal in their horizontal ranges, at least as to
debth. These are
laid regularly in ranges on each other like bricks,
each breaking or
covering this interstice of the two on which it rests,
thus the
pirpendicular interstices are broken, and the horizontal ones
extend entire
throughout the whole extent of the walls. These Stones
Seam to bear Some
proportion to the thickness of the walls in which
they are employd,
being larger in the thicker walls; the greatest
length of the
parallelepiped appear to form the thickness of the thiner
walls, while two or
more are employed to form that of the thicker
walls. Those walls
pass the river in Several places rising from the
waters edge much
above the Sand Stone Bluffs, which they Seam to
penetrate; thence
Continueing their course on a Streight line on either
Side of the river
thorough the gradually ascending plains over which
they tower to the
hight of from ten to 90 feet untill they reach the
hills which they
finally enter and Conceal themselves. these walls
Sometimes run
parallel to each other, with Several ranges near each
other, and at other
times intersecting each other at right angles,
haveing the
appearance of the walls of ancient houses or gardins. both
Capt Lewis and My
self walked on Shore this evening and examined those
walls minutely and
preserved a Specimine of the Stone.- I found many
clifts of very
excellent free Stone of a light yellowish brown Colour.
Capt. Lewis
observed a Species of pine which I had never Seen, it
differs from the
pitch pine in the particular of its leaf and Cone, the
first being partly
Shorter, and the latter considerably longer and more
pointed. The
appearance of Coal Continues but in Smaller quantities,
but little
appearance of burnt hills or pumicestone. the mineral Salt
in Some measure
have abated and no quarts. we Saw a great number of the
Big Horn, Some mule
deer, and a few Buffalow and Elk, no antelopes or
Common Deer-. Capt.
Lewis killed a Big horn animal. the party killed 2
Buffalow one Elk
and a Big horn or Ibex to day-. The river has been
from 150 to 250
yards wide but little timber on the river to day. river
less muddy than it
was below.
[Lewis, June 1,
1805]
Saturday June 1st
1805
The moring was
cloudy and a few drops of rain. Set out at an early hour
and proceeded as
usual by the help of our chords. the river Clifts and
bluffs not so high
as yesterday and the country becomes more level. a
mountain or a part
of the N. Mountain appears to approach the river
within 8 or 10 ms.
bearing N. from our encampment of the last evening.
Capt C. who walked
on shore today informed me that the river hills were
much lower than
usual and that from the tops of those hills he had a
delightfull view of
rich level and extensive plains on both sides of
the river; in those
plains, which in many places reach the river
clifts, he observed
large banks of pure sand which appeared to have
been driven by the
S W. winds from the river bluffs and there
deposited. the
plains are more fertile at some distance from the river
than near the
bluffs where the surface of the earth is very generally
covered with small
smothe pebbles which have the appearance of having
been woarn by the
agitation of the waters in which they were no doubt
once immerced. A
range of high Mountains appear to the S. W. at a
considerable
distance covered with snow, they appear to run Westerly.
no timber appears
on the highlands; but much more than yesterday on the
river and Islands.
rockey points and shoals less freequent than
yesterday but some
of them quite as bad when they did occur. the river
from 2 to 400 yards
wide, courant more gentle and still becoming
clearer. game is by
no means as abundant as below; we killed one male
bighorn and a mule
deer today; saw buffalow at a distance in the plains
particularly near a
small Lake on Lard. side about 8 ms. distant. some
few drops of rain
again fell this evening. we passed six Islands and
encamped on the
7th; they are all small but contain some timber. the
wind has been
against us all day.- I saw the choke cherry the yellow
and red courant
bushes; the wild rose appears now to be in full bloom
as are also the
prickley pear which are numerous in these plains.- We
also saw some
Indian Lodges of sticks today which did not appear to
have been long
evacuated.- some coal appear in the bluffs.
[Clark, June 1,
1805]
June 1st Satterday
1805
a Cloudy morning we
Set out at an early hour and proseeded on as usial
with the toe rope
The Countrey appears to be lower and the Clifts not
So high or Common,
a mountain or a part of the north Mountain about 8
or 10 miles N. of
this place, I walked on Shore to day found the Plains
much lower than we
have Seen them and on the top we behold an extencive
plain on both
Sides, in this plain I observed maney noles of fine Sand
which appeared to
have blown from the river bluffs and collected at
these points Those
plains are fertile near the river a great no. of
Small Stone, I
observed at Some distance to the S. W. a high mountain
which appears to
bear westerly The Cole appear as usial, more Cotton
trees Scattered on
the Shores & Islands than yesterday- no timber on
the high land, the
river from 2 to 400 yards wide & current more jentle
than yesterday but
fiew bad rapid points to day- the wild animals not
So plenty as below
we only killed a ram & mule Deer to day, we Saw
Buffalow at a
distance in the plains, particularly near a Lake on the
Lard. Side about 8
miles distant from the river- We passed Six Islands
and encamped on the
7th all those Islands are Small but contain Some
timber on them The
river riseing a little Wind to day from the S. W.
Som fiew drops of
rain in the morning and also in the evening, flying
Clouds all day
Saw Several Indian
camps made of Sticks & bark Set up on end and do not
appear to belong
evacuated- The roses are in full bloome, I observe
yellow berries, red
berry bushes Great numbers of Wild or choke
Cheries, prickley
pares are in blossom & in great numbers
[Lewis, June 2,
1805]
Sunday June 2ed
1805
The wind blew
violently last night and was attended by a slight shower
of rain; the
morning was fair and we set out at an early hour. imployed
the chord as usual
the greater part of the day. the courant was strong
tho regular, and
the banks afforded us good toeing. the wind was hard
and against us yet
we proceded with infinitely more ease than the two
precedeing days.
The river bluffs still continue to get lower and the
plains leveler and
more extensive; the timber on the river increases in
quantity; the country
in all other rispects much as discribed
yesterday. I think
we are now completely above the black hills we had a
small shower of
rain today but it lasted only a few minutes and was
very moderate. Game
becomeing more abundant this morning and I thought
it best now to
loose no time or suffer an opportunity to escape in
providing the
necessary quantity of Elk's skins to cover my leather
boat which I now
expect I shall be obliged to use shortly. Accordingly
I walked on shore
most of the day with some of the hunters for that
purpose and killed
6 Elk 2 buffale 2 Mule deer and a bear. these
anamals were all in
good order we therefore took as much of the meat as
our canoes and
perogues could conveniently carry. the bear was very
near catching
Drewyer; it also pursued Charbono who fired his gun in
the air as he ran
but fortunately eluded the vigilence of the bear by
secreting himself
very securely in the bushes untill Drewyer finally
killed it by a shot
in the head; the shot indeed that will conquer the
farocity of those
tremendious anamals.- in the course of the day we
passed 9 Islands
all of them small and most of them containing some
timber.
we came too on the
Lard. side in a handsome bottom of small cottonwood
timber opposite to
the entrance of a very considerable river; but it
being too late to
examine these rivers minutely to night we determined
to remain here
untill the morning, and as the evening was favourable to
make some
obsevations.-
[Clark, June 2,
1805]
June 2nd Sunday
1805
we had a hard wind
and a little rain last night, this morning fair we
Set out at an early
hour, wind from the S W. Some little rain to day
wind hard a head,
the Countrey much like that of yesterday as discribed
Capt Lewis walked
on Shore, himself & the hunters killed 6 Elk & a Bear
and 2 mule deer,
and 2 buffalow which was all in good order a beaver
also killed to day,
passed 9 Islands to day the Current Swift but
regular, we Camped
on the Lard Side at the forks of the river the
Currents &
Sizes of them we Could not examine this evening a fair night
we took Some Luner
observations of moon & Stears
[Lewis, June 3,
1805]
Monday June 3rd
1805
This morning early
we passed over and formed a camp on the point formed
by the junction of
the two large rivers. here in the course of the day
I continued my
observations as are above stated. An interesting
question was now to
be determined; which of these rivers was the
Missouri, or that
river which the Minnetares call Amahte Arz zha or
Missouri, and which
they had discribed to us as approaching very near
to the Columbia
river. to mistake the stream at this period of the
season, two months
of the traveling season having now elapsed, and to
ascend such stream
to the rocky Mountain or perhaps much further before
we could inform
ourselves whether it did approach the Columbia or not,
and then be obliged
to return and take the other stream would not only
loose us the whole
of this season but would probably so dishearten the
party that it might
defeat the expedition altogether. convinced we were
that the utmost
circumspection and caution was necessary in deciding on
the stream to be
taken. to this end an investigation of both streams
was the first thing
to be done; to learn their widths, debths,
comparitive
rappidity of their courants and thence the comparitive
bodies of water
furnished by each; accordingly we dispatched two light
canoes with three
men in each up those streams; we also sent out
several small
parties by land with instructions to penetrate the
country as far as
they conveniently can permiting themselves time to
return this evening
and indeavour if possible to discover the distant
bearing of those
rivers by ascending the rising grounds. between the
time of my A.M. and
meridian Capt. C & myself stroled out to the top of
the hights in the
fork of these rivers from whence we had an extensive
and most inchanting
view; the country in every derection around us was
one vast plain in
which innumerable herds of Buffalow were seen
attended by their
shepperds the wolves; the solatary antelope which now
had their young
were distributed over it's face; some herds of Elk were
also seen; the
verdure perfectly cloathed the ground, the weather was
pleasent and fair;
to the South we saw a range of lofty mountains which
we supposed to be a
continuation of the S. Mountains, streching
themselves from S.
E. to N. W. terminating abbrubtly about S. West from
us; these were
partially covered with snow; behind these Mountains and
at a great distance,
a second and more lofty range of mountains
appeared to strech
across the country in the same direction with the
others, reaching
from West, to the N of N. W., where their snowey tops
lost themselves
beneath the horizon. this last range was perfectly
covered with snow.
the direction of the rivers could be seen but little
way, soon loosing
the break of their channels, to our view, in the
common plain. on
our return to camp we boar a little to the left and
discovered a
handsome little river falling into the N. fork on Lard.
side about 11/2 ms.
above our camp. this little river has as much
timber in it's
bottoms as either of the larger streams. there are a
great number of
prickley pears in these plains; the Choke cherry grows
here in abundance
both in the river bottoms and in the steep ravenes
along the river
bluffs. saw the yellow and red courants, not yet ripe;
also the goosberry
which begins to ripen; the wild rose which grows
here in great
abundance in the bottoms of all these rivers is now in
full bloom, and
adds not a little to the beaty of the cenery. we took
the width of the
two rivers, found the left hand or S. fork 372 yards
and the N. fork
200. The noth fork is deeper than the other but it's
courant not so
swift; it's waters run in the same boiling and roling
manner which has
uniformly characterized the Missouri throughout it's
whole course so
far; it's waters are of a whitish brown colour very
thick and terbid,
also characteristic of the Missouri; while the South
fork is perfectly
transparent runds very rappid but with a smoth
unruffled surface
it's bottom composed of round and flat smooth stones
like most rivers
issuing from a mountainous country. the bed of the N.
fork composed of
some gravel but principally mud; in short the air &
character of this
river is so precisely that of the missouri below that
the party with very
few exceptions have already pronounced the N. fork
to be the Missouri;
myself and Capt. C. not quite so precipitate have
not yet decided but
if we were to give our opinions I believe we should
be in the minority,
certain it is that the North fork gives the
colouring matter
and character which is retained from hence to the
gulph of Mexico. I
am confident that this river rises in and passes a
great distance
through an open plain country I expect that it has some
of it's souces on
the Eastern side of the rocky mountain South of the
Saskashawan, but
that it dose not penetrate the first range of these
Mountains and that
much the greater part of it's sources are in a
northwardly
direction towards the lower and middle parts of the
Saskashawan in the
open plains. convinced I am that if it penetrated
the Rocky Mountains
to any great distance it's waters would be clearer
unless it should
run an immence distance indeed after leaving those
mountains through
these level plains in order to acquire it's turbid
hue. what
astonishes us a little is that the Indians who appeared to be
so well acquainted
with the geography of this country should not have
mentioned this
river on wright hand if it be not the Missouri; the
river that scolds
at all others, as they call it if there is in
reallity such an
one, ought agreeably to their account, to have fallen
in a considerable
distance below, and on the other hand if this
righthand or N.
fork be the Missouri I am equally astonished at their
not mentioning the
S. fork which they must have passed in order to get
to those large
falls which they mention on the Missouri. thus have our
cogitating
faculties been busily employed all day.
Those who have
remained at camp today have been busily engaged in
dressing skins for
cloathing, notwithstanding that many of them have
their feet so
mangled and bruised with the stones and rough ground over
which they passed
barefoot, that they can scarcely walk or stand; at
least it is with
great pain they do either. for some days past they
were unable to wear
their mockersons; they have fallen off
considerably, but
notwithstanding the difficulties past, or those which
seem now to mennace
us, they still remain perfectly cheerfull. In the
evening the parties
whom we had sent out returned agreeably to
instructions. The
parties who had been sent up the rivers in canoes
informed that they
ascended some distance and had then left their
canoes and walked
up the rivers a considerable distance further barely
leaving themselves
time to return; the North fork was not so rappid as
the other and
afforded the easiest navigation of course; Six feet
appeared to be the
shallowest water of the S. Branch and 5 feet that of
the N. Their
accounts were by no means satisfactory nor did the
information we
acquired bring us nigher to the decision of our question
or determine us
which stream to take. Sergt. Pryor had ascended the N.
fork and had taken
the following courses and distances-viz-
Joseph and Reubin
Fields reported that they had been up the South fork
about 7 mes. on a
streight course somewhat N of W. and that there the
little river which
discharges itself into the North fork just above us,
was within 100
yards of the S. fork; that they came down this little
river and found it
a boald runing stream of about 40 yds. wide containg
much timber in it's
bottom, consisting of the narrow and wide leafed
cottonwood with
some birch and box alder undrgrowth willows rosebushes
currents &c.
they saw a great number of Elk on this river and some
beaver. Those
accounts being by no means satisfactory as to the
fundamental point;
Capt. C. and myself concluded to set out early the
next morning with a
small party each, and ascend these rivers untill we
could perfectly
satisfy ourselves of the one, which it would be most
expedient for us to
take on our main journey to the Pacific.
accordingly it was
agreed that I should ascend the right hand fork and
he the left. I gave
orders to Sergt. Pryor Drewyer, Shields, Windsor,
Cruzatte and La
Page to hold themselves in readiness to accompany me in
the morning. Capt.
Clark also selected Reubin &Joseph Fields, Sergt.
Gass, Shannon and
his black man York, to accompany him. we agreed to go
up those rivers one
day and a halfs march or further if it should
appear necessary to
satisfy us more fully of the point in question. the
hunters killed 2
Buffaloe, 6 Elk and 4 deer today. the evening proved
cloudy. we took a
drink of grog this evening and gave the men a dram,
and made all
matters ready for an early departure in the morning. I had
now my sack and
blanket happerst in readiness to swing on my back,
which is the first
time in my life that I had ever prepared a burthen
of this kind, and I
am fully convinced that it will not be the last. I
take my Octant with
me also, this I confide La Page.
[Clark, June 3,
1805]
June 3rd Monday 1805
we formed a Camp on
the point in the junction of the two rivers, and
dispatched a Canoe
& three men up each river to examine and find if
possible which is
the most probable branch, the left fork which is the
largest we are
doubtfull of, the Indians do not mention any river
falling in on the
right in this part of the Missouri, The Scolding
river, if there is
Such a one Should have fallen in below agreeable to
their accts. we
also dispatched men in different dircts. by land, to a
mountain Covered
with Snow to the South & other up each river- Capt
Lewis and my Self
walked out & assended the hill in the point observed
a leavel open
Countrey to the foot of the mountains which lye South of
this, also a River
which falls into the Right hand fork about 11/2
miles above its
mouth on the Lard. Side this little river discharges a
great deal of water
& contains as much Cotton timber in its bottoms as
either of the
others we saw Buffalow & antelopes &c. wild Cheries, red
& yellow
hurries, Goose berries &c. abound in the river bottoms,
prickley pares on
the high plains, we had a meridian altitude and the
Lattd. produced was
47° 24' 12" N. the after part of the day proved
Cloudy, we measured
each river and found the one to Right hand 200
yards wide of water
& the Left hand fork 372 yards wide & rapid- the
right hand fork
falling the other at a Stand and Clear, the right fork
and the river which
fall into it is Coloured & a little muddey. Several
men Complain of
their feet being Sore in walking in the Sand & their
being Cut by the
Stones They to be Sure have a bad time of it obliged
to walk on Shore
& haul the rope and 9/10 of their time bear footed, in
the evening late
the Canoes returned and the men informed us that they
had assended Some
miles by water & left their Canoes & walked on land
the greater part of
the day, their accounts by no means Satisfactory,
Serjt. Pryor
assended the right hand fork and took the following
Courses, &c
Joseph & Rubin
Fields went up the left fork 7 miles on a direct line at
which place, the
Small river which falls into the right hand fork
approaches within
100 yards of the South fork, they Came down the Small
river which is a
bold Stream Covered with Elk & Some beaver, its
bottoms Covered
with wood, as the Information given by those parties
respecting the
rivers did not Satisfy us as to the main & principal
branch Capt. Lewis
& my Self deturmined to go up each of those rivers
one Day & a
half with a view to Satisfy ourselves which of the two was
the principal
Stream and best calculated for us to assend- The hunters
Killed 2 buffalow,
6 Elk & Several deer to day we refreshed our party
with a dram &c
Cloudy evining.-
[Lewis, June 4,
1805]
Tuesday June 4th
1805
This morning early
Capt. C. departed, and at the same time I passed the
wright hand fork
opposite to our camp below a small Island; from hence
I steered N. 30 W.
41/2 to a commanding eminence; here I took the
following bearings
of the mountains which were in view. The North
Mountains appear to
change their direction from that of being parallel
with the Missouri
turning to the North and terminating abruptly; their
termineation
bearing N. 48° E distant by estimate 30 mes. The South
Mountains appear to
turn to the S. also terminating abrubtly, their
extremity bearing
S. 8 W. distant 25 mes. The Barn Mountain, a lofty
mountain so called
from it's resemblance to the roof of a large Barn,
is a seperate
Mountain and appears reather to the wright of and
retreating from the
extremity of the S. mts.; this boar S. 38 W.
distant 35 ms. The
North fork which I am now ascending lies to my left
and appears to make
a considerable bend to the N. W. on it's Western
border a range of
hills about 10 mes. long appear to lye parallel with
the river and from
hence bear N. 60° W. to the N. of this range of hills
an Elivated point
of the river bluff on it's Lard. side boar N. 72° W.
distant 12 mes. to
this last object I now directed my course through a
high level dry open
plain. the whole country in fact appears to be one
continued plain to
the foot of the mountains or as far as the eye can
reach; the soil
appears dark rich and fertile yet the grass is by no
means as high nor
dose it look so luxurient as I should have expected,
it is short just
sufficient to conceal the ground. great abundance of
prickly pears which
are extreemly troublesome; as the thorns very
readily perce the
foot through the Mockerson; they are so numerous that
it requires one
half of the traveler's attention to avoid them In these
plains I observed
great numbers of the brown Curloos, a small species
of curloo or plover
of a brown colour about the size of the common
snipe and not
unlike it in form with a long celindric curved and
pointed beak; it's
wings are proportionately long and the tail short;
in the act of
liteing this bird lets itself down by an extention of
it's wings without
motion holding their points very much together above
it's back, in this
rispect differing ascentially from any bird I ever
observed. a number
of sparrows also of three distinct species I
observed. also a
small bird which in action resembles the lark, it is
about the size of a
large sparrow of a dark brown colour with some
white fathers in
the tail; this bird or that which I take to be the
male rises into the
air about 60 feet and supporting itself in the air
with a brisk motion
of the wings sings very sweetly, has several shrill
soft notes reather
of the plaintive order which it frequently repeats
and varies, after
remaining stationary about a minute in his aireal
station he descends
obliquely occasionly pausing and accomnying his
decension with a
note something like twit twit twit; on the ground he
is silent. thirty
or forty of these birds will be stationed in the air
at a time in view,
these larks as I shall call them add much to the
gayety and
cheerfullness of the scene. All those birds are now seting
and laying their
eggs in the plains; their little nests are to be seen
in great abundance
as we pass. there are meriads of small grasshoppers
in these plains
which no doubt furnish the principal aliment of this
numerous progeny of
the feathered creation. after walking about eight
miles I grew thisty
and there being no water in the plains I changed my
direction and boar
obliquely in towards the river, on my arrival at
which about 3 mes.
below the point of observation, we discovered two
deer at feed at
some distance near the river; I here halted the party
and sent Drewyer to
kill one of them for breakfast; this excellent
hunter soon exceded
his orders by killing of them both; they proved to
be two Mule Bucks
in fine order; we soon kindled a fire cooked and made
a hearty meal. it
was not yet twelve when we arrived at the river and I
was anxious to take
the Meridian Altd. of the sun but the clouds prevent
ed my obtaining the
observation. after refreshing ourselves we proceded
up the river to the
extremity of the first course, from whence the
river boar on it's
general course N. 15° W. 2 M. to a bluff point on
Stard. here Drewyer
killed four other deer of the common kind; we
skined them and
hung up a part of the meat and the skins as we did also
of the first, and
took as much of the meat as we thought would answer
for our suppers and
proceeded N. 30 W. 2 m. to the entrance of a large
creek on Lard. side
the part of the river we have passed is from 40 to
60 yds. wide, is
deep, has falling banks, the courant strong, the water
terbid and in short
has every appearance of the missouri below except
as to size. it's
bottoms narrow but well timbered. Salts coal and other
mineral appearances
as usual; the bluffs principally of dark brown,
yellow and some
white clay; some freestone also appears in places. The
river now boar N.
20° E. 12 mes. to a bluff on Lard. At the commencement
of this course we
ascended the hills which are about 200 feet high, and
passed through the
plains about 3 m. but finding the dry ravines so
steep and numerous
we determined to return to the river and travel
through it's
bottoms and along the foot and sides of the bluffs,
accordingly we
again reached the river about 4 miles from the
commencement of the
last course and encamped a small distant above on
the Stard. side in
a bend among the willow bushes which defended us
from the wind which
blew hard from the N. W. it rained this evening and
wet us to the skin;
the air was extremely could. just before we
encamped Drewyer
fired at a large brown bar across the river and
wounded him badly
but it was too late to pursue him. killed a braro and
a beaver, also at
the place of our encampment, a very fine Mule deer.
we saw a great
number of Buffaloe, Elk, wolves and foxes today. the
river bottoms form
one emence garden of roses, now in full bloe.
[Clark, June 4,
1805]
June 4th Tuesday
1805
Capt. Lewis &
my Self each with a Small party of men Set out earlythose
who accompanied
Capt Lewis were G. Drewyer Serjt. Pryor, J Shields, P.
Crusat J. B. de
Page, R. Winser, went up the N. side of the N. fork.
those who
accompanied me were Serjt. Gass Jos. & Ruben Fields G.
Shannon & my
black man York, and we Set out to examine the South fork,
our first Course
was S. 25° W. 7 miles to the S. fork at a Spring, at
which place the
little river which falls into the N. fork is 100 yards
distant only
Seperated from the South fork by a narrow ridge. our
course from thence
S. 20° W. 8 miles to the river at an Island where we
dined below a Small
river falls in on the S E Side which heads in a
mountain to the S.
E about 20 miles. North of this place about 4 miles
the little river
brakes thro a high ridge into the open Leavel plain
thro which we have
passd. from the point, this plain is covered with
low grass &
prickley pear, emence number of Prarie dogs or barking
Squirel are thro
this plain- after eating we proceeded on N. 45° W.
Struck the river at
3 miles 5, 9 & 13 miles at which place we encamped
in an old Indian
lodge made of Stiks and bark at the river near our
camp we Saw two
white Bear, one of them was nearly catching Joseph
Fields who could
not fire, as his gun was wet the bear was So near that
it Struck his foot,
and we were not in a Situation to give him
assistance, a Clift
of rocks Seperated us the bear got allarmed at our
Shot & yells
& took the river.- Some rain all the afternoon Saw Several
Gangues of Buffalow
at a distance in the open plains on each Side, Saw
Mule deer antilopes
& wolves- The river is rapid & Closely himed on one
or the other Side
with high bluffs, Crouded with Islands & graveley
bars Containing but
a Small quantity of timber on its bottoms & none on
the high land.
[Lewis, June 5,
1805]
Wednesday June 5th
1805.
This morning was
cloudy and so could that I was obleged to have
recourse to a
blanket coat in order to keep myself comfortable altho
walking. the rain
continued during the greater part of last night. the
wind hard from N.
W. we set out at sunrise and proceded up the river
eight miles on the
course last taken yesterday evening, at the
extremity of which
a large creek falls in on the Stard. 25 yards. wide
at it's entrance,
some timber but no water, notwithstanding the rain;
it's course upwards
is N. E. it is astonishing what a quantity of water
it takes to
saturate the soil of this country, the earth of the plains
are now opened in
large crivices in many places and yet looks like a
rich loam from the
entrance of this Creek (which I called Lark C.) the
river boar N. 50.
W. 4 m. at the entrance of this creek the bluffs were
very steep and
approached the river so near on the Stard. side that we
ascended the hills
and passed through the plains; at the extremity of
this course we
returned to the river which then boar North 2 rues. from
the same point, I
discovered a lofty single mountain which appeard to
be at a great
distance, perhaps 80 or more miles it boar N. 52 W. from
it's conic figure I
called it tower Mountain. we now passed through the
river bottoms to
the extremity of the last course thence with the river
S 60° W 11/2 m. S
10 W. 3 m N 50 W 11/2 at the extremity of which I again
ascended the bluffs
and took a course to a point of the Lard. bluffs of
the river which
boar West 10 m. the river making a deep bend to the
south that is of at
least five miles from the center of the chord line
to the center of
the bend. on this course we passed through the plains
found the plains as
yesterday extreemly leavel and beautifull, great
quanties of
Buffaloe, some wolves foxes and Antelopes seen. near the
river the plain is
cut by deep ravines in this plain and from one to
nine miles from the
river or any water, we saw the largest collection
of the burrowing or
barking squirrels that we had ever yet seen; we
passed through a
skirt of the territory of this community for about 7
miles. I saw a
flock of the mountain cock, or a large species of heath
hen with a long
pointed tail which the Indians informed us were common
to the Rockey
Mountains, I sent Shields to kill one of them but he was
obliged to fire a
long distance at them and missed his aim. as we had
not killed or eat
anything today we each killed a burrowing squrrel as
we passed them in
order to make shure of our suppers. we again
intersepted the
river at the expiration of the last course or the lard.
bluffs, from whence
it now boar N 80° W. 2 mes. from this point saw some
other lofty
mountains to the N. W. of Tower Mtn. which boar N. 65°W. 80
or 100 mes. distant
at the expiration of this course we killed five Elk
and a blacktailed
or mule deer and encamped on Stard. side of the river
in a handsome well
timbered bottom where there were several old stick
lodges. in the
forepart of the day there was but little timber in the
river bottoms but
the quantity is now greater than usual. the river is
about 80 yds. wide
with a strong steady courant and from 6 to 10 feet
water. I had the
burrowing squirrels roasted by way of experiment and
found the flesh
well flavored and tender; some of them were very fat.
[Clark, June 5,
1805]
June 5th Wednesday
1805
Some little rain
& Snow last night the mountains to our S E. covered
with Snow this
morning air verry Cold & raining a little, we Saw 8
buffalow opposit,
they made 2 attempts to Cross, the water being So
Swift they Could
not, about the time we were Setting out three white
bear approached our
Camp we killed the three & eate part of one & Set
out & proceeded
on N. 20° W 11 miles. -k the river at maney places in
this distance to a
ridge on the N. Side t m the top of which I could
plainly See a
mountain to the South & W. covered with Snow at a long
distance, The
mountains opposit to us to the S. E. is also Covered with
Snow this morning.-
a high ridge from those mountains approach the
river on the S E
Side forming Some Clifts of hard dark Stone.- From the
ridge at which
place I Struck the river last, I could ____ discover
that the river run
west of South a long distance, and has a Strong
rapid Current, as
this river Continued its width debth & rapidity and
the Course west of
South, going up further would be useless, I
deturmined to
return, I accordingly Set out, thro the plain on a Course
N. 30° E on my
return & Struck the little river at 20 miles passing thro
a Leavel plain, at
the little river we killed 2 buck Elk & dined on
their marrow,
proceeded on a few miles & Camped, haveing killed 2 deer
which was verry
fat, Some few drops of rain to day, the evening fair
wind hard from the
N. E. I Saw great numbers of Elk & white tale deer,
Some beaver,
antelope mule deer & wolves & one bear on this little
river marked my
name in a tree N. Side near the ridge where the little
river brakes thro
[Lewis, June 6,
1805]
Thursday June 6th
1805.
I now became well
convinced that this branch of the Missouri had it's
direction too much
to the North for our rout to the Pacific, and
therefore
determined to return the next day after taking an observation
of the sun's
Meridian Altitude in order to fix the latitude of the
place. The forepart
of the last evening was fair but in the latter part
of the night
clouded up and contnued so with short intervals of
sunshine untill a
little before noon when the whole horizon was
overcast, and I of
course disappointed in making the observation which
I much wished. I
had sent Sergt. Pryor and Windsor early this morning
with orders to
procede up the river to some commanding eminence and
take it's bearing
as far as possible. in the mean time the four others
and myself were
busily engaged in making two rafts on which we purposed
descending the
river; we had just completed this work when Sergt. Pryor
and Windsor
returned, it being about noon; they reported that they had
proceded from hence
S 70 W. 6 m. to the summit of a commanding eminence
from whence the
river on their left was about 21/2 miles distant; that
a point of it's
Lard. bluff, which was visible boar S 80 W. distant
about 15 ms.; that
the river on their left bent gradually arround to
this point, and
from thence seemed to run Northwardly. we now took
dinner and
embarcked with our plunder and five Elk's skins on the rafts
but were soon
convinced that this mode of navigation was hazerdous
particularly with
those rafts they being too small and slender. we wet
a part of our
baggage and were near loosing one of our guns; I
therefore
determined to abandon the rafts and return as we had come, by
land. I regreted
much being obliged to leave my Elk's skins, which I
wanted to assist in
forming my leather boat; those we had prepared at
Fort Mandan being
injured in such manner that they would not answer. we
again swung our
packs and took our way through the open plains for
about 12 mes. when
we struck the river; the wind blew a storm from N.
E. accompanyed by
frequent showers of rain; we were wet and very could.
continued our rout
down the river only a few miles before the
Abruptness of the
clifts and their near approach to the river compelled
us take the plains
and once more face the storm; here we boar reather
too much to the
North and it was late in the evening before we reached
the river, in our
way we killed two buffaloe and took with us as much
of the flesh as
served us that night, and a part of the next day. we
encamped a little
below the entrance of the large dry Creek called Lark
C. having traveled
abut 25 mes. since noon. it continues to rain and we
have no shelter, an
uncomfortable nights rest is the natural
consequence.
[Clark, June 6,
1805]
June 6th Thursday
1805
a Cloudy Cold raw
day wind hard from the N. E. we Set out early &
traveled down the
little river which was imedeately in our Course on
this river we
killed 7 Deer for their Skins the bottoms of this little
river is in everry
respect except in extent like the large bottoms of
the Missouri below
the forks containing a great perpotion of a kind of
Cotton wood with a
leaf resembling a wild Cherry-. I also observed wild
Tanzey on this
little river in great quantities, we halted at 12 oClock
and eate a part of
a fat Buck, after Dinner we assended the Plain at
which time it began
to rain and Continued all day, at 5 oClock we
arrived at our Camp
on the point, where I expected to meet Capt Lewis-
he did not return
this evening.- my Self and party much fatigued
haveing walked
Constantly as hard as we Could march over a Dry hard
plain, dcending
& assending the Steep river hills & gullies, in my
absence the party
had killed an Elk & 2 buffalow, I Sent out for the
meat a part of
which was brought in- nothing remarkable had transpired
at camp in my
absence
[Lewis, June 7,
1805]
Friday June 7th
1805.
It continued to
rain almost without intermission last night and as I
expected we had a
most disagreable and wrestless night. our camp
possessing no
allurements, we left our watery beads at an early hour
and continued our
rout down the river. it still continues to rain the
wind hard from N.
E. and could. the grownd remarkably slipry, insomuch
that we were unable
to walk on the sides of the bluffs where we had
passed as we
ascended the river. notwithstanding the rain that has now
fallen the earth of
these bluffs is not wet to a greater debth than 2
inches; in it's
present state it is precisely like walking over frozan
grownd which is
thawed to small debth and slips equally as bad. this
clay not only
appears to require more water to saturate it as I before
observed than any
earth I ever observed but when saturated it appears
on the other hand
to yeald it's moisture with equal difficulty. In
passing along the
face of one of these bluffs today I sliped at a
narrow pass of
about 30 yards in length and but for a quick and
fortunate recovery
by means of my espontoon I should been precipitated
into the river down
a craggy pricipice of about ninety feet. I had
scarcely reached a
place on which I could stand with tolerable safety
even with the
assistance of my espontoon before I heard a voice behind
me cry out god god
Capt. what shall I do on turning about I found it
was Windsor who had
sliped and fallen abut the center of this narrow
pass and was lying
prostrate on his belley, with his wright hand arm
and leg over the
precipice while he was holding on with the left arm
and foot as well as
he could which appeared to be with much difficulty.
I discovered his
danger and the trepedation which he was in gave me
still further
concern for I expected every instant to see him loose his
strength and slip
off; altho much allarmed at his situation I disguised
my feelings and
spoke very calmly to him and assured him that he was in
no kind of danger,
to take the knife out of his belt behind him with
his wright hand and
dig a hole with it in the face of the bank to
receive his wright
foot which he did and then raised himself to his
knees; I then directed
him to take off his mockersons and to come
forward on his
hands and knees holding the knife in one hand and the
gun in the other
this he happily effected and escaped. those who were
some little
distance bhind returned by my orders and waded the river at
the foot of the
bluff where the water was breast deep. it was useless
we knew to attempt
the plains on this part of the river in consequence
of the numerous
steep ravines which intersected and which were quite as
had as the river
bluffs. we therefore continued our rout down the river
sometimes in the
mud and water of the bottom lands, at others in the
river to our
breasts and when the water became so deep that we could
not wade we cut
footsteps in the face of the steep bluffs with our
knives and
proceded. we continued our disagreeable march through the
rain mud and water
untill late in the evening having traveled only
about 18 miles, and
encamped in an old Indian stick lodge which
afforded us a dry
and comfortable shelter. during the day we had killed
six deer some of
them in very good order altho none of them had yet
entirely discarded
their winter coats. we had reserved and brought with
us a good supply of
the best peices; we roasted and eat a hearty supper
of our venison not
having taisted a mosel before during the day; I now
laid myself down on
some willow boughs to a comfortable nights rest,
and felt indeed as
if I was fully repaid for the toil and pain of the
day, so much will a
good shelter, a dry bed, and comfortable supper
revive the sperits
of the waryed, wet and hungry traveler.
[Clark, June 7,
1805]
June 7th Friday
1805
rained moderately
all the last night and Continus this morning, the
wind from the S. W,
off the mountains, The Themometer Stood at 40° above
0, I allow Several
men to hunt a Short time to day, the rain Continue
moderately all day
the bottom verry muddey 2 buffalow an Elk & Deer
killed to day-
Capt. Lewis not returned yet. river falling
[Lewis, June 8,
1805]
Saturday June 8th
1805
It continued to
rain moderately all last night this morning was cloudy
untill about ten
oClock when it cleared off and became a fine day. we
breakfasted and set
out about sunrise and continued our rout down the
river bottoms
through the mud and water as yesterday, tho the road was
somewhat better
than yesterday and we were not so often compelled to
wade in the river.
we passed some dangerous and difficult bluffs. The
river bottoms
affording all the timber which is to be seen in the
country they are
filled with innumerable litle birds that resort
thither either for
shelter or to build their nests. when sun began to
shine today these
birds appeared to be very gay and sung most
inchantingly; I
observed among them the brown thrush, Robbin, turtle
dove, linnit goaldfinch,
the large and small blackbird, wren and
several other birds
of less note. some of the inhabitants of the
praries also take
reffuge in these woods at night or from a storm. The
whole of my party
to a man except myself were fully peswaided that this
river was the
Missouri, but being fully of opinion that it was neither
the main stream or
that which it would be advisable for us to take, I
determined to give
it a name and in honour of Miss Maria W-d. called it
Maria's River. it
is true that the hue of the waters of this turbulent
and troubled stream
but illy comport with the pure celestial virtues
and amiable
qualifications of that lovely fair one; but on the other
hand it is a noble
river; one destined to become in my opinion an
object of
contention between the two great powers of America and Great
Britin with rispect
to the adjustment of the North westwardly boundary
of the former; and
that it will become one of the most interesting
brances of the
Missouri in a commercial point of view, I have but
little doubt, as it
abounds with anamals of the fur kind, and most
probably furnishes
a safe and direct communication to that productive
country of valuable
furs exclusively enjoyed at present by the subjects
of his Britanic
Majesty; in adition to which it passes through a rich
fertile and one of
the most beatifully picteresque countries that I
ever beheld,
through the wide expance of which, innumerable herds of
living anamals are
seen, it's borders garnished with one continued
garden of roses,
while it's lofty and open forrests, are the habitation
of miriads of the
feathered tribes who salute the ear of the passing
traveler with their
wild and simple, yet sweet and cheerfull melody.- I
arrived at camp
about 5 OClock in the evening much fatiegued, where I
found Capt. Clark
and the ballance of the party waiting our return with
some anxiety for
our safety having been absent near two days longer
than we had engaged
to return. on our way to camp we had killed 4 deer
and two Antelopes;
the skins of which as well as those we killed while
on the rout we
brought with us. Maria's river may be stated generally
from sixty to a
hundred yards wide, with a strong and steady current
and possessing 5
feet water in the most sholly parts.
As the incidents
which occurred Capt. C. during his rout will be more
fully and
satisfactoryley expressed by himself I here insert a copy of
his journal during
the days we wer seperated.-
I now gave myself
this evening to rest from my labours, took a drink of
grog and gave the
men who had accompanyed me each a dram. Capt. Clark
ploted the courses
of the two rivers as far as we had ascended them. I
now began more than
ever to suspect the varacity of Mr. Fidler or the
correctness of his
instruments. for I see that Arrasmith in his late
map of N. America
has laid down a remarkable mountain in the chain of
the Rocky mountains
called the tooth nearly as far South as Latitude 45°,
and this is said to
be from the discoveries of Mr. Fidler? we are now
within a hundred
miles of the Rocky Mountains, and I find from my
observation of the
3rd Inst that the latitude of this place is 47° 24'
12.8". the
river must therefore turn much to the South, between this
and the rocky
Mountain to have permitted Mr. Fidler to have passed
along the Eastern
border of these mountains as far S. as nearly 45°
without even seeing
it. but from hence as far as Capt. C. had ascended
the S. fork or
Missouri being the distance of 55 miles it's course is
S. 29°W. and it
still appeared to bear considerably to the W. of South as
far as he could see
it. I think therefore that we shall find that the
Missouri enters the
rocky mountains to the North of 45°- we did take the
liberty of placing
his discoveries or at least the Southern extremity
of them about a
degree further N. in the sketh which we sent on to the
government this
spring mearly from the Indian information of the
bearing from Fort
Mandan of the entrance of the Missouri into the Rocky
Mountains, and I
reather suspect that actual observation will take him
at least one other
degree further North. The general Course of Maria's
river from hence to
the extremity of the last course taken by Sergt.
pryor is N 69° W.
59 mes.
[Clark, June 8,
1805]
June 8th Saturday
1805
rained moderately
all the last night & Some this morning untill 10
oClock, I am Some
what uneasy for Capt. Lewis & party as days has now
passed the time he
was to have returned, I had all the arms put in
order and permited
Severall men to hunt, aired and dried our Stores &c.
The rivers at this
point has fallen 6 Inches Sinc our arrival, at 10
oClock cleared away
and became fair- the wind all the morning from the
S. W. & hard-
The water of the South fork is of a redish brown colour
this morning the
other river of a whitish colour as usual-The mountains
to the South
Covered with Snow. Wind Shifted to the N E in the evening,
about 5 oClock
Capt. Lewis arrived with the party much fatigued, and
inform'd me that he
had assended the river about 60 miles by Land and
that the river had
a bold current of about 80 or 100 yards wide the
bottoms of Gravel
& mud, and may be estimated at 5 feet water in
Sholest parts
Some rain in the
evening. the left hand fork rose a little.
[Lewis, June 9,
1805]
Sunday June 9th
1805.
We determined to
deposite at this place the large red perogue all the
heavy baggage which
we could possibly do without and some provision,
salt, tools powder
and Lead &c with a view to lighten our vessels and
at the same time to
strengthen their crews by means of the seven hands
who have been
heretofore employd. in navigating the red perogue;
accordingly we set
some hands to diging a hole or cellar for the
reception of our
stores. these holes in the ground or deposits are
called by the
engages cashes; on enquiry I found that Cruzatte was well
acquainted this
business and therefore left the management of it
intirely to him.
today we examined our maps, and compared the
information derived
as well from them as from the Indians and fully
settled in our
minds the propryety of addopting the South fork for the
Missouri, as that
which it would be most expedient for us to take. The
information of Mr.
Fidler incorrect as it is strongly argued the
necessity of taking
the South fork, for if he has been along the
Eastern side of the
rocky mountains as far as even Latd. 47°, which I
think fully as far
south as he ever was in that direction, and saw only
small rivulets
making down from those mountains the presumption is very
strong that those
little streams do not penetrate the rocky Mountains
to such distance as
would afford rational grownds for a conjecture that
they had their
sources near any navigable branch of the Columbia, and
if he has seen
those rivulets as far south as 47° they are most probably
the waters of some
Nothern branch of the Missouri or South fork
probably the river
called by the Indians Medicine River; we therefore
cannot hope by
going Northwardly of this place being already in
Latititude 47°
24" to find a stream between this place and the
Saskashawan which
dose penetrate the Rocky mountains, and which
agreeably to the
information of the Indians with rispect to the
Missouri, dose
possess a navigable curent some distance in those
mountains. The
Indian information also argued strongly in favour of the
South fork. they
informed us that the water of the Missouri was nearly
transparent at the
great falls, this is the case with the water of the
South fork; that
the falls lay a little to the South of sunset from
them; this is also
brobable as we are only a few minutes North of Fort
Mandan and the
South fork bears considerably South from hence to the
Mountains; that the
falls are below the rocky mountains and near the
Nothern
termineation of one range of those mountains. a range of
mountains which
apear behind the S. Mountains and which appear to
terminate S. W.
from this place and on this side of the unbroken chain
of the Rocky
Mountains gives us hope that this part of their
information is also
correct, and there is sufficient distance between
this and the
mountains for many and I fear for us much too many falls.
another impression
on my mind is that if the Indians had passed any
stream as large as
the South fork on their way to the Missouri that
they would not have
omitted mentioning it; and the South fork from it's
size and complexion
of it's waters must enter the Ry. Mountains and in
my opinion
penetrates them to a great distance, or els whence such an
immence body of
water as it discharges; it cannot procede from the dry
plains to the N. W.
of the Yellow Stone river on the East side of the
Rocky Mountains for
those numerous large dry channels which we
witnessed on that
side as we ascended the Missouri forbid such a
conjecture; and
that it should take it's sourses to the N. W. under
those mountains the
travels of Mr. Fidler fobid us to beleive. Those
ideas as they
occurred to me I indevoured to impress on the minds of
the party all of
whom except Capt. C. being still firm in the beleif
that the N. Fork
was the Missouri and that which we ought to take; they
said very
cheerfully that they were ready to follow us any wher we
thought proper to
direct but that they still thought that the other was
the river and that
they were affraid that the South fork would soon
termineate in the
mountains and leave us at a great distance from the
Columbia. Cruzatte
who had been an old Missouri navigator and who from
his integrity
knowledge and skill as a waterman had acquired the
confidence of every
individual of the party declared it as his opinion
that the N. fork
was the true genuine Missouri and could be no other.
finding them so
determined in this beleif, and wishing that if we were
in an error to be
able to detect it and rectify it as soon as possible
it was agreed
between Capt. C. and myself that one of us should set out
with a small party
by land up the South fork and continue our rout up
it untill we found
the falls or reached the snowy Mountains by which
means we should be
enabled to determine this question prety accurately.
this expedition I
prefered undertaking as Capt. C best waterman &c. and
determined to set
out the day after tomorrow; I wished to make some
further
observations at this place, and as we had determined to leave
our blacksmith's
bellows and tools here it was necessary to repare some
of our arms, and
particularly my Airgun the main spring of which was
broken, before we
left this place. these and some other preperations
will necessarily
detain us two perhaps three days. I felt myself very
unwell this morning
and took a portion of salts from which I feel much
releif this
evening. The cash being completed I walked to it and
examined it's
construction. it is in a high plain about 40 yards
distant from a
steep bluff of the South branch on it's nothern side;
the situation a dry
one which is always necessary. a place being fixed
on for a cash, a
circle abut 20 inches in diameter is first discribed,
the terf or sod of
this circle is carefully removed, being taken out as
entire as possible
in order that it may be replaced in the same
situation when the
chash is filled and secured. this circular hole is
then sunk
perpendicularly to the debth of one foot, if the ground be
not firm somewhat
deeper. they then begin to work it out wider as they
proceed downwards
untill they get it about six or seven feet deep
giving it nearly
the shape of the kettle or lower part of a large
still. it's bottom
is also somewhat sunk in the center. the dementions
of the cash is in
proportion to the quantity of articles intended to be
deposited. as the
earth is dug it is handed up in a vessel and
carefully laid on a
skin or cloth and then carryed to some place where
it can be thrown in
such manner as to conseal it usually into some
runing stream wher
it is washed away and leaves no traces which might
lead to the
discovery of the cash. before the goods are deposited they
must be well dryed;
a parsel of small dry sticks are then collected and
with them a floor is
maid of three or four inches thick which is then
covered with some
dry hay or a raw hide well dryed; on this the
articles are
deposited, taking care to keep them from touching the
walls by putting
other dry sticks between as you stoe away the
merchandize, when
nearly full the goods are covered with a skin and
earth thrown in and
well ramed untill with the addition of the turf
furst removed the
whole is on a level with the serface of the ground.
in this manner
dryed skins or merchandize will keep perfectly sound for
several years. the
traders of the Missouri, particularly those engaged
in the trade with
the Siouxs are obliged to have frequent recourse to
this method in
order to avoyd being robed. most of the men are busily
engaged dressing
skins for cloathing. In the evening Cruzatte gave us
some music on the
violin and the men passed the evening in dancing
singing &c and
were extreemly cheerfull.-
[Clark, June 9,
1805]
June 9th Sunday a
fair morning the wind hard from the S. W. the river
during the night
fell 1 Inch, we conclude to burry a few of our heavy
articles, Some
Powder & Lead provisions & a fiw Tools, in case of
accident and leave
one perogue at this place, and as Soon as those
things are
accomplished to assend the South fork, which appears to be
more in our Course
than the N. fork the Genl. Course of the South fork
for 35 miles is S.
29° W.- that of the N. fork is N. 69° W. for 59 miles,
and as we are North
of Fort mandan it is probable the most Southerley
fork is the best
for us.- Capt. Lewis a little unwell to day & take
Salts &c. Send
out 7 men to make a cache or hole to burry the Stores,
air out Cloathes
&c. &c. finish'd the cache or Seller &c. the men all
engaged dressing
Skins for their clothes, in the evening the party
amused themselves
danceing and Singing Songes in the most Social
manner. had a
meridian altitude which gave 47° 24' 29" took some Luner
observations which
gave for Longitude ____ variation 151/2° East
[Lewis, June 10,
1805]
Monday June 10th
1805.
The day being fair
and fine we dryed all our baggage and merchandize.
Shields renewed the
main Spring of my air gun we have been much
indebted to the
ingenuity of this man on many occasions; without having
served any regular
apprenticeship to any trade, he makes his own tools
principally and
works extreemly well in either wood or metal, and in
this way has been
extreenely servicable to us, as well as being a good
hunter and an
excellent waterman. in order to guard against accedents
we thout it well to
conceal some ammunicion here and accordingly buryed
a tin cannester of
4 lbs. of powder and an adequate quantity of lead
near our tent; a
cannester of 6 lbs. lead and an ax in a thicket up the
S. Fork three hundred
yards distant from the point. we concluded that
we still could
spare more amunition for this deposit Capt. Clark was
therefore to make a
further deposit in the morning, in addition to one
Keg of 20 lbs. and
an adequate proportion of lead which had been laid
by to be buryed in
the large Cash. we now scelected the articles to be
deposited in this
cash which consisted of 2 best falling axes, one
auger, a set of
plains, some files, blacksmiths bellowses and hammers
Stake tongs &c.
1 Keg of flour, 2 Kegs of parched meal, 2 Kegs of Pork,
1 Keg of salt, some
chissels, a cooper's Howel, some tin cups, 2
Musquets, 3 brown
bear skins, beaver skins, horns of the bighorned
anamal, a part of
the men's robes clothing and all their superfluous
baggage of every
discription, and beaver traps.- we drew up the red
perogue into the
middle of a small Island at the entrance of Maria's
river, and secured
and made her fast to the trees to prevent the high
floods from
carrying her off put my brand on several trees standing
near her, and
covered her with brush to shelter her from the effects of
the sun. At 3 P.M.
we had a hard wind from the S. W. which continued
about an hour
attended with thunder and rain. as soon as the shower had
passed over we drew
out our canoes, corked, repared and loaded them. I
still feel myself
somewhat unwell with the disentary, but determined to
set out in the
morning up the South fork or Missouri leaving Capt.
Clark to compleat
the deposit and follow me by water with the party;
accordingly gave
orders to Drewyer, Joseph Fields, Gibson and Goodrich
to hold themselves
in readiness to accompany me in the morning.
Sah-cah-gah, we a,
our Indian woman is very sick this evening; Capt. C.
blead her. the
night was cloudy with some rain.
I saw a small bird
today which I do not recollect ever having seen
before. it is about
the size of the blue thrush or catbird, and it's
contour not unlike
that bird. the beak is convex, moderately curved,
black, smoth, and
large in proportion to its size. the legs were black,
it had four toes of
the same colour on eah foot, and the nails appeared
long and somewhat
in form like the tallons of the haulk, the eye black
and proportionably
large. a bluish brown colour occupyed the head,
neck, and back, the
belly was white; the tail was reather long in
proportion and
appeared to be composed of feathers of equal length of
which a part of
those in the center were white the others black. the
wings were long and
were also varigated with white and black. on each
side of the head
from the beak back to the neck a small black stripe
extended imbrasing
the eye. it appeared to be very busy in catching
insects which I
presume is it's usual food; I found the nest of this
little bird, the
female which differed but little in size or plumage
from the male was
seting on four eggs of a pale blue colour with small
black freckles or
dots.- the bee martin or Kingbird is common to this
country tho there
are no bees in this country, nor have we met with a
honey bee since we
passed the entrance of the Osage river.
[Clark, June 10,
1805]
June 10th Monday
1805
a fine day dry all
our articles arrange our baggage burry Some Powder &
lead in the point,
Some Lead a canister of Powder & an ax in a thicket
in the point at
Some distance, buried on this day and in the large
cache or whole we
buried on the up land near the S. fork 1 mile up S.
S. we drew up our
large Perogue into the middle of a Small Island in
the North fork and
covered her with bushes after makeing her fast to
the trees, branded
several trees to prevent the Indians injureing her,
at 3 oClock we had
hard wind from the S. W. thunder and rain for about
an hour after which
we repaired & Corked the Canoes & loadded them- Sah
cah gah, we a our
Indian woman verry Sick I blead her, we deturmined to
assend the South
fork, and one of us, Capt. Lewis or My self to go by
land as far as the
Snow mountains S. 20° W. and examine the river &
Countrey Course
& to be Certain of our assending the proper river, Capt
Lewis inclines to
go by land on this expedition, according Selects 4
men George Drewyer,
Gibson, Jo. Fields & S. Gutrich to accompany him &
deturmine to Set
out in the morning- The after noon or night Cloudy
Some rain, river
riseing a little.
[Lewis, June 11,
1805]
Tuesday June 11th
1805
This morning I felt
much better, but somewhat weakened by my disorder.
at 8 A.M. I swung
my pack, and set forward with my little party.
proceeded to the
point where Rose River a branch Maria's River
approaches the
Missouri so nearly. from this hight we discovered a herd
of Elk on the
Missouri just above us to which we desended and soon
killed four of
them. we butchered them and hung up the meat and skins
in view of the
river in order that the party might get them. I
determined to take
dinner here, but before the meal was prepared I was
taken with such
violent pain in the intestens that I was unable to
partake of the
feast of marrowbones. my pain still increased and
towards evening was
attended with a high fever; finding myself unable
to march, I
determined to prepare a camp of some willow boughs and
remain all night.
having brought no medecine with me I resolved to try
an experiment with
some simples; and the Choke cherry which grew
abundanly in the
bottom first struck my attention; I directed a parsel
of the small twigs
to be geathered striped of their leaves, cut into
pieces of about 2
Inches in length and boiled in water untill a strong
black decoction of
an astringent bitter tact was produced; at sunset I
took a point of
this decoction and abut an hour after repeated the dze
by 10 in the
evening I was entirely releived from pain and in fact
every symptom of
the disorder forsook me; my fever abated, a gentle
perspiration was
produced and I had a comfortable and refreshing nights
rest. Goodrich who
is remarkably fond of fishing caught several douzen
fish of two
different species- one about 9 inches long of white colour
round and in form
and fins resembles the white chub common to the
Potomac; this fish
has a smaller head than the Chubb and the mouth is
beset both above
and below with a rim of fine sharp teeth; the eye
moderately large,
the puple dark and the iris which is narrow is of a
yellowish brown
colour, they bite at meat or grasshoppers. this is a
soft fish, not very
good, tho the flesh is of a fine white colour. the
other species is
precisely the form and about the size of the well
known fish called
the Hickory Shad or old wife, with the exception of
the teeth, a rim of
which garnish the outer edge of both the upper and
lower jaw; the
tonge and pallet are also beset with long sharp teeth
bending inwards,
the eye of this fish is very large, and the iris of a
silvery colour and
wide. of the 1st species we had caught some few
before our arrival
at the entrance of Maria's river, but of the last we
had seen none
untill we reached that place and took them in Missouri
above it's junction
with that river. the latter kind are much the best,
and do not inhabit
muddy water; the white cat continue as high as the
entrance of Maria's
R, but those we have caught above Mandans never
excede 6 lbs. I
beleive that there are but few in this part of the
Missouri. saw an
abundance of game today even in our short march of 9
miles.
[Clark, June 11,
1805]
June 11th Tuesday
1805
a fair morning wind
from the S W. hard we burry 1 keg in the Cash & 2
Canisters of Powder
in 2 seperate places all with Lead; & in the Cash 2
axes, auger,
Plains, 1 Keg flour, 2 Kegs Pork, 2 Kegs Parchd meal 1 Keg
salt, files Chisel,
2 Musquits, Some tin cups, bowel, 3 bear Skins,
Beaver Skins,
Horns, & parts of the mens robes & clothes.- Beaver Traps
and blacksmith's
tools. Capt. Lewis Set out at 8 oClock we delayed to
repare Some guns
out of order & complete our deposit, which took us the
day the evening
fair and fine wind from the N. W. after night it became
cold & the wind
blew hard, the Indian woman verry Sick, I blead her
which appeared to
be of great Service to her both rivers riseing fast
[Lewis, June 12,
1805]
Wednesday June 12th
1805.
This morning I felt
myself quite revived, took another portion of my
decoction and set
out at sunrise. I now boar out from the river in
order to avoid the
steep ravines of the river which usually make out in
the plain to the
distance of one or two miles; after gaining the leavel
plain my couse was
a litte to the West of S. W.- having traveled about
12 miles by 9 in
the morning, the sun became warm, and I boar a little
to the south in
order to gain the river as well to obtain water to
allay my thirst as
to kill something for breakfast; for the plain
through which we
had been passing possesses no water and is so level
that we cannot
approach the buffaloe within shot before they discover
us and take to
flight. we arrived at the river about 10 A.M. having
traveled about 15
m. at this place there is a handsom open bottom with
some cottonwood
timber, here we met with two large bear, and killed
them boath at the
first fire, a circumstance which I beleive has never
happend with the
party in killing the brown bear before. we dressed the
bear, breakfasted
on a part of one of them and hung the meat and skins
on the trees out of
the reach of the wolves. I left a note on a stick
near the river for
Capt. Clark, informing him of my progress &c.- after
refreshing
ourselves abut 2 hours we again ascended the bluffs and
gained the high
plain; saw a great number of burrowing squirrels in the
plains today. also
wolves Antelopes mule deer and immence herds of
buffaloe. we passed
a ridge of land considerably higher than the
adjacent plain on
either side, from this hight we had a most beatifull
and picturesk view
of the Rocky mountains which wer perfectly covered
with Snow and
reaching from S. E. to the N. of N. W.- they appear to be
formed of several
ranges each succeeding range rising higher than the
preceding one
untill the most distant appear to loose their snowey tops
in the clouds; this
was an august spectacle and still rendered more
formidable by the
recollection that we had them to pass. we traveled
about twelve miles
when we agin struck the Missoury at a handsome
little bottom of
Cottonwood timber and altho the sun had not yet set I
felt myself
somewhat weary being weakened I presume by late disorder;
and therfore
determined to remain here during the ballance of the day
and night, having
marched about 27 miles today. on our way in the
evening we had
killed a buffaloe, an Antelope and three mule deer, and
taken a sufficient
quantity of the best of the flesh of these anamals
for three meals,
which we had brought with us. This evening I ate very
heartily and after
pening the transactions of the day amused myself
catching those
white fish mentioned yesterday; they are here in great
abundance I caught
upwards of a douzen in a few minutes; they bit most
freely at the melt
of a deer which goodrich had brought with him for
the purpose of
fishing.
The narrow leafed
cottonwood grows here in common with the other
species of the same
tree with a broad leaf or that which has
constituted the
major part of the timber of the Missouri from it's
junction with the
Mississippi to this place. The narrow leafed
cottonwood differs
only from the other in the shape of it's leaf and
greater thickness
of it's bark. the leaf is a long oval acutely
pointed, about 21/2
or 3 Inches long and from 3/4 to an inch in width;
it is thick,
sometimes slightly grooved or channeled; margin slightly
serrate; the upper
disk of a common green while the under disk is of a
whiteish green; the
leaf is smoth. the beaver appear to be extremely
fond of this tree
and even seem to scelect it from among the other
species of
Cottonwood, probably from it's affording a deeper and softer
bark than the other
species.- saw some sign of the Otter as well as
beaver near our
camp, also a great number of tracks of the brown bear;
these fellows leave
a formidable impression in the mud or sand I
measured one this
evening which was eleven inches long exclusive of the
tallons and seven
and 1/4 in width.
[Clark, June 12,
1805]
June 12th 1805
Wednesday
last night was
Clear and Cold, this morning fair we Set out at 8 oClock
& proceeded on
verry well wind from the S. W. The interpreters wife
verry Sick So much
So that I move her into the back part of our Covered
part of the Perogue
which is Cool, her own situation being a verry hot
one in the bottom
of the Perogue exposed to the Sun- Saw emence No. of
Swallows in the 1st
bluff on the Lard. Side, water verry Swift, the
bluff are blackish
Clay & Coal for about 80 feet. the earth above that
for 30 or 40 feet
is a brownish yellow, a number of bars of corse
gravil and Stones
of different Shape & Size &c. Saw a number of rattle
Snakes to day one
of the men cought one by the head in Catch'g hold of
a bush on which his
head lay reclined three canoes were in great danger
today one diped
water, another was near turning over &c. at 2 oClock P
M a fiew drops of
rain I walked thro a point and killed a Buck Elk &
Deer, and we camped
on the Stard Side, the Interpreters woman verry
Sick worse than She
has been. I give her medison one man have a fellon
riseing on his hand
one other with the Tooth ake has taken cold in the
jaw &c.
[Lewis, June 13,
1805]
Thursday June 13th
1805.
This morning we set
out about sunrise after taking breakfast off our
venison and fish.
we again ascended the hills of the river and gained
the level country.
the country through which we passed for the first
six miles tho more
roling than that we had passed yesterday might still
with propryety he
deemed a level country; our course as yesterday was
generally S W. the
river from the place we left it appeared to make a
considerable bend
to the South. from the extremity of this roling
country I
overlooked a most beatifull and level plain of great extent
or at least 50 or
sixty miles; in this there were infinitely more
buffaloe than I had
ever before witnessed at a view. nearly in the
direction I had
been travling or S. W. two curious mountains presented
themselves of
square figures, the sides rising perpendicularly to the
hight of 250 feet
and appeared to be formed of yellow clay; their tops
appeared to be
level plains; these inaccessible hights appeared like
the ramparts of
immence fortifications; I have no doubt but with very
little assistance
from art they might be rendered impregnable. fearing
that the river boar
to the South and that I might pass the falls if
they existed
between this an the snowey mountains I altered my course
nealy to the South
leaving those insulated hills to my wright and
proceeded through
the plain; I sent Feels on my right and Drewyer and
Gibson on my left
with orders to kill some meat and join me at the
river where I
should halt for dinner. I had proceded on this course
about two miles
with Goodrich at some distance behind me whin my ears
were saluted with
the agreeable sound of a fall of water and advancing
a little further I
saw the spray arrise above the plain like a collumn
of smoke which
would frequently dispear again in an instant caused I
presume by the wind
which blew pretty hard from the S. W. I did not
however loose my
direction to this point which soon began to make a
roaring too
tremendious to be mistaken for any cause short of the great
falls of the
Missouri. here I arrived about 12 OClock having traveled
by estimate about
15 Miles. I hurryed down the hill which was about 200
feet high and
difficult of access, to gaze on this sublimely grand
specticle. I took
my position on the top of some rocks about 20 feet
high opposite the
center of the falls. this chain of rocks appear once
to have formed a
part of those over which the waters tumbled, but in
the course of time
has been seperated from it to the distance of 150
yards lying
prarrallel to it and forming a butment against which the
water after falling
over the precipice beats with great fury; this
barrier extends on
the right to the perpendicular clift which forms
that board of the
river but to the distance of 120 yards next to the
clift it is but a
few feet above the level of the water, and here the
water in very high
tides appears to pass in a channel of 40 yds. next
to the higher part
of the ledg of rocks; on the left it extends within
80 or ninty yards
of the lard. Clift which is also perpendicular;
between this abrupt
extremity of the ledge of rocks and the
perpendicular bluff
the whole body of water passes with incredible
swiftness.
immediately at the cascade the river is about 300 yds. wide;
about ninty or a
hundred yards of this next the Lard. bluff is a smoth
even sheet of water
falling over a precipice of at least eighty feet,
the remaining part
of about 200 yards on my right formes the grandest
sight I ever
beheld, the hight of the fall is the same of the other but
the irregular and
somewhat projecting rocks below receives the water in
it's passage down
and brakes it into a perfect white foam which assumes
a thousand forms in
a moment sometimes flying up in jets of sparkling
foam to the hight
of fifteen or twenty feet and are scarcely formed
before large roling
bodies of the same beaten and foaming water is
thrown over and
conceals them. in short the rocks seem to be most
happily fixed to
present a sheet of the whitest beaten froath for 200
yards in length and
about 80 feet perpendicular. the water after
decending strikes
against the butment before mentioned or that on which
I stand and seems
to reverberate and being met by the more impetuous
courant they role
and swell into half formed billows of great hight
which rise and
again disappear in an instant. this butment of rock
defends a handsom
little bottom of about three acres which is
deversified and
agreeably shaded with some cottonwood trees; in the
lower extremity of
the bottom there is a very thick grove of the same
kind of trees which
are small, in this wood there are several Indian
lodges formed of
sticks. a few small cedar grow near the ledge of rocks
where I rest. below
the point of these rocks at a small distance the
river is divided by
a large rock which rises several feet above the
water, and extends
downwards with the stream for about 20 yards. about
a mile before the
water arrives at the pitch it decends very rappidly,
and is confined on
the Lard. side by a perpendicular clift of about 100
feet, on Stard.
side it is also perpendicular for about three hundred
yards above the
pitch where it is then broken by the discharge of a
small ravine, down
which the buffaloe have a large beaten road to the
water, for it is
but in very few places that these anamals can obtain
water near this
place owing to the steep and inaccessible banks. I see
several skelletons
of the buffaloe lying in the edge of the water near
the Stard. bluff
which I presume have been swept down by the current
and precipitated
over this tremendious fall. about 300 yards below me
there is another
butment of solid rock with a perpendicular face and
abot 60 feet high
which projects from the Stard. side at right angles
to the distance of
134 yds. and terminates the lower part nearly of the
bottom before
mentioned; there being a passage arround the end of this
butment between it
and the river of about 20 yardes; here the river
again assumes it's
usual width soon spreading to near 300 yards but
still continues
it's rappidity. from the reflection of the sun on the
spray or mist which
arrises from these falls there is a beatifull
rainbow produced
which adds not a little to the beauty of this
majestically grand
senery. after wrighting this imperfect discription I
again viewed the
falls and was so much disgusted with the imperfect
idea which it
conveyed of the scene that I determined to draw my pen
across it and begin
agin, but then reflected that I could not perhaps
succeed better than
pening the first impressions of the mind; I wished
for the pencil of
Salvator Rosa or the pen of Thompson, that I might be
enabled to give to
the enlightened world some just idea of this truly
magnifficent and
sublimely grand object, which has from the
commencement of
time been concealed from the view of civilized man; but
this was fruitless
and vain. I most sincerely regreted that I had not
brought a crimee
obscura with me by the assistance of which even I
could have hoped to
have done better but alas this was also out of my
reach; I therefore
with the assistance of my pen only indeavoured to
traces some of the
stronger features of this seen by the assistance of
which and my
recollection aided by some able pencil I hope still to
give to the world
some faint idea of an object which at this moment
fills me with such
pleasure and astonishment, and which of it's kind I
will venture to
ascert is second to but one in the known world. I
retired to the
shade of a tree where I determined to fix my camp for
the present and
dispatch a man in the morning to inform Capt. C. and
the party of my
success in finding the falls and settle in their minds
all further doubts
as to the Missouri. the hunters now arrived loaded
with excellent
buffaloe meat and informed me that they had killed three
very fat cows about
3/4 of a mile hence. I directed them after they had
refreshed
themselves to go back and butcher them and bring another load
of meat each to our
camp determining to employ those who remained with
me in drying meat
for the party against their arrival. in about 2 hours
or at 4 OClock P.M.
they set out on this duty, and I walked down the
river about three
miles to discover if possible some place to which the
canoes might arrive
or at which they might be drawn on shore in order
to be taken by land
above the falls; but returned without effecting
either of these
objects; the river was one continued sene of rappids
and cascades which
I readily perceived could not be encountered with
our canoes, and the
Clifts still retained their perpendicular structure
and were from 150
to 200 feet high; in short the river appears here to
have woarn a
channel in the process of time through a solid rock. on my
return I found the
party at camp; they had butchered the buffaloe and
brought in some
more meat as I had directed. Goodrich had caught half a
douzen very fine
trout and a number of both species of the white fish.
these trout are
from sixteen to twenty three inches in length,
precisely resemble
our mountain or speckled trout in form and the
position of their
fins, but the specks on these are of a deep black
instead of the red
or goald colour of those common to the U. States.
these are furnished
long sharp teeth on the pallet and tongue and have
generally a small
dash of red on each side behind the front ventral
fins; the flesh is
of a pale yellowish red, or when in good order, of a
rose red.
I am induced to
believe that the Brown, the white and the Grizly bear
of this country are
the same species only differing in colour from age
or more probably
from the same natural cause that many other anamals of
the same family
differ in colour. one of those which we killed
yesterday was of a
creemcoloured white while the other in company with
it was of the
common bey or rdish brown, which seems to be the most
usual colour of
them. the white one appeared from it's tallons and
teath to be the
youngest; it was smaller than the other, and although a
monstrous beast we
supposed that it had not yet attained it's growth
and that it was a
little upwards of two years old. the young cubs which
we have killed have
always been of a brownish white, but none of them
as white as that we
killed yesterday. one other that we killed sometime
since which I
mentioned sunk under some driftwood and was lost, had a
white stripe or
list of about eleven inches wide entirely arround his
body just behind
the shoalders, and was much darker than these bear
usually are. the
grizly bear we have never yet seen. I have seen their
tallons in
possession of the Indians and from their form I am perswaded
if there is any
difference between this species and the brown or white
bear it is very
inconsiderable. There is no such anamal as a black bear
in this open
country or of that species generally denominated the black
bear
my fare is really
sumptuous this evening; buffaloe's humps, tongues and
marrowbones, fine
trout parched meal pepper and salt, and a good
appetite; the last
is not considered the least of the luxuries.
[Clark, June 13,
1805]
June 13th Thursday
1805
a fair morning,
Some dew this morning the Indian woman Verry sick I
gave her a doste of
Salts. We Set out early, at a mile & 1/2 passed a
Small rapid Stream
on the Lard Side which heads in a mountain to the S.
E 12 or 15 miles,
which at this time covered with Snow, we call this
stream Snow river,
as it is the conveyance of the melted snow from that
mountain at
present. numbers of gees & goslings, the gees cannot fly at
this Season- goose
berries are ripe and in great abundance, the yellow
Current is also
Common, not yet ripe Killed a buffalow & Campd on the
Lard Side near an
old Indian fortified campy one man Sick & 3 with
Swellings, the
Indian woman verry Sick. Killed a goat & fraser 2
Buffalow
The river verry
rapid maney Sholes great nos of large Stones passed
Some bluffs or low
cliffts of Slate to day
[Lewis, June 14,
1805]
Friday June 14th
1805.
This morning at
sunrise I dispatched Joseph Fields with a letter to
Capt. Clark and
ordered him to keep sufficiently near the river to
observe it's
situation in order that he might be enabled to give Capt.
Clark an idea of
the point at which it would be best to halt to make
our portage. I set
one man about preparing a saffold and collecting
wood to dry the
meat Sent the others to bring in the ballance of the
buffaloe meat, or
at least the part which the wolves had left us, for
those fellows are
ever at hand and ready to partake with us the moment
we kill a buffaloe;
and there is no means of puting the meat out of
their reach in
those plains; the two men shortly after returned with
the meat and
informed me that the wolves had devoured the greater part
of the meat. about
ten OClock this morning while the men were engaged
with the meat I
took my Gun and espontoon and thought I would walk a
few miles and see
where the rappids termineated above, and return to
dinner. accordingly
I set out and proceeded up the river about S. W.
after passing one
continued rappid and three small cascades of abut for
or five feet each
at the distance of about five miles I arrived at a
fall of about 19
feet; the river is hereabout 400 yds. wide. this pitch
which I called the
crooked falls occupys about three fourths of the
width of the river,
commencing on the South side, extends obliquly
upwards about 150
yds. then forming an accute angle extends downwards
nearly to the
commencement of four small Islands lying near the N.
shore; among these
Islands and between them and the lower extremity of
the perpendicular
pitch being a distance of 100 yards or upwards, the
water glides down
the side of a sloping rock with a volocity almost
equal to that of
it's perpendicular decent. just above this rappid the
river makes a
suddon bend to the right or Northwardly. I should have
returned from hence
but hearing a tremendious roaring above me I
continued my rout
across the point of a hill a few hundred yards
further and was
again presented by one of the most beatifull objects in
nature, a cascade
of about fifty feet perpendicular streching at
rightangles across
the river from side to side to the distance of at
least a quarter of
a mile. here the river pitches over a shelving rock,
with an edge as
regular and as streight as if formed by art, without a
nich or brake in
it; the water decends in one even and uninterupted
sheet to the bottom
wher dashing against the rocky bottom rises into
foaming billows of
great hight and rappidly glides away, hising
flashing and
sparkling as it departs the sprey rises from one extremity
to the other to 50
f. I now thought that if a skillfull painter had
been asked to make
a beautifull cascade that he would most probably
have pesented the
precise immage of this one; nor could I for some time
determine on which
of those two great cataracts to bestoe the palm, on
this or that which
I had discovered yesterday; at length I determined
between these two
great rivals for glory that this was pleasingly
beautifull, while
the other was sublimely grand. I had scarcely infixed
my eyes from this
pleasing object before I discovered another fall
above at the
distance of half a mile; thus invited I did not once think
of returning but
hurried thither to amuse myself with this newly
discovered object.
I found this to be a cascade of about 14 feet
possessing a
perpendicular pitch of about 6 feet. this was tolerably
regular streching
across the river from bank to bank where it was about
a quarter of a mile
wide; in any other neighbourhood but this, such a
cascade would
probably be extoled for it's beaty and magnifficence, but
here I passed it by
with but little attention, determining as I had
proceded so far to
continue my rout to the head of the rappids if it
should even detain
me all night. at every rappid cateract and cascade I
discovered that the
bluffs grew lower or that the bed of the river rose
nearer to a level
with the plains. still pursuing the river with it's
course about S. W.
passing a continued sene of rappids and small
cascades, at the
distance of 21/2 miles I arrived at another cataract
of 26 feet. this is
not immediately perpendicular, a rock about 1/3 of
it's decent seems
to protrude to a small distance and receives the
water in it's
passage downwards and gives a curve to the water tho it
falls mostly with a
regular and smoth sheet. the river is near six
hundred yards wide
at this place, a beatifull level plain on the S.
side only a few
feet above the level of the pitch; on the N. side where
I am the country is
More broken and immediately behind me near the
river a high hill.
below this fall at a little distance a beatifull
little Island well
timbered is situated about the middle of the river.
in this Island on a
Cottonwood tree an Eagle has placed her nest; a
more inaccessable
spot I beleive she could not have found; for neither
man nor beast dare
pass those gulphs which seperate her little domain
from the shores.
the water is also broken in such manner as it decends
over this pitch
that the mist or sprey rises to a considerable hight.
this fall is
certainly much the greatest I ever behald except those two
which I have
mentioned below. it is incomparably a geater cataract and
a more noble
interesting object than the celibrated falls of Potomac or
Soolkiln &c.
just above this is another cascade of about 5 feet, above
which the water as
far as I could see began to abate of it's valosity,
and I therefore
determined to ascend the hill behind me which promised
a fine prospect of
the adjacent country, nor was I disappointed on my
arrival at it's
summit. from hence I overlooked a most beatifull and
extensive plain
reaching from the river to the base of the Snowclad
mountains to the S.
and S. West; I also observed the missoury streching
it's meandering
course to the South through this plain to a great
distance filled to
it's even and grassey brim; another large river
flowed in on it's
Western side about four miles above me and extended
itself though a
level and fertile valley of 3 miles in width a great
distance to the N.
W. rendered more conspicuous by the timber which
garnished it's
borders. in these plains and more particularly in the
valley just below
me immence herds of buffaloe are feeding. the
missouri just above
this hill makes a bend to the South where it lies a
smoth even and
unruffled sheet of water of nearly a mile in width
bearing on it's
watry bosome vast flocks of geese which feed at
pleasure in the
delightfull pasture on either border. the young geese
are now completely
feathered except the wings which both in the young
and old are yet
deficient. after feasting my eyes on this ravishing
prospect and
resting myself a few minutes I determined to procede as
far as the river
which I saw discharge itself on the West side of the
Missouri convinced
that it was the river which the Indians call
medicine river and
which they informed us fell into the Missouri just
above the falls I
decended the hills and directed my course to the bend
of the Missouri
near which there was a herd of at least a thousand
buffaloe; here I
thought it would be well to kill a buffaloe and leave
him untill my
return from the river and if I then found that I had not
time to get back to
camp this evening to remain all night here there
being a few sticks
of drift wood lying along shore which would answer
for my fire, and a
few sattering cottonwood trees a few hundred yards
below which would
afford me at least a semblance of a shelter. under
this impression I
scelected a fat buffaloe and shot him very well,
through the lungs;
while I was gazeing attentively on the poor anamal
discharging blood
in streams from his mouth and nostrils, expecting him
to fall every
instant, and having entirely forgotton to reload my
rifle, a large
white, or reather brown bear, had perceived and crept on
me within 20 steps
before I discovered him; in the first moment I drew
up my gun to shoot,
but at the same instant recolected that she was not
loaded and that he
was too near for me to hope to perform this
opperation before
he reached me, as he was then briskly advancing on
me; it was an open
level plain, not a bush within miles nor a tree
within less than
three hundred yards of me; the river bank was sloping
and not more than
three feet above the level of the water; in short
there was no place
by means of which I could conceal myself from this
monster untill I
could charge my rifle; in this situation I thought of
retreating in a
brisk walk as fast as he was advancing untill I could
reach a tree about
300 yards below me, but I had no sooner terned
myself about but he
pitched at me, open mouthed and full speed, I ran
about 80 yards and
found he gained on me fast, I then run into the
water the idea
struk me to get into the water to such debth that I
could stand and he
would be obliged to swim, and that I could in that
situation defend
myself with my espontoon; accordingly I ran haistily
into the water
about waist deep, and faced about and presented the
point of my
espontoon, at this instant he arrived at the edge of the
water within about
20 feet of me; the moment I put myself in this
attitude of defence
he sudonly wheeled about as if frightened, declined
the combat on such
unequal grounds, and retreated with quite as great
precipitation as he
had just before pursued me. as soon as I saw him
run off in that
manner I returned to the shore and charged my gun,
which I had still
retained in my hand throughout this curious
adventure. I saw
him run through the level open plain about three
miles, till he
disappeared in the woods on medecine river; during the
whole of this
distance he ran at full speed, sometimes appearing to
look behind him as
if he expected pursuit. I now began to reflect on
this novil
occurrence and indeavoured to account for this sudden
retreat of the
bear. I at first thought that perhaps he had not smelt
me before he
arrived at the waters edge so near me, but I then
reflected that he had
pursued me for about 80 or 90 yards before I took
the water and on
examination saw the grownd toarn with his tallons
immediately on the
impression of my steps; and the cause of his allarm
still remains with
me misterious and unaccountable.- so it was and I
feelt myself not a
little gratifyed that he had declined the combat. My
gun reloaded I felt
confidence once more in my strength; and determined
not to be thwarted
in my design of visiting medicine river, but
determined never
again to suffer my peice to be longer empty than the
time she
necessarily required to charge her. I passed through the plain
nearly in the
direction which the bear had run to medecine river, found
it a handsome
stream, about 200 yds. wide with a gentle current,
apparently deep,
it's waters clear, and banks which were formed
principally of
darkbrown and blue clay were about the hight of those of
the Missouri or
from 3 to 5 feet; yet they had not the appearance of
ever being
overflown, a circumstance, which I did not expect so
immediately in the
neighbourhood of the mountains, from whence I should
have supposed, that
sudden and immence torrants would issue at certain
seasons of the
year; but the reverse is absolutely the case. I am
therefore compelled
to beleive that the snowey mountains yeald their
warters slowly,
being partially effected every day by the influence of
the sun only, and
never suddonly melted down by haisty showers of rain.
having examined
Medecine river I now determined to return, having by my
estimate about 12
miles to walk. I looked at my watch and found it was
half after six
P.M.- in returning through the level bottom of Medecine
river and about 200
yards distant from the Missouri, my direction led
me directly to an
anamal that I at first supposed was a wolf; but on
nearer approach or
about sixty paces distant I discovered that it was
not, it's colour
was a brownish yellow; it was standing near it's
burrow, and when I
approached it thus nearly, it couched itself down
like a cat looking
immediately at me as if it designed to spring on me.
I took aim at it
and fired, it instantly disappeared in it's burrow; I
loaded my gun and
exmined the place which was dusty and saw the track
from which I am
still further convinced that it was of the tiger kind.
whether I struck it
or not I could not determine, but I am almost
confident that I
did; my gun is true and I had a steady rest by means
of my espontoon,
which I have found very serviceable to me in this way
in the open plains.
It now seemed to me that all the beasts of the
neighbourhood had
made a league to distroy me, or that some fortune was
disposed to amuse
herself at my expence, for I had not proceded more
than three hundred
yards from the burrow of this tyger cat, before
three bull
buffaloe, which wer feeding with a large herd about half a
mile from me on my
left, seperated from the herd and ran full speed
towards me, I
thought at least to give them some amusement and altered
my direction to
meet them; when they arrived within a hundred yards
they mad a halt,
took a good view of me and retreated with
precipitation. I
then continued my rout homewards passed the buffaloe
which I had killed,
but did not think it prudent to remain all night at
this place which
really from the succession of curious adventures wore
the impression on
my mind of inchantment; at sometimes for a moment I
thought it might be
a dream, but the prickley pears which pierced my
feet very severely
once in a while, particularly after it grew dark,
convinced me that I
was really awake, and that it was necessary to make
the best of my way
to camp. it was sometime after dark before I
returned to the
party; I found them extremely uneasy for my safety;
they had formed a
thousand conjectures, all of which equally forboding
my death, which
they had so far settled among them, that they had
already agreed on
the rout which each should take in the morning to
surch for me. I
felt myself much fortiegued, but eat a hearty supper
and took a good
night's rest.- the weather being warm I had left my
leather over shirt
and had woarn only a yellow flannin one.
[Clark, June 14,
1805]
June 14th Friday
1805
a fine morning, the
Indian woman complaining all night & excessively
bad this morning-
her case is Somewhat dangerous- two men with the
Tooth ake 2 with
Turners, & one man with a Tumor & Slight fever passed
the Camp Capt.
Lewis made the 1st night at which place he had left part
of two bear their
skins &c three men with Turners went on shore and
Staycd out all
night one of them killed 2 buffalow, a part of which we
made use of for
brackfast, the Current excesevely rapid more So as we
assend we find
great difficuelty in getting the Perogue & Canoes up in
Safety, Canoes take
in water frequently, at 4 oClock this evening Jo.
Fields returned
from Capt. Lewis with a letter for me, Capt Lewis dates
his letter from the
Great falls of the Missouri, which Fields informs
me is about 20
miles in advance & about 10 miles above the place I left
the river the time
I was up last week Capt. L. informs that those
falls; in part
answer the discription given of them by the Indians,
much higher the
Eagles nest which they describe is there, from those
Signs he is
Convinced of this being the river the Indians call the
Missouri, he
intends examineing the river above untill my arrival at a
point from which we
can make a portage, which he is apprehensive will
be at least 5 miles
& both above & below there is Several Small
pitches, &
Swift troubled water we made only 10 miles to day and Camped
on the Lard Side,
much hard Slate in the Clifts & but a Small quantity
of timber.
[Lewis, June 15,
1805]
Saturday June 15th
1805.
This morning the
men again were sent to bring in some more meat which
Drewyer had killed
yesterday, and continued the opperation of drying
it. I amused myself
in fishing, and sleeping away the fortiegues of
yesterday. I caught
a number of very fine trout which I made Goodrich
dry; goodrich also
caught about two douzen and several small cat of a
yellow colour which
would weigh about 4 lbs. the tails was seperated
with a deep angular
nitch like that of the white cat of the missouri
from which indeed
they differed only in colour. when I awoke from my
sleep today I found
a large rattlesnake coiled on the leaning trunk of
a tree under the
shade of which I had been lying at the distance of
about ten feet from
him. I killed the snake and found that he had 176
scuta on the
abdomen and i'7 half formed scuta on the tale; it was of
the same kinde
which I had frequently seen before; they do not differ
in their colours
from the rattle snake common to the middle attlantic
states, but
considerably in the form and figures of those colours. This
evening after dark
Joseph Fields returned and informed me that Capt
Clark had arrived
with the party at the foot of a rappid about 5 miles
below which he did
not think proper to ascend and would wait my arrival
there. I had
discovered from my journey yesterday that a portage on
this side of the
river will be attended by much difficulty in
consequence of
several deep ravines which intersect the plains nearly
at right angles
with the river to a considerable distance, while the
South side appears
to be a delighfull smoth unbroken plain; the
bearings of the river
also make it pobable that the portage will be
shorter on that
side than on this.- I directed Fields to return early
in the morning to
Capt. C. and request him to send up a party of men
for the dryed meat
which we had made. I finde a very heavy due on the
grass about my camp
every morning which no doubt procedes from the mist
of the falls, as it
takes place no where in the plains nor on the river
except here.
[Clark, June 15,
1805]
June the 15th
Satturday 1805
a fair morning and
worm, we Set out at the usial time and proceeded on
with great
dificuelty as the river is more rapid we can hear the falls
this morning verry
distinctly- our Indian woman Sick &low Spirited I
gave her the bark
& apply it exteranaly to her region which revived her
much. the curt.
excessively rapid and dificuelt to assend great numbers
of dangerous
places, and the fatigue which we have to encounter is
incretiatable the
men in the water from morning untill night hauling
the Cord &
boats walking on Sharp rocks and round Sliperery Stones
which alternately
cut their feet & throw them down, not with Standing
all this dificuelty
they go with great chearfulness, aded to those
dificuelties the
rattle Snakes inumerable & require great caution to
prevent being
bitten.- we passed a Small river on the Lard Side about
30 yards wide verry
rapid which heads in the mountains to the S. E. I
Sent up this river
5 miles, it has Some timber in its bottoms and a
fall of 15 feet at
one place, above this river the bluffs are of red
earth mixed with
Stratums of black Stone, below this little river, we
pass a white clay
which mixes with water like flour in every respect,
the Indian woman
much wors this evening, She will not take any medison,
her husband
petetions to return &c., river more rapid late in the
evening we arrived
at a rapid which appeared So bad that I did not
think it prudent to
attempt passing of it this evening as it was now
late, we Saw great
numbers of Gees Ducks, Crows Blackbirds &c Geese &
Ducks with their
young. after Landing I detached Joseph Fields to Capt.
Lewis to let him
know where I was &c river rises a little this evening
we could not get a
Sufficency of wood for our use
[Lewis, June 16,
1805]
Sunday June 16th
1805
J. Fields set out
early on his return to the lower camp, at noon the
men arrived and
shortly after I set out with them to rejoin the party.
we took with us the
dryed meat consisting of about 600 lbs. and several
douzen of dryed
trout. about 2 P.M. I reached the camp found the Indian
woman extreemly ill
and much reduced by her indisposition. this gave me
some concern as
well for the poor object herself, then with a young
child in her arms,
as from the consideration of her being our only
dependence for a
friendly negociation with the Snake Indians on whom we
depend for horses
to assist us in our portage from the Missouri to the
columbia River. I
now informed Capt. C. of my discoveries with rispect
to the most proper
side for our portage, and of it's great length,
which I could not
estimate at less than 16 miles. Capt. C. had already
sent two men this
morning to examine the country on the S. side of the
river; he now
passed over with the party to that side and fixed a camp
about a mile blow
the entrance of a Creek where there was a sufficient
quantity of wood
for fuel, an article which can be obtained but in few
places in this
neighbourhood. after discharging the loads four of the
canoes were sent
back to me, which by means of strong ropes we hawled
above the rappid
and passed over to the south side from whence the
water not being
rappid we can readily convey them into the creek by
means of which we
hope to get them on the high plain with more ease.
one of the small
canoes was left below this rappid in order to pass and
repass the river
for the purpose of hunting as well as to procure the
water of the
Sulpher spring, the virtues of which I now resolved to try
on the Indian
woman. this spring is situated about 200 yards from the
Missouri on the N.
E. side nearly opposite to the entrance of a large
creek; it
discharges itself into the Missouri over a precepice of rock
about 25 feet,
forming a pretty little ____ the water is as transparent
as possible
strongly impregnated with sulpher, and I suspect Iron also,
as the colour of
the hills and bluffs in the neighbourhood indicate the
existence of that
metal. the water to all appearance is precisely
similar to that of
Bowyer's Sulpher spring in Virginia. Capt. Clark
determined to set
out in the morning to examine and survey the portage,
and discover the
best rout. as the distance was too great to think of
transporting the
canoes and baggage on the men's shoulders, we
scelected six men,
and ordered them to look out some timber this
evening, and early
in the morning to set about making a parsel of truck
wheels in order to
convey our canoes and baggage over the portage. we
determined to leave
the white perogue at this place, and substitute the
Iron boat, and also
to make a further deposit of a part of our stores.
in the evening the
men who had been sent out to examine the country and
made a very
unfavourable report. they informed us that the creek just
above us and two
deep ravenes still higher up cut the plain between the
river and mountain
in such a manner, that in their opinions a portage
for the canoes on
this side was impracticable. good or bad we must make
the portage.
notwithstanding this report I am still convinced from the
view I had of the
country the day before yesterday that a good portage
may be had on this
side at least much better than on the other, and
much nearer also. I
found that two dozes of barks and opium which I had
given her since my
arrival had produced an alteration in her pulse for
the better; they
were now much fuller and more regular. I caused her to
drink the mineral
water altogether. wen I first came down I found that
her pulse were
scarcely perceptible, very quick frequently irregular
and attended with
strong nervous symptoms, that of the twitching of the
fingers and leaders
of the arm; now the pulse had become regular much
fuller and a gentle
perspiration had taken place; the nervous symptoms
have also in a
great measure abated, and she feels herself much freeer
from pain. she
complains principally of the lower region of the
abdomen, I
therefore continued the cataplasms of barks and laudnumn
which had been
previously used by my friend Capt Clark. I beleive her
disorder originated
principally from an obstruction of the mensis in
consequence of
taking could.- I determined to remain at this camp in
order to make some
celestial observations, restore the sick woman, and
have all matters in
a state of readiness to commence the portage
immediately on the
return of Capt. Clark, who now furnished me with the
dayly occurrences
which had taken place with himself and party since
our seperation
which I here enter in his own words.
[Clark, June 16,
1805]
June 16th of Sunday
1805
Some rain last
night a cloudy morning wind hard from the S. W. we Set
out passed the
rapid by double manning the Perogue & Canoes and halted
at 1/4 of a mile to
examine the rapids above, which I found to be an
Continued Cascade
for as far as could be Seen which was about 2 miles,
I walked up on the
Lard Side as high as a large Creek, which falls in
on the Lard. Side one
mile above & opposit a large Sulpher Spring which
falls over the
rocks on the Std. Side the wind rored from the S. W.
hard & Some
rain, at about 2 oClock Capt Lewis joined me from the falls
5 miles distant,
& infd. that the Lard Side was the best portage I
despatched 2 men
this morning on the Lard. Side to examine the
portage.- the
Indian woman verry bad, & will take no medisin what ever,
untill her husband
finding her out of her Senses, easyly provailed on
her to take
medison, if She dies it will be the fault of her husband as
I am now
convinced-. we crossed the river after part of the day and
formed a Camp from
which we intended to make the first portage, Capt.
Lewis stayed on the
Std Side to direct the Canoes over the first riffle
4 of them passed
this evening the others unloaded & part of the Perogue
Loading taken out-
I deturmined to examine & Survey the Portage find a
leavel rout if
possible- The 2 men despatched to examine the Portage
gave an
unfavourable account of the Countrey, reporting that the Creek
& 2 deep
reveens cut the Prarie in such a manner between the river and
mountain as to
render a portage in their oppinion for the Canoes
impossible- we
Selected 6 men to make wheels & to draw the Canoes on as
the distance was
probably too far for to be caried on the mens Sholders
[Lewis, June 17,
1805]
Monday June 17th
1805.
Capt. Clark set out
early this morning with five men to examine the
country and survey
the river and portage as had been concerted last
evening. I set six
men at work to pepare four sets of truck wheels with
couplings, toungs
and bodies, that they might either be used without
the bodies for
transporting our canoes, or with them in transporting
our baggage I found
that the Elk skins I had prepared for my boat were
insufficient to
compleat her, some of them having become dammaged by
the weather and
being frequently wet; to make up this deficiency I sent
out two hunters
this morning to hunt Elk; the ballance of the party I
employed first in
unloading the white perogue, which we intend leaving
at this place, and
bring the whole of our baggage together and
arranging it in
proper order near our camp. this duty being compleated
I employed them in
taking five of the small canoes up the creek which
we now call portage
creek about 13/4 miles; here I had them taken out
and lyed in the sun
to dry. from this place ther is a gradual ascent to
the top of the high
plain to which we can now take them with ease; the
bluffs of this
creek below and those of the river above it's entrance
are so steep that
it would be almost impracticable to have gotten them
on the plain. we
found much difficulty in geting the canoes up this
creek to the
distance we were compelled to take them, in consequence of
the rappids and
rocks which obstruct the channel of the creek. one of
the canoes overset
and was very near injuring 2 men essencially. just
above the canoes
the creek has a perpendicular fall of 5 feet and the
cliffts again
become very steep and high. we were fortunate enough to
find one cottonwood
tree just below the entrance of portage creek that
was large enough to
make our carrage wheels about 22 Inches in
diameter; fortunate
I say because I do not beleive that we could find
another of the same
size perfectly sound within 20 miles of us. the
cottonwood which we
are obliged to employ in the other parts of the
work is extreemly
illy calculated for it being soft and brittle. we
have made two
axeltrees of the mast of the white peroge, which I hope
will answer
tolerably well tho it is reather small. The Indian woman
much better today,
I have still continued the same course of medecine;
she is free from
pain clear of fever, her pulse regular, and eats as
heartily as I am
willing to permit her of broiled buffaloe well
seasoned with
pepper and salt and rich soope of the same meat; I think
therefore that
there is every rational hope of her recovery. saw a vast
number of buffaloe
feeding in every direction arround us in the plains,
others coming down
in large herds to water at the river; the fragments
of many carcases of
these poor anamals daily pass down the river, thus
mangled I pesume in
decending those immence cataracts above us. as the
buffaloe generally
go in large herds to water and the passages to the
river about the
falls are narrow and steep the hinder part of the herd
press those in
front out of their debth and the water instatly takes
them over the
cataracts where they are instantly crushed to death
without the
possibility of escaping. in this manner I have seen ten or
a douzen disappear
in a few minutes. their mangled carcases ly along
the shores below
the falls in considerable quantities and afford fine
amusement for the
bear wolves and birds of prey; this may be one reason
and I think not a
bad one either that the bear are so tenatious of
their right of soil
in this neighbourhood.
[Clark, June 17,
1805]
June 17th Monday
1805
a fine morning wind
as usial Capt. Lewis with the party unloaded the
Perogue & he
determined to keep the party employed in getting the
loading to the
Creek about 1 mile over a low hill in my absence on the
Portage.
I Set out with 5
men at 8 oClock, and proceeded on up the Creek Some
distance to examine
that & if possable assend that Suffcently high,
that a Streight
Cours to the mouth of Medison river would head the 2
reveins, the Creek
I found Confined rapid and Shallow generalley
Monday 17th of June
passed through an open roleing Prarie, So as to
head the two
reveins after heading two we Stand our Course So as to
Strike the river
below the great pitch on our Course to the river
Crossed a Deep
rivein near its mouth with Steep Clifts this rivein had
running water which
was very fine, the river at this place is narrow &
Confined in
perpindicular clifts of 170 feet from the tops of those
Clifts the Countrey
rises with a Steep assent for about 250 feet more
we proceeded up the
river passing a Sucession of rapids & Cascades to
the Falls, which we
had herd for Several miles makeing a dedly Sound, I
beheld those
Cateracts with astonishment the whole of the water of this
great river
Confined in a Channel of 280 yards and pitching over a rock
of 97 feet 3/4 of
an, from the foot of the falls arrises a Continued
mist which is
extended for 150 yds. down & to near the top of the
Clifts on L Sd. the
river below is Confined a narrow Chanl. Of 93 yards
haveing a Small
bottom of timber on the Stard Side which is definded by
a rock, rangeing
Cross wise the river a little below the Shoot, a Short
distance below this
Cataract a large rock divides the Stream, I in
assendending the
Clifts to take the hith of the fall was near Slipping
into the water, at
which place I must have been Sucked under in an
instant, and with
deficuelty and great risque I assended again, and
decended the Clift
lower down (but few places Can be descended to the
river) and took the
hight with as much accuricy as possible with a
Spirit Leavels
&c. dined at a fine Spring 200 yards below the pitch
near which place 4
Cotton willow trees grew. on one of them I marked my
name the date, and
hight of the falls,- we then proceeded up on the
river passing a
Continued Cascade & rapid to a fall of 19 feet at 4
Small Islands, this
fall is diaguanally across the river from the Lard
Side, forming an
angle of 3/4 of the width from the Lard. from which
Side it pitches for
2/3 of that distance. on the Stard Side is a rapid
decline- below this
Shoot a Deep revein falls in which we Camped for
the night which was
Cold (The mountains in every derection has Snow on
Them) The plain to
our left is leavel we Saw one Bear & inumerable
numbers of
Buffalow, I Saw 2 herds of those animals watering
immediately above a
considerable rapid, they decended by a narrow pass
to the bottom
Small, the rier forced those forwd into the water Some of
which was taken
down in an instant, and Seen no more others made Shore
with difficuelty, I
beheld 40 or 50 of those Swimming at the Same time
those animals in
this way are lost and accounts for the number of
buffalow carcases
below the rapids
[Lewis, June 18,
1805]
Tuesday June 18th
1805.
This morning I
employed all hands in drawing the perogue on shore in a
thick bunch of
willow bushes some little distance below our camp;
fastened her
securely, drove out the plugs of the gage holes of her
bottom and covered
her with bushes and driftwood to shelter her from
the sun. I now
scelected a place for a cash and set tree men at work to
complete it, and
employed all others except those about the waggons, in
overhawling airing
and repacking our indian goods ammunition, provision
and stores of every
discription which required inspection. examined the
frame of my Iron
boat and found all the parts complete except one
screw, which the
ingenuity of Sheilds can readily replace, a resource
which we have very
frequent occasion for. about 12 O'Clk. the hunters
returned; they had
killed 10 deer but no Elk. I begin to fear that we
shall have some
difficulty in procuring skins for the boat. I wold
prefer those of the
Elk because I beleive them more durable and strong
than those of the
Buffaloe, and that they will not shrink so much in
drying. we saw a
herd of buffaloe come down to water at the sulpher
spring this
evening, I dispatched some hunters to kill some of them,
and a man also for
a cask of mineral water. the hunters soon killed two
of them in fine
order and returned with a good quantity of the flesh,
having left the
remainder in a situation that it will not spoil
provided the wolves
do not visit it. The waggons are completed this
evening, and appear
as if they would answer the purpose very well if
the axetrees prove
sufficiently strong. the wind blew violently this
evening, as they
frequently do in this open country where there is not
a tree to brake or
oppose their force. The Indian woman is recovering
fast she set up the
greater part of the day and walked out for the fist
time since she
arrived here; she eats hartily and is free from fever or
pain. I continue
same course of medecine and regimen except that I
added one doze of
15 drops of the oil of vitriol today about noon.
There is a species
of goosberry which grows very common about here in
open situations
among the rocks on the sides of the clifts. they are
now ripe of a pale
red colour, about the size of a common goosberry.
and like it is an
ovate pericarp of soft pulp invelloping a number of
smal whitish
coloured seeds; the pulp is a yelloish slimy muselaginous
substance of a
sweetish and pinelike tast, not agreeable to me. the
surface of the
berry is covered with a glutinous adhesive matter, and
the frut altho ripe
retains it's withered corollar. this shrub seldom
rises more than two
feet high and is much branched, the leaves resemble
those of the common
goosberry only not so large; it has no thorns. the
berry is supported
by seperate peduncles or footstalks of half an inch
in length. immence
quantities of small grasshoppers of a brown colour
in the plains, they
no doubt contribute much to keep the grass as low
as we find it which
is not generally more than three inches, the grass
is a narrow leaf,
soft, and affords a fine pasture for the Buffaloe.-
[Clark, June 18,
1805]
June 18th Tuesday
1805
we Set out early
and arrived at the second great Cataract at about 200
yds above the last
of 19 feet pitch- this is one of the grandest views
in nature and by
far exceeds any thing I ever Saw, the Missouri falling
over a Shelveing
rock for 47 feet 8 Inches with a Cascade &c of 14 feet
7 Inches above the
Shoot for a 1/4 mile I decended the Clift below this
Cateract with ease
measured the hight of the purpendicular fall of 47
feet 8 Inches at
which place the river is 473 yards wide as also the
hight of the
Cascade &c. a continuel mist quite across this fall* after
which we proceeded
on up the river a little more than a mile to the
largest fountain or
Spring I ever Saw, and doubt if it is not the
largest in America
Known, this water boils up from under th rocks near
the edge of the
river and falls imediately into the river 8 feet and
keeps its Colour
for 1/2 a mile which is emencely Clear and of a bluish
Cast, proceeded on
up the river passed a Succession of rapids to the
next great fall of
26 Ft. 5 I. river 580 yards wide this fall is not
intirely
perpdincular a Short bench gives a Curve to the water as it
falls a butifull
Small Island at the foot of this fall near the Center
of the Channel
Covered with trees, the Missouri at this fall is 36
yards wide, a
Considerable mist rises at this fall ocasionally, from
this pitch to the
head of the rapids is one mile & has a fall of 20
feet, this is also
a handsome Scenery a fall in an open leavel plain,
after takeing the
hight & measureing the river proceeded on, Saw a
gange of Buffalow
Swiming the river above the falls, Several of which
was drawn in to the
rapids and with dificuelty mad Shore half drowned,
we killed one of
those Cows & took as much meat as we wished. emence
herds of those
animals in every direction, passed 2 groves in the Point
just above the
rapids & dined in one opposit the mouth of Medison
River, which fails
in on the Stard. Side and is 137 yards wide at its
mouth the Missouri
above is 800 yards wide, as the river Missouri
appears to bear S
Easterley I assended about 4 miles high to a Creek
which appeared to head
in South mountains passed a Island of ____ and a
little timber in an
Easterly bend at 1 mile, passed Some timber in a
point at 2 mile at
or near the lower point of a large Island on which
we Shot at a large
white bear. passed a Small Island in the middle and
one close on the
Lard Shore at 3 miles behind the head of which we
Camped. those 3
Islands are all opposit, Soon after we Camped two
ganges of Buffalow
crossed one above & the other below we killed 7 of
them & a calf
and Saved as much of the best of the meat as we could
this evening, one
man A Willard going for a load of meat at 170 yards
distance on an
Island was attact by a white bear and verry near being
Caught, prosued
within 40 yards of Camp where I was with one man I
collected 3 others
of the party and prosued the bear (who had prosued
my track from a
buffalow I had killed on the Island at about 300 yards
distance and chance
to meet Willard) for fear of his attacking one man
Colter at the lower
point of the Island, before we had got down the
bear had allarmed
the man and prosued him into the water, at our
approach he
retreated, and we relieved the man in the water, I Saw the
bear but the bushes
was So thick that I could not Shoot him and it was
nearly dark, the
wind from the S W & Cool killed a beaver & an elk for
their Skins this
evening
[Lewis, June 19,
1805]
Wednesday June 19th
1805.
This morning I sent
over several men for the meat which was killed
yesterday, a few
hours after they returned with it, the wolves had not
discovered it. I
also dispatched George Drewyer Reubin Fields and
George Shannon on
the North side of the Missouri with orders to proceed
to the entrance of
Medecine river and indeavour to kill some Elk in
that
neigh-bourhood. as there is more timber on that river than the
Missouri I expect
that the Elk are more plenty. The cash completed
today. The wind
blew violently the greater part of the day. the Indian
woman was much
better this morning she walked out and gathered a
considerable
quantity of the white apples of which she eat so heartily
in their raw state,
together with a considerable quantity of dryed fish
without my
knowledge that she complained very much and her fever again
returned. I rebuked
Sharbono severely for suffering her to indulge
herself with such
food he being privy to it and having been previously
told what she must
only eat. I now gave her broken dozes of diluted
nitre untill it
produced perspiration and at 10 P.M. 30 drops of
laudnum which gave
her a tolerable nights rest. I amused myself in
fishing several
hours today and caught a number of both species of the
white fish, but no
trout nor Cat. I employed the men in making up our
baggage in proper
packages for transportation; and waxed the stoppers
of my powder
canesters anew. had the frame of my Iron boat clensed of
rust and well
greased. in the evening the men mended their mockersons
and
preparedthemselves for the portage. After dark my dog barked very
much and seemed
extreemly uneasy which was unusual with him; I ordered
the sergt. of the
guard to reconniter with two men, thinking it
possible that some
Indians might be about to pay us a visit, or perhaps
a white bear; he
returned soon after & reported that he believed the
dog had been baying
a buffaloe bull which had attempted to swim the
river just above
our camp but had been beten down by the stream landed
a little below our
camp on the same side & run off.
[Clark, June 19,
1805]
June 19th Wednesday
1805
We went on the
Island to hunt the White bear this morning but Could not
find him, after
plotting my Courses &c. I deturmined to dry the meat we
killed and leave
here, and proceed up the river as far as it bent to
the S. E. and
examine a Small Creek above our Camp, I Set out and found
the Creek only
Contained back water for 1 mile up, ascend near the
Missouri 3 miles to
the bend, from which place it turnd. Westerly, from
this bend I with 2
men went forward towards the Camp of the party to
examine the best
ground for the portage, the little Creek has verry
extencive bottoms
which Spread out into a varriety of leavl rich
bottoms quite to
the mountains to the East, between those bottoms is
hills low and
Stoney on this declivity where it is Steep. I returned to
Camp late and
deturmined that the best nearest and most eassy rout
would be from the
lower part of the 3rd or white bear Island, the wind
all this day blew
violently hard from the S W. off the Snowey
mountains, Cool, in
my last rout I lost a part of my notes which could
not be found as the
wind must have blown them to a great distance.
Summer duck Setting
great numbers of buffalow all about our Camp
[Lewis, June 20,
1805]
Thursday June 20th
1805.
This morning we had
but little to do; waiting the return of Capt.
Clark; I am
apprehensive from his stay that the portage is longer than
we had calculated
on. I sent out 4 hunters this morning on the opposite
side of the river
to kill buffaloe; the country being more broken on
that side and cut
with ravenes they can get within shoot of the
buffaloe with more
ease and certainty than on this side of the river.
my object is if
possible while we have now but little to do, to lay in
a large stock of
dryed meat at this end of the portage to subsist the
party while engaged
in the transportation of our baggage &c, to the
end, that they may
not be taken from this duty when once commenced in
order to surch for
the necessary subsistence. The Indian woman is qute
free from pain and
fever this morning and appears to be in a fair way
for recovery, she
has been walking about and fishing. In the evening 2
of the hunters
returned and informed me that they had killed eleven
buffaloe eight of
which were in very fine order, I sent off all hands
immediately to
bring in the meat they soon returned with about half of
the best meat
leaving three men to remain all night in order to secure
the ballance. the
bufhaloe are in inimence numbers, they have been
constantly coming
down in large herds to water opposite to us for some
hours sometimes two
or three herds wartering at the same instant and
scarcely disappear
before others supply their places. they appear to
make great use of
the mineral water, whether this be owing to it's
being more
convenient to them than the river or that they actually
prefer it I am at a
loss to determine for they do not use it
invaryably, but
sometimes pass at no great distance from it and water
at the river.
brackish water or that of a dark colour impregnated with
mineral salts such
as I have frequenly mentioned on the Missouri is
found in small
quantities in some of the steep ravenes on the N. side
of the river
opposite to us and the falls. Capt. Clark and party
returned late this
evening when he gave me the following relation of
his rout and the
occurrences which had taken place with them since
their departure.
Capt. Clark now
furnished me with the field notes of the survey which
he had made of the
Missouri and it's Cataracts cascades &c. from the
entrance of portage
Creek to the South Eastwardly bend of the Missouri
above the White
bear Islands, which are as follow.
[Clark, June 20,
1805]
June 20th Thursday
1805
a Cloudy morning, a
hard wind all night and this morning, I direct
Stakes to be Cut to
Stick up in the prarie to Show the way for the
party to transport
the baggage &c. &c. we Set out early on the portage,
Soon after we Set
out it began to rain and continued a Short time we
proceeded on thro a
tolerable leavel plain, and found the hollow of a
Deep rivein to
obstruct our rout as it Could not be passed with Canos &
baggage for Some
distance above the place we Struck it I examined it
for Some time and
finding it late deturmined to Strike the river & take
its Course &
distance to Camp which I accordingly did the wind hard
from the S. W. a
fair after noon, the river on both Sides Cut with
raveins Some of
which is passes thro Steep Clifts into the river, the
Countrey above the
falls & up the Medison river is leavel, with low
banks, a chain of
mountains to the west Some part of which particuler
those to the N W.
& S W are Covered with Snow and appear verry high- I
Saw a rattle Snake
in an open plain 2 miles from any Creek or wood.
When I arrived at
Camp found all well with great quantites of meet, the
Canoes Capt. Lewis
had Carried up the Creek 1 mile to a good place to
assend the band
& taken up. Not haveing Seen the Snake Indians or
knowing in fact
whither to Calculate on their friendship or hostillity,
we have Conceived
our party Sufficiently Small, and therefore have
Concluded not to
dispatch a Canoe with a part of our men to St. Louis
as we have intended
early in the Spring. we fear also that Such a
measure might also
discourage those who would in Such Case remain, and
migh possibly
hazard the fate of the expedition. we have never hinted
to any one of the
party that we had Such a Scheem in contemplation, and
all appear
perfectly to have made up their minds, to Succeed in the
expedition or
perish in the attempt. we all believe that we are about
to enter on the
most perilous and dificuelt part of our Voyage, yet I
See no one
repineing; all appear ready to meet those dificuelties which
await us with
resolution and becomeing fortitude.
We had a heavy dew
this morning. the Clouds near those mountains rise
Suddonly and
discharge their Contents partially on the neighbouring
Plains; the Same
Cloud discharge hail alone in one part, hail and rain
in another and rain
only in a third all within the Space of a fiew
Miles; and on the
Mountains to the South & S. E. of us Sometimes Snow.
at present there is
no Snow on those mountains; that which covered them
a fiew days ago has
all disappeared. the Mountains to the N. W. and
West of us are
Still entirely Covered are white and glitter with the
reflection of the
Sun.
I do not believe
that the Clouds that pervale at this Season of the
year reach the
Summits of those lofty mountains; and if they do the
probability is that
they deposit Snow only for there has been no
proceptable
diminution of the Snow which they Contain Since we first
Saw them. I have
thought it probable that these mountains might have
derived their
appellation of Shineing Mountains, from their glittering
appearance when the
Sun Shines in certain directions on the Snow which
Cover them.
Dureing the time of
my being on the Plains and above the falls I as
also all my party
repeatedly heard a nois which proceeded from a
Direction a little
to the N. of West, as loud and resembling precisely
the discharge of a
piece of ordinance of 6 pounds at the distance of 5
or six miles. I was
informed of it Several times by the men J. Fields
particularly before
I paid any attention to it, thinking it was thunder
most probably which
they had mistaken. at length walking in the plains
yesterday near the
most extreem S. E. bend of the River above the falls
I heard this nois
very distinctly, it was perfectly calm clear and not
a Cloud to be Seen,
I halted and listened attentively about two hour
dureing which time
I heard two other discharges, and took the direction
of the Sound with
my pocket Compass which was as nearly West from me as
I could estimate
from the Sound. I have no doubt but if I had leasure I
could find from
whence it issued. I have thought it probable that it
might be caused by
running water in Some of the caverns of those emence
mountains, on the
principal of the blowing caverns; but in Such case
the Sounds would be
periodical and regular, which is not the Case with
this, being
Sometimes heard once only and at other times Several
discharges in quick
Succession. it is heard also at different times of
the day and night.
I am at a great loss to account for this Phenomenon.
I well recollect
hereing the Minitarees Say that those Rocky Mountains
make a great noise,
but they could not tell me the Cause, neither Could
they inform me of
any remarkable substance or situation in these
mountains which
would autherise a conjecture of a probable cause of
this noise-. it is
probable that the large river just above those Great
falls which heads
in the detection of the noise has taken it's name
Medicine River from
this unaccountable rumbling Sound, which like all
unacountable thing
with the Indians of the Missouri is Called Medicine.
The Ricaras inform
us of the black mountains making a Simalar noise &c.
&c. and maney
other wonderfull tales of those Rocky mountains and those
great falls.
[Lewis, June 21,
1805]
Friday June 21st
1805.
This morning I
employed the greater part of the men in transporting a
part of the bagage
over portage creek to the top of the high plain
about three miles
in advance on the portage. I also had one canoe
carryed on truck
wheles to the same place and put the baggage in it, in
order to make an
early start in the morning, as the rout of our portage
is not yet entirely
settled, and it would be inconvenient to remain in
the open plain all
night at a distance from water, which would probably
be the case if we
did not set out early as the latter part of the rout
is destitute of
water for about 8 miles- having determined to go to the
upper part of the
portage tomorrow; in order to prepare my boat and
receive and take
care of the stores as they were transported, I caused
the Iron frame of
the boat and the necessary tools my private baggage
and Instruments to
be taken as a part of this load, also the baggage of
Joseph Fields,
Sergt. Gass and John sheilds, whom I had scelected to
assist me in
constructing the leather boat. Three men were employed
today in shaving
the Elk skins which had ben collected for the boat.
the ballance of the
party were employed in cuting the meat we had
killed yesterday
into thin Retches and drying it, and in bring in the
ballance of what
had been left over the river with three men last
evening. I readily
preceive several difficulties in preparing the
leather boat which
are the want of convenient and proper timber; bark,
skins, and above
all that of pitch to pay her seams, a deficiency that
I really know not
how to surmount unless it be by means of tallow and
pounded charcoal
which mixture has answered a very good purpose on our
wooden canoes
heretofore. I have seen for the first time on the
Missouri at these
falls, a species of fishing ducks with white wings,
brown and white
body and the head and part of the neck adjoining of a
brick red, and the
beak narrow; which I take to be the same common to
James river, the
Potomac and Susquehanna. immence numbers of buffaloe
comeing to water at
the river as usual. the men who remained over the
river last night
killed several mule deer, and Willard who was with me
killed a young Elk.
The wind blew violently all day. The growth of the
neighbourhood what
little there is consists of the broad and narrow
leafed cottonwood,
box alder, the large or sweet willow, the narrow and
broad leafed
willow. the sweet willow has not been common to the
Missouri below this
or the entrance of Maria's river; here attains to
the same size and
in appearance much the same as in the Atlantic
States. the
undergrowth consists of rosebushes, goosberry and current
bushes, honeysuckle
small, and the red wood, the inner bark of which
the engages are
fond of smoking mixed with tobacco.
[Clark, June 21,
1805]
June 21st Friday
1805
a fine morning wind
from the S W. off the mountains and hard, Capt
Lewis with the men
except a few take a part of the baggage & a Canoe up
the Hill 3 mile in
advance, Several men employed in Shaveing & Graneing
Elk hides for the
Iron boat as it is called- 3 men were Sent up the
Medison river
yesterday to kill Elk for the Skins for the boat, I fear
that we Shall be
put to Some dificuelty in precureing Elk Skins
Sufficent-, Cloudy
afternoon, we dry meat for the men to eat on their
return from the
upper part of the portage Capt Lewis determine to
proceed to the
upper part of the Portage tomorrow & with 3 men proced
to fix the Iron
boat with Skins &c. &c.
[Lewis, June 22,
1805]
Saturday June 22cd
1805.
This morning early
Capt Clark and myself with all the party except
Sergt. Ordway
Sharbono, Goodrich, york and the Indian woman, set out to
pass the portage
with the canoe and baggage to the Whitebear Islands,
where we intend
that this portage shall end. Capt. Clarke piloted us
through the plains.
about noon we reached a little stream about 8 miles
on the portage
where we halted and dined; we were obliged here to renew
both axeltrees and
the tongues and howns of one set of wheels which
took us no more
than 2 hours. these parts of our carriage had been made
of cottonwood and
one axetree of an old mast, all of which proved
deficient and had
broken down several times before we reached this
place we have now
renewed them with the sweet willow and hope that they
will answer better.
after dark we had reached within half a mile of our
intended camp when
the tongues gave way and we were obliged to leave
the canoe, each man
took as much of the baggage as he could carry on
his back and
proceeded to the river where we formed our encampment much
fortiegued. the
prickly pears were extreemly troublesome to us sticking
our feet through
our mockersons. Saw a great number of buffaloe in the
plains, also
immence quantities of little birds and the large brown
curloo; the latter
is now seting; it lays it's eggs, which are of a
pale blue with
black specks, on the ground without any preperation of a
nest. there is a
kind of larke here that much resembles the bird called
the oldfield lark
with a yellow brest and a black spot on the croop;
tho this differs
from ours in the form of the tail which is pointed
being formed of
feathers of unequal length; the beak is somewhat longer
and more curved and
the note differs considerably; however in size,
action, and colours
there is no perceptable difference; or at least
none that strikes
my eye. after reaching our camp we kindled our fires
and examined the
meat which Capt. Clark had left, but found only a
small proportion of
it, the wolves had taken the greater part. we eat
our suppers and
soon retired to rest.
[Clark, June 22,
1805]
June 22nd Satturday
1805
a fine morning,
Capt Lewis my Self and all the party except a Sergeant
Ordway Guterich and
the Interpreter and his wife Sar car gah we a (who
are left at Camp to
take Care of the baggage left) across the portage
with one Canoe on
truck wheels and loaded with a part of our Baggage I
piloted thro the
plains to the Camp I made at which place I intended
the portage to end
which is 3 miles above the Medesin River we had
great dificuelty in
getting on as the axeltree broke Several times, and
the Cuppling tongus
of the wheels which was of Cotton & willow, the
only wood except
Boxelder & ____ that grow in this quarter, we got
within half a mile
of our intended Camp much fatigued at dark, our
tongus broke &
we took a load to the river on the mens back, where we
found a number of
wolves which had distroyed a great part of our meat
which I had left at
that place when I was up day before yesterday we
Soon went to Sleep
& Slept Sound wind from the ____ we deturmine to
employ every man
Cooks & all on the portage after to day
Canoe and baggage
brought up, after which we breakfasted and nearly
consumed the meat
which he had left here. he now set out on his return
with the party. I
employed the three men with me in the forenoon
clearing away the
brush and forming our camp, and puting the frame of
the boat together.
this being done I sent Shields and Gass to look out
for the necessary
timber, and with J. Fields decended the river in the
canoe to the mouth
of Medicine river in surch of the hunters whom I had
dispatched thither
on the 19th inst. and from whom we had not heard a
sentence. I entered
the mouth of medicine river and ascended it about
half a mile when we
landed and walked up the Stard. side. frequently
hooping as we went
on in order to find the hunters; at length after
ascending the river
about five miles we found Shannon who had passed
the Medecine river
& fixed his camp on the Lard. side, where he had
killed seven deer
and several buffaloe and dryed about 600 lbs. of
buffaloe meat; but
had killed no Elk. Shannon could give me no further
account of R.
Fields and Drewyer than that he had left them about noon
on the 19th at the
great falls and had come on the mouth of Medicine
river to hunt Elk
as he had been directed, and never had seen them
since. the evening
being now far spent I thought it better to pass the
Medicine river and
remain all night at Shannon's camp; I passed the
river on a raft
which we soon constructed for the purpose. the river is
here about 80 yds.
wide, is deep and but a moderate current. the banks
low as those of the
Missouri above the falls yet never appear to
overflow. as it
will give a better view of the transactions of the
party, I shall on
each day give the occurrences of both camps during
our seperation as I
afterwards learnt those of the lower camp from
Capt. Clark. on his
return today he cut of several angles of the rout
by which we came
yesterday, shortened the portage considerably,
measured it and set
up stakes throughout as guides to marke the rout.
he returned this
evening to the lower camp in sufficient time to take
up two of the
canoes from portage creek to the top of the plain about a
mile in advance.
this evening the men repaired their mockersons, and
put on double souls
to protect their feet from the prickley pears.
during the late
rains the buffaloe have troden up the praire very much,
which having now
become dry the sharp points of earth as hard as frozen
ground stand up in
such abundance that there is no avoiding them. this
is particulary
severe on the feet of the men who have not only their
own wight to bear
in treading on those hacklelike points but have also
the addition of the
burthen which they draw and which in fact is as
much as they can
possibly move with. they are obliged to halt and rest
frequently for a
few minutes, at every halt these poor fellows tumble
down and are so
much fortiegued that many of them are asleep in an
instant; in short
their fatiegues are incredible; some are limping from
the soreness of
their feet, others faint and unable to stand for a few
minutes, with heat
and fatiegue, yet no one complains, all go with
cheerfullness. in
evening Reubin Fields returned to the lower camp and
informed Capt.
Clark of the absence of Shannon, with rispect to whome
they were extreemly
uneasy. Fields and Drewyer had killed several
buffaloe at the
bend of the missouri above the falls and had dryed a
considerable
quantity of meat; they had also killed several deer but no
Elk.
[Clark, June 23,
1805]
June 23rd Sunday
1805
a Cloudy morning
wind from the S. E, after getting the Canoe to Camp &
the articles left
in the plains we eate brackfast of the remaining meat
found in Camp &
I with the party the truck wheels & poles to Stick up
in the prarie as a
guide, Set out on our return, we proceeded on, &
measured the Way
which I Streightened considerably from that I went on
yesterday, and
arrived at our lower camp in Suffcent time to take up 2
Canoes on the top
of the hill from the Creek, found all Safe at Camp
the men mended
their mockersons with double Soles to Save their feet
from the prickley
pear, (which abounds in the Praries,) and the hard
ground which in
Some & maney places So hard as to hurt the feet verry
much, the emence
number of Buffalow after the last rain has trod the
flat places in Such
a manner as to leave it uneaven, and that has tried
and is wors than
frozen ground, added to those obstructions, the men
has to haul with
all their Strength wate & art, maney times every man
all catching the
grass & knobes & Stones with their hands to give them
more force in
drawing on the Canoes & Loads, and notwithstanding the
Coolness of the air
in high presperation and every halt, those not
employed in
reparing the Couse; are asleep in a moment, maney limping
from the Soreness
of their feet Some become fant for a fiew moments,
but no man
Complains all go Chearfully on- to State the fatigues of
this party would
take up more of the journal than other notes which I
find Scercely time
to Set down. I had the best rout Staked out and
measured which is
17 miles 3/4 to the river & 1/2 a mile up i.e 181/4
miles portage- from
the lower rapid to the 1st Creek is 286 poles, to a
Deep run of water,
Called Willow Run is 6 miles thence to the river 3
miles above Medison
Riv at 3 Island Called White Bear Islands is 11
miles all prarie
without wood or water except at the Creek & run which
afford a plenty of
fine water and a little wood the plain is tolerably
leavel except at
the river a Small assent & passing a low hill from the
Creek a rough &
Steep assent for about 1/4 of a mile and Several
Gullies & a
gradual hill for 11/2 miles the heads of Several gullies
which have Short
assents & the willow run of a Steep hill on this run
grows Purple &
red Currents. the red is now ripe the Purple full grown,
an emence number of
Prarie birds now Setting of two kinds one larger
than a Sparrow dark
yellow the Center feathers of its tail yellow & the
out Sides black
Some Streeks about its neck, the other about the Same
Size White tail
[Lewis, June 24,
1805]
Monday June 24th
1805.
Supposing that
Drewyer and R. Fields might possibly be still higher up
medicine river, I
dispatched J. Fields up the river with orders to
proceede about four
miles and then return whether he found them or not
and join Shannon at
this camp. I set out early and walked down the
South West side of
the river and sent Shannon down the opposite side to
bring the canoe
over to me and put me across the Missouri; having
landed on the Lard.
side of the Missouri I sent Shannon back with the
canoe to ascend the
Medicine river as far as his camp to meet J. Fields
and bring the dryed
meat at that place to the camp at the white bear
Islands which
accomplished and arrived with Fields this evening. the
party also arrived
this evening with two canoes from the lower camp.
they were wet and
fatiegued, gave them a dram. R. Fields came with them
and gave me an
account of his & Drewyer's hunt, and informed me that
Drewyer was still
at their camp with the meat they had dryed. the iron
frame of my boat is
36 feet long 41/2 F. in the beam and 26 Inches in
the hole.
This morning early
Capt. Clark had the remaining canoe drawn out of the
water; and divided
the remainder of our baggage into three parcels, one
of which he sent
today by the party with two canoes. The Indian woman
is now perfectly
recovered. Capt. C. came a few miles this morning to
see the party under
way and returned. on my arrival at the upper camp
this morning, I
found that Sergt. Gass and Shields had made but slow
progress in
collecting timber for the boat; they complained of great
difficulty in
geting streight or even tolerably streight sticks of 4/2
feet long. we were
obliged to make use of the willow and box alder, the
cottonwood being
too soft and brittle. I kept one of them collecting
timber while the
other shaved and fitted them. I have found some pine
logs among the
drift wood near this place, from which, I hope to obtain
as much pitch as
will answer to pay the seams of the boat. I directed
Fraizer to remain
in order to sew the hides together, and form the
covering for the
boat.
[Clark, June 24,
1805]
June 24th Monday
1805
a Cloudy morning I
rose early had, the remaining Canoe hauled out of
the water to dry
and divided the baggage into 3 parcels, one of which
the party took on
their backs & one waggon with truk wheels to the
Canoes 3 miles in
advance (Those Canoes or 5 of our Canoes were Carried
up the Creek 13/4
of a mile taken out on the bank and left to dry from
which place they
are taken up a point and intersects this rout from the
mouth of the Creek
at 3 miles from the foot of the rapids) after
getting up their
loads they divided men & load & proceeded on with 2
canoes on truck
wheels as before, I accompaned them 4 miles and
returned, my feet
being verry Sore from the walk over ruts Stones &
hills & thro
the leavel plain for 6 days proceeding Carrying my pack
and gun. Some few
drops of rain in the fore part of the day, at 6
oClock a black
Cloud arose to the N West, the wind shifted from the S
to that point and
in a short time the earth was entirely Covered with
hail, Some rain
Succeeded, which Continud for about an hour very
moderately on this
Side of the river, without the earths being wet 1/2
an inch, the
riveins on the opposit or N W Side discharged emence
torrents of water
into the river, & Showed evidently that the rain was
much heavyer on
that Side, Some rain at different times in the night
which was worm-
Thunder without lightning accompanied the hail Cloud
[Lewis, June 25,
1805]
Tuesday June 25th
1805.
This morning early
I sent the party back to the lower camp; dispatched
Frazier down with
the canoe for Drewyer and the meat he had collected,
and Joseph Fields
up the Missouri to hunt Elk. at eight OCIk. sent Gass
and Sheilds over to
the large Island for bark and timber. about noon
Fields returned and
informed me that he had seen two white bear near
the river a few
miles above and in attempting to get a shoot them had
stumbled uppon a
third which immediately made at him being only a few
steps distant; that
in runing in order to escape from the bear he had
leaped down a steep
bank of the river on a stony bar where he fell cut
his hand bruised
his knees and bent his gun. that fortunately for him
the bank hid him
from the bear when he fell and that by that means he
had escaped. this
man has been truly unfortunate with these bear, this
is the second time
that he has narrowly escaped from them. about 2 P. M
Shields and Gass
returned with but a small quantity of both bark and
timber and informed
me that it was all they could find on the Island;
they had killed two
Elk the skins of which and a part of the flesh they
brought with them.
in the evening Drewyer and Frazier arrivd with about
800 lbs. of
excellent dryed meat and about 100 lbs of tallow. The river
is about 800 yds.
wide opposite to us above these islands, and has a
very gentle current
the bottoms are hadsome level and extensive on both
sides; the bank on
this side is not more than 2 feet above the level of
the water; it is a
pretty little grove in which our camp is situated.
there is a species
of wild rye which is now heading it rises to the
hight of 18 or 20
inches, the beard is remarkably fine and soft it is a
very handsome grass
the culm is jointed and is in every rispect the
wild rye in
minuture. great quantities of mint also are here it
resemble the pepper
mint very much in taste and appearance. the young
blackbirds which
are almost innumerable in these islands just begin to
fly. see a number
of water tarripens. I have made an unsuccessfull
attempt to catch
fish, and do not think there are any in this part of
the river. The
party that returned this evening to the lower camp
reached it in time
to take one canoe on the plain and prepare their
baggage for an
early start in the morning after which such as were able
to shake a foot
amused themselves in dancing on the green to the music
of the violin which
Cruzatte plays extreemly well.
Capt. C. somewhat
unwell today. he made Charbono kook for the party
against their
return. it is worthy of remark that the winds are
sometimes so strong
in these plains that the men informed me that they
hoisted a sail in
the canoe and it had driven her along on the truck
wheels. this is
really sailing on dry land.
[Clark, June 25,
1805]
June 25th Tuesday
1805
a fair worm
morning, Clouded & a few drops of rain at 5 oClock A.M.
fair I feel my Self
a little unwell with a looseness &c. &c. put out
the Stores to dry
& Set Chabonah &c to Cook for the party against their
return-he being the
only man left on this Side with me I had a little
Coffee for
brackfast which was to me a riarity as I had not tasted any
Since last winter.
The wind from the N. W. & worm. This Countrey has a
romantick
appearance river inclosed between high and Steep hills Cut to
pieces by revines
but little timber and that Confined to the Rivers &
Creek, the
Missourie has but a fiew Scattering trees on its borders,
and only one
Solitary Cotton tree in sight of my Camp the wood which we
burn is drift wood
which is broken to pieces in passing the falls, not
one large tree
longer than about 8 or 10 feet to be found drifted below
the falls the
plains are inferior in point of Soil to those below, more
Stone on the sides
of the hill, grass but a few inches high and but few
flowers in the
Plains, great quantites of Choke Cheries, Goose burres,
red & yellow
berries, & red & Purple Currents on the edges of water
Courses in bottoms
& damp places, about my Camp the Cliffs or bluffs
are a hard red or
redish brown earth Containing Iron. we Catch great
quantities of
Trout, and a kind of mustel, flat backs & a Soft fish
resembling a Shad
and a few Cat. at 5 oClock the party returned,
fatigued as usial,
and proceeded to mend their mockersons &c. and G
Shannon & R,
Fds. to of the men who ware Sent up the medison river to
hunt Elk, they
killed no Elk, Several Buffalow & Deer, and reports that
the river is 120
yds wide and about 8 feet deep Some timber on its
borders- a
powerfull rain fell on the party on their rout yesterday Wet
Some fiew articles,
and Caused the rout to be So bad wet & Deep thay
Could with
dificuelty proceed, Capt. Lewis & the men with him much
employd with the
Iron Boat in fitting it for the water, dispatched one
man to George
Drewyers Camp below medison river for meat &c. a fair
after noon- great
numbers of buffalow water opposit to my Camp everry
day- it may be here
worthy of remark that the Sales were hoised in the
Canoes as the men
were drawing them and the wind was great relief to
them being
Sufficeritly Strong to move the Canoes on the Trucks, this
is Saleing on Dry
land in every Sence of the word, Serjeant N Pryor
Sick, the party
amused themselves with danceing untill 10 oClock all
Chearfullness and
good humer, they all tied up their loads to make an
early Start in the
morning.
[Lewis, June 26,
1805]
Wednesday June 26th
1805.
The Musquetoes are
extreemly troublesome to us. This morning early I
dispatched J.
Fields and Drewyer in one of the canoes up the river to
hunt Elk. set
Frazier at work to sew the skins together for the
covering of the
boat. Sheilds and Gas I sent over the river to lurch a
small timbered
bottom on that side opposite to the Islands for timber
and bark; and to
myself I assign the duty of cook as well for those
present as for the
party which I expect again to arrive this evening
from the lower
camp. I collected my wood and water, boiled a large
quantity of
excellent dryed buffaloe meat and made each man a large
suet dumpling by
way of a treat. about 4 P.M. Shields and Gass returned
with a better
supply of timber than they had yet collected tho not by
any means enough.
they brought some bark principally of the Cottonwood
which I found was
too brittle and soft for the purpose; for this
article I find my
only dependence is the sweet willow which has a tough
& strong bark.
Shields and Gass had killed seven buffaloe in their
absence the skins
of which and a part of the best of the meat they
brought with them.
if I cannot procure a sufficient quantity of Elk's
skins I shall
substitute those of the buffaloe. late in the evening the
party arrived with
two more canoes and another portion of the baggage.
Whitehouse one of
them much heated and fortiegued on his arrivall dank
a very hearty
draught of water and was taken almost instanly extreemly
ill. his pulse were
very full and I therefore bled him plentifully from
which he felt great
relief. I had no other instrument with which to
perform this
opperation but my pen knife, however it answered very
well. the wind
being from S. E today and favourable the men made
considerable
progress by means of their sails.
At the lower Camp.
The party set out very early from this place, and
took with them two
canoes and a second alotment of baggage consisting
of Parched meal,
Pork, powder lead axes, tools, bisquit, portable
soupe, some
merchandize and cloathing. Capt. C. gave Sergt. Pryor a
doze of salts this
morning and employed Sharbono in rendering the
buffaloe tallow
which had been collected there, he obtained a
sufficient quantity
to fill three empty kegs. Capt. C. also scelected
the articles to be
deposited in the cash consisting of my desk which I
had left for that
purpose and in which I had left some books, my
specimens of plants
minerals &c. collected from fort Mandan to that
place. also 2 Kegs
of Pork, 1/2 a Keg of flour 2 blunderbushes, 1/2 a
keg of fixed
ammunition and some other small articles belonging to the
party which could
be dispenced with. deposited the swivel and carriage
under the rocks a
little above the camp near the river. great numbers
of buffaloe still
continue to water daily opposite the camp. The
antelopes still
continue scattered and seperate in the plains. the
females with their
young only of which they generally have two, and the
males alone. Capt.
Clarke measured the rout from the Camp at the
Whitebear Islands
to the lower camp which is as follows.-
[Clark, June 26,
1805]
June 26th Wednesday
1805
Some rain last
night this morning verry Cloudy the party Set out this
morning verry early
with their loads to the Canoe Consisting of Parched
meal Pork Powder
Lead axes, Tools Bisquit, P. Soup & Some Merchendize &
Clothes &c.
&c. I gave Serjt. Pryor a dolt of Salts, & Set Chabonah to
trying up the
Buffalow tallow & put into the empty Kegs &c. I assort
our articles for to
be left at this place buried, ____ Kegs of Pork,
1/2 a Keg of flour,
2 blunderbuts, ____ Caterrages a few Small
lumbersom articles
Capt Lewiss Desk and Some books & Small articles in
it
The wind from the
N. W. verry worm flying Clouds in the evening the
wind Shifted round
to the East & blew hard, which is a fair wind for
the two Canoes to
Sail on the Plains across the portage, I had three
Kegs of Buffalow
Grease tried up. Great numbers of Buffalow opposite to
our Camp watering
to day.
[Lewis, June 27,
1805]
Thursday June 27th
1805.
The party returned
early this morning for the remaining canoe and
baggage; Whitehouse
was not quite well this morning I therefore
detained him and
about 10 A.M. set him at work with Frazier sewing the
skins together for
the boat; Shields and Gass continued the operation
of shaving and
fiting the horizontall bars of wood in the sections of
the boat; the
timber is so crooked and indifferent that they make but
little progress,
for myself I continued to act the part of cook in
order to keep all
hands employed. some Elk came near our camp and we
killed 2 of them at
1 P.M. a cloud arrose to the S. W. and shortly
after came on
attended with violent Thunder Lightning and hail &c. (see
notes on diary of
the weather for June). soon after this storm was over
Drewyer and J.
Fields returned. they were about 4 miles above us during
the storm, the hail
was of no uncommon size where they were. They had
killed 9 Elk and
three bear during their absence; one of the bear was
the largest by far
that we have yet seen; the skin appear to me to be
as large as a
common ox. while hunting they saw a thick brushey bottom
on the bank of the
river where from the tracks along shore they
suspected that
there were bare concealed; they therefore landed without
making any nois and
climbed a leaning tree and placed themselves on
it's branches about
20 feet above the ground, when thus securely fixed
they gave a hoop
and this large bear instantly rushed forward to the
place from whence
he had heard the human voice issue, when he arrived
at the tree he made
a short paus and Drewyer shot him in the head. it
is worthy of remark
that these bear never climb. the fore feet of this
bear measured nine
inches across and the hind feet eleven and - 3/4 in
length &
exclusive of the tallons and seven inches in width. a bear
came within thirty
yards of our camp last night and eat up about thirty
weight of buffaloe
suit which was hanging on a pole. my dog seems to be
in a constant state
of alarm with these bear and keeps barking all
night. soon after
the storm this evening the water on this side of the
river became of a
deep crimson colour which I pesume proceeded from
some stream above
and on this side. there is a kind of soft red stone
in the bluffs and
bottoms. of the gullies in this neighbourhood which
forms this
colouring matter.- At the lower camp. Capt. Clark completed
a draught of the
river with the couses and distances from the entrance
of the Missouri to
Ft. Mandan, which we intend depositing here in order
to guard against
accedents. Sergt. Pryor is somewhat better this
morning. at 4 P.M.
the party returned from the upper camp; Capt. C.
gave them a drink
of grog; they prepared for the labour of the next
day. soon after the
party returned it began to rain accompanyed by some
hail and continued
a short time; a second shower fell late in the
evening accompanyed
by a high wind from N. W.- the mangled carcases of
several buffaloe
pass down the river today which had no doubt perished
in the falls.
[Clark, June 27,
1805]
June 27th Thursday
1805
a fair warm morning
wind from the S, E, and moderate. Serjt. Pryor
Something better
this morning, I proceed to finish a rough draugh of
the river &
Distances to leave at this place, the wormest day we have
had this year, at 4
oClock the Party returned from the head of the
portage Soon after
it began to hail and rain hard and continued for a
fiew minits &
Ceased for an hour and began to rain again with a heavy
wind from the N W.
I refresh the men with a drink of grog The river
beginning to rise a
little the water is Coloured a redish brown, the
Small Streams,
discharges in great torrents, and partake of the Choler
of the earth over
which it passes-a great part of which is light & of a
redish brown.
Several Buffalow pass drowned & in passing over the falls
Cloudy all night,
Cold
[Lewis, June 28,
1805]
Friday June 28th
1805.
Set Drewyer to
shaving the Elk skins, Fields to make the cross stays
for the boat,
Frazier and Whitehouse continue their operation with the
skins, Shields and
Gass finish the horizontal bars of the sections;
after which I sent
them in surch of willow bark, a sufficient supply of
which they now
obtained to bind the boat. expecting the party this
evening I prepared
a supper for them but they did not arrive. not
having quite Elk
skins enough I employed three buffaloe hides to cover
one section. not
being able to shave these skins I had them singed
pretty closely with
a blazeing torch; I think they will answer
tolerable well. The
White bear have become so troublesome to us that I
do not think it
prudent to send one man alone on an errand of any kind,
particularly where
he has to pass through the brush. we have seen two
of them on the
large Island opposite to us today but are so much
engaged that we
could not spare the time to hunt them but will make a
frolick of it when
the party return and drive them from these islands.
they come close
arround our camp every night but have never yet
ventured to attack
us and our dog gives us timely notice of their
visits, he keeps
constantly padroling all night. I have made the men
sleep with their
arms by them as usual for fear of accedents. the river
is now about nine
inches higher than it was on my arrival. lower Camp.
early this morning
Capt. C. dispatched the remaining canoe with some
baggage to the top
of the plain above Portage creek three miles in
advance; some
others he employed in carrying the articles to the cash
and depositing them
and others to mend the carriages which wer somewhat
out of repair. this
being accomplished he loaded the two carriages with
the remaining
baggage and set out with all the party and proceeded on
with much
difficulty to the canoe in the plain. portage creek had
arisen considerably
and the water was of crimson colour and illy
tasted. on his
arrival at the canoe he found there was more baggage
than he could
possibly take at one load on the two sets of trucks and
therefore left some
barrels of pork & flour and a few heavy boxes of
amunition which
could not well be injured, and proceeded with the canoe
& one set of
trucks loaded with baggage to willow run where he encamped
for the night, and
killed two buffaloe to subsist the party. soon after
his arrival at
willow run he experienced a hard shower of rain which
was succeeded by a
violent wind from the S. W. off the snowy mountains,
accompanyed with
rain; the party being cold and wet, he administered
the consolation of
a dram to each.
[Clark, June 28,
1805]
June 28th Friday
1805
a fair morning wind
from the South I dispatch the remaining Canoe with
baggage in her to
the top of the Hill three miles, imploy Some hands in
Carrying those
things we intend to deposit to the Carsh or hole, Some
to repareing one of
the trucks &c. &c. the water is riseing and of a
redish brown
Cholour after Covering the Carshe & loading the two
Carrges with the
remaining part of our Baggage we all Set out passed
the Creek which had
rose a little and the water nearly red, and bad
tasted, we assended
the hill to the place the Canoe lay with great
labour, at the
Canoe at which place we left Some boxes & Kegs of Pork &
flour for another
Load, and proceeded on with the Canoe & what baggage
we could draw on
the wheels to willow run 6 miles where we Camped, this
run mearly Some
water remaining in holes &c. Soon after we halted we
had a Shower, and
at dark we expereinced a most dredfull wind from off
the Snow Mountains
to the S. W. accompd. with rain which continued at
intervales all
night men wet. I refreshed them with a dram. Killed 2
Buffalow. Great
nos. about
[Lewis, June 29,
1805]
Saturday June 29th
1805.
This morning we
experienced a heavy shower of rain for about an hour
after which it
became fair. not having seen the large fountain of which
Capt. Clark spoke I
determined to visit it today as I could better
spare this day from
my attention to the boat than probably any other
when the work would
be further advanced; accordingly after seting the
hands at their
several employments I took Drewyer and seet out for the
fountain and passed
through a level beautiful plain for about Six miles
when I reached the
brake of the river hills here we were overtaken by a
violent gust of wind
and rain from the S. W. attended with thunder and
Litning. I expected
a hail storm probably from this cloud and therefore
took refuge in a
little gully wher there were some broad stones with
which I purposed
protecting my head if we should have a repetition of
the seene of the
27th but fortunately we had but little hail and that
not large; I sat
very composedly for about an hour without sheter and
took a copious
drenching of rain; after the shower was over I continued
my rout to the
fountain which I found much as Capt. C; had discribed &
think it may well
be retained on the list of prodegies of this
neighbourhood
towards which, nature seems to have dealt with a liberal
hand, for I have
scarcely experienced a day since my first arrival in
this quarter without
experiencing some novel occurrence among the party
or witnessing the
appearance of some uncommon object. I think this
fountain the
largest I ever beheld, and the hadsome cascade which it
affords over some
steep and irregular rocks in it's passage to the
river adds not a
little to it's beauty. it is about 25 yds. from the
river, situated in
a pretty little level plain, and has a suddon decent
of about 6 feet in
one part of it's course. the water of this fountain
is extreemly
tranparent and cold; nor is it impregnated with lime or
any other
extranious matter which I can discover, but is very pure and
pleasent. it's
waters marke their passage as Capt. Clark observes for a
considerable
distance down the Missouri notwithstanding it's rapidity
and force. the
water of the fountain boil up with such force near it's
center that it's
surface in that part seems even higher than the
surrounding earth
which is a firm handsom terf of fine green grass.
after amusing
myself about 20 minutes in examining the fountain I found
myself so chilled
with my wet cloaths that I determined to return and
accordingly set
out; on our way to camp we found a buffaloe dead which
we had shot as we
came out and took a parsel of the meat to camp it was
in very good order;
the hump and tongue of a fat buffaloe I esteem
great delicasies.
on my arrival at camp I was astonished not to find
the party yet
arrived, but then concluded that probably the state of
the praries had
detained them, as in the wet state in which they are at
present the mud
sticks to the wheels is such manner that they are
obliged to halt
frequently and clense them. Transaction and
occurrencies which
took place with Capt. Clark and party today.
Shortly after the
rain which fell early this morning he found it
imposseble from the
state of the plains for the party to reach the
upper extremity of
the portage with their present load, and therefore
sent back almost
all of the party to bring the baggage which had been
left behind
yesterday. he determined himself to pass by the way of the
river to camp in
order to supply the deficiency of some notes and
remarks which he
had made as he first ascended the river but which he
had unfortunately
lost. accordingly he left one man at Willow run to
guard the baggage
and took with him his black man York, Sharbono and
his indian woman
also accompanyed Capt. C. on his arrival at the falls
he perceived a very
black cloud rising in the West which threatened
immediate rain; he
looked about for a shelter but could find none
without being in
great danger of being blown into the river should the
wind prove as
violent as it sometimes is on those occasions in these
plains; at length
about a 1/4 of a mile above the falls he discovered a
deep rivene where
there were some shelving rocks under which he took
shelter near the
river with Sharbono and the Indian woman; laying their
guns compass
&c. under a shelving rock on the upper side of the rivene
where they were
perfectly secure from the rain. the first shower was
moderate
accompanyed by a violent rain the effects of which they did
but little feel;
soon after a most violent torrent of rain decended
accompanyed with
hail; the rain appeared to decend in a body and
instantly collected
in the rivene and came down in a roling torrent
with irrisistable
force driving rocks mud and everything before it
which opposed it's
passage, Capt. C. fortunately discovered it a moment
before it reached
them and seizing his gun and shot pouch with his left
hand with the right
he assisted himself up the steep bluff shoving
occasionaly the
Indian woman before him who had her child in her arms;
Sharbono had the
woman by the hand indeavouring to pull her up the hill
but was so much
frightened that he remained frequently motionless and
but for Capt. C.
both himself and his woman and child must have
perished. so suddon
was the rise of the water that before Capt C could
reach his gun and
begin to ascend the bank it was up to his waist and
wet his watch; and
he could scarcely ascend faster than it arrose till
it had obtained the
debth of 15 feet with a current tremendious to
behold. one moment
longer & it would have swept them into the river
just above the
great cataract of 87 feet where they must have
inevitably
perished. Sarbono lost his gun shot pouch, horn, tomahawk,
and my wiping rod;
Capt. Clark his Umbrella and compas or
circumferenter.
they fortunately arrived on the plain safe, where they
found the black
man, York, in surch of them; york had seperated from
them a little while
before the storm, in pursuit of some buffaloe and
had not seen them
enter the rivene; when this gust came on he returned
in surch of them
& not being able to find them for some time was much
allarmed. the bier
in which the woman carrys her child and all it's
cloaths wer swept
away as they lay at her feet she having time only to
grasp her child;
the infant was therefore very cold and the woman also
who had just
recovered from a severe indisposition was also wet and
cold, Capt C.
therefore relinquished his intended rout and returned to
the camp at willow
run in order also to obtain dry cloathes for himself
and directed them
to follow him. on Capt. Clark's arrival at camp he
found that the
party dispatched for the baggage had returned in great
confusion and
consternation leaving their loads in the plains; the men
who were all nearly
naked and no covering on the head were sorely
mawled with the
hail which was so large and driven with such force by
the wind that it
nocked many of them (town and one particulary as many
as three times most
of them were bleeding freely and complained of
being much bruised.
willow run raised about 6 feet with this rain and
the plains were so
wet they could do nothing more this evening. Capt.
C. gave the party a
dram to console them in some measure for their
general defeat.
[Clark, June 29,
1805]
Junne 29th
Saltarday 1805
a little rain verry
early this morning after Clear, finding that the
Prarie was So wet
as to render it impossible to pass on to the end of
the portage,
deturmined to Send hack to the top of the hill at the
Creek for the
remaining part of the baggage left at that place
yesterday, leaveing
one man to take care of the baggage at this place.
I deturmined any Self
to proceed on to the falls and take the river,
according we all
Set out., I took my Servent & one man Chabono our
Interpreter &
his Squar accompanied, Soon after I arrived at the falls,
I perceived a Cloud
which appeared black and threaten imediate rain, I
looked out for a
Shelter but Could See no place without being in great
danger of being
blown into the river if the wind Should prove as
turbelant as it is
at Some times about 1/4 of a mile above the falls I
obsd a Deep rivein
in which was Shelveing rocks under which we took
Shelter near the
river and placed our guns the Compass &c. &c. Under a
Shelveing rock on
the upper Side of the Creek, in a place which was
verry Secure from
rain, the first Shower was moderate accompanied with
a violent wind, the
effects of which we did not feel, Soon after a
torrent of rain and
hail fell more violent than ever I Saw before, the
rain fell like one
voley of water falling from the heavens and gave us
time only to get
out of the way of a torrent of water which was Poreing
down the hill in
the rivin with emence force tareing every thing before
it takeing with it
large rocks & mud, I took my gun & Shot pouch in my
left hand, and with
the right Scrambled up the hill pushing the
Interpreters wife
(who had her Child in her arms) before me, the
Interpreter himself
makeing attempts to pull up his wife by the hand
much Scared and
nearly without motion- we at length retched the top of
the hill Safe where
I found my Servent in Serch of us greatly agitated,
for our wellfar-.
before I got out of the bottom of the revein which
was a flat dry rock
when I entered it, the water was up to my waste &
wet my watch, I
Scrcely got out before it raised 10 feet deep with a
torrent which
turrouble to behold, and by the time I reached the top of
the hill, at least
15 feet water, I directed the party to return to the
Camp at the run as
fast as possible to get to our lode where Clothes
Could be got to
Cover the Child whose Clothes were all lost, and the
woman who was but
just recovering from a Severe indispostion, and was
wet and Cold, I was
fearfull of a relaps I caused her as also the
others of the party
to take a little Spirits, which my Servent had in a
Canteen, which
revived verry much. on arrival at the Camp on the willow
run-met the party
who had returned in great Confusion to the run
leaveing their
loads in the Plain, the hail & wind being So large and
violent in the
plains, and them naked, they were much brused, and Some
nearly killed one
knocked down three times, and others without hats or
any thing on their
heads bloodey & Complained verry much; I refreshed
them with a little
grog- Soon after the run began to rise and rose 6
feet in a few
minits-. I lost at the river in the torrent the large
Compas, an eligant
fusee, Tomahawk Humbrallo, Shot pouh, & horn wih
powder & Ball,
mockersons, & the woman lost her Childs Bear & Clothes
bedding &c.-
The Compass is a Serious loss; as we have no other large
one. The plains are
So wet that we Can do nothing this evining
particilarly as two
deep reveins are between ourselves & Load
[Lewis, June 30,
1805]
Sunday June 30th
1805.
We had a heavy dew
this morning which is a remarkable event. Fraizer
and Whitehouse still
continue their opperation of sewing the skins
together. I set
Shields and gass to shaving bark and Fields continued
to make the cross
brases. Drewyer and myself rendered a considerable
quantity of tallow
and cooked. I begin to be extremely impatient to be
off as the season
is now waisting a pace nearly three months have now
elapsed since we
left Fort Mandan and not yet reached the Rocky
Mountains I am
therefore fully preswaded that we shall not reach Fort
Mandan again this
season if we even return from the ocean to the Snake
Indians. wherever
we find timber there is also beaver; Drewyer killed
two today. There
are a number of large bat or goatsucker here I killed
one of them and
found that there was no difference between them and
those common to the
U States; I have not seen the leather winged bat
for some time nor
is there any of the small goatsuckers in this quarter
of the country. we
have not the whip-poor-will either. this last is by
many persons in the
U States confounded with the large goat-sucker or
night-hawk as it is
called in the Eastern States, and are taken for the
same bird. it is
true that there is a great resemblance but they are
distinct species of
the goatsucker. here the one exists without the
other. the large
goat sucker lays it's eggs in these open plains
without the
preperation of a nest we have found their eggs in several
instances they lay
only two before they set nor do I beleive that they
raise more than one
brood in a season; they have now just hatched their
young.- This
evening the bark was shaved and the leather covering for
the sections were
also completed and I had them put into the water, in
order to toughen
the bark, and prepare the leather for sewing on the
sections in the
morning. it has taken 28 Elk skins and 4 Buffaloe skins
to complete her.
the crossbars are also finished this evening; we have
therefore only the
way strips now to obtain in order to complete the
wood work, and this
I fear will be a difficult task. The party have not
returned from the
lower camp I am therefore fearfull that some uncommon
accedent has
happened.
Occurrences with
Capt. Clark and Party
This morning Capt.
Clark dispatched two men to kill some buffaloe, two
others to the falls
to surch for the articles lost yesterday, one he
retained to cook
and sent the others for the baggage left in the plains
yesterday. the
hunters soon returned loaded with meat those sent for
the baggage brought
it up in a few hours, he then set four men at work
to make axeltrees
and repare the carrages; the others he employed in
conveying the
baggage over the run on their sholders it having now
fallent to about 3
feet water. the men complained much today of the
bruises and wounds
which they had received yesterday from the hail. the
two men sent to the
falls returned with the compas which they found
covered in the mud
and sand near the mouth of the rivene the other
articles were
irrecoverably lost. they found that part of rivene in;
which Capt. C. had
been seting yesterday, filled with huge rocks. at 11
A.M. Capt. Clark
dispatched the party with a load of the baggage as far
as the 6 miles
stake, with orders to deposit it there and return with
the carriages which
they did accordingly. they experienced a heavy gust
of wind this
evening from the S. W. after which it was a fair
afternoon. more
buffaloe than usual were seen about their camp; Capt. C
assured me that he
beleives he saw at least ten thousand at one view.
[Clark, June 30,
1805]
June 30th Sunday
1805.
a fair morning, I
dispatch the party except 5 for the remaining baggage
Scattered in the
plains, two to hunt for meat, two to the falls, and
one to Cook at 10
oClock the hunters Came in loaded with fat meat, &
those were
dispatched for the baggage returned with it. I Set 4 men to
make new axeltrees
& repare the Carrages, others to take the load
across the run
which had fallen & is about 3 feet water, men Complain
of being Swore this
day dull and lolling about, The two men dispatched
in Serch of the
articls lost yesterday returned and brought the Compass
which they found in
the mud & Stones near the mouth of the revein, no
other articles
found, the place I Sheltered under filled up with hugh
Rocks, I Set the
party out at 11 oClock to take a load to the 6 mile
Stake & return
this evening, and I intend to take on the ballance to
the river tomorrow
if the prarie will permit. at 3 oClock a Storm of
wind from the S. W.
after which we had a clear evening. Great numbers
of Buffalow in
every direction, I think 10,000 may be Seen in a view.
[Lewis, July 1,
1805]
Monday July 1st
1805.
This morning I set
Frazier and Whitehouse to sewing the leather on the
sides of the
sections of the boat; Shields and J. Fields to collect and
split light wood
and prepare a pit to make tar. Gas I set at work to
make the way strips
out of some willow limbs which tho indifferent were
the best which
could be obtained. Drewyer and myself completed the
opperation of
rendering the tallow; we obtained about 100 lbs. by
evening the skins
were all attatched to their sections and I returned
them again to the
water. all matters were now in readiness to commence
the opperation of
puting the parts of the boat together in the morning.
the way strips are
not yet ready but will be done in time as I have
obtained the
necessary timber. the difficulty in obtaining the
necessary materials
has retarded my operations in forming this boat
extreemly tedious
and troublesome; and as it was a novel peice of
machinism to all
who were employed my constant attention was necessary
to every part of
the work; this together with the duties of cheif cook
has kept me pretty
well employed. at 3 P.M. Capt. Clark arrived with
the party all very
much fortiegued. he brought with him all the baggage
except what he had
deposited yesterday at the six mile stake, for which
the party were too
much fortiegued to return this evening. we gave them
a dram and suffered
them to rest from their labours this evening. I
directed Bratton to
assist in making the tar tomorrow, and scelected
several others to
assist in puting the boat together. the day has been
warm and the
Musquetoes troublesome of course the bear were about our
camp all last
night, we have therefore determined to beat up their
quarters tomorrow,
and kill them or drive them from their haunts about
this place.
[Clark, July 1,
1805]
White Bear Islands
above the Falls of the Missouri July 1st Monday 1805
I arrived at this
place to day at 3 oClock P.M. with the party from the
lower part of the
portage much fatigued &c.
[Clark, July 1,
1805]
July 1st Monday
1805.
We Set out early
this morning with the remaining load, and proceeded on
verry well to Capt
Lewis's Camp where we arrived at 3 oClock, the Day
worm and party much
fatigued, found Capt. Lewis and party all buisey
employd in fitting
up the Iron boat, the wind hard from the S, W,- one
man verry unwell,
his legs & theis broke out and Swelled the hail which
fell at Capt. Lewis
Camp 27 Ins was 7 Inches in circumfrance & waied 3
ounces, fortunately
for us it was not So large in the plains, if it had
we Should most
certainly fallen victims to its rage as the men were
mostly naked, and
but few with hats or any covering on their heads, The
hunters killed 3
white bear one large, the fore feet of which measured
9 Inchs across, the
hind feet 11 Inchs 3/4 long & 7 Inch's wide a bear
nearly Catching
Joseph Fields Chased him into the water, bear about the
Camp every night
& Seen on an Isld. in the day
[Lewis, July 2,
1805]
Tuesday July 2cd
1805
A shower of rain
fell very early this morning after which we dispatched
the men for the
remaining baggage at the 6 mile stake. Shields and
Bratton seting
their tarkiln, Sergts. Pryor and Gass at work on the
waystrips and
myself and all other hands engaged in puting the boat
together which we
accomplished in about 3 hours and I then set four men
at work sewing the
leather over the cross bars of Iron on the inner
side of the boat,
which form the ends of the sections. about 2 P.M. the
party returned with
the baggage, all well pleased that they had
completed the
laborious task of the portage. The Musquetoes uncommonly
troublesome the
wind hard from the S. W. all day I think it possible
that these almost
perpetual S. W. winds proceede from the agency of the
Snowey Mountains
and the wide level and untimbered plains which streach
themselves along
their bases for an immence distance (i e) that the air
comeing in contact
with the snow is suddonly chilled and condenced,
thus becoming
heaver than the air beneath in the plains, it glides down
the sides of these
mountains & decends to the plains, where by the
constant action of
the sun on the face of an untimbered country there
is a partial vacuum
formed for it's reception. I have observed that the
winds from this
quarter are always the coldest and most violent which
we experience, yet
I am far from giving full credit to my own
hypothesis on this
subject; if hoever I find on the opposite side of
these mountains
that the winds take a contrary direction I shall then
have more faith.
After I had completed my observation of Equal
Altitudes today
Capt. Clark Myself and 12 men passed over to the large
Island to hunt
bear. the brush in that part of it where the bear
frequent is an
almost impenetrable thicket of the broad leafed willow;
this brush we entered
in small parties of 3 or four together and
surched in every
part. we found one only which made at Drewyer and he
shot him in the
brest at the distance of about 20 feet, the ball
fortunately passed
through his heart, the stroke knocked the bear down
and gave Drewyer
time to get out of his sight; the bear changed his
course we pursued
him about a hundred yards by the blood and found him
dead; we surched
the thicket in every part but found no other, and
therefore returned.
this was a young male and would weigh about 400
lbs. the water of
the Missouri here is in most places about 10 feet
deep. after our
return, in moving some of the baggage we caught a large
rata it was
somewhat larger than the common European rat, of lighter
colour; the body
and outer part of the legs and head of a light lead
colour, the belly
and inner side of the legs white as were also the
feet and years. the
toes were longer and the ears much larger than the
common rat; the
ears uncovered with hair. the eyes were black and
prominent the
whiskers very long and full. the tail was reather longer
than the body and
covered with fine fur or poil of the same length and
colour of the back.
the fur was very silkey close and short. I have
frequently seen the
nests of these rats in clifts of rocks and hollow
trees but never
before saw one of them. they feed very much on the
fruit and seed of
the prickly pear; or at least I have seen large
quantities of the
hulls of that fruit lying about their holes and in
their nests.
[Clark, July 2,
1805]
July 2nd Tuesday
1805
Some rain at day
light this morning. dispatched the party for the
remaining baggage
left at the 6 mile Stake, they returned in the
evening and we
Crossed to a large Island nearly opposit to us to kill
bear which has been
Seen frequently in the Island, we killed one bear &
returned at Sun
Set. The Roreing of the falls for maney miles above us
[Clark, July 2,
1805]
July 2nd Tuesday
1805
Some rain at day
light this morn'g after which a fair morning,
dispatched the men
for the Kegs &c. left at the Six mile Stake, others
to get timber for
the boat &c. Musquetors verry troublesom to day, day
worm, after the
return of the men with the articles left at the 6 mile
Stake Capt. Lewis
my Self & 12 men Crossed to an Island on which we Saw
a bear the evening
before, & Several had been Seen by the party at this
place, we killed
one of the bear and returned. The river at this place
is ____ yards wide
and about 10 feet water Cought a rat in our Stores,
which had done some
mischief, this rat was about the Sise of a Comn.
large rat, larger
ears, long whiskers & toes, with a tail long & hairey
like a ground
Squirel, verry fine fur and lighter than the Common rat.
Wind to day as
usial from the S. W. and hard all the after part of the
day, those winds
are also Cool and generally verry hard.
[Lewis, July 3,
1805]
Wednesday July 3rd
1805.
This morning early
we employed all hands; some were making tar or
attempting to make
it, others were attatching the skins on the boat,
other cuting and
fiting the bark for lining puting in the woodworke &c
some hunters were
sent out to kill buffaloe in order to make pemecon to
take with us and
also for their skins which we now want to cover our
baggage in the boat
and canoes when we depart from hence. the Indians
have informed us
that we should shortly leave the buffaloe country
after passing the
falls; this I much regret for I know when we leave
the buffaloe that
we shal sometimes be under the necessity of fasting
occasionally. and
at all events the white puddings will be
irretreivably lost
and Sharbono out of imployment. our tar-kiln which
ought to have began
to run this morning has yealded no tar as yet and I
am much affraid
will not yeald any, if so I fear the whole opperation
of my boat will be
useless. I fear I have committed another blunder
also in sewing the
skins with a nedle which has sharp edges these have
cut the skin and as
it drys I discover that the throng dose not fill
the holes as I
expected tho I made them sew with a large throng for
that purpose. at 10
OCk A.M. we had a slight shower which scarcely wet
the grass. One
buffaloe only and 2 Antelopes killed today six beaver
and 2 otter have
been killed within the last three days. The current of
the river looks so
gentle and inviting that the men all seem anxious to
be moving upward as
well as ourselves. we have got the boat prety well
forward today and
think we shall be able to complete her tomorrow
except paying her,
to do which will require some little time to make
her first perfectly
dry. she has assumed her shape and looks extreemly
well. She will be
very light, more so than any vessel of her size that
I ever saw.
[Clark, July 3,
1805]
July 3rd Wednesday
1805
all of party
employd in Sowing the Skins to the boat, burning Tare,
preparing timber,
hunting buffalow for their meat & Skins, drying &
repacking the
Stores, Goods &c. &c. at 1 oClock began to rain. in the
evening the hunters
killed two antilopes & a Buffalow.
[Clark, July 3,
1805]
July 3rd Wednesday
1805
A fine morning wind
from the S. W all the party employd, Some about the
boat, attaching the
Skins & Sowing them to the Sections, others
prepareing timber,
Some, burning tar of the drift pine, Some airring
and repacking the
Stores & Goods, & others hunting for Meet to make
pemitigon & for
the use of their Skins to Cover the Canoes & boat,-. a
Small Shower at 1
oClock which did Scercely wet the grass-. one
buffalow and two
Antilopes Killed this evening. Six beaver & 2 orters
has been Killed at
this camp within a fiew days we discover no fish
above the falls as
yet- the only timber in this part of the Countrey is
willow, a fiew
Cotton trees which is neither large nor tall, Boxalders
and red wood. (Boil
roche arrow wood)
The water tolerably
clear and Soft in the river, Current jentle and
bottoms riseing
from the water; no appearance of the river riseing more
than a few feet
above the falls, as high up as we have yet explored.
but few trees on
the Std Side the grass is high and fine near the
river. the winds
has blown for Several days from the S. W. I think it
possible that those
almost perpetial S W. winds, proceed from the
agency of the
Snowey mountains and the wide leavel and untimbered
plains which
Streach themselves along their borders for an emence
distance, that the
air comeing in Contact with the Snow is Suddenly
chilled and
condensed, thus becomeing heavyer than the air beneath in
the plains it
glides down the Sides of those mountains and decends to
the plains, where
by the constant action of the Sun on the face of the
untimbered country
there is a partial vacuom formed for it's reception
I have observed
that the winds from this quarter is always the Coaldest
and most violent
which we experience, yet I am far from giveing full
credit to this
hypothesis on this Subject; if I find however on the
opposit Side of
these mountains that the winds take a contrary
direction I Shall
then have full faith. (The winds take a contrary
direction in the
morning or from the mountains on the west Side)
[Lewis, July 4,
1805]
Thursday July 4th
1805.
Yesterday we
permitted Sergt. Gass McNeal and several others who had
not yet seen the
falls to visit them. no appearance of tar yet and I am
now confident that
we shall not be able to obtain any; a serious
misfortune. I
employed a number of hands on the boat today and by 4
P.M. in the evening
completed her except the most difficult part of the
work that of making
her seams secure. I had her turned up and some
small fires kindled
underneath to dry her. Capt. C. completed a draught
of the river from
Fort Mandan to this place which we intend depositing
at this place in
order to guard against accedents. not having seen the
Snake Indians or
knowing in fact whether to calculate on their
friendship or
hostility or friendship we have conceived our party
sufficiently small
and therefore have concluded not to dispatch a canoe
with a part of our
men to St. Louis as we had intended early in the
spring. we fear
also that such a measure might possibly discourage
those who would in
such case remain, and might possibly hazzard the
fate of the
expedition. we have never once hinted to any one of the
party that we had
such a scheme in contemplation, and all appear
perfectly to have
made up their minds to suceed in the expedition or
purish in the
attempt. we all beleive that we are now about to enter on
the most perilous
and difficult part of our voyage, yet I see no one
repining; all
appear ready to met those difficulties which wait us with
resolution and
becoming fortitude. we had a heavy dew this morning. the
clouds near these
mountains rise suddonly and discharge their contents
partially on the
neighbouring plains; the same cloud will discharge
hail alone in one
part hail and rain in another and rain only in a
third all within
the space of a few miles; and on the Mountains to the
S. E. of us
sometimes snow. at present there is no snow on those
mountains; that
which covered them when we first saw them and which has
fallen on them
several times since has all disappeared. the Mountains
to the N. W. &
W. of us are still entirely covered are white and
glitter with the
reflection of the sun. I do not beleive that the
clouds which
prevail at this season of the year reach the summits of
those lofty
mountains; and if they do the probability is that they
deposit snow only
for there has been no perceptible deminution of the
snow which they
contain since we first saw them. I have thought it
probable that these
mountains might have derived their appellation of
shining Mountains,
from their glittering appearance when the sun shines
in certain
directions on the snow which covers them. since our arrival
at the falls we
have repeatedly witnessed a nois which proceeds from a
direction a little
to the N. of West as loud and resembling precisely
the discharge of a
piece of ordinance of 6 pounds at the distance of
three miles. I was
informed of it by the men several times before I
paid any attention
to it, thinking it was thunder most probably which
they had mistaken
at length walking in the plains the other day I heard
this noise very
distictly, it was perfectly calm clear and not a cloud
to be seen, I
halted and listened attentively about an hour during
which time I heard
two other discharges and tok the direction of the
sound with my
pocket compass. I have no doubt but if I had leasure I
could find from
whence it issued. I have thout it probable that it
might be caused by
runing water in some of the caverns of those immence
mountains, on the
principal of the blowing caverns; but in such case
the sounds would be
periodical & regular, which is not the case with
this, being
sometimes heard once only and at other times, six or seven
discharges in quick
succession. it is heard also at different seasons
of the day and
night. I am at a loss to account for this phenomenon.
our work being at
an end this evening, we gave the men a drink of
sperits, it being
the last of our stock, and some of them appeared a
little sensible of
it's effects the fiddle was plyed and they danced
very merrily untill
9 in the evening when a heavy shower of rain put an
end to that part of
the amusement tho they continued their mirth with
songs and festive
jokes and were extreemly merry untill late at night.
we had a very
comfortable dinner, of bacon, beans, suit dumplings &
buffaloe beaf
&c. in short we had no just cause to covet the sumptuous
feasts of our
countrymen on this day.- one Elk and a beaver were all
that was killed by
the hunters today; the buffaloe seem to have
withdrawn
themselves from this neighbourhood; tho the men inform us
that they are still
abundant about the falls.
[Clark, July 4,
1805]
,July the 4th
Thursday 1805
A fine morning, a
heavy dew last night, all hands employed in
Completeing the
leather boat, gave the Party a dram which made Several
verry lively, a
black Cloud came up from the S. W, and rained a fiew
drops I employ my
Self drawing a Copy of the river to be left at this
place for fear of
Some accident in advance, I have left buried below
the falls a Map of
the Countrey below Fort Mandan with Sundery private
papers the party
amused themselves danceing untill late when a Shower
of rain broke up
the amusement, all lively and Chearfull, one Elk and a
beaver kill'd to
day. our Tar kill like to turn out nothing from the
following cause.
The climate about
the falls of Missouri appears to be Singular Cloudy
every day (Since
our arrival near them) which rise from defferent
directions and
discharge themselves partially in the plains &
mountains, in Some
places rain others rain & hail, hail alone, and on
the mountains in
Some parts Snow. a rumbling like Cannon at a great
distance is heard
to the west if us; the Cause we Can't account
[Lewis, July 5,
1805]
Friday July 5th
1805.
This morning I had
the boat removed to an open situation, scaffold her
off the ground,
turned her keel to the sun and kindled fires under her
to dry her more
expeditiously. I then set a couple of men to pounding
of charcoal to form
a composition with some beeswax which we have and
buffaloe tallow now
my only hope and resource for paying my boat; I
sincerely hope it
may answer yet I fear it will not. the boat in every
other rispect
completely answers my most sanguine expectation; she is
not yet dry and
eight men can carry her with the greatest ease; she is
strong and will
carry at least 8,000 lbs. with her suit of hands; her
form is as complete
as I could wish it. the stitches begin to gape very
much since she has
began to dry; I am now convinced this would not have
been the case had
the skins been sewed with a sharp point only and the
leather not cut by
the edges of a sharp nedle. about 8 A M. a large
herd of buffaloe
came near our camp and Capt. Clark with a party of the
hunters indeavoured
to get a shoot at them but the wind proved
unfavourable and
they ran off; the hunters pursued and killed three of
them; we had most
of the meat brought in and set a party to drying it.
their skins were
all brought in and streached to dry for the purpose of
covering the
baggage. 2 Wolves and three Antelopes also killed today.
we permitted three
other men to visit the falls today; these were the
last of the party who
had not as yet indulged themselves with this
grand and
interesting seen. the buffaloe again appear in great numbers
about our camp and
seem to be moving down the river. it is somewhat
remarkable that
altho you may see ten or a douzen herds of buffaloe
distinctly
scattered and many miles distant yet if they are undisturbed
by pursuit, they
will all be traveling in one direction. the men who
were permitted to
visit the falls today returned in the evening and
reported that the
buffaloe were very numerous in that quarter; and as
the country is more
broken near the river in that quarter we conclude
to dispatch a
couple of canoes tomorrow with some hunters to kill as
many as will answer
our purposes.
The plains in this
part of the country are not so fertile as below the
entrance of the
Cockkle or missel shell river and from thence down the
Missouri there is
also much more stone on the sides of the hills and on
the broken lands
than below.-
[Clark, July 5,
1805]
July 5th Friday
1805
A fine morning and
but little wind, worm and Sultrey at 8 oClock- I Saw
a large gangue of
Buffalow and prosued them with Several men the wind
was unfavourable
and we Could not get near them, the party Scattered &
Killed 3 buffalow
and brought in their Skins and Some meat, Killed 2
wolves & 3
Antilopes for their Skins, Capt. Lewis much engaged in
Completeing the
Leather boat. Three men went to See the Falls, Saw
great numbers of
Buffalow on both Sides of the river. great numbers of
young black birds
[Lewis, July 6,
1805]
Saturday July 6th
1805
In the couse of
last night had several showers of hail and rain
attended with
thunder and lightning. about day a heavy storm came on
from the S W
attended with hail rain and a continued roar of thunder
and some lightning.
the hail was as large as musket balls and covered
the ground
perfectly. we hand some of it collected which kept very well
through the day and
served to cool our water. These showers and gusts
keep my boat wet in
dispite of my exertions. she is not yet ready for
the grease and
coal. after the hail and rain was over this morning we
dispatched 4
hunters and two canoes to the head of the rappids as we
had determined last
evening. the red and yellow courants are now ripe
and abundant, they
are reather ascid as yet. There is a remarkable
small fox which
ascociate in large communities and burrow in the
praries something
like the small wolf but we have not as yet been able
to obtain one of
them; they are extreemly watchfull and take reffuge in
their burrows which
are very deep; we have seen them no where except
near these falls.
[Clark, July 6,
1805]
July 6th Satturday
1805
a heavy wind from
the S W and Some rain about mid night last, at day
light this morning
a verry black Cloud from the S W, with a Contined
rore of thunder
& Some lightening and rained and hailed tremendiously
for about 1/2 an
hour, the hail was the Size of a musket ball and
Covered the ground.
this hail & rain was accompand. by a hard wind
which lasted for a
fiew minits. Cloudy all the forepart of the day,
after Part Clear.
dispatched 4 men in 2 Canoes to the falls, to kill
Buffalow, for their
Skins & Meat others employd about the boat, I
cought Some Small
fish this evening.
[Lewis, July 7,
1805]
Sunday July 7th
1805.
The weather warm
and cloudy therefore unfavourable for many operations;
I keep small fires
under the boat; the blowing flies are innumerable
about it; the
moisture retained by the bark prevents it from drying as
fast as it
otherwise would. we dispatched two other hunters to kill Elk
or buffaloe for
their skins to cover our baggage. we have no tents; the
men are therefore
obliged to have recourse to the sails for shelter
from the weather
and we have not more skins than are sufficient to
cover our baggage
when stoed away in bulk on land. many of the men are
engaged in dressing
leather to cloath themselves. their leather
cloathes soon
become rotton as they are much exposed to the water and
frequently wet.
Capt. Clarks black man York is very unwell today and he
gave him a doze of
tartar emettic which operated very well and he was
much better in the
evening. this is a discription of medecine that I
nevr have recourse
to in my practice except in cases of the
intermittent fever.
this evening the hunters returned with the canoes
and brought thre
buffaloe skins only and two Antelope 4 deer and three
wolf skins; they
reported that the buffaloe had gone further down the
river. the two
hunters whom we sent out from hence returned also
without having killed
anything except one Elk. I set one of the party
at work to make me
some sacks of the wolf skins, to transport my
Instruments when
occasion requirs their being carried any distance by
land.- we had a
light shower of rain about 4 P.M. attended with some
thunder and
lightning. one beaver caught this morning. the musquetoes
are excessively
troublesome to us. I have prepared my composition which
I should have put
on this evening but the rain prevented me.
[Clark, July 7,
1805]
July 7th Sunday
1805
A Warm day wind
from the S. W Cloudy as usial, the four men hunters did
not return last
night. dispatched 2 men to kill Elk for the use of
their Skin for the
boat. my man York Sick, I give him a dosh of Tarter.
Some rain in the
after part of the day in the evining the hunters
returned with three
buffalow Skins two goat Skins, four Deer Skins, two
deer, & 3 wolve
Skins, to be used in Covering the boat Canoes & to make
mockersons, one Elk
also killed to day
[Lewis, July 8,
1805]
Monday July 8th
1805.
Capt. Clark
Determined to make a second effort to replace the notes
which he had made
with rispect to the river and falls accordingly he
set out after an
early breakfast and took with him the greater part of
the men with a view
also to kill buffaloe should there be any in that
quarter. after
geting some distance in the plains he divided the party
and sent them in
different directions and himself and two others struck
the Missouri at the
entrance of medicine river and continued down it to
the great Cataract,
from whence he returned through the plains to camp
where he arrived
late in the evening. the hunters also returned having
killed 3 buffaloe 2
Antelopes and a deer. he informed me that the
immence herds of
buffaloe which we had seen for some time past in this
neighbourhood have
almost entirely disappeared and he beleives are gone
down the river.
The day being warm
and fair about 12 OCk. the boat was sufficiently dry
to receive a coat
of the composition which I accordingly applyed. this
adds very much to
her appearance whether it will be effectual or not.
it gives her hull
the appearance of being formed of one solid piece.
after the first
coat had cooled I gave her a second which I think has
made it
sufficiently thick. The mountains which ly before us from the
South, to the N. W.
still continue covered with snow. one hunter also
passed the river to
hunt this morning in the evening he returned having
killed a Buck and a
male Antelope. The party who were down with Capt.
Clark also killed a
small fox which they brought with them. it was a
female appeared to
give suck, otherwise it is so much like the comm
small fox of this
country commonly called the kit fox that I should
have taken it for a
young one of that species; however on closer
examination it did
apear to differ somewhat; it's colour was of a
lighter brown, it's
years proportionably larger, and the tale not so
large or the hair
not so long which formed it. they are very delicately
formed, exceedingly
fleet, and not as large as the common domestic cat.
their tallons
appear longer than any species of fox I ever saw and seem
therefore prepared
more amply by nature for the purpose of burrowing.
there is sufficient
difference for discrimination between it and the
kit fox, and to
satisfy me perfectly that it is a distinct species. the
men also brought me
a living ground squirrel which is something larger
than those of the U
States or those of that kind which are also common
here. this is a
much hadsomer anamal. like the other it's principal
colour is a redish
brown but is marked longitudinally with a much
greater number of
black or dark bron stripes; the spaces between which
is marked by ranges
of pure white circular spots, about the size of a
brister blue shot.
these colours imbrace the head neck back and sides;
the tail is flat,
or the long hair projecting horizontally from two
sides of it only
gives it that appearance. the belly and breast are of
much lighter brown
or nearly white. this is an inhabitant of the open
plain altogether,
wher it burrows and resides; nor is it like the other
found among clifts
of rocks or in the woodlands. their burrows
sometimes like
those of the mole run horizontally near the surface of
the ground for a
considerable distance, but those in which they reside
or take refuge
strike much deeper in the earth.- Slight rain this
afternoon.
musquetoes troublesome as usual.
[Clark, July 8,
1805]
July 8th Monday
1805
A worm morning
flying Clouds I deturmin take the width of the river at
the falls & the
Medison river and to take the greater part of the men
which Can be
Speared to Kill Buffalow for their Skins as well as meat,
devided the party
& Sent them in different directions to hunt &
proceeded my Self
to the mouth of Medison river measured it and found
it to be 137 yards
wide, in the narrowest part of the Missouri
imediately above
Medison river the Missouri is 300 yards wide, below
and a little above
the falls 1440 yards wide with the direction of the
upper great fall
580 yards wide, at the great Spring 270 yards wide, at
the handsom falls
of 47 ft. 8 I. the river is 473 yards wide, at the
lower great falls
the river is confined within 280 yards, below the
falls the water
occupies 93 yards only- after takeing the wedth of the
river at those
Sundery placies I returned thro the plains in a direct
line to Camp. Some
rain this evening after a verry hot day.- the
mountains which are
in view to the South & N W. are Covered with Snow.
those nearer us and
forma 3/4 Circle around us is not Covered with Snow
at this time. The
hunters killed 3 buffalow, two antelopes, & a Deer to
day- the emence
herds of buffalow which was near us a fiew days ago,
has proceeded on
down the river, we Can See but a fiew Bulls in the
plains
[Lewis, July 9,
1805]
Tuesday July 9th 1805.
The morning was
fair and pleant. the Islands seem crouded with
blackbirds; the
young brude is now completely feathered and flying in
common with the
others. we corked the canoes and put them in the water
and also launched
the boat, she lay like a perfect cork on the water.
five men would
carry her with the greatest ease. I now directed seats
to be fixed in her
and oars to be fitted. the men loaded the canoes in
readiness to
depart. just at this moment a violent wind commenced and
blew so hard that
we were obliged to unload the canoes again; a part of
the baggage in
several of them got wet before it could be taken out.
the wind continued
violent untill late in the evening, by which time we
discovered that a
greater part of the composition had seperated from
the skins and left
the seams of the boat exposed to the water and she
leaked in such
manner that she would not answer. I need not add that
this circumstance
mortifyed me not a little; and to prevent her leaking
without pich was impossible
with us, and to obtain this article was
equally impossible,
therefore the evil was irraparable I now found that
the section formed
of the buffaloe hides on which some hair had been
left, answered much
the best purpose; this leaked but little and the
parts which were
well covered with hair about 1/8th of an inch in
length retained the
composition perfectly and remained sound and dry.
from these
circumstances I am preswaided, that had I formed her with
buffaloe skins
singed not quite as close as I had done those I
employed, that she
would have answered even with this composition. but
to make any further
experiments in our present situation seemed to me
madness; the
buffaloe had principally dserted us, and the season was
now advancing fast.
I therefore relinquished all further hope of my
favorite boat and
ordered her to be sunk in the water, that the skins
might become soft
in order the better to take her in peices tomorrow
and deposite the
iron fraim at this place as it could probably be of no
further service to
us. had I only singed my Elk skins in stead of
shaving them I
beleive the composition would have remained and the boat
have answered; at
least untill we could have reached the pine country
which must be in
advance of us from the pine which is brought down by
the water and which
is probably at no great distance where we might
have supplyed
ourselves with the necessary pich or gum. but it was now
too late to
introduce a remidy and I bid a dieu to my boat, and her
expected services.-
The next difficulty which presented itself was how
we should convey
the stores and baggage which we had purposed carrying
in the boat. both
Capt. Clark and myself recollected having heard the
hunters mention
that the bottoms of the river some few miles above us
were much better
timbered than below and that some of the trees were
large. the idea
therefore suggested itself of building two other canoes
sufficiently large
to carry the surplus baggage. on enquiry of the
hunters it seemed
to be the general opinion that trees sufficiently a
large for this
purpose might be obtained in a bottom on the opposite
side about 8 miles
distant by land and reather more than double that
distance by water;
accordingly Capt. Clark determined to set out early
in the morning with
ten of the best workmen and proceede by land to
that place while
the others would in the mean time be employed by
myself in taking
the Boat in peices and depositing her, together with
the articles which
we had previously determined to deposit at this
place, and also in
trasporting all the baggage up the river to that
point in the six
small canoes. this plan being settled between us
orders were
accordingly given to the party, and the ten men who were to
accompany Capt.
Clark had ground and prepared their axes and adds this
evening in order to
prepare for an early departure in the morning. we
have on this as
well as on many former occasions found a small
grindstone which I
brought with me from Harper's ferry extreemly
convenient to us.
if we find trees at the place mentioned sufficiently
large for our
purposes it will be extreemly fortunate; for we have not
seen one for many
miles below the entrance of musselshell River to this
place, which would
have answered.-
[Clark, July 9,
1805]
July 9th Tuesday
1805
a clear worm
morning wind from the S W. Lanced the Leather boat, and
found that it
leaked a little; Corked Lanced & loaded the Canoes,
hurried our truk
wheels, & made a Carsh for a Skin & a fiew papers I
intend to leave
here on trial found the leather boat would not answer
without the
addition of Tar which we had none of, haveing Substituted
Cole & Tallow
in its place to Stop the Seams &c. which would not answer
as it Seperated
from the Skins when exposed to the water and left the
Skins naked &
Seams exposed to the water this falire of our favourate
boat was a great
disapointment to us, we haveing more baggage than our
Canoes would Carry.
Concluded to build Canoes for to Carry them; no
timber near our
Camp. I deturmined to proceed on up the river to a
bottom in which our
hunters reported was large Trees &c.
[Lewis, July 10,
1805]
Wednesday July 10th
1805.
Capt. Clark set out
with his party early this morning and passed over
to the opposite
side. after which I dispatched Sergt. Ordway with 4
Canoes and 8 men to
take up a load of baggage as far as Capt. Clark's
camp and return for
the remainder of our plunder. with six others I now
set to work on my
boat, which had been previously drawn out of the
water before the
men departed, and in two hours had her fraim in
readiness to be
deposited. had a cash dug and deposited the Fraim of
the boat, some
papers and a few other trivial articles of but little
importance. the
wind blew very hard the greater part of the day. I also
had the truck
wheels buried in the pit which had been made to hold the
tar. having nothing
further to do I amused myself in fishing and caught
a few small fish;
they were of the species of white chub mentioned
below the falls,
tho they are small and few in number. I had thought on
my first arrival
here that there were no fish in this part of the
river. Capt. Clark
proceeded up the river 8 miles by land (distance by
water 231/4) and
found 2 trees of Cottonwood and cut them down; one
proved to be hollow
and split in falling at the upper part and was
somewhat windshaken
at bottom; the other proved to be much windshaken.
he surched the
bottom for better but could not find any he therefore
determined to make
canoes of those which he had fallen; and to contract
their length in
such manner as to clear the craks and the worst of the
windsken parts
making up the deficiency by allowing them to be as wide
as the trees would
permit. they were much at a loss for wood to make
axhandles. the
Chokecherry is the best we can procure for this purpose
and of that wood
they made and broke thir 13 handles in the course of
this part of a day.
had the eyes of our axes been round they would have
answered this
country much better. the musquetoes were very troublesome
to them as well as
ourselves today. Sergt. Ordway proceeded up the
river about 5 miles
when the wind became so violent that he was obliged
to ly by untill
late in the evening when he again set out with the
canoes and arrived
within 3 miles of Capt. Clark's Camp where he halted
for the night.
about five miles above whitebear camp there are two
Islands in the
river covered with Cottonwood box alder and some sweet
willow also the
undergrowth like that of the islands at this place.-
[Clark, July 10,
1805]
July 10th Wednesday
1805
a fair windey day
wind hard the most of the day from the S. W.rained
modderately all
last night (by Showers) we dispatched Serjt. Ordway
with 4 Canoes
loaded & 8 men by water to assend as high as I Should
have found timber
for Canoes & formed a Camp;-. I Set out with Sergt.
Pryor four Choppers
two Involids & one man to hunt, Crossed to the Std.
Side and proceeded
on up the river 8 miles by land (distance by water
231/4 ms.) and
found two Trees which I thought would make Canoes, had
them fallen, one of
them proved to be hollow & Split at one End & verry
much win Shaken at
the other, the other much win Shaken, we Serched the
bottoms for better
trees and made a trial of Several which proved to be
more indifferent. I
deturmined to make Canoes out of the two first
trees we had
fallen, to Contract thir length so as to clear the hollow
& winshakes,
& ad to the width as much as the tree would allow. The
Musquitors emencely
noumerous & troublesom, Killed two deer & a goat.
The Canoes did not
arrive as I expected, owing to the hard wind which
blew a head in
maney places. we ar much at a loss for wood to make ax
hilthes,13 hath
been made & broken in this piece of a day by the four
Choppers, no other
wood but Cotton Box elder Choke Cherry and red arrow
wood. we Substitute
the Cherry in place of Hickory for ax hilthes ram
rods, &c.
&c.
[Lewis, July 11,
1805]
Thursday July 11th
1805.
We had now nothing
to do but wait for the canoes; as they had not
returned I sent out
some of the small party with me to hunt; in the
evening they
returned with a good quantity of the flesh of a fat
buffaloe which they
had killed. the canoes not arrived this evening. I
saw several very
large grey Eagles today they are a half as large again
as the common bald
Eagle of this country. I do not think the bald Eagle
here qute so large
as those of the U States; the grey Eagle is
infinitely larger
and is no doubt a distinct species. this evening a
little before the
sun set I heared two other discharges of this
unaccounable
artillery of the Rocky Mountains proceeding from the same
quarter that I had
before heard it. I now recollected the Minnetares
making mention of
the nois which they had frequently heard in the Rocky
Mountains like
thunder; and which they said the mountains made; but I
paid no attention
to the information supposing it either false or the
fantom of a
supersticious immagination. I have also been informed by
the engages that
the Panis and Ricaras give the same account of the
Black mountains
which lye West of them. this phenomenon the philosophy
of the engages
readily accounts for; they state it to be the bursting
of the rich mines
of silver which these mountains contain.
This morning Capt.
Clark dispatched Bratton to meet the canoes which
were detained by
the wind to get a couple of axes. he obtained the axes
and returned in
about two hours. this man has been unable to work for
several days in
consequence of a whitlow on one of his fingers; a
complaint which has
been very common among the men. one of the canoes
arrived at Capt.
Clarks camp about 10 A.M. this he had unloaded and set
a few miles up the
river for a buffaloe which had been killed, the
party sent killed
another in thir rout and brought in the flesh and
skins of both they
were in good order; his hunters had also killed two
deer and an
Antelope yesterday. the three other canoes did not arrive
untill late in the
evening in consequence of the wind and the fear of
weting their loads
which consisted of articles much more liable to be
injured by moisture
than those which composed the load of that which
arrived in the
morning. Capt. C. had the canoes unloaded and ordered
them to float down
in the course of the night to my camp, but the wind
proved so high
after night that they were obliged to put too about 8
miles above and
remain untill morning. Capt. C. kept the party with him
busily engaged at
the canoes. his hunters killed and brought in three
very fat deer this
evening.
[Clark, July 11,
1805]
July 11th Thursday
1805
a fair windey
morning wind S. W. I dispatch W Bratten (who cannot work
he haveing a turner
rising on his finger) to meat the Canoes & bring
from them two axes,
which is necessary for the work at the perogues or
Canoes, and is
indespenceable he returned in about two hours & informed
that one Canoe was
within three miles, about 1 oClock the Canoe which
Bratten left
arrived haveing killed a Buffalow on the river above our
Camp, at which
place the bend of the river below & that above is about
1 mile apart, I
dispatched Serjt. Pryor with 3 men in the Canoe to get
the meat they
killed another buffalow near the one killed and brought
the meat of both down.
at Sunset the 3 remaining Canoes arrived
unloaded &
returned imeadeately with orders to flote down to Camp at
the portage to
night for the purpose of takeing up the remaining
baggage. Musquitors
verry troublesom, and in addition to their torments
we have a Small
Knat, which is as disagreeable, our hunter killed 3
Deer to day one of
them verry fat. all the men with me engaged about
the Canoes hunting
&c. &.
[Lewis, July 12,
1805]
Friday July 12th
1805.
The canoes not
having arrived and the wind still high I dispatched
Sergt. Gass with
three men to join Capt. Clark and assist in completing
the canoes
retaining only a few who in addition to those in the canoes
that I expect every
moment, will be sufficient to man the six canoes
and take up all the
baggage we have here at one load. I feel
excessively anxious
to be moving on. the canoes were detained by the
wind untill 2 P.M.
when they set out and arrived at this place so late
that I thought it
best to detain them untill morning. Bratton came down
today for a cople
of axes which I sent by him; he returned immediately.
Sergt. Gass and
party joined Capt. Clark at 10 A.M. Capt. C. kept all
the men with him
busily engaged some in drying meat, others in hunting,
and as many as
could be employed about the canoes. Segt. Pryor got his
sholder dislocated
yesterday, it was replaced immediately and is likely
to do him but
little injury; it is painfull to him today. the hunters
with Capt. C.
killed three deer and two otter today. the otter are now
plenty since the
water has become sufficiently clear for them to take
fish. the blue
crested fisher, or as they are sometimes called the
Kingfisher, is an
inhabitant of this part of the country; this bird is
very rare on the
Missouri; I have not seen more than three or four of
those birds during
my voyage from the entrance of the Missouri to the
mouth of Maria's
river and those few were reather the inhabitants of
streams of clerer
water which discharged themselves into the Missouri
than of that river,
as they were seen about the entrances of such
streams. Musquetoes
extreemly troublesome to me today nor is a large
black knat less
troublesome, which dose not sting, but attacks the eye
in swarms and
compells us to brush them off or have our eyes filled
with them. I made
the men dry the ballance of the freshe meet which we
had abot the camp
amounting to about 200 lbs.
[Clark, July 12,
1805]
July 12th Friday
1805
a fair windey
morning wind from the S. W. all hands at work at Day
light Some at the
Canoes, & others drying meat for our voyage-
Dispatched W.
Brattin to the lower Camp for two axes which are
necessary to carry
on our work at this place &. Serjt. Pryors Sholder
was put out of
place yesterday Carrying Meat and is painfull to day.
wind hard all day
dispatched 2 hunters, they returnd in the evening
with three Deer
& 2 orters. four men arrived from the lower Camp by
land to assist at
this place in building the Canoes &c. musquitors &
knats verry
troublesom all day. a fiew wild pigions about our Camp.
[Lewis, July 13,
1805]
Saturday July 13th
1805.
This morning being
calm and Clear I had the remainder of our baggage
embarked in the six
small canoes and maned them with two men each. I
now bid a cheerfull
adue to my camp and passed over to the opposite
shore. Baptiest La
Page one of the men whom I had reserved to man the
canoes being sick I
sent Charbono in his stead by water and the sick
man and Indian
woman accompanyed me by land. from the head of the white
bear Islands I
passed in a S. W. direction and struck the Missouri at 3
miles and continued
up it to Capt. Clark's camp where I arrived about 9
A.M. and found them
busily engaged with their canoes Meat &c. in my way
I passed a very
extraordinary Indian lodge, or at least the fraim of
one; it was formed
of sixteen large cottonwood poles each about fifty
feet long and at
their larger end which rested on the ground as thick
as a man's body;
these were arranged in a circular manner at bottom and
equally distributed
except the omission of one on the East side which I
suppose was the
entrance to the lodge; the upper part of the poles are
united in a common
point above and secured with large wyths of willow
brush. in the
center of this fabric there was the remains of a large
fire; and about the
place the marks of about 80 leather lodges. I know
not what was the
intention or design of such a lodge but certain I am
that it was not
designed for a dwelling of anyone family. it was 216
feet in
circumpherence at the base. it was most probably designed for
some great feast,
or a council house on some great national concern. I
never saw a similar
one nor do the nations lower down the Missouri
construct such. The
canoes and party with Sergt. Ordway poceeded up the
river about 5 miles
when the wind became so violent that two of the
canoes shiped a
considerable quanty of water and they were compelled to
put too take out
the baggage to dry and clense the canoes of the water.
about 5 P.M. the
wind abated and they came on about 8 miles further and
encamped. I saw a
number of turtledoves and some pigeons today. of the
latter I shot one;
they are the same common to the United States, or
the wild pigeon as
they are called. nothing remarkable in the
appearance of the
country; the timber entirely confined to the river
and the country
back on either side as far as the eye can reach
entirely destitute
of trees or brush. the timber is larger and more
abundant in the
bottom in which we now are than I have seen it on the
Missouri for many
hundred miles. the current of the river is still
extreemly gentle.
The hunters killed three buffaloe today which were in
good order. the
flesh was brought in dryed the skins wer also streached
for covering our
baggage. we eat an emensity of meat; it requires 4
deer, an Elk and a
deer, or one buffaloe, to supply us plentifully 24
hours. meat now
forms our food prinsipally as we reserve our flour
parched meal and
corn as much as possible for the rocky mountains which
we are shortly to
enter, and where from the indhan account game is not
very abundant. I
preserved specemines of several small plants to day
which I have never
before seen. The Musquetoes and knats are more
troublesome here if
possible than they were at the White bear Islands.
I sent a man to the
canoes for my musquetoe bier which I had neglected
to bring with me,
as it is impossible to sleep a moment without being
defended against
the attacks of these most tormenting of all insects;
the man returned
with it a little after dark.
[Clark, July 13,
1805]
July 13th Saturday
1805.
a fair Calm
Morning, verry Cool before day- we were visited by a
Buffalow Bull who
came within a fiew Steps of one of the Canoes the men
were at work. Capt.
Lewis one man &c. arrived over Land at 9 oClock,
the wind rose and
blew hard from the S. E. the greater part of the day
both Canoes
finished all to Corking & fixing ores &c. &c. The Hunters
killed 3 Buffalow
the most of all the meat I had dried for to make
Pemitigon. The
Musquetors & Knats verry troublesom all day & night
[Lewis, July 14,
1805]
Sunday July 14th
1805.
This morning was
calm fair and warm; the Musquetoes of course
troublesome. all
hands that could work were employed about the canoes.
which we completed
and launched this evening. the one was 25 feet and
the other 33 feet
in length and about 3 feet wide. we have now the
seats and oars to
make and fit &c. I walked out today and ascended the
bluffs which are
high rockey and steep; I continued my rout about 31/2
when I gained a
conspicuous eminence about 2 mes. distant from the
river a little
below the entrance of Fort Mountain Creek. from this
place I had a
commanding view of the country and took the bearings of
the following
places. (viz)
To the point at
which the Missouri first enters the Rocky Mountains
S. 28° W.
25
To the termineation
of the 1st Chain of Rocky Mountains; northwardly,
being that through
which the Missouri first passes
N. 73° W
80
To the extremity or
tirmineation of 2cd Chain of the Rocky Mountains
N. 65 W.
150
To the most distant
point of a third and continued chain of
the same
mts
N. 50°W.
200
The direction of
the 2cd Do. from S 45 E. to N. 45• W.
To Fort Mountain
S. 75° W.
8
The country in most
parts very level and in others swelling with gentle
rises and decents,
or in other wirds what I have heretofore designated
a wavy country
destitute of timber except along the water-courses. On
my return to camp
found Sergt. Ordway had arrived with all the canoes
about noon and had
unloaded them every preperation except the entire
completion of the
oars poles &c is made for our departure tomorrow. the
grass and weeds in
this bottom are about 2 feet high; which is a much
greater hight than
we have seen them elsewhere this season. here I
found the sand rush
and nittles in small quantities. the grass in the
plains is not more
than 3 inches high. grasshoppers innumerable in the
plains and the
small birds before noticed together with the brown
Curlooe still
continue nomerous in every part of the plains.
had a slight shower
at 4 P.M. this evening.
[Clark, July 14,
1805]
July 14th Sunday
1805
a fine morning Calm
and worm musquetors & Knats verry troublesom. The
Canoes arrive at 12
oClock & unloade to Dry &c. finished & Lanced the 2
Canoes, Some rain
this afternoon. all prepareing to Set out on tomorrow.
[Lewis, July 15,
1805]
Monday July 15th
1805.
We arrose very
early this morning, assigned the canoes their loads and
had it put on
board. we now found our vessels eight in number all
heavily laden,
notwithstanding our several deposits; tho it is true we
have now a
considerable stock of dryed meat and grease. we find it
extreemly difficult
to keep the baggage of many of our men within
reasonable bounds;
they will be adding bulky articles of but little use
or value to them.
At 10 A.M. we once more saw ourselves fairly under
way much to my joy
and I beleive that of every individual who compose
the party. I walked
on shore and killed 2 Elk near one of which the
party halted and
dined. we took the skins marrow bones and a part of
the flesh of these
Elk. in order to lighten the burthen of the canoes I
continued my walk
all the evening and took our only invalledes Potts an
LaPage with me. we
passed the river near where we dined and just above
the entrance of a
beautifull river 80 yards wide which falls in on the
Lard. side which in
honour of Mr. Robert Smith the Secretary of the
Navy we called
Smith's River. this stream meanders through a most
lovely valley to
the S. E. for about 25 miles when it enters the Rocky
mountains and is
concealed from our view. many herds of buffaloe were
feeding in this
valley. we again crossed the river to the Stard. side
and passed through
a plain and struck the river at a Northwardly bend
where there was
timber here we waited untill the canoes arrived by
which time it was
so late that we concluded to encamp for the night.
here Drewyer wouded
a deer which ran into the river my dog pursued
caught it drowned
it and brought it to shore at our camp. we have now
passed Fort
Mountain on our right it appears to be about ten miles
distant. this
mountain has a singular appearance it is situated in a
level plain, it's
sides stand nearly at right angles with each other
and are each about
a mile in extent. these are formed of a yellow clay
only without the
mixture of rock or stone of any size and rise
perpendicularly to
the hight of 300 feet. the top appears to be a level
plain and from the
eminence on which I was yesterday I could see that
it was covered with
a similar cost of grass with the plain on which it
stands. the surface
appears also to possess a tolerable fertile mole of
2 feet thick. and
is to all appearance inaccessible. from it's figure
we gave it the name
of fort mountain. those mounds before mentioned
near the falls have
much the same appearance but are none of them as
large as this one.
the prickly pear is now in full blume and forms one
of the beauties as
well as the greatest pests of the plains. the
sunflower is also
in blume and is abundant. this plant is common to
every part of the
Missouri from it's entrance to this place. the
lambsquarter, wild
coucumber, sand rush and narrow dock are also common
here. Drewyer
killed another deer and an Otter today. we find it
inconvenient to
take all the short meanders of the river which has now
become cooked and
much narrower than below, we therefore take it's
general course and
lay down the small bends by the eye on our daily
traverse or chart.
the river is from too to 150 yds. wide. more timber
on the river than
below the falls for a great distance. on the banks of
the river there are
many large banks of sand much elivated above the
plains on which
they ly and appear as if they had been collected in the
course of time from
the river by the almost incessant S. W. winds; they
always appear on
the sides of the river opposite to those winds.
The couses and
distances from the White bear islands to the camp at
which we made the
canoes as taken by Sergt. Ordway.-
[Clark, July 15,
1805]
July 15th Monday
1805
rained all the last
night I was wet all night this morning wind hard
from the S. W. we
Set out at 10 oClock and proceeded on verry well
passed a river on
the Lard Side about 80 yards wide which we Call after
the Secy of the
Navey Smiths River the river verry Crooked bottoms
extensive rich and
Passes thro a butifull vally between 2 mts. Conts.
high grass, our
Canoes being So Small Several of the men Capt. Lewis &
my Self Compelled
to walked on Shore & Cross the bends to keep up with
the Canoes- a round
mountain on our right abt. 10 miles appears
inaxcessable we
Call fort mountain. The Prickley pear in bloom but fiew
other flowers. Sun
flowr are common, also lambs quarter & Nettles. Capt
Lew Killed 2 Elk
& the hunters killed 2 Deer & a Ortter, we Camped on
the Stard Side at
which place I Saw many beaver, the timber on the edge
of the river more
Common than below the falls- as I am compelled to
walk on Shore find
it verry dificuelt to take the Courses of the river,
as it is verry
Crooked more So than below
[Lewis, July 16,
1805]
Tuesday July 16th
1805.
We had a heavy dew
last night sen one man back this morning for an ax
that he had
carelessly left last evening some miles below, and set out
at an early hour.
early this morning we passed about 40 little booths
formed of willow
bushes to shelter them from the sun; they appeared to
have been deserted
about 10 days; we supposed that they were snake
Indians. they
appeared to have a number of horses with them-. this
appearance gives me
much hope of meeting with these people shortly.
Drewyer killed a
buffaloe this morning near the river and we halted and
breakfasted on it.
here for the first time I ate of the small guts of
the buffaloe cooked
over a blazing fire in the Indian stile without any
preperation of
washing or other clensing and found them very good.-
After breakfast I
determined to leave Capt. C. and party, and go on to
the point where the
river enters the Rocky Mountains and make the
necessary
observations against their arrival; accordingly I set out
with the two
invalleds Potts and LaPage and Drewyer; I passed through a
very handsome level
plain on the Stard. side of the river, the country
equally level and
beautiful) on the opposite side; at the distance of 8
mes. passed a small
stream on which I observed a considerable quantity
of aspin. a little
before 12 I halted on the river at a Stard. bend and
well timbered
bottom about 41/2 miles below the mountains and made the
following
observation.
after this observation
we pursued our rout through a high roling plain
to a rappid
immediately at the foot of the mountain where the Missouri
first enters them.
the current of the missouri below these rappids is
strong for several
miles, tho just above there is scarcely any current,
the river very
narrow and deep abot 70 yds. wide only and seems to be
closely hemned in
by the mountains on both sides, the bottoms only a
few yards in width.
an Indian road enters the mountain at the same
place with the
river on the Stard side and continues along it's border
under the steep
clifts these mountains appear to be only about 800 feet
above the river and
are formed almost entirely of a hard black
grannite. with a
few dwarf pine and cedar scattered on them. at this
place there is a
large rock of 400 feet high wich stands immediately in
the gap which the
missouri makes on it's passage from the mountains; it
is insulated from
the neighbouring mountains by a handsome little plain
which surrounds it
base on 3 sides and the Missouri washes it's base on
the other, leaving
it on the Lard. as it decends. this rock I called
the tower. it may
be ascended with some difficulty nearly to it's
summit, and from it
there is a most pleasing view of the country we are
now about to leave.
from it I saw this evening immence herds of
buffaloe in the
plains below. near this place we killed a fat elk on
which we both dined
and suped. the Musquetoes are extreemly troublesome
this evening and I
had left my bier, of course suffered considerably,
and promised in my
wrath that I never will be guily of a similar peice
of negligence while
on this voyage.
[Clark, July 16,
1805]
July 16th Tuesday
1805
a fair morning
after a verry cold night, heavy dew, dispatched one man
back for an ax left
a fiew miles below, and Set out early Killed a
Buffalow on which
we Brackfast Capt Lewis & 3 men went on to the
mountain to take a
meridian altitude, passed about 40 Small Camps,
which appeared to
be abandoned about 10 or 12 days, Suppose they were
Snake Indians, a
fiew miles above I Saw the poles Standing in thir
position of a verry
large lodge of 60 feet Diamater, & the appearance
of a number of
Leather Lodges about, this Sign was old & appeared to
have been last fall
great number of buffalow the river is not So wide
as below from 100
to 150 yards wide & Deep Crouded with Islands &
Crooked Some
Scattering timber on its edge Such as Cotton wood Cotton
willow, willow and
box elder, the Srubs are arrow wod, red wood, Choke
Cherry, red
berries, Goose beries, Sarvis burey, red & yellow Currents
a Spcie of Shomake
&c.
I camped on the
head of a Small Island near the Stard. Shore at the
Rockey Mountains
this Range of mountains appears to run N W & S E and
is about 800 feet
higher than the Water in the river faced with a hard
black rock the
current of the River from the Medison river to the
mountain is gentle
bottoms low and extensive, and its General Course is
S. 10° W. about 30
miles on a direct line
[Lewis, July 17,
1805]
Wednesday July 17th
1805.
The sunflower is in
bloom and abundant in the river bottoms. The
Indians of the
Missouri particularly those who do not cultivate maze
make great uce of
the seed of this plant for bread, or use it in
thickening their
scope. they most commonly first parch the seed and
then pound them
between two smooth stones until) they reduce it to a
fine meal. to this
they sometimes mearly add a portion of water and
drink it in that
state, or add a sufficient quantity of marrow grease
to reduce it to the
consistency of common dough and eate it in that
manner. the last
composition I think much best and have eat it in that
state heartily and
think it a pallateable dish. there is but little of
the broad leafed
cottonwood above the falls, much the greater portion
being of the narrow
leafed kind. there are a great abundance of red
yellow perple &
black currants, and service berries now ripe and in
great perfection. I
find these fruits very pleasent particularly the
yellow currant
which I think vastly preferable to those of our gardens.
the shrub which
produces this fruit rises to the hight of 6 or 8 feet;
the stem simple
branching and erect. they grow closly ascociated in
cops either in the
oppen or timbered lands near the watercouses. the
leaf is petiolate
of a pale green and resembles in it's form that of
the red currant
common to our gardens. the perianth of the
fructification is
one leaved, five cleft, abreviated and tubular, the
corolla is
monopetallous funnel-shaped; very long, superior, withering
and of a fine
orrange colour. five stamens and one pistillum; of the
first, the
fillaments are capillare, inserted into the corolla, equal,
and converging; the
anther ovate, biffid and incumbent. with rispect to
the second the germ
is roundish, smoth, inferior pedicelled and small;
the style, long,
and thicker than the stamens, simple, cylindrical,
smooth, and erect,
withering and remains with the corolla untill the
fruit is ripe.
stigma simple obtuse and withering.- the fruit is a
berry about the
size and much the shape of the red currant of our
gardins, like them
growing in clusters supported by a compound
footstalk, but the
peduncles which support the several berries are
longer in this
species and the berries are more scattered. it is quite
as transparent as
the red current of our gardens, not so ascid, & more
agreeably flavored.
the other species differ not at all in appearance
from the yellow
except in the colour and flavor of their berries. I am
not confident as to
the colour of the corolla, but all those which I
observed while in
blume as we came up the Missouri were yellow but they
might possibly have
been all of the yellow kind and that the perple red
and black currants
here may have corollas of different tints from that
of the yellow
currant.- The survice berry differs somewhat from that of
the U States the
bushes are small sometimes not more than 2 feet high
and scarcely ever
exceed 8 and are proportionably small in their stems,
growing very
thickly ascosiated in clumps. the fruit is the same form
but for the most
part larger more lucious and of so deep a perple that
on first sight you
would think them black.- there are two species of
goosbirris here
allso but neither of them yet ripe. the choke cherries
also abundant and
not yet ripe. there is Box alder, red willow and a
species of sumac
here also. there is a large pine tree situated on a
small island at the
head of these rappids above our camp; it being the
first we have seen
for a long distance near the river I called the
island pine island.
This range of the rocky mountains runs from S E to
N. W.- at 8 A.M.
this morning Capt. Clark arrived with the party. we
took breakfast
here, after which I had the box which contained my
instruments taken
by land arround tower rock to the river above the
rappid; the canoes
ascended with some difficulty but without loss or
injury, with their
loads.
After making those
observations we proceed, and as the canoes were
still heavy loaded
all persons not employed in navigating the canoes
walled on shore.
the river clifts were so steep and frequently
projecting into the
river with their perpendicular points in such
manner that we
could not pass them by land, we wer therefore compelled
to pass and repass
the river very frequently in the couse of the
evening. the
bottoms are narrow the river also narrow deep and but
little current.
river from 70 to 100 yds. wide. but little timber on
the river aspin
constitutes a part of that little. see more pine than
usual on the
mountains tho still but thinly scattered. we saw some
mountain rams or
bighorned anamals this evening, and no other game
whatever and indeed
there is but little appearance of any. in some
places both banks
of the river are formed for a short distance of
nearly
perpendicular rocks of a dark black grannite of great hight; the
river has the
appearance of having cut it's passage in the course of
time through this
solid rock. we ascended about 6 miles this evening
from the entrance
of the mountain and encamped on the Stard. side where
we found as much
wood as made our fires. musquetoes still troublesome
knats not as much
so.- Capt. C. now informed me that after I left him
yesterday, he saw
the poles of a large lodge in praire on the Stard.
side of the river
which was 60 feet in diameter and appeared to have
been built last
fall; there were the remains of about 80 leather lodges
near the place of
the same apparent date. This large lodge was of the
same construction
of that mentioned above the white bear Islands. the
party came on very
well and encamped on the lower point of an island
near the Stard.
shore on that evening. this morning they had set out
early and proceeded
without obstruction untill they reached the rappid
where I was
encamped.
[Clark, July 17,
1805]
July 17th Wednesday
1805
Set out early this
morning and Crossed the rapid at the Island Cald
pine rapid with
Some dificuelty, at this rapid I came up with Capt
Lewis & party
took a Medn. altitude & we took Some Luner Observations
&c. and
proceeded on, the emence high Precipies oblige all the party to
pass & repass
the river from one point to another the river confined in
maney places in a
verry narrow Chanel from 70 to 120 yards wide bottoms
narrow without
timber and maney places the mountain approach on both
Sides, we observe
great deel of Scattering pine on the mountains, Some
aspin, Spruce &
fur trees took a meridian altd. which gave for
Lattitude 46° 42'
14" 7/10 N we proceeded on verry well about 8 miles &
Camped on the Stard
Side The river crooked bottoms narrow, Clifts high
and Steep, I
assended a Spur of the Mountain which I found to be highe
& dificuelt of
axcess, Containig Pitch Pine & Covered with grass
Scercely any game
to be Seen The yellow Current now ripe also the
fussey red Choke
Cheries getting ripe Purple Current are also ripe. Saw
Several Ibex or
mountain rams to day
[Lewis, July 18,
1805]
Thursday July 18th
1805.
Set out early this
morning. previous to our departure saw a large herd
of the Bighorned
anamals on the immencely high and nearly perpendicular
clift opposite to
us; on the fase of this clift they walked about and
hounded from rock
to rock with apparent unconcern where it appared to
me that no
quadruped could have stood, and from which had they made one
false step they
must have been precipitated at least a 500 feet. this
anamal appears to
frequent such precepices and clifts where in fact
they are perfectly secure
from the pursuit of the wolf, bear, or even
man himself.- at
the distance of 21/2 miles we passed the entrance of a
considerable river
on the Stard. side; about 80 yds. wide being nearly
as wide as the
Missouri at that place. it's current is rapid and water
extreamly
transparent; the bed is formed of small smooth stones of flat
rounded or other
figures. it's bottoms are narrow but possess as much
timber as the
Missouri. the country is mountainous and broken through
which it passes. it
appears as if it might be navigated but to what
extent must be
conjectural. this handsome bold and clear stream we
named in honour of
the Secretary of war calling it Dearborn's river.-
as we were anxious
now to meet with the Sosonees or snake Indians as
soon as possible in
order to obtain information relative to the
geography of the
country and also if necessary, some horses we thought
it better for one
of us either Capt. C. or myself to take a small party
& proceed on up
the river, some distance before the canoes, in order to
discover them,
should they be on the river before the daily discharge
of our guns, which
was necessary in procuring subsistence for the
party, should
allarm and cause them to retreat to the mountains and
conceal themselves,
supposing us to be their enemies who visit them
usually by the way
of this river. accordingly Capt. Clark set out this
morning after
breakfast with Joseph Fields, Pots and his servant York.
we proceeded on
tolerably well; the current stonger than yesterday we
employ the cord and
oars principally tho sometimes the setting pole. in
the evening we
passed a large creek about 30 yds. wide which
disembogues on the
Stard. side; it discharges a bold current of water
it's banks low and
bed frormed of stones altogether; this stream we
called Ordway's
creek after Sergt. John Ordway. I have observed for
several days a
species of flax growing in the river bottoms the leaf
stem and pericarp
of which resembles the common flax cultivated in the
U States. the stem
rises to the hight of about 21/2 or 3 feet high; as
many as 8 or ten of
which proceede from the same root. the root appears
to be perennial.
the bark of the stem is thick strong and appears as if
it would make
excellent Hax. the seed are not yet ripe but I hope to
have an opportunity
of collecting some of them after they are so if it
should on
experiment prove to yeald good flax and at the same time
admit of being cut
without injuring the perennial root it will be a
most valuable
plant, and I think there is the greatest probability that
it will do so, for
notwithstanding the seed have not yet arrived at
maturity it is
puting up suckers or young shoots from the same root and
would seem
therefore that those which are fully grown and which are in
the proper stage of
vegitation to produce the best fax are not longer
essencial to the
preservation or support of the root. the river
somewhat wider than
yesterday and the mountains more distant from the
river and not so
high; the bottoms are but narrow and little or no
timber near the
river. some pine on the mountains which seems
principally
confined to their uper region. we killed one Elk this
morning and found
part of the flesh and the skin of a deer this evening
which had been
kited and left by Capt. Clark. we saw several herds of
the Bighorn but
they were all out of our reach on inacessable clifts.-
we encamped on the
Lard. side in a small grove of narrow leafed
cottonwood there is
not any of the broad leafed cottonwood on the river
since it has
entered the mountains. Capt Clark ascended the river on
the Stard. side. in
the early part of the day after he left me the
hills were so steep
that he gained but little off us; in the evening he
passed over a
mountain by which means he cut off many miles of the
river's circuitous
rout; the Indian road which he pursued over this
mountain is wide
and appears as if it had been cut down or dug in many
places; he passed
two streams of water, the branches of Ordway's creek,
on which he saw a
number of beaver dams succeeding each other in close
order and extending
as far up those streams as he could discover them
in their couse
towards the mountains. he also saw many bighorn anamals
on the clifts of
the mountains. not far beyond the mountain which he
passed in the
evening he encamped on a small stream of runing water.
having travelled
about 20 m. the water of those rivulets which make
down from these
mountains is extreemly cold pure and fine. the soil
near the river is
of a good quality and produces a luxuriant growth of
grass and weeds;
among the last the sunflower holds a distinguished
place. the aspin is
small but grows very commonly on the river and
small streams which
make down from the Mouts.
I also observed
another species of flax today which is not so large as
the first, sildome
obtaining a greater hight than 9 Inches or a foot
the stem and leaf
resemble the other species but the stem is rarely
branched, bearing a
single monopetallous bellshaped blue flower which
is suspended with
it's limb downwards,
[Clark, July 18,
1805]
July 18th Tursday
1805
a fine morning
passed a Considerable river which falls in on the Stard
Side and nearly as
wide as the Missouri we call Dearbournes river after
the Sety. of war.
we thought it prudent for a partey to go a head for
fear our fireing
Should allarm the Indians and cause them to leave the
river and take to
the mountains for Safty from their enemes who visit
them thro this
rout. I deturmined to go a head with a Small partey a
few days and find
the Snake Indians if possible after brackfast I took
J. Fields Potts
& my Servent proceeded on. the Country So Hilley that
we gained but
little of the Canoes untill in the evening I passed over
a mountain on an
Indian rode by which rout I cut off Several miles of
the Meanderings of
the River, the roade which passes this mountain is
wide and appears to
have been dug in maney places, we Camped on a Small
run of Clear Cold
water, musquitors verry troublesom the forepart of
the evening I Saw
great maney Ibex. we Crossed two Streams of running
water on those
Streams I saw Several Beaver dams. ordway Creek the
Countrey is
Mountanious & rockey except the valey &c. which is Covered
with earth of a
good quallity without timber, The timber which is
principally pitch
pine is Confined to the mountains, the Small runs &
Creeks which have
water running in them Contain Cotton-Willow, Willow,
& aspin. trees
all Small I Saw maney fine Springs & Streams of running
water which Sink
& rise alternately in the Valies the water of those
Streams are fine,
those Streams which run off into the river are darned
up by the beaver
from near ther mouthes up as high as I could See up
them
[Lewis, July 19,
1805]
Friday July 19th
1805
The Musquetoes are
very troublesome to us as usual. this morning we set
out early and
proceeded on very well tho the water appears to encrease
in volocity as we
advance. the current has been strong all day and
obstructed with
some rapids, tho these are but little broken by rocks
and are perfectly
safe. the river deep and from 100 to 150 yds. wide. I
walked along shore
today and killed an Antelope. whever we get a view
of the lofty
summits of the mountains the snow presents itself, altho
we are almost
suffocated in this confined vally with heat. the pine
cedar and balsum
fir grow on the mountains in irregular assemleages or
spots mostly high
up on their sides and summits. this evening we
entered much the
most remarkable clifts that we have yet seen. these
clifts rise from
the waters edge on either side perpendicularly to the
hight of 1200 feet.
every object here wears a dark and gloomy aspect.
the towering and
projecting rocks in many places seem ready to tumble
on us. the river
appears to have forced it's way through this immence
body of solid rock
for the distance of 53/4 miles and where it makes
it's exit below has
thown on either side vast collumns of rocks
mountains high. the
river appears to have woarn a passage just the
width of it's
channel or 150 yds. it is deep from side to side nor is
ther in the 1st 3
miles of this distance a spot except one of a few
yards in extent on
which a man could rest the soal of his foot. several
fine springs burst
out at the waters edge from the interstices of the
rocks. it happens
fortunately that altho the current is strong it is
not so much so but
what it may be overcome with the oars for there is
hear no possibility
of using either the cord or Setting pole. it was
late in the evening
before I entered this place and was obliged to
continue my rout
untill sometime after dark before I found a place
sufficiently large
to encamp my small party; at length such an one
occurred on the
lard. side where we found plenty of lightwood and
pichpine. this rock
is a black grannite below and appears to be of a
much lighter colour
above and from the fragments I take it to be flint
of a yelloish brown
and light creemcolourd yellow.- from the singular
appearance of this
place I called it the gates of the rocky mountains.
the mountains
higher today than yesterday, saw some Bighorns and a few
Antelopes also
beaver and Otter; the latter are now very plenty one of
the men killed one
of them today with a setting pole. musquetoes less
troublesome than
usual. we had a thundershower today about 1 P.M. which
continued about an
hour and was attended with som hail. we have seen no
buffaloe since we
entered the mounts. this morning early Capt. Clark
pursued his rout,
saw early in the day the remains of several Indians
camps formed of
willow brush which appeared to have been inhabited some
time this spring.
saw where the natives had pealed the bark off the
pine trees about
this same season. this the indian woman with us
informs that they
do to obtain the sap and soft part of the wood and
bark for food. at
11 A.M. Capt. C. feell in with a gang of Elk of which
he killed 2. and
not being able to obtain as much wood as would make a
fire substituded
the dung of the buffaloe and cooked a part of their
meat on which they
breakfasted and again pursueed their rout, which lay
along an old indian
road. this evening they passed a hansome valley
watered by a large
creek which extends itself with it's valley into the
mountain to a considerable
distance. the latter part of the evening
their rout lay over
a hilly and mountanous country covered with the
sharp fragments of
flint which cut and bruised their feet excessively;
nor wer the prickly
pear of the leveler part of the rout much less
painfull; they have
now become so abundant in the open uplands that it
is impossible to
avoid them and their thorns are so keen and stif that
they pearce a
double thickness of dressed deers skin with ease. Capt.
C. informed me that
he extracted 17 of these bryers from his feet this
evening after he
encamped by the light of the fire. I have guarded or
reather fortifyed
my feet against them by soaling my mockersons with
the hide of the
buffaloe in parchment. he encamped on the river much
fortiegud having
passed two mountains in the course of the day and
travelled about 30
miles.-
[Clark, July 19,
1805]
July 19th Fryday
1805
a find morning I
proceeded on in an Indian path river verry crooked
passed over two
mountains Saw Several Indian Camps which they have left
this Spring. Saw
trees Peeled & found poles &c. at 11 oC I Saw a gange
of Elk as we had no
provision Concluded to kill Some Killd two and
dined being oblige
to Substitute dry buffalow dung in place of wood,
this evening passed
over a Cream Coloured flint which roled down from
the Clifts into the
bottoms, the Clifts Contain flint a dark grey Stone
& a redish
brown intermixed and no one Clift is Solid rock, all the
rocks of everry
description is in Small pices appears to have been
broken by Some
Convulsion- passed a butifull Creek on the Std. Side
this eveng which
meanders thro a butifull Vallie of great extent, I
call after Sgt
Pryor the countrey on the Lard Side a high mountain Saw
Several Small
rapids to day the river Keep its width and appear to be
deep, my feet is
verry much brused & cut walking over the flint, &
constantly Stuck
full Prickley pear thorns, I puled out 17 by the light
of the fire to
night We camped on the river Same (Lard) Side Musqutors
verry troublesom.
[Lewis, July 20,
1805]
Saturday 20 h 1805.
Set out early this
morning as usual, currant strong, we therefore
employ the toe rope
when ever the banks permit the use of it; the water
is reather deep for
the seting pole in most places. at 6 A.M. the hills
retreated from the
river and the valley became wider than we have seen
it since we entered
the mountains. some scattering timber on the river
and in the valley.
consisting of the narrowleafed Cottonwood aspin &
pine. vas numbers
of the several species of currants goosberries and
service berries; of
each of these I preserved some seeds. I found a
black currant which
I thought preferable in flavor to the yellow. this
currant is really a
charming fruit and I am confident would be prefered
at our markets to
any currant now cultivated in the U States. we killed
an Elk this morning
which was very acceptable to us. through the valley
which we entered
early in the morning a large creek flows from the
mountains and
discharges itself into the river behind an island on
Stard. side about
15 yds. wide this we called Potts's Creek after John
Potts one of our
party. about 10 A.M. we saw the smoke arrose as if the
country had been
set on fire up the valley of this creek about 7 ms.
distant we were at
a loss to determine whether it had been set on fire
by the natives as a
signall among themselves on discovering us, as is
their custom or
whether it had been set on fire by Capt. C. and party
accedentally. the
first however proved to be the fact, they had
unperceived by us
discovered Capt. Clark's party or mine, and had set
the plain on fire
to allarm the more distant natives and fled
themselves further
into the interior of the mountains. this evening we
found the skin of
an Elk and part of the flesh of the anamal which
Capt. C. had left
near the river at the upper side of the valley where
he assended the
mountain with a note informing me of his transactions
and that he should
pass the mounts which lay just above us and wate our
arrival at some
convenient place on the river. the other elk which
Capt. C. had killed
we could not find. about 2 in the evening we had
passed through a
range of low mountains and the country bacame more
open again, tho
still broken and untimbered and the bottoms not very
extensive. we
encamped on the Lard. side near a spring on a high bank
the prickly pears
are so abundant that we could scarcely find room to
lye. just above our
camp the river is again closed in by the Mouts. on
both sides. I saw a
black woodpecker today about the size of the lark
woodpecker as black
as a crow. I indevoured to get a shoot at it but
could not. it is a
distinct species of woodpecker; it has a long tail
and flys a good
deel like the jay bird.
This morning Capt.
Clark set out early and proceeded on through a
valley leaving the
river about six miles to his left; he fell in with
an old Indian road
which he pursued untill it struck the river about 18
miles from his camp
of the last evening just above the entrance of a
large creek which
we call white paint Creek. the party were so much
fortiegued with
their march and their feet cut with the flint and
perced with the
prickly pears untill they had become so painfull that
he proceeded but
little further before he determined to encamp on the
river and wait my
arrival.- Capt. C. saw a smoke today up the valley of
Pryor's creek which
was no doubt caused by the natives likewise. he
left signals or
signs on his rout in order to inform the indians should
they pursue his
trale that we were not their enemies, but white men and
their friends.-
cloth &c
[Clark, July 20,
1805]
July 20th Satturday
1805
a fine morning we
proceded on thro a valley leaveing the river about 6
miles to our left
and fell into an Indian roade which took us to the
river above the mo.
of a Creek 18 miles The Misquetors verry troublesom
my man York nearly
tired out, the bottoms of my feet blistered. I
observe a Smoke
rise to our right up the Valley of the last Creek about
12 miles distant,
The Cause of this Smoke I can't account for certainly
tho think it
probable that the Indians have heard the Shooting of the
Partey below and
Set the Praries or Valey on fire to allarm their
Camps; Supposeing
our party to be a war party comeing against them, I
left Signs to Shew
the Indians if they Should come on our trail that we
were not their
enemeys. Camped on the river, the feet of the men with
me So Stuck with
Prickley pear & cut with the Stones that they were
Scerseley able to
march at a Slow gate this after noon
[Lewis, July 21,
1805]
Sunday July 21st 1805.
Set out early this
morning and passed a bad rappid where the river
enters the mountain
about 1 m. from our camp of last evening the Clifts
high and covered
with fragments of broken rocks. the current strong; we
employed the toe
rope principally, and also the pole as the river is
not now so deep but
reather wider and much more rapid our progress was
therefore slow and
laborious. we saw three swans this morning, which
like the geese have
not yet recovered the feathers of the wing and
could not fly we killed
two of them the third escaped by diving and
passed down with
the current; they had no young ones with them
therefore presume
they do not breed in this country these are the first
we have seen on the
river for a great distance. we daily see great
numbers of gees
with their young which are perfectly feathered except
the wings which are
deficient in both young and old. my dog caught
several today, as
he frequently dose. the young ones are very fine, but
the old gees are
poor and unfit for uce. saw several of the large brown
or sandhill Crain
today with their young. the young Crain is as large
as a turkey and
cannot fly they are of a bright red bey colour or that
of the common deer
at this season. this bird feeds on grass prinsipally
and is found in the
river bottoms. the grass near the river is lofty
and green that of
the hill sides and high open grounds is perfectly dry
and appears to be
scorched by the heat of the sun. the country was
rough mountainous
& much as that of yesterday untill towards evening
when the river
entered a beautifull and extensive plain country of
about 10 or 12
miles wide which extended upwards further that the eye
could reach this
valley is bounded by two nearly parallel ranges of
high mountains
which have their summits partially covered with snow.
below the snowey
region pine succeeds and reaches down their sides in
some parts to the
plain but much the greater portion of their surfaces
is uncovered with
timber and expose either a barren sterile soil
covered with dry
parched grass or black and rugged rocks. the river
immediately on
entering this valley assumes a different aspect and
character, it
spreads to a mile and upwards in width crouded with
Islands, some of
them large, is shallow enough for the use of the
seting pole in
almost every part and still more rappid than before;
it's bottom is
smooth stones and some large rocks as it has been since
we have entered the
mountains. the grass in these extensive bottoms is
green and fine,
about 18 inches or 2 feet high. the land is a black
rich loam and
appears very fertile. we encamped in this beatiful valley
on the Lard. side
the party complain of being much fatiegued with this
days travel. we
killed one deer today.- This morning we passed a bold
creek 28 yds. wide
which falls in on Stard. side. it has a handsome and
an extensive
valley. this we called Pryor's Creek after Sergt. (John)
Pryor one of our
party. I also saw two fesants today of a dark brown
colour much larger
than the phesant of the U States.
this morning Capt.
Clark having determined to hunt and wait my arrival
somewhere about his
preset station was fearfull that some indians might
still be on the
river above him sufficiently near to hear the report of
his guns and
therefore proceeded up, the river about three miles and
not finding any
indians nor discovering any fresh appearance of them
returned about four
miles below and fixed his camp near the river;
after refreshing
themselves with a few hours rest they set out in
different
directions to hunt. Capt C. killed a buck and Fields a buck
and doe. he caught
a young curlooe which was nearly feathered. the
musquetoes were
equally as troublesome to them as to ourselves this
evening; tho some
hours after dark the air becomes so cold that these
insects disappear.
the men are all fortunately supplyed with musquetoe
biers otherwise it
would be impossible for them to exist under the
fatiegues which
they daily encounter without their natural rest which
they could not
obtain for those tormenting insects if divested of their
biers. timber still
extreemly scant on the river but there is more in
this valley than we
have seen since we entered the mountains; the
creeks which fall
into the river are better supplyed with this article
than the river
itself.-
we saw a number of
trout today since the river has become more shallow;
also caught a fish
of a white colour on the belly and sides and of a
bluish cast on the
back which had been accedentally wounded by a
setting pole. it
had a long pointed mouth which opened somewhat like
the shad.
[Clark, July 21,
1805]
July 21st Sunday
1805
a fine morning our
feet So brused and Cut that I deturmined to delay
for the Canoes,
& if possible kill Some meat by the time they arrived,
all the Creeks
which fall into the Missouri on the Std. Side Since
entering the
Mountains have extencive Valies of open Plain. the river
bottoms Contain
nothing larger than a Srub untill above the last Creek
the Creeks &
runs have timber on them generally, the hills or mountains
are in Some places
thickly covered with pine & Cedar &c. &c. I
proceeded on about
3 miles this morning finding no fresh Indian Sign
returned down the
river four miles and Camped, turned out to hunt for
Some meat, which if
we are Suckessfull will be a Seasonable Supply for
the partey
assending. emence quantities of Sarvice buries, yellow, red,
Purple & black
Currents ripe and Superior to any I ever tasted
particularly the
yellow & purple kind. Choke Cheries are Plenty; Some
Goose buries- The
wild rose Continue the Willow more abundant no Cotton
wood of the Common
kind Small birds are plenty, Some Deer, Elk, Goats,
and Ibex; no
buffalow in the Mountains.
Those mountains are
high and a great perportion of them rocky Vallies
fertile I observe
on the highest pinicals of Some of the mountains to
the West Snow lying
in Spots Some Still further North are covered with
Snow and cant be
Seen from this point The Winds in those mountains are
not Settled
generally with the river, to day the wind blow hard from
the West at the
Camp. The Missouri Continus its width the Current
Strong and Crouded
with little Islands and Cose graveley bars; but
little fine Sand
the Chanel generally a Corse gravel or Soft mud.
Musquetors &
Knats verry troublesom. I killed a Buck, and J. Fields
killed a Buck and
Doe this evening. Cought a young Curlough.
[Lewis, July 22,
1805]
Monday July 22cd
1805.
We set out early as
usual. The river being divided into such a number
of channels by both
large and small Island that I found it impossible
to lay it down
correctly following one channel only in a canoe and
therefore walked on
shore took the general courses of the river and
from the rising
grounds took a view of the Islands and it's different
channels which I
laid don in conformity thereto on my chart. there
being but little
timber to obstruct my view I could see it's various
meanders very
satisfactorily. I passed though a large Island which I
found a beautifull
level and fertile plain about 10 feet above the
surface of the
water and never overflown. on this Island I met with
great quantities of
a smal onion about the size of a musquit ball and
some even larger;
they were white crisp and well flavored I geathered
about half a bushel
of them before the canoes arrived. I halted the
party for breakfast
and the men also geathered considerable quantities
of those onions.
it's seed had just arrived to maturity and I gathered
a good quantity of
it. This appears to be a valuable plant inasmuch as
it produces a large
quantity to the squar foot and bears with ease the
rigor of this
climate, and withall I think it as pleasantly flavored as
any species of that
root I ever tasted. I called this beatifull and
fertile island
after this plant Onion Island. here I passed over to the
stard. shore where
the country was higher and ascended the river to the
entrance of a large
creek which discharges itself into the Missouri on
the Stard. side. it
is composed of three pretty considerable creeks
which unite in a
beautifull and extensive vally a few miles before it
discharges itself
into the river. while wateing for the canoes to
arrive I killed an
otter which sunk to the bottom on being shot, a
circumstance
unusual with that anamal. the water was about 8 feet deep
yet so clear that I
could see it at the bottom; I swam in and obtained
it by diving. I
halted the party here for dinner; the canoes had taken
different channels
through these islands and it was sometime before
they all came up. I
placed my thermometer in a good shade as was my
custom about 4 P.M.
and after dinner set out without it and had
proceeded near a
mile before I recollected it I sent Sergt. Ordway back
for it, he found it
and brought it on. the murcury stood at 80 a. 0
this is the warmest
day except one which we have experienced this
summer. The Indian
woman recognizes the country and assures us that
this is the river
on which her relations live, and that the three forks
are at no great
distance. this peice of information has cheered the
sperits of the
party who now begin to console themselves with the
anticipation of
shortly seeing the head of the missouri yet unknown to
the civilized
world. the large creek which we passed on Stard. 15 yds.
we call white Earth
Creek from the circumstance of the natives
procuring a white
paint on this crek.- Saw many gees, crams, and small
birds common to the
plains, also a few phesants and a species of small
curlooe or plover
of a brown colour which I first met with near the
entrance of Smith's
river but they are so shy and watchfull there is no
possibility of
geting a shoot at them it is a different kind from any
heretofore
discribed and is about the size of the yellow leged plover
or jack Curlooe.
both species of the willow that of the broad leaf and
narrow leaf still
continue, the sweet willow is very scarce. the rose
bush, small
honesuckle, the pulpy leafed thorn, southernwood, sage Box
alder narrow leafed
cottonwood, red wod, a species of sumac are all
found in abundance
as well as the red and black goosberries, service
berries, choke
cherries and the currants of four distinct colours of
black, yellow, red
and perple. the cherries are not yet ripe. the bear
appear to feed much
on the currants. late this evening we arrived at
Capt. Carks camp on
the stard. side of the river; we took them on board
with the meat they
had collected and proceeded a short distance and
encamped on an
Island Capt. Clark's party had killed a deer and an Elk
today and ourselves
one deer and an Antelope only. altho Capt C. was
much fatiegued his
feet yet blistered and soar he insisted on pursuing
his rout in the
morning nor weould he consent willingly to my releiving
him at that time by
taking a tour of the same kind. finding him anxious
I readily consented
to remain with the canoes; he ordered Frazier and
Jo. & Reubin
Filds to hold themselves in readiness to accompany him in
the morning.
Sharbono was anxious to accompany him and was accordingly
permitted. the musquetoes
and knats more than usually troublesome to us
this evening.-
[Clark, July 22,
1805]
July 22d Monday
1805
a fine morning wind
from the S. E. the last night verry cold, my
blanket being Small
I lay on the grass & Covered with it. I opened the
bruses &
blisters of my feet which caused them to be painfull
dispatched all the
men to hunt in the bottom for Deer, deturmined my
Self to lay by
& nurs my feet. haveing nothing to eat but venison and
Currents, I find my
Self much weaker than when I left the Canoes and
more inclined to
rest & repose to day. These men were not Suckcessfull
in hunting killed
only one Deer Capt Lewis & the Party arvd. at 4
oClock & we all
proceeded on a Short distance and Camped on an Island
the Musquitors
verry troublesom this evening G Drewyer not knowing the
place we Camped
Continued on up the river. I deturmined to proceed on
in pursute of the
Snake Indians on tomorrow and directed Jo Rubin
Fields Frasure to
get ready to accompany me. Shabono, our interpreter
requested to go, which
was granted &c. In my absence the hunters had
killed Some Deer
& a Elk, one fusee found &c. &c.
[Lewis, July 23,
1805]
Tuesday July 23rd
1805.
Set out early as
usual; Capt. Clark left us with his little party of 4
men and continued
his rout on the Stard. side of the river. about 10
OCk. A M. we came
up with Drewyer who had seperated from us yesterday
evening and lay out
all night not being able to find where we had
encamped. he had
killed 5 deer which we took on board and continued our
rout. the river is
still divided by a great number of islands, it
channels sometimes
seperating to the distance of 3 miles; the current
very rapid with a
number of riffles; the bed gravel and smooth stones;
the banks low and
of rich loam in the bottoms; some low bluffs of
yellow and red clay
with a hard red slate stone intermixed. the bottoms
are wide and but
scantily timbered; the underbrush very thick
consisting of the
narrow & broad leafed willow rose and Currant bushes
principally. high
plains succeeds the river bottoms and extend back on
either side to the
base of the mountains which are from 8 to 12 miles
assunder, high,
rocky, some small pine and Cedar on them and ly
parallel with the
river. passed a large creek on Lard. side 20 yds.
wide which after
meandering through a beautifull and extensive bottom
for several miles
nearly parallel with the river discharges itself
opposite to a large
cluster of islands which from their number I called
the 10 islands and
the creek Whitehous's Creek, after Josph. Whitehouse
one of the party.
saw a great abundance of the common thistles; also a
number of the wild
onions of which we collected a further supply. there
is a species of
garlic also which grows on the high lands with a flat
leaf now green and
in bloe but is strong tough and disagreeable. found
some seed of the
wild flax ripe which I preserved; this plant grows in
great abundance in
these bottoms. I halted rearther early for dinner
today than usual in
order to dry some articles which had gotten wet in
several of the
canoes. I ordered the canoes to hoist their small flags
in order that
should the indians see us they might discover that we
were not Indians,
nor their enemies. we made great uce of our seting
poles and cords the
uce of both which the river and banks favored. most
of our small
sockets were lost, and the stones were so smooth that the
points of their
poles sliped in such manner that it increased the
labour of
navigating the canoes very considerably, I recollected a
parsel of giggs
which I had brought on, and made the men each atatch
one of these to the
lower ends of their poles with strong wire, which
answered the
desired purpose. we saw Antelopes Crain gees ducks beaver
and Otter. we took
up four deer which Capt. Clark & party had killed
and left near the
river. he pursued his rout untill late in the evening
and encamped on the
bank of the river 25 ms. above our encampment of
the last evening;
he followed an old indian road which lyes along the
river on the stard
side Capt. saw a number of Antelopes, and one herd
of Elk. also much
sign of the indians but all of ancient date. I saw
the bull rush and
Cattail flag today.
I saw a black snake
today about two feet long the Belly of which was as
black as any other
part or as jet itself. it had 128 scuta on the
belley 63 on the
tail.
[Clark, July 23,
1805]
July 23rd Tuesday
1805
a fair morning wind
from the South. I Set out by land at 6 miles
overtook G Drewyer
who had killed a Deer. we killed in the Same bottom
4 deer & a
antelope & left them on the river bank for the Canoes
proceeded on an
Indian roade through a wider Vallie which the Missouri
Passes about 25
miles & Camped on the bank of the river, High mountains
on either Side of
the Vallie Containing Scattering Pine & Cedar Some
Small Cotton willow
willow &c. on the Islands & bank of the river I Saw
no fresh Sign of
Indians to day Great number of antelopes Some Deer & a
large Gangue of Elk
[Lewis, July 24,
1805]
Wednesday July 24th
1805.
Set out at sunrise;
the current very strong; passed a remarkable bluff
of a crimson
coloured earth on Stard. intermixed with Stratas of black
and brick red
slate. the valley through which the river passed today is
much as that of
yesterday nor is there any difference in the appearance
of the mountains,
they still continue high and seem to rise in some
places like an
amphatheater one rang above another as they receede from
the river untill
the most distant and lofty have their tops clad with
snow. the adjacent
mountains commonly rise so high as to conceal the
more distant and
lofty mountains from our view. I fear every day that
we shall meet with
some considerable falls or obstruction in the river
notwithstanding the
information of the Indian woman to the contrary who
assures us that the
river continues much as we see it. I can scarcely
form an idea of a
river runing to great extent through such a rough
mountainous country
without having it's stream intercepted by some
difficult and
gangerous rappids or falls. we daily pass a great number
of small rappids or
riffles which decend one to or 3 feet in 150 yards
but they are rarely
incommoded with fixed or standing rocks and altho
strong rappid water
are nevertheless quite practicable & by no means
dangerous. we saw
many beaver and some otter today; the former dam up
the small channels
of the river between the islands and compell the
river in these
parts to make other channels; which as soon as it has
effected that which
was stoped by the beaver becomes dry and is filled
up with mud sand
gravel and drift wood. the beaver is then compelled to
seek another spot
for his habitation wher he again erects his dam. thus
the river in many
places among the clusters of islands is constantly
changing the
direction of such sluices as the beaver are capable of
stoping or of 20
yds. in width. this anamal in that way I beleive to be
very instrumental
in adding to the number of islands with which we find
the river crouded.
we killed one deer today and found a goat or
Antelope which had
been left by Capt. Clark. we saw a large bear but
could not get a
shoot at him. we also saw a great number of Crams &
Antelopes, some
gees and a few red-headed ducks the small bird of the
plains and curloos
still abundant. we observed a great number of snakes
about the water of
a brown uniform colour, some black, and others
speckled on the
abdomen and striped with black and brownish yellow on
the back and sides.
the first of these is the largest being about 4
feet long, the
second is of that kind mentioned yesterday, and the last
is much like the
garter snake of our country and about it's size. none
of these species
are poisonous I examined their teeth and fund them
innosent. they all
appear to be fond of the water, to which they fly
for shelter
immediately on being pursued.- we saw much sign of Elk but
met with none of
them. from the appearance of bones and excrement of
old date the
buffaloe sometimes straggle into this valley; but there is
no fresh sighn of
them and I begin think that our harrvest of white
puddings is at an
end, at least untill our return to the buffaloe
country. our trio
of pests still invade and obstruct us on all
occasions, these
are the Musquetoes eye knats and prickley pears, equal
to any three curses
that ever poor Egypt laiboured under, except the
Mahometant yoke.
the men complain of being much fortiegued, their
labour is
excessively great. I occasionly encourage them by assisting
in the labour of
navigating the canoes, and have learned to push a
tolerable good pole
in their fraize. This morning Capt. Clark set out
early and pursued
the Indian road whih took him up a creek some miles
abot 10 A.M. he
discovered a horse about six miles distant on his left,
he changed his rout
towards the horse, on approaching him he found the
horse in fine order
but so wild he could not get within less than
several hundred
paces of him. he still saw much indian sign but none of
recent date. from
this horse he directed his course obliquely to the
river where on his
arrival he killed a deer and dined. in this wide
valley where he met
with the horse he passed five handsome streams, one
of which only had
timber another some willows and much stoped by the
beaver. after
dinner he continued his rout along the river upwards and
encamped having
traveled about 30 mes.
[Clark, July 24,
1805]
July 24th Wednesday
1805
a fine day wind
from the N W. I proceeded on up a Creek on the
direction of the
Indian road at 10 oClock discovered a horse 6 miles to
my left towards the
river as I approached the horse found him fat and
verry wild we could
not get near him, we changed our Direction to the
river for water
haveing previously Crossed 5 handsom Streams in one
Vallie one only had
any timber on it one other Willows only & a number
of beaver Dams.
when I Struck the river turned down to kill a Deer
which we dined on
& proceeded on up the river a fiew miles an Campd. on
the river. the
river much like it was yesterday. the mountains on
either Side appear
like the hills had fallen half down & turned Side
upwards the bottoms
narrow and no timber a fiew bushes only.
[Lewis, July 25,
1805]
Thursday July 25th
1805.
Set out at an early
hour and proceeded on tolerably well the water
still strong and
some riffles as yesterday. the country continues much
the same as the two
preceeding days. in the forenoon we saw a large
brown bear on an
island but he retreated immediately to the main shore
and ran off before
we could get in reach of him. they appear to be more
shy here than on
the Missouri below the mountains. we saw some
antelopes of which
we killed one. these anamals appear now to have
collected again is
small herds several females with their young and one
or two males
compose the herd usually. some males are yet soletary or
two perhaps
together scattered over the plains which they seen
invariably to
prefer to the woodlands. if they happen accedentaly in
the woodlands and
are allarmed they run immediately to the plains,
seeming to plaise a
just confidence in their superior fleetness and
bottom. we killed a
couple of young gees which are very abundant and
fine; but as they
are but small game to subsist a party on of our
strength I have
forbid the men shooting at them as it waists a
considerable
quantity of amunition and delays our progress. we passed
Capt. Clark's
encampment of the 23rd inst. the face of the country &
anamal and
vegatable productions were the same as yesterday, untill
late in the
evening, when the valley appeared to termineate and the
river was again
hemned in on both sides with high caiggy and rocky
clifts. soon after
entering these hills or low mountains we passed a
number of fine bold
springs which burst out underneath the Lard. clifts
near the edge of
the water; they wer very cold and freestone water. we
passed a large Crk.
today in the plain country, 25 yds. wide, which
discharges itself
on the Stard. side; it is composed of five streams
which unite in the
plain at no great distance from the river and have
their souces in the
Mts. this stream we called Gass's Creek. after
Sergt. Patric Gass
one of our party.- two rapids near the large spring
we passed this
evening were the worst we have seen since that we passed
on entering the
rocky Mountain; they were obstructed with sharp pointed
rocks, ranges of
which extended quite across the river. the clifts are
formed of a lighter
coloured stone than those below I obseve some
limestone also in
the bed of the river which seem to have been brought
down by the current
as they are generally small and woarn smooth.- This
morning Capt. Clark
set out early and at the distance of a few miles
arrived at the
three forks of the Missouri, here he found the plains
recently birnt on
the stard. side, and the track of a horse which
appeared to have
passed only about four or five days. after taking
breakfast of some
meat which they had brought with them, examined the
rivers, and written
me a note informing me of his intended rout, he
continued on up the
North fork, which though not larger than the middle
fork, boar more to
the West, and of course more in the direction we
were anxious to
pursue. he ascended this stream about 25 miles on
Stard. side, and
encamped, much fatiegued, his feet blistered and
wounded with the
prickley pear thorns. Charbono gave out, one of his
ankles failed him
and he was unable to proceede any further.- I
observed that the
rocks which form the clifts on this part of the river
appear as if they
had been undermined by the river and by their weight
had seperated from
the parent hill and tumbled on their sides, the
stratas of rock of
which they are composed lying with their edges up;
others not
seperated seem obliquely depressed on the side next the
river as if they
had sunk down to fill the cavity which had been formed
by the washing and
wearing of the river. I have observed a red as well
as a yellow species
of goosberry which grows on the rocky Clifts in
open places of a
swetish pine like flavor, first observed in the
neighbourhood of
the falls; at least the yellow species was first
observed there. the
red differs from it in no particular except it's
colour and size
being somewhat larger; it is a very indifferent fruit,
but as they form a
variety of the native fruits of this country I
preserved some of
their seeds. musquetoes and knats troublesome as
usual.
[Clark, July 25,
1805]
July 25th Thursday
1805
a fine morning we
proceeded on a fiew miles to the three forks of the
Missouri those
three forks are nearly of a Size, the North fork appears
to have the most
water and must be Considered as the one best
calculated for us
to assend middle fork is quit as large about 90 yds.
wide. The South
fork is about 70 yds wide & falls in about 400 yards
below the midle
fork. those forks appear to be verry rapid & Contain
Some timber in
their bottoms which is verry extincive,- on the North
Side the Indians
have latterly Set the Praries on fire, the Cause I
can't account for.
I Saw one horse track going up the river about four
or 5 days past.
after Brackfast (which we made on the ribs of a Buck
killed yesterday),
I wrote a note informing Capt Lewis the rout I
intended to take,
and proeeded on up the main North fork thro a vallie,
the day verry hot
about 6 or 8 miles up the North fork a Small rapid
river falls in on
the Lard Side which affords a great Deel of water and
appears to head in
the Snow mountains to the S W. this little river
falls into the
Missouri by three mouthes, haveing Seperated after it
arrives in the
river Bottoms, and Contains as also all the water
courses in this
quarter emence number of Beaver & orter maney thousand
enhabit the river
& Creeks near the 3 forks (Pholosiphie's River)- We
Campd on the Same
Side we assended Starboard 20 miles on a direct line
up the N. fork.
Shabono our intrepreter nearly tired one of his ankles
falling him- The
bottoms are extencive and tolerable land Covered with
tall grass &
prickley pears The hills & mountains are high Steep &
rockey. The river
verry much divided by Islands Some Elk Bear & Deer
and Some Small
timber on the Islands. Great quantities of Currents,
red, black, yellow,
Purple, also Mountain Currents which grow on the
Sides of Clifts;
inferior in taste to the others haveing Sweet pineish
flaver and are red
& yellow, Choke Cheries, Boin roche, and the red
buries also abound-
musquitors verry trouble Som untill the mountain
breeze Sprung up
which was a little after night.
[Lewis, July 26,
1805]
Friday July 26th
1805.
Set out early this
morning as usual current strong with frequent
riffles; employ the
cord and seting poles. the oars scarcely ever being
used except to pass
the river in order to take advantage of the shore
and cur-rent. at
the distance of 33/4 m. passed the entrance of a large
Creek 15 yds. wide
which discharges itself on Lard. near the center of
a Lard. bend it is
a bold runing stream this we called Howard's Creek
after Thomas P.
Howard one of our party. at the distance of one mile
further we passed
the entrance of a small run which falls in just above
a rocky clift on
Lard. here the hills or reather mountains again recede
from the river and
the valley again widens to the extent of several
miles with wide and
fertile bottom lands. covered with grass and in
many places a fine
terf of greenswoard. the high lands are thin meagre
soil covered with
dry low sedge and a species of grass also dry the
seeds of which are
armed with a long twisted hard beard at the upper
extremity while the
lower point is a sharp subulate firm point beset at
it's base with
little stiff bristles standing with their points in a
contrary direction
to the subulate point to which they answer as a barb
and serve also to
pres it forward when onece entered a small distance.
these barbed seed
penetrate our mockersons and leather legings and give
us great pain
untill they are removed. my poor dog suffers with them
excessively, he is
constantly hinting and scratching himself as if in a
rack of pain. the
prickly pear also grow here as abundantly as usual.
there is another
species of the prickly pear of a globular form,
composed of an
assemblage of little conic leaves springing from a
common root to
which their small points are attached as a common center
and the base of the
cone forms the apex of the leaf which is garnished
with a circular
range of sharp thorns quite as stif and more keen than
the more common
species with the flat leaf, like the Cockeneal plant.
on entering this
open valley I saw the snowclad tops of distant
mountains before
us. the timber and mountains much as heretofore. saw a
number of beaver
today and some otter, killed one of the former, also 4
deer; found a
deer's skin which had been left by Capt. C. with a note
informing me of his
having met with a horse but had seen no fresh
appearance of the
Indians. the river in the valley is from 2 to 250
yds. wide and
crouded with Islands, in some places it is 3/4 of a mile
wide including
islands. were it passed the hills it was from 150 to 200
yds. the banks are
still low but never overflow. one of the men brought
me an indian bow
which he found, it was made of cedar and about 2 F. 9
Inh. in length. it
had nothing remarkable in it's form being much such
as is used by the
Mandans Minetares &c. This morning Capt. Clark left
Sharbono and Joseph
Fields at the camp of last evening and proceeded up
the river about 12
miles to the top of a mountain from whence he had an
extensive view of
the valley of the river upwards and of a large creek
which flowed into
it on Std. side. not meeting with any fresh
appearance of
Indians he determined to return and examine the middle
fork of the
missouri and meet me by the time he expected me to arrive
at the forks. he
returned down the mountain by the way of an old Indian
road which led
through a deep hollow of the mountain facing the south
the day being warm
and the road unshaded by timber he suffered
excessively with
heat and the want of water, at length he arrived at a
very cold spring,
at which he took the precaution of weting his feet
head and hands
before drank but notwithstanding this precaution he soon
felt the effects of
the water. he felt himself very unwell shortly
after but continued
his march rejoined Sharbono and Fields where the
party eat of a fawn
which Jo. Fields had killed in their absence Capt.
C. was so unwell
that he had no inclination to eat. after a short
respite he resumed
his march pass the North fork at a large island;
here Charbono was
very near being swept away by the current and cannot
swim, Capt. C
however risqued him and saved his life. Capt. C.
continued his march
to a small river which falls into the North fork
some miles above
the junction of the 3 forks it being the distance of
about four miles
from his camp of last evening here finding himself
still more unwell
he determined to encamp. they killed two brown or
Grisley bear this
evening on the island where they passed the N. fork
of the Missouri.
this stream is much divided by islands and it's
current rapid and
much as that of the missouri where we are and is
navigable.-
[Clark, July 26,
1805]
July 26th Friday
1805
I deturmined to
leave Shabono & one man who had Sore feet to rest &
proceed on with the
other two to the top of a mountain 12 miles distant
west and from
thence view the river & vallies a head, we with great
dificuelty &
much fatigue reached the top at 11 oClock from the top of
this mountain I
could see the Course of the North fork about 10 miles
meandering through
a Vallie but Could discover no Indians or Sign which
was fresh. I could
also See Some distance up the Small River below, and
also the middle
fork after Satisfying my Self returned to the two men
by an old Indian
parth, on this parth & in the Mountain we Came to a
Spring of excessive
Cold water, which we drank reather freely of as we
were almost
famished; not with Standing the precautions of wetting my
face, hands, &
feet, I Soon felt the effects of the water. We Contind.
thro a Deep Vallie
without a Tree to Shade us Scorching with heat to
the men who had
killed a pore Deer, I was fatigued my feet with Several
blisters &
Stuck with prickley pears. I eate but verry little
deturmined to Cross
to the middle fork and examine that. we Crossed the
Missouri which was
divided by a verry large Island, the first Part was
knee deep, the
other waste deep & verry rapid- I felt my Self verry
unwell & took
up Camp on the little river 3 miles above its mouth &
near the place it
falls into the bottom a fiew Drops of rain this
evening
we killed 2 bear
which was imediately in our way. both pore emence
number of Beaver
and orter in this little river which forks in the
bottom
[Lewis, July 27,
1805]
Saturday July 27th
1805.
We set out at an
early hour and proceeded on but slowly the current
still so rapid that
the men are in a continual state of their utmost
exertion to get on,
and they begin to weaken fast from this continual
state of violent
exertion. at the distance of 13/4 miles the river was
again closely
hemned in by high Clifts of a solid limestone rock which
appear to have
tumbled or sunk in the same manner of those discribed
yesterday. the
limestone appears to be of an excellent quality of deep
blue colour when
fractured and of a light led colour where exposed to
the weather. it
appears to be of a very fine grain the fracture like
that of marble. we
saw a great number of the bighorn on those Clifts.
at the distance of
33/4 ms. further we arrived at 9 A.M. at the
junction of the S.
E. fork of the Missouri and the country opens
suddonly to
extensive and beatifull plains and meadows which appear to
be surrounded in
every direction with distant and lofty mountains;
supposing this to
be the three forks of the Missouri I halted the party
on the Lard. shore
for breakfast and walked up the S. E. fork about 1/2
a mile and ascended
the point of a high limestone clift from whence I
commanded a most
perfect view of the neighbouring country. From this
point I could see
the S. E. fork about 7 miles. it is rapid and about
70 yards wide.
throughout the distance I saw it, it passes through a
smoth extensive
green meadow of fine grass in it's course meandering in
several streams the
largest of which passes near the Lard. hills, of
which, the one I
stand on is the extremity in this direction. a high
wide and extensive
plain succeeds the meadow and extends back several
miles from the
river on the Stard. sade and with the range of mountains
up the Lard. side
of the middle fork. a large spring arrises in this
meadow about 1/4 of
a mile from the S. E. fork into which it discharges
itself on the
Stard. side about 400 paces above me. from E to S.
between the S. E.
and middle forks a distant range of lofty mountains
rose their
snow-clad tops above the irregular and broken mountains
which lie adjacent
to this beautifull spot. the extreme point to which
I could see the S.
E. fork boar S. 65° E. distant 7 ms. as before
observed. between
the middle and S. E. forks near their junctions with
the S. W. fork
there is a handsom site for a fortification it consists
of a limestone rock
of an oblong form; it's sides perpendicular and
about 25 ft high
except at the extremity towards the middle fork where
it ascends
gradually and like the top is covered with a fine terf of
greenswoard. the
top is level and contains about 2 Acres. the rock
rises from the
level plain as if it had been designed for some such
purpose. the
extream point to which I can see the bottom and meandering
of the Middle fork
bears S. 15 E distant about 14 miles. here it turns
to the right around
a point of a high plain and disappears to my view.
it's bottoms are
several miles in width and like that of the S. E. fork
form one smoth and
beautifull green meadow. it is also divided into
several streams.
betwen this and the S. W. fork there is an extensive
plain which appears
to extend up both those rivers many miles and back
to the mountains.
the extreme point to which I can see the S. W. fork
bears S. 30 W.
distant about 12 miles. this stream passes through a
similar country
with the other two and is more divided and serpentine
in it's course than
either of the others; it also possesses abundanly
more timber in it's
bottoms. the timber here consists of the
narrowleafed
cottonwood almost entirely. but little box alder or sweet
willow the
underbrush thick and as heretofore discribed in the quarter
of the missouri. a
range of high mountains at a considerable distance
appear to reach
from South to West and are partially covered with snow
the country to the
right of the S. W. fork like that to the left of the
S. E. fork is high
broken and mountainous as is that also down the
missouri behind us,
through which, these three rivers after assembling
their united force
at this point seem to have forced a passage these
bottom lands tho
not more than 8 or 9 feet above the water seem never
to overflow. after
making a draught of the connection and meanders of
these streams I
decended the hill and returned to the party, took
breakfast and
ascended the S. W. fork 13/4 miles and encamped at a
Lard. bend in a
handsome level smooth plain just below a bayou, having
passed the entrance
of the middle fork at 1/2 a mile. here I encamped
to wait the return
of Capt. Clark and to give the men a little rest
which seemed
absolutely necessary to them. at the junction of the S. W.
and Middle forks I
found a note which had been left by Capt. Clark
informing me of his
intended rout, and that he would rejoin me at this
place provided he
did not fall in with any fresh sighn of Indians, in
which case he
intended to pursue untill he over took them calculating
on my taking the S.
W. fork, which I most certainly prefer as it's
direction is much
more promising than any other. beleiving this to be
an essential point
in the geography of this western part of the
Continent I
determined to remain at all events untill I obtained the
necessary data for
fixing it's latitude Longitude &c. after fixing my
camp I had the
canoes all unloaded and the baggage stoed away and
securely covered on
shore, and then permitted several men to hunt. I
walked down to the
middle fork and examined and compared it with the S.
W. fork but could
not satisfy myself which was the largest stream of
the two, in fact
they appeared as if they had been cast in the same
mould there being
no difference in character or size, therefore to call
either of these
streams the Missouri would be giving it a preference
wich it's size dose
not warrant as it is not larger then the other.
they are each 90
yds. wide. in these meadows I saw a number of the
duckanmallad with
their young which are now nearly grown. Currants of
every species as
well as goosberries are found here in great abundance
and perfection. a
large black goosberry which grows to the hight of
five or six feet is
also found here. this is the growth of the bottom
lands and is found
also near the little rivulets which make down from
the hills and
mountains it puts up many stems from the same root, some
of which are
partialy branched and all reclining. the berry is
attatched
seperately by a long peduncle to the stem from which they
hang pendant
underneath. the berry is of an ovate form smooth as large
as the common
garden goosberry when arrived at maturity and is as black
as jet, tho the
pulp is of a cimson colour. this fruit is extreemly
asced. the leaf
resembles the common goosberry in form but is reather
larger and somewhat
proportioned to the superior size of it's stem when
compared with the
common goosberry. the stem is covered with very sharp
thorns or bryers.
below the tree forks as we passed this morning I
observed many
collections of the mud nests of the small martin
attatched to the
smooth face of the limestone rocks sheltered by
projections of the
same rock above. Our hunters returned this evening
with 6 deer 3 Otter
and a musk rat. they informed me that they had seen
great numbers of
Antelopes, and much sign of beaver Otter deer Elk, &c.
at 3 P.M. Capt
Clark arrived very sick with a high fever on him and
much fatiegued and
exhausted. he informed me that he was very sick all
last night had a
high fever and frequent chills & constant aking pains
in all his mustles.
this morning notwithstanding his indisposition he
pursued his
intended rout to the middle fork about 8 miles and finding
no recent sign of
Indians rested about an hour and came down the middle
fork to this place.
Capt. C. thought himself somewhat bilious and had
not had a passage
for several days; I prevailed on him to take a doze
of Rushes pills,
which I have always found sovereign in such cases and
to bath his feet in
warm water and rest himself. Capt. C's
indisposition was a
further inducement for my remaining here a couple
of days; I
therefore informed the men of my intention, and they put
their deer skins in
the water in order to prepare them for dressing
tomorrow. we begin
to feel considerable anxiety with rispect to the
Snake Indians. if
we do not find them or some other nation who have
horses I fear the
successfull issue of our voyage will be very
doubtfull or at all
events much more difficult in it's accomplishment.
we are now several
hundred miles within the bosom of this wild and
mountanous country,
where game may rationally be expected shortly to
become scarce and
subsistence precarious without any information with
rispect to the
country not knowing how far these mountains continue, or
wher to direct our
course to pass them to advantage or intersept a
navigable branch of
the Columbia, or even were we on such an one the
probability is that
we should not find any timber within these
mountains large
enough for canoes if we judge from the portion of them
through which we
have passed. however I still hope for the best, and
intend taking a
tramp myself in a few days to find these yellow
gentlemen if
possible. my two principal consolations are that from our
present position it
is impossible that the S. W. fork can head with the
waters of any other
river but the Columbia, and that if any Indians can
subsist in the form
of a nation in these mountains with the means they
have of acquiring
food we can also subsist. Capt. C. informed me that
there is a part of
this bottom on the West side of the Middle fork near
the plain, which
appears to overflow occasionally and is stony.
[Clark, July 27,
1805]
July 27th Saturday
1805
I was verry unwell
all last night with a high fever & akeing in all my
bones. my fever
&c. continus, deturmind to prosue my intended rout to
the middle fork,
accordingly Set out in great pain across a Prarie 8
miles to the Middle
this fork is nearly as large as the North fork &
appears to be more
rapid, we examined and found no fresh Sign of
Indians, and after
resting about an hour, proceeded down to the
junction thro a
wide bottom which appears to be overflown every year, &
maney parts Stoney
this river has Several Islands and number of beaver
& orter, but
little timber. we could See no fresh Sign of Indians just
above the Point I
found Capt Lewis encamped haveing arrived about 2
oClock. Several Deer
killed this evening. I continue to be verry unwell
fever verry high;
take 5 of rushes pills & bathe my feet & legs in hot
water
[Lewis, July 28,
1805]
Sunday July 28th
1805.
My friend Capt.
Clark was very sick all last night but feels himself
somwhat better this
morning since his medicine has opperated. I
dispatched two men
early this morning up the S. E. Fork to examine the
river; and
permitted sundry others to hunt in the neighbourhood of this
place. Both Capt.
C. and myself corrisponded in opinon with rispect to
the impropriety of
calling either of these streams the Missouri and
accordingly agreed
to name them after the President of the United
States and the
Secretaries of the Treasury and state having previously
named one river in
honour of the Secretaries of War and Navy. In
pursuance of this
resolution we called the S. W. fork, that which we
meant to ascend,
Jefferson's River in honor of Thomas Jefferson. the
Middle fork we
called Madison's River in honor of James Madison, and
the S. E. Fork we
called Gallitin's River in honor of Albert Gallitin.
the two first are
90 yards wide and the last is 70 yards. all of them
run with great
valocity and thow out large bodies of water. Gallitin's
River is reather
more rapid than either of the others, is not quite as
deep but from all
appearances may be navigated to a considerable
distance. Capt. C.
who came down Madison's river yesterday and has also
seen Jefferson's
some distance thinks Madison's reather the most rapid,
but it is not as
much so by any means as Gallitin's. the beds of all
these streams are
formed of smooth pebble and gravel, and their waters
perfectly
transparent; in short they are three noble streams. there is
timber enough here
to support an establishment, provided it be erected
with brick or stone
either of which would be much cheaper than wood as
all the materials
for such a work are immediately at the spot. there
are several small
sand-bars along the shores at no great distance of
very pure sand and
the earth appears as if it would make good brick. I
had all our baggage
spread out to dry this morning; and the day proving
warm, I had a small
bower or booth erected for the comfort of Capt. C.
our leather lodge
when exposed to the sun is excessively hot. I observe
large quantities of
the sand rush in these bottoms which grow in many
places as high as a
man's breast and stand as thick as the stalks of
wheat usually do.
this affords one of the best winter pastures on earth
for horses or cows,
and of course will be much in favour of an
establishment
should it ever be thought necessary to fix one at this
place. the grass is
also luxouriant and would afford a fine swarth of
hay at this time in
parsels of many acres together. all those who are
not hunting altho
much fatiegued are busily engaged in dressing their
skins, making
mockersons leggings &c to make themselves comfortable.
the Musquetoes are
more than usually troublesome, the knats are not as
much so. in the
evening about 4 O'Ck the wind blew hard from South West
and after some
little time brought on a Cloud attended with thunder and
Lightning from
which we had a fine refreshing shower which cooled the
air considerably;
the showers continued with short intervals untill
after dark. in the evening
the hunters all returned they had killed 8
deer and 2 Elk.
some of the deer wer in excellent order. those whome I
had sent up
Gallitin's river reported that after it passed the point to
which I had seen it
yesterday that it turned more to the East to a
considerable
distance or as far as they could discover the opening of
the Mountains
formed by it's valley which was many miles. the bottoms
were tolerably wide
but not as much so as at or near it's mouth. it's
current is rappid
and the stream much divided with islands but is
sufficiently deep
for canoe navigation. Our present camp is precisely
on the spot that
the Snake Indians were encamped at the time the
Minnetares of the
Knife R. first came in sight of them five years
since. from hence
they retreated about three miles up Jeffersons river
and concealed
themselves in the woods, the Minnetares pursued, attacked
them, killed 4 men
4 women a number of boys, and mad prisoners of all
the females and
four boys, Sah-cah-gar-we-ah or Indian woman was one of
the female
prisoners taken at that time; tho I cannot discover that she
shews any immotion
of sorrow in recollecting this event, or of joy in
being again
restored to her native country; if she has enough to eat
and a few trinkets
to wear I beleive she would be perfectly content
anywhere.
[Clark, July 28,
1805]
July 28th Sunday
1805
I was verry unwell
all night, Something better this morning, a very
worm day untill 4
oClock when the wind rose & blew hard from the S W.
and was Cloudy, The
Thermometr. Stood at 90° above 0 in the evening a
heavy thunder
Shower from the S W. which continud at intervales untill
after dark, Several
deer killed to day men all employed dressing Skins
for Clothes &
Mockersons, two men went up the East fork & reports that
it is nearly the
Size of the N. fork, verry rapid & has maney Islands.
Our present Camp is
the prosise Spot the Snake Indians were Camped at
the time the
Minetarries came in Sight, attacked & killed 4 men 4 women
& a number of
boys, & made prisoners of all. the females & 4 boys.
[Lewis, July 29,
1805]
Monday July 29th
1805.
This morning some
of the hunters turned out and returned in a few hours
with four fat
bucks, the venison is now very fine we have killed no
mule deer since we
lay here, they are all of the longtailed red deer
which appear quite
as large as those of the United States. the hunters
brought in a living
young sandhill crane it has nearly obtained it's
growth but cannot
fly; they had pursued it and caught it in the
meadows. it's
colour is precisely that of the red deer. we see a number
of the old or full
grown crams of this species feeding in these
meadows. this young
animal is very ferce and strikes a severe blow with
his beak; after
amusing myself with it I had it set at liberty and it
moved off
apparently much pleased with being releived from his
captivity. the men
have been busily engaged all day in dising skins and
making them into
various garments all are leather dressers and taylors.
we see a great
abundance of fish in the stream some of which we take to
be trout but they
will not bite at any bate we can offer them. the King
fisher is common on
the river since we have left the falls of the
Missouri. we have
not seen the summer duck since we left that place,
nor do I beleive
that it is an inhabitant of the Rocky mountains. the
Duckanmallard were
first seen with their young on the 20th inst. and I
forgot to note it;
they are now abundant with their young but do not
breed in the
missouri below the mountains. the grasshopers and crickets
are abundant in the
plains as are also the small birds frequently
mentioned. there is
also in these plains a large ant with a redish
brown body and
legs, and a black head and abdomen; they construct
little perimids of
small gravel in a conic shape, about 10 or 12 inches
high without a
mixture of sticks and with but little earth. Capt. Clark
is much better
today, is perfectly clear of fever but still very
languid and
complains of a general soarness in all his limbs. I
prevailed on him to
take the barks which he has done and eate tolerably
freely of our good
venison.
[Clark, July 29,
1805]
July 29 Monday 1805
A fair morning wind
from the North I feel my Self something better to
day, made some
Celestial observations took two Merdn. altitudes which
gave for Latd. 45°
22' 34" N men all dressing Skins &c.
[Lewis, July 30,
1805]
Tuesday July 30th
1805.
Capt. Clark being
much better this morning and having completed my
observations we
reloaded our canoes and set out, ascending Jeffersons
river. Sharbono,
his woman two invalleds and myself walked through the
bottom on the Lard.
side of the river about 41/2 miles when we again
struck it at the
place the woman informed us that she was taken
prisoner. here we
halted untill Capt. Clark arrived which was not
untill after one
P.M. the water being strong and the river extreemly
crooked. we dined
and again proceeded on; as the river now passed
through the woods
the invalleds got on board together with Sharbono and
the Indian woman; I
passed the river and continued my walk on the
Stard. side. saw a
vast number of beaver in many large dams which they
had maid in various
bayoes of the river which are distributed to the
distance of three
or four miles on this side of the river over an
extensive bottom of
timbered and meadow lands intermixed. in order to
avoid these bayoes
and beaver dams which I found difficult to pass I
directed my course
to the high plain to the right which I gained after
some time with much
difficulty and waiding many beaver dams to my waist
in mud and water. I
would willingly have joined the canoes but the
brush were so
thick, the river crooked and bottoms intercepted in such
manner by the
beaver dams, that I found it uceless to attempt to find
them, and therefore
proceeded on up the river in order to intersept it
where it came near
the plain and woult be more collected into one
channel. at length
about sunset I arrived at the river only about six
miles from my
calculation on a direct line from the place I had left
the canoes but I
thought they were still below me. I found the river
was divided where I
reached it by an Island and was therefore fearfull
that they might
pass without my seeing them, and went down to the lower
point of the large
island; here I discovered a small Island, close
under the shore on
which I was; I passed the narrow channel to the
small island and
examined the gravly bar along the edge of the river
for the tracks of
the men, knowing from the appearance of the river at
this place that if
they had passed they would have used the cord on the
side where I was. I
saw no tracks and was then fully convinced that
they were below me.
I fired my gun and hallooed but counld hear nothing
of them. by this
time it was getting nearly dark and a duck lit on the
shore in about 40
steps of me and I killed it; having now secured my
supper I looked our
for a suitable place to amuse myself in combating
the musquetoes for
the ballance of the evening. I found a parsel of
drift wood at the
head of the little Island on which I was and
immediately set it
on fire and collected some willow brush to lye on. I
cooked my duck
which I found very good and after eating it layed down
and should have had
a comfortable nights lodge but for the musquetoes
which infested me
all night. late at night I was awakened by the nois
of some animal
runing over the stoney bar on which I lay but did not
see it; from the
weight with which it ran I supposed it to be either an
Elk or a brown
bear. the latter are very abundant in this
neighbourhood. the
night was cool but I felt very little inconvenience
from it as I had a
large fire all night. Capt. Clark had proceeded on
after I seperated
from him and encamped on a islad. only about 2 miles
below me but did
not hear the report of my gun nor of my hooping.-I saw
some deer and
antelopes.
[Clark, July 30,
1805]
July 30th Monday
1805
We Set out 8 oClock
and proceeded on 131/2 miles up the N. fork the
river verry rapid
& Sholey the Channel entirely Corse gravel many
Islands and a
number of Chanels in different directions thro the bottom
&c. passed the
place the Squar interpretress was taken, one man with
his Sholder
Strained, 2 with Turners, we Camped on the Std. Side the
evening Cool. Capt
Lewis who walkd on Shore did not join me this evening
[Lewis, July 31,
1805]
Wednesday July 31st
1805.
This morning I
waited at my camp very impatiently for the arrival of
Capt. Clark and
party; I observed by my watch that it was 7 A.M. and
they had not come
in sight. I now became very uneasy and determined to
wait until 8 and if
they did not arrive by that time to proceed on up
the river taking it
as a fact that they had passed my camp some miles
last evening. just
as I set out to pursue my plan I discovered Charbono
walking up shore
some distance below me and waited untill arrived I now
learnt that the
canoes were behind, they arrived shortly after. their
detention had been
caused by the rapidity of the water and the
circuitous rout of the
river. they halted and breakfasted after which
we all set out
again and I continued my walk on the Stard. shore the
river now becomes
more collected the islands tho numerous ar generally
small. the river
continues rapid and is from 90 to 120 yd. wide has a
considerable
quantity of timber in it's bottoms. towards evening the
bottoms became much
narrower and the timber much more scant. high hills
set in close on the
Lard. and the plain high waivy or reather broken on
the Stard. and
approach the river closely for a shot distance vally
above 11/2 M wd.
About one mile above Capt. Clark's encampment of the
last evening the
principall entrance of a considerable river discharges
itself into
Jefferson's river. this stream is a little upwards of 30
yd. wide discharges
a large quantity of very clear water it's bed like
that of Jefferson's
river is pebble and gravel. it takes it's rise in
the snowclad
mountains between Jefferson's and Madison's Rivers to the
S. W. and
discharges itself into the former by seven mouths it has some
timber in it's
bottoms and vas numbers of beaver and Otter. this stream
we call River
Philosophy. the rock of the clifts this evening is a hard
black grannite like
that of the clifts of most parts of the river below
the limestone
clifts at the 3 forks of the Missouri this evening just
before we encamped
Drewyer discovered a brown bear enter a small cops
of bushes on the
Lard. side; we surrounded the place an surched the
brush but he had
escaped in some manner unperceived but how we could
not discover.
nothing killed today and our fresh meat is out. when we
have a plenty of
fresh meat I find it impossible to make the men take
any care of it, or
use it with the least frugallity. tho I expect that
necessity will
shortly teach them this art. the mountiains on both
sides of the river
at no great distance are very lofty. we have a lame
crew just now, two
with turners or bad boils on various parts of them,
one with a bad
stone bruise, one with his arm accedently dislocated but
fortunately well
replaced, and a fifth has streigned his back by
sliping and falling
backwards on the gunwall of the canoe. the latter
is Sergt. Gass. it
gives him great pain to work in the canoe in his
present situation,
but he thinks he can walk with convenience, I
therefore scelected
him as one of the party to accompany me tomorrow,
being determined to
go in quest of the Snake Indians. I also directed
Drewyer and
Charbono to hold themselves in readiness. Charbono thinks
that his ankle is
sufficiently recovered to stand the march but I
entertain my doubts
of the fact; he is very anxious to accompany me and
I therefore indulge
him. There is some pine on the hills on both sides
of the river
opposite to our encampment which is on the Lard. side upon
a small island just
above a run. the bull rush & Cat-tail flag grow in
great abundance in
the moist parts of the bottoms the dryer situations
are covered with
fine grass, tanzy, thistles, onions and flax. the
bottom land fertile
and of a black rich loam. the uplands poor sterile
and of a light
yellow clay with a mixture of small smooth pebble and
gravel, poducing
prickley pears, sedge and the bearded grass in great
abundance; this
grass is now so dry that it would birn like tinder.- we
saw one bighorn
today a few antelopes and deer.-
[Clark, July 31,
1805]
July 31st Tuesday
1805
a fair Morning Capt
Lewis out all night, we arrived at his Camp to
brackfast, he was
without a blanket, & he killed a Duck whiche Suped on
&c. the river
as yesterday Sholey & rapid, passed the lower mouth of a
Small river on the
Lard. in the morning & the upper mouth a ____ Miles
above, this little
river is the one I camped on the 26th & heads in the
Snow mountains to
the S W. proceeded on verry well and Camped on a
Small Island a
little above the place I Camped the 25th instant at the
mouth of a run on
the Lard Side, the bottoms from the Mouth of the
river extend to
21/2 Miles & enter a Short & high hill which is about 1
mile thro and, the
river then passes thro a 2d value of about 11/2
Miles wide, Some
Islands. below this Knobe the river is Crouded with
Islands, we are out
of fresh meet, & nothing killed to day The
Mountains on either
Side is high & rough we have two men with toumers
and unable to work.
Capt Lewis deturmin
to proceed on with three men in Serch of the Snake
Indians, tomorrow
[Lewis, August 1,
1805]
August 1st 1805
At half after 8
A.M. we halted for breakfast and as had been previously
agreed on between
Capt. Clark and myself I set out with 3 men in quest
of the Snake
Indians. the men I took were the two Interpreters Drewyer
and Sharbono and
Sergt. Gass who by an accedental fall had so disabled
himself that it was
with much pain he could work in the canoes tho he
could march with
convenience. the rout we took lay over a rough high
range of mountains
on the North side of the river. the rive entered
these mountains a
few miles above where we left it. Capt Clark
recommended this
rout to me from a belief that the river as soon as it
past the mountains
boar to the N. of W. he having a few days before
ascended these
mountains to a position from which he discovered a large
valley passing
betwen the mountains and which boar to the N. West. this
however poved to be
the inlet of a large creek which discharged itself
into the river just
above this range of mountans, the river bearing to
the S. W. we were
therefore thrown several miles out of our rout. as
soon as we
discovered our mistake we directed our course to the river
which we at length
gained about 2 P.M. much exhausted by the heat of
the day the
roughnes of the road and the want of water. the mountains
are extreemly bare
of timber and our rout lay through the steep valleys
exposed to the heat
of the sun without shade and scarcely a breath of
air; and to add to
my fatiegue in this walk of about 11 miles I had
taken a doze of
glauber salts in the morning in consequence of a slight
desentary with
which I had been afflicted for several days; being
weakened by the
disorder and the opperation of the medecine I found
myself almost
exhausted before we reached the river. I felt my sperits
much revived on our
near approach to the river at the sight of a herd
of Elk of which
Drewyer and myself killed two. we then hurried to the
river and allayed
our thirst. I ordered two of the men to skin the Elk
and bring the meat
to the river while myself and the other prepared a
fire and cooked
some of the meat for our dinner. we made a comfortable
meal of the Elk and
left the ballance of the meat on the bank of the
river the party
with Capt. Clark. this supply was no doubt very
acceptable to them
as they had had no fresh meat for near two days
except one beaver
Game being very scarce and shy. we had seen a few
deer and some goats
but had not been fortunate enough to kill any of
them. after dinner
we resumed our march and encamped about 6 m. above
on the Stard side
of the river.
[Lewis, August 1,
1805]
Thursday August 1st
1805.
This morning we set
out early and proceeded on tolerably well untill 8
OCT. by which time
we had arrived within a few miles of a mountain
through which the
river passes. we halted on the Stard. side and took
breakfast. after
which or at 1/2 after 8 A.M. as had been previously
concerted betwen
Capt. Clark and myself I set out with three men in
surch of the Snake
Indians or Sosonees. our rout lay over a high range
of mountains on the
North side of the river. Capt C. recommended this
rout to me no doubt
from a beleif that the river as soon as it passed
this chain of
mountains boar to the N. of W. he having on the 26th ult.
ascended these
mountains to a position from whence he discoved a large
valley passing
between the mountains which boar to the N. W. and
presumed that the
river passed in that direction; this however proved
to be the passage
of a large creek which discharged itself into the
river just above
this range of mountains, the river bearing to the S.
W. we were
therefore thrown several miles out of our rout. as soon as
we discovered our
error we directed our course to the river which we at
length gained about
2 P.M. much exhausted by the heat of the day, the
roughness of the
road and the want of water. the mountains are
extreemly bare of
timber, and our rout lay through the steep and narrow
hollows of the
mountains exposed to the intese heat of the midday sun
without shade or
scarcely a breath of air to add to my fatiegue in this
walk of about 11
miles, I had taken a doze of glauber salts in the
morning in
consequence of a slight disentary with which I had been
afflicted for
several days. being weakened by the disorder and the
operation of the
medicine I found myself almost exhausted before we
reached the river.
I felt my sperits much revived on our near approach
to the river at the
sight of a herd of Elk, of which Drewyer and myself
soon killed a
couple. we then hurryed to the river and allayed our
thirst. I ordered
two of the men to skin the Elk and bring the meat to
the river, while
myself and the other prepared a fire and cooked some
of the meat for our
dinner. we made a comfortable meal on the Elk, and
left the ballance
of the meat and skins on the bank of the river for
Capt. Clark and
party. this supply will no doubt be acceptable to them,
as they had had no
fresh meat when I left them for almost 2 days except
one beaver; game
being very scarce and shy above the forks. we had seen
a few deer and
antelopes but had not been fortunate enough to kill any
of them. as I
passed these mountains I saw a flock of the black or dark
brown phesants; the
young phesant is almost grown we killed one of
them. this bird is
fully a third larger than the common phesant of the
Atlantic states.
it's form is much the same. it is booted nearly to the
toes and the male
has not the tufts of long black feathers on the sides
of the neck which
are so conspicuous in those of the Atlantic. their
colour is a uniform
dark brown with a small mixture of yellow or
yelloish brown
specks on some of the feathers particularly those of the
tail, tho the
extremities of these are perfectly black for about one
inch. the eye is
nearly black, the iris has a small dash of yellowish
brown. the feathers
of the tail are reather longer than that of our
phesant or
pattridge as they are Called in the Eastern States; are the
same in number or
eighteen and all nearly of the same length, those in
the intermediate
part being somewhat longest. the flesh of this bird is
white and agreeably
flavored. I also saw near the top of the mountain
among some
scattering pine a blue bird about the size of the common
robbin. it's action
and form is somewhat that of the jay bird and never
rests long in any
one position but constantly flying or hoping from
sprey to sprey. I
shot at one of them but missed it. their note is loud
and frequently
repeated both flying and when at rest and is char ah',
char'ah, char ah',
as nearly as letters can express it. after dinner we
resumed our march
and my pack felt much lighter than it had done about
2 hours before. we
traveled about six miles further and encamped on the
stard. bank of the
river, making a distance of 17 miles for this day.
the Musquetoes were
troublesome but I had taken the precaution of
bringing my bier.
Shortly after I
left Capt. Clark this morning he proceed on and passed
through the
mountains; they formed tremendious clifts of ragged and
nearly
perpendicular rocks; the lower .part of this rock is of the
black grannite
before mentioned and the upper part a light coloured
freestone. these
clifts continue for 9 miles and approach the river
very closely on
either side. he found the current verry strong. Capt.
C. killed a big
horn on these clifts which himself and party dined on.
after passing this
range of mountains he entered this beautifull valley
in which we also
were it is from 6 to 8 miles wide. the river is
crooked and crouded
with islands, it's bottoms wide fertile and covered
with fine grass
from 9 inches to 2 feet high and possesses but a scant
proportion of
timber, which consists almost entirely of a few narrow
leafed cottonwood
trees distributed along the verge of the river. in
the evening Capt.
C. found the Elk I had left him and ascended a short
distance above to
the entrance of a large creek which falls in on
Stard. and encamped
opposite to it on the Lard. side. he sent out the
two Fieldses to
hunt this evening and they killed 5 deer, which with
the Elk again gave
them a plentifull store of fresh provisions. this
large creek we
called Field's Creek after Reubin Fields one our party.
on the river about
the mountains wich Capt. C. passed today he saw some
large cedar trees
and some juniper also just at the upper side of the
mountain there is a
bad rappid here the toe line of our canoe broke in
the shoot of the
rapids and swung on the rocks and had very nearly
overset. a small
distance above this rapid a large bold Creek falls in
on Lard. side which
we called Frazier's Creek after Robt. Frazier. They
saw a large brown
bear feeding on currants but could not get a shoot at
him.
[Clark, August 1,
1805]
August 1st
Wednesday 1805
A fine day Capt.
Lewis left me at 8 oClock just below the place I
entered a verrey
high mountain which jutted its tremedious Clifts on
either Side for 9
Miles, the rocks ragide Some verry dark & other part
verry light rock the
light rocks is Sand Stone. The water Swift & very
Sholey. I killed a
Ibix on which the whole party Dined, after passing
through the
Mountain we entered a wide extesive vallie of from 4 to 8
Miles wide verry
leavell a Creek falls in at the Commencement of this
Vallie on the Lard
Side, the river widens & spreds into Small Chanels.
We encamped on the
Lard Side opposit a large Creek I sent out Jo. & R
fields to hunt this
evening they killed 5 Deer, I saw a large Bear
eateing Currents
this evining The river so rapid that the greatest
exertion is
required by all to get the boats on wind S W Murckery at
sun rise 50° Ab. 0
[Lewis, August 2,
1805]
August 2nd 1805.
We resumed our
march this morning at sunrise the weather was fair and
wind from N. W.
finding that the river still boar to the south I
determined to pass
it if possible to shorten our rout this we effected
about five miles
above our camp of last evening by wading it. found the
current very rappid
about 90 yards wide and waist deep this is the
first time that I
ever dared to make the attempt to wade the river, tho
there are many
places between this and the three forks where I presume
it migh be
attempted with equal success. the valley though which our
rout of this day
lay and through which the river winds it's meandering
course is a
beatifull level plain with but little timber and that on
the verge of the
river. the land is tolerably fertile, consisting of a
black or dark
yellow loam, and covered with grass from 9 Inches to 2
feet high. the
plain ascends gradually on either side of the river to
the bases of two
ranges of mountains which ly parrallel to the river
and which terminate
the width of the vally. the tops of these mountains
were yet partially
covered with snow while we in the valley. were
suffocated nearly
with the intense heat of the midday sun. the nights
are so could that
two blankets are not more than sufficient covering.
we found a great
courants, two kinds of which were red, others yellow
deep purple and
black, also black goosburies and service buries now
ripe and in full
perfection, we feasted suptuously on our wild fruit
particularly the
yellow courant and the deep purple servicebury which I
found to be
excellent the courrant grows very much like the red currant
common to the
gardens in the atlantic states tho the leaf is somewhat
different and the
growth taller. the service burry grows on a smaller
bush and differs
from ours only in colour and the superior excellence
of it's flavor and
size, it is of a deep purple. this day we saw an
abundance of deer
and goats or antelopes and a great number of the
tracks of Elk; of
the former we killed two. we continued our rout along
this valley which
is from six to eight Miles wide untill sun set when
we encamped for the
night on the river bank having traveled about 24
miles. I feel
myself perfectly recovered of my indisposition and do not
doubt being able to
pursue my march with equal comfort in the morning.
[Lewis, August 2,
1805]
Friday August 2cd
1805.
We resumed our
march this morning at sunrise; the day was fair and wind
from N. W. finding
that the river still boar to the South I determined
to pass it if
possible in order to shorten our rout; this we effected
by wading the river
about 5 miles above our encampment of the last
evening. we found
the current very rapid waist deep and about 90 yd.
wide bottom smooth
pebble with a small mixture of coarse gravel. this
is the first time
that I ever dared to wade the river, tho there are
many places between
this and the forks where I presume it might be
attempted with
equal success. The vally allong which we passed today,
and through which
the river winds it's meandering course is from 6 to 8
miles wide and consists
of a beatifull level plain with but little
timber and that
confined to the verge of the river; the land is
tolerably fertile,
and is either black or a dark yellow loam, covered
with grass from 9
inches to 2 feet high. the plain ascends gradually on
either side of the
river to the bases of two ranges of high mountains,
which lye parallel
to the river and prescribe the limits of the plains.
the tops of these
mountains are yet covered partially with snow, while
we in the valley
are nearly suffocated with the intense heat of the
midday sun; the
nights are so cold that two blankets are not more than
sufficient
covering. soon after passing the river this morning Sergt.
Gass lost my
tommahawk in the thick brush and we were unable to find
it, I regret the
loss of this usefull implement, however accedents will
happen in the best
families, and I consoled myself with the
recollection that
it was not the only one we had with us. the bones of
the buffaloe and
their excrement of an old date are to be met with in
every part of this
valley but we have long since lost all hope of
meeting with that
animal in these mountains. we met with great
quantities of
currants today, two species of which were red, others
yellow, deep perple
and black; also black goosberries and
serviceberries now
ripe and in great perfection. we feasted sumptuously
on our wild fruits,
particularly the yellow currant and the deep perple
serviceberries,
which I found to be excellent. the serviceberry grows
on a small bush and
differs from ours only in colour size and superior
excellence of it's
flavour. it is somewhat larger than ours. on our way
we saw an abundance
of deer Antelopes, of the former we killed 2. we
also saw many
tracks of the Elk and bear. no recent appearance of
Indians. the
Indians in this part of the country appear to construct
their lodges with
the willow boughs and brush; they are small of a
conic figure and
have a small aperture on one side through which they
enter. we continued
our rout up this valley on the Lard. side of the
river untill
sunset, at which time we encamped on the Lard. bank of the
river having
traveled 24 miles. we had brought with us a good stock of
venison of which we
eat a hearty supper. I feel myself perfectly
recovered of my
indisposition, and do not doubt being able to pursue my
rout tomorrow with
the same comfort I have done today.- we saw some
very large beaver
dams today in the bottoms of the river several of
which wer five feet
high and overflowed several acres of land; these
dams are formed of
willow brush mud and gravel and are so closely
interwoven that
they resist the water perfectly. the base of this work
is thick and rises
nearly perpendicularly on the lower side while the
upper side or that
within the dam is gently sloped. the brush appear to
be laid in no
regular order yet acquires a strength by the irregularity
with which they are
placed by the beaver that it would puzzle the
engenuity of man to
give them.
Capt. Clark
continued his rout early this morning. the rapidity of the
current was such
that his progress was slow, in short it required the
utmost exertion of
the men to get on, nor could they resist this
current by any
other means than that of the cord and pole. in the
course of the day
they passed some villages of burrowing squirrels, saw
a number of beaver
dams and the inhabitants of them, many young ducks
both of the
Duckanmallard and the redheaded fishing duck, gees, several
rattle snakes,
black woodpeckers, and a large gang of Elk; they found
the river much
crouded with island both large and small and passed a
small creek on
Stard. side which we called birth Creek. Capt. Clark
discovers a tumor
rising on the inner side of his ankle this evening
which was painfull
to him. they incamped in a level bottom on the Lard.
side.-
[Clark, August 2,
1805]
August 2nd Friday
1805
a fine day Set out
early the river has much the Same kind of banks
Chanel Current
&c. as it had in the last vallie, I walked out this
morning on Shore
& Saw Several rattle Snakes in the plain, the wind
from the S W we
proceeded on with great dificuelty from the rapidity of
the current &
rapids, abt. 15 miles and Encamped on the Lard Side, saw
a large Gangue of
Elk at Sunset to the S W. passed a Small Creek on the
Stard Side and
maney large and Small Islands. Saw a number of young
Ducks as we have
also Seen everry Day, Some geese I saw Black
woodpeckers- I have
either got my foot bitten by Some poisonous insect
or a turner is
riseing on the inner bone of my ankle which is painfull
[Lewis, August 3,
1805]
August the 3rd
1805.
Set out this
morning at sunrise and continued our rout through the
valley on the Lard.
side of the river. at eleven A.M. Drewyer killed a
doe and we halted
and took breakfast. the mountains continue high on
either side of the
valley, and are but skantily supplyed with timber;
small pine appears
to be the prevalent growth. there is no timber in
the valley except a
small quantity of the narrow leafed cottonwood on
the verge of the
river. the underwood consists of the narrowleafed or
small willow,
honeysuckle rosebushes, courant, goosbury and service
bury bushes allso a
small quantity of a species of dwarf burch the leaf
of which, oval,
deep green, finely indented and very small. we encamped
this evening after
sunset having traveled by estimate 23 miles. from
the width and
appearance of the valley at this place I concieved that
the river forked
not far above me and therefore resolved the next
morning to examine
the adjacent country more minutely.
[Lewis, August 3,
1805]
Saturday August 3rd
1805.
Set out early this
morning, or before sunrise; still continued our
march through the
level valley on the lard. side of the river. the
valley much as
yesterday only reather wider; I think it 12 Miles wide,
tho the plains near
the mountains rise higher and are more broken with
some scattering
pine near the mountain. in the leaveler parts of the
plain and river
bottoms which are very extensive there is no timber
except a scant
proportion of cottonwood neat the river. the under wood
consists of the
narrow leafed or small willow, the small honeysuckle,
rosebushes,
currant, serviceberry, and goosbery bushes; also a small
species of berth in
but small quantities the leaf which is oval finely,
indented, small and
of a deep green colour. the stem is simple
ascending and
branching, and seldom rises higher than 10 or 12 feet.
the Mountains
continue high on either side of the valley, and are but
scantily supplyed
with timber; small pine apears to be the prevalent
growth; it is of
the pith kind, with a short leaf. at 11 A.M. Drewyer
killed a doe and we
halted about 2 hours and breakfasted, and then
continued our rout
untill night without halting, when we arrived at the
river in a level
bottom which appeared to spread to greater extent than
usual. from the
appearance of the timber I supposed that the river
forked above us and
resolved to examine this part of the river minutely
tomorrow. this
evening we passed through a high plain for about 8 miles
covered with
prickley pears and bearded grass, tho we found this even
better walking than
the wide bottoms of the river, which we passed in
the evening; these
altho apparently level, from some cause which I know
not, were formed
into meriads of deep holes as if rooted up by hogs
these the grass
covered so thick that it was impossible to walk without
the risk of falling
down at every step. some parts of these bottoms
also possess
excellent terf or peat, I beleive of many feet deep. the
mineral salts also
frequently mentioned on the Missouri we saw this
evening in these
uneven bottoms. we saw many deer, Antelopes ducks,
gees, some beaver
and great appearance of their work. also a small bird
and the Curlooe as
usual. we encamped on the river bank on Lard. side
having traveled by
estimate 23 Miles. The fish of this part of the
river are trout and
a species of scale fish of a white colour and a
remarkable small
long mouth which one of our men inform us are the same
with the species
called in the Eastern states bottlenose. the snowey
region of the
mountains and for some distance below has no timber or
herbage of any
kind; the timber is confined to the lower and middle
regions. Capt.
Clark set out this morning as usual. he walked on shore
a small distance
this morning and killed a deer. in the course of his
walk he saw a track
which he supposed to be that of an Indian from the
circumstance of the
large toes turning inward. he pursued the track and
found that the
person had ascended a point of a hill from which his
camp of the last
evening was visible; this circumstance also confirmed
the beleif of it's
being an Indian who had thus discovered them and ran
off. they found the
river as usual much crouded with islands, the
currant more rapid
& much more shallow than usual. in many places they
were obliged to
double man the canoes and drag them over the stone and
gravel. this
morning they passed a small creek on Stard. at the
entrance of which
Reubin Fields killed a large Panther. we called the
creek after that
animal Panther Creek. they also passed a handsome
little stream on
Lard. which is form of several large springs which
rise in the bottoms
and along the base of the mountains with some
little rivulets
from the melting snows. the beaver have formed many
large dams on this
stream. they saw some deer Antelopes and the common
birds of the
country. in the evening they passed a very bad rappid
where the bed of
the river is formed entrely of solid rock and encamped
on an island just
above. the Panther which Fields killed measured seven
and 1/2 feet from
the nose to the extremity of the tail. it is precisely
the same animal common to the western part of
our country. the men wer
compelled to be a
great proportion of their time in the water today;
they have had a
severe days labour and are much fortiegued.
[Clark, August 3,
1805]
August 3rd
Saturday1805
a fine morning wind
from the N E I walked on Shore & killed a Deer in
my walk I saw a
fresh track which I took to be an Indian from the Shape
of the foot as the
toes turned in, I think it probable that this Indian
Spied our fires and
Came to a Situation to view us from the top of a
Small knob on the Lard
Side. the river more rapid and Sholey than
yesterday one R. F.
man killed a large Panthor on the Shore we are
oblige to haul over
the Canoes Sholey in maney places where the Islands
are noumerous and
bottom Sholey, in the evening the river more rapid
and Sholey we
encamped on an Island avove a part of the river which
passed thro a
rockey bed enclosed on both sides with thick willow
current & red
buries &c &c passed a bold Stream which heads in the
mountains to our
right and the drean of the minting Snow in the Montn.
on that side ar in
View- at 4 oClock passed a bold Stream which falls
from a mountn in
three Channels to our left, the Greater portion of the
Snow on this
mountain is melted, but little remaining near us Some Deer
Elk & antelopes
& Bear in the bottoms. but fiew trees and they Small
the Mountains on
our left Contain pine those on our right but verry
partially Supplied
and what pine & cedar it has is on the Lower region,
no wood being near
the Snow. great numbers of Beaver Otter &c. Some
fish trout &
and bottle nose. Birds as usial. Geese young Ducks &
Curlows
[Lewis, August 4,
1805]
August 4th 1805.
Set out very early
this morning and steered S. E. by E. about 4 Miles
when we passed a
bould runing creek about 12 yards wide the water could
and remarkably
clear, we then changed our course to S. E. passing
obliquely across a
valley which boar nearly E leaving the valley which
we had pursued for
the 2 precedeing days. at the distance of 3 miles we
passed a handsome
little river which passes through this valley; it is
about 30 yards wide
affords a considerable quantity of water and I
believe it may be
navigated some miles. I then changed my rout to S. W.
passed a high plain
which lyes between the vallies and returned to the
S. valley, in
passing which I fell in with a river about 45 yards wide
which I waideg and
then continued my rout down to it's junction with
the river just
mentioned, and from thence to the entrance of the creek
which falls in
about 2 miles below; still continuing my rout down this
stream about three
miles further and about 2 M. below our encampment of
the last evening
this river forms a junction with a river 50 yards wide
which comes from
the N. W. and falling into the S. valley runs
parrallel with the
middle fork about 12 miles. this is a bould rappid &
clear stream it's
bed so broken and obstructed by gravel bars and
Islands that it
appeared to me impossible to navigate it with safety.
the middle fork is
gentle and possesses about 2/3ds as much water as
this rappid stream,
it's cours so far as I can observe it is about S.
W. and it appears
to be navigable; its water is much warmer than that
of the rappid fork
and somewhat turbid, from which I concluded that it
had it's source at
a greater distance in the mountains and passed
through an opener
country than the other. under this impression I wrote
a note to Capt.
Clark recommending his taking the middle fork provided
he should arrive at
this place before my return which I expect will be
the day after
tomorrow. the note I left on a pole at the forks of the
river and having
refreshed ourselves and eat heartily of some venison
we killed this
morning I continued my rout up the Stard side of the N.
W. fork,
determining to pursue it untill 12 OC. the next day and then
pass over to the
middle fork and return to their junction or untill I
met Capt. Clark. we
encamped this evening near the point where the
river leaves the
valley and enters the mountains, having traveled about
20 miles.-
[Lewis, August 4,
1805]
Sunday August 4th
1805.
Set out very early
this morning and Steered S. E. by E. 4 M. when we
pased a bold runing
Creek 12 yds. wide, the water of which was clear
and very cold. it
appears to be formed by four dranes from the snowey
mountains to our
left. after passing this creek we changed our
direction to S. E.
passing obliquely across a valley which boar E
leaving the valley
we had pursued for the two peceeding days. at the
distance of 3 Ms.
we passed a handsome little river which meanders
through this
valley; it is about 30 yds wide, affords a considerable
quantity of water
and appears as if it might be navigated some miles.
the currant is not
rapid nor the water very clear; the banks are low
and the bed formed
of stone and gravel. I now changed my rout to S. W.
passed a high plain
which lies betwen the valleies and returned to the
South valley, in
passing which I fell in with a river about 45 yds.
wide gravley bottom
gentle currant waist deep and water of a whitish
blue tinge. this
stream we waded and continued our rout down it to the
entrance of the
river just mentioned about 3/4 of a mile. still
continuing down we
passed the entrance of the creek about 2 miles lower
down; and at the
distance of three miles further arrived at it's
junction with a
river 50 yds. wide which Comes from the S. W. and
falling into the
South valley runs parallel with the middle fork about
12 miles before it
forms a junction. I now found that our encampment of
the last evening
was about 11/2 miles above the entrance of this large
river on Stard.
this is a bold rappid and Clear Stream, it's bed so
much broken and
obstructed by gravley bars and it's waters so much
subdivided by
Islands that it appears to me utterly impossible to
navigate it with
safety. the middle fork is gentle and possesses about
2/3rds as much
water as this stream. it's course so far as I can
observe it is about
S. W., and from the opening of the valley I beleive
it still bears more
to the West above it may be safely navigated. it's
water is much
warmer then the rapid fork and it's water more turbid;
from which I
conjecture that it has it's sources at a greater distance
in the mountains
and passes through an opener country than the other.
under this
impression I wrote a note to Capt Clark, recommending his
taking the middle
fork povided he should arrive at this place before my
return, which I
expect will be the day after tomorrow. this note I left
on a pole at the
forks of the river, and having refreshed ourselves and
eat heartily of
some venison which we killed this morning we continued
our rout up the
rapid fork on the Stard side, resolving to pursue this
stream untill noon
tomorrow and then pass over to the middle fork and
come down it to
their junction or untill I meet Capt Clark. I have seen
no recent Indian
sign in the course of my rout as yet. Charbono
complains much of
his leg, and is the cause of considerable detention
to us. we encamped
on the river bank near the place at which it leaves
the valley and
enters the mountain having traveled about 23 miles. we
saw some Antelopes
deer Grains, gees, and ducks of the two species
common to this
country. the summer duck has ceased to appear, nor do I
beleive it is an
inhabitant of this part of the country. the timber &c
is as heretofore
tho there is more in this valley on the rapid fork
than we have seen
in the same extent on the river since we entered this
valley. the Indians
appear on some parts of the river to have distroyed
a great proportion
of the little timber which there is by seting fire
to the bottoms.
This morning Capt. Clark set out at sunrise, and sent
two hunters ahead
to kill some meat. at 8 A.M. he arrived at my camp of
the 2ed inst. where
he breakfasted; here he found a note which I had
left for him at that
place informing him of the occurences of my rout
&c. the river
continued to be crouded with Islands, rapid and shoaly.
these shoals or
riffles succeeded each other every 3 or four hundred
yards; at those
places they are obliged to drag the canoes over the
stone there not
being water enough to float them, and betwen the riffles
the current is so strong that they are
compelled to have cecourse to
the cord; and being
unable to walk on the shore for the brush wade in
the river along the
shore and hawl them by the cord; this has increased
the pain and labour
extreemly; their feet soon get tender and soar by
wading and walking
over the stones. these are also so slipry that they
frequently get
severe falls. being constantly wet soon makes them feble
also. their hunters
killed 2 deer today and some gees and ducks wer
killed by those who
navigated the canoes. they saw deer antelopes
Grains beaver Otter
&c. Capt. Clark's ancle became so painfull to him
that he was unable
to walk.- This evening they encamped on the Stard.
side in a bottom of
cottonwood timber all much fatiegued.
[Clark, August 4,
1805]
August 4th Sunday
1805
a fine morning cool
proceeded on verry early and Brackfast at the Camp
Capt Lewis left
yesterday morning, at this Camp he left a note
informing that he
discovered no fresh Sign of Indians &c. The river
continued to be
crouded with Islands Sholey rapid & clear, I could not
walk on Shore to
day as my ankle was Sore from a turner on that part.
the method we are
compelled to take to get on is fatigueing & laborious
in the extreen,
haul the Canoes over the rapids, which Suckceed each
other every two or
three hundred yards and between the water rapid
oblige to towe
& walke on Stones the whole day except when we have
poleing men wet all
day Sore feet &c. &c Murcury at Sun rise 49 a. 0,
[Lewis, August 5,
1805]
Monday August 5th
1805
As Charbono
complained of being unable to march far today I ordered him
and Sergt. Gass to
pass the rappid river near our camp and proceed at
their leasure
through the level bottom to a point of high timber about
seven miles distant
on the middle fork which was in view; I gave them
my pack that of
Drewyer and the meat which we had, directing them to
remain at that
place untill we joined them. I took Drewyer with me and
continued my rout
up the stard. side of the river about 4 miles and
then waded it;
found it so rapid and shallow that it was impossible to
navigate it.
continued up it on the Lard. side about 11/2 miles further
when the mountains
put in close on both sides and arrose to great
hight, partially
covered with snow. from hence the course of the river
was to the East of
North. I took the advantage of a high projecting
spur of the
mountain which with some difficulty we ascended to it's
summit in about
half an hour. from this eminance I had a pleasing view
of the valley
through which I had passed many miles below and the
continuation of the
middle fork through the valley equally wide above
me to the distance
of about 20 miles when that also appeared to enter
the mountains and
disappeared to my view; however the mountains which
termineate the
valley in this direction appeared much lower than those
up either of the
other forks. on the rapid fork they appeared still to
rise the one range
towering above another as far as I could perceive
them. the middle
fork as I suspected dose bear considerably to the West
of South and the
gap formed by it in the mountains after the valley
terminates is in
the same direction. under these circumstances I did
not hesitate in
beleiving the middle fork the most proper for us to
ascend. about South
from me, the middle fork approached within about 5
miles. I resolved
to pass across the plains to it and return to Gass
and Charbono,
accordingly we set out and decended the mountain among
some steep and
difficult precipices of rocks. here Drewyer missed his
step and had a very
dangerous fall, he sprained one of his fingers and
hirt his leg very
much. in fifteen or 20 minutes he was able to proceed
and we continued
our rout to the river where we had desighned to
interscept it. I
quenched my thirst and rested a few minutes examined
the river and found
it still very navi-gable. an old indian road very
large and plain
leads up this fork, but I could see no tracks except
those of horses
which appeared to have passed early in the spring. as
the river mad a
great bend to the South East we again ascended the high
plain and steered
our course as streight as we could to the point where
I had directed Gass
and Sharbono to remain. we passed the plain
regained the bottom
and struck the river about 3 miles above them; by
this time it was
perfectly dark & we hooped but could hear no tidings
of them. we had
struck the river at the point of timber to which I had
directed them, but
having mistaken a point of woods lower down, had
halted short of the
place. we continued our rout after dark down the
bottom through
thick brush of the pulppy leafed thorn and prickly pears
for about 2 hours
when we arrived at their camp. they had a small
quantity of meat
left which Drewyer and myself eat it being the first
we had taisted
today. we had traveled about 25 miles. I soon laid down
and slept very
soundly untill morning. I saw no deer today nor any game
except a few
Antelopes which were very shy. the soil of the plains is a
light yellow clay
very meager and intermixed with a large proportion of
gravel, producing
nothing except the twisted or bearded grass, sedge
and prickly pears.
the dryer parts of the bottoms are also much more
indifferent in point
of soil to those below and are covered with the
southernwood pulpy
leafed thorn and prickley pears with but little
grass. the moist
parts are fertile and covered with fine grass and sand
rushes.
This morning Capt.
Clark set out at sunrise and dispatched Joseph &
Reubin Fields to
hunt. they killed two deer on one of which the party
breakfasted. the
river today they found streighter and more rapid even
than yesterday, and
the labour and difficulty of the navigation was
proportionably
increased, they therefore proceeded but slowly and with
great pain as the
men had become very languid from working in the water
and many of their
feet swolen and so painfull that they could scarcely
walk. at 4 P.M.
they arrived at the confluence of the two rivers where
I had left the
note. this note had unfortunately been placed on a green
pole which the
beaver had cut and carried off together with the note;
the possibility of
such an occurrence never one occurred to me when I
placed it on the
green pole. this accedent deprived Capt. Clark of any
information with
ripect to the country and supposing that the rapid
fork was most in
the direction which it was proper we should pursue, or
West, he took that
stream and asscended it with much difficulty about a
mile and encamped
on an island that had been lately overflown and was
yet damp; they were
therefore compelled to make beds of brush to keep
themselves out of
the mud. in ascending this stream for about a quarter
of a mile it
scattered in such a maner that they were obliged to cut a
passage through the
willow brush which leant over the little channels
and united their
tops. Capt. Clarks ankle is extreemly painfull to him
this evening; the
tumor has not yet mature, he has a slight fever.- The
men were so much
fortiegued today that they wished much that navigation
was at an end that
they might go by land.-
[Clark, August 5,
1805]
August 5th Monday
1805
a Cold Clear
morning the wind from the S. E. the river Streight & much
more rapid than
yesterday, I Sent out Jo. & R. Fields to kill Some meat
they killed 2 Deer
& we brackfast on one of them and proceeded on with
great dificuelety
from the rapidity of the Current, and numerable
rapids we had to
encounter, at 4 oClock P M Murcury 49 ab. 0, passed
the mouth of
principal fork which falls in on the Lard. Side, this fork
is about the Size
of the Stard. one less water reather not so rapid,
its Course as far
as can be Seen is S. E & appear to pass through
between two
mountains, the N W. fork being the one most in our course
i. e. S 25 W. as
far as I can See, deturmind me to take this fork as
the principal and
the one most proper the S E fork is of a Greenish
Colour &
contains but little timber. The S W fok contains more timber
than is below for
Some distance, we assended this fork about one mile
and Encamped on an
Island which had been laterly overflown & was wet we
raised our bead on
bushes, we passed a part of the river above the
forks which was
divided and Scattered thro the willows in Such a manner
as to render it
dificuelt to pass through for a 1/4 of a mile, we wer
oblige to Cut our
way thro the willows- Men much fatigued from their
excessive labours
in hauling the Canoes over the rapids &c. verry weak
being in the water
all day. my foot verry painfull
Assended the N W
Fork 9 miles on a Course S. 30° W. to a Bluff on the
Stard. Side passed
Several Bayous & Islands
[Lewis, August 6,
1805]
Tuesday August 6th
1805.
We set out this
morning very early on our return to the forks. having
nothing to eat I
set Drewyer to the woodlands to my left in order to
kill a deer, sent
Sergt. Gass to the right with orders to keep
sufficiently near
to discover Capt. C. and the party should they be on
their way up that
stream, and with Sharbono I directed my course to the
main forks through
the bottom directing the others to meet us there.
about five miles
above the forks I head the hooping of the party to my
left and changed my
rout towards them; on my arrival found that they
had taken the rapid
fork and learnt from Capt. Clark that he had not
found the note
which I had left for him at that place and the reasons
which had induced
him to ascend this stream. it was easeist & more in
our direction, and
apd. to contain as much water he had hoever
previously to my
comeing up with him, met Drewyer who informed him of
the state of the
two rivers and was on his return. one of their canoes
had just overset
and all the baggage wet, the medecine box among other
articles and
several articles lost a shot pouch and horn with all the
implements for one
rifle lost and never recovered. I walked down to the
point where I
waited their return. on their arrival found that two
other canoes had
filled with water and wet their cargoes completely.
Whitehouse had been
thrown out of one of the canoes as she swing in a
rapid current and
the canoe had rubed him and pressed him to the bottom
as she passed over
him and had the water been 2 inches shallower must
inevitably have
crushed him to death. our parched meal, corn, Indian
preasents, and a
great part of our most valuable stores were wet and
much damaged on
this ocasion. to examine, dry and arrange our stores
was the first
object; we therefore passed over to the lard. side
opposite to the
entrance of the rapid fork where there was a large
gravly bar that
answered our purposes; wood was also convenient and
plenty. here we
fixed our camp, and unloaded all our canoes and opened
and exposed to dry
such articles as had been wet. a part of the load of
each canoe
consisted of the leaden canestirs of powder which were not
in least injured,
tho some of them had remained upwards of an hour
under water. about
20 lbs. of powder which we had in a tight Keg or at
least one which we
thought sufficiently so got wet and intirely
spoiled. this would
have been the case with the other had it not have
been for the
expedient which I had fallen on of securing the powder by
means of the lead
having the latter formed into canesters which were
filled with the
necessary proportion of poder to discharge the lead
when used, and
those canesters well secured with corks and wax. in this
country the air is
so pure and dry that any vessel however well
seasoned the timber
may be will give way or shrink unless it is kept
full of some
liquid. we found that three deer skins which we had left
at a considerable
hight on a tree were taken off which we supposed had
been done by a
panther. we sent out some men to hunt this evening, they
killed 3 deer and four
Elk which gave us a plentifull supply of meat
once more. Shannon
had been dispatched up the rapid fork this morning
to hunt, by Capt
Clark before he met with Drewyer or learnt his mistake
in the rivers. when
he returned he sent Drewyer in surch of him, but he
rejoined us this
evening and reported that he had been several miles up
the river and could
find nothing of him. we had the trumpet sounded and
fired several guns
but he did not join us this evening. I am fearful he
is lost again. this
is the same man who was seperated from us 15 days
as we came up the
Missouri and subsisted 9 days of that time on grapes
only. Whitehouse is
in much pain this evening with the injury one of
his legs sustained
from the canoe today at the time it upset and swing
over him. Capt
Clarks ankle is also very painfull to him.- we should
have given the
party a days rest some where near this place had not
this accedent
happened, as I had determined to take some observations
to fix the Latitude
and longitude of these forks. our merchandize
medecine &c are
not sufficiently dry this evening we covered them
securely for the
evening. Capt Clark had ascended the river about 9
miles from this
place on a course of S 30° W. before he met with Drewyer.
we beleive that the
N. W. or rapid fork is the dane of the melting
snows of the
mountains, and that it is not as long as the middle fork
and dose not at all
seasons of the year supply any thing like as much
water as the other
and that about this season it rises to it's greatest
hight. this last
appears from the apparent bed of the river which is
now overflown and
the water in many plases spreads through old channels
which have their
bottoms covered with grass that has grown this season
and is such as
appears on the parts of the bottom not innundated. we
therefore
determined that the middle fork was that which ought of right
to bear the name we
had given to the lower portion or River Jefferson
and called the bold
rapid an clear stream Wisdom, and the more mild and
placid one which
flows in from the S. E. Philanthrophy, in
commemoration of
two of those cardinal virtues, which have so eminently
marked that
deservedly selibrated character through life.
[Clark, August 6,
1805]
August 6th Tuesday
1805
a Clear morning
Cool wind from the S W we proceeded on with much
dificuelty and
fatigue over rapids & Stones; river about 40 or 50 yards
wide much divided
by Islands and narrow Bayoos to a low bluff on the
Stard Side &
Brackfast, dureing the time of Brackfast Drewyer Came to
me from Capt. Lewis
and informed me that they had explored both forks
for 30 or 40 miles
& that the one we were assending was impractiabl
much further up
& turned imediately to the north, The middle fork he
reported was jintle
and after a Short distanc turned to the S. W. and
that all the Indian
roades leades up the middle fork. this report
deturmind me to
take the middle fork, accordingly Droped down to the
forks where I met
with Capt Lewis & party, Capt Lewis had left a Letter
on a pole in the
forks informing me what he had discovered & the course
of the rivers
&c. this lettr was Cut down by the beaver as it was on a
green pole &
Carried off. Three Skins which was left on a tree was
taken off by the
Panthers or wolvers. In decending to the Point one
Canoe Struck &
turned on a rapid & Sunk, and wet every thing which was
in her, this
misfortune obliged us to halt at the forks and dry those
articles, one other
Canoe nearly turning over, filled half full of
water & wet our
medison & Some Goods Corn &c. Several hunters out to
day & killed a
young Elk, Antilope, & 3 Deer, one man Shannon did not
return to night-
This evening Cool my anckle much wors than it has
been- this evening
a Violent wind from the N. W accompanied with rain
which lasted half
an hour wind N. W
[Lewis, August 7,
1805]
Wednesday August
7th 1805.
The morning being
fair we spread our stores to dry at an early hour.
Dispatched Reubin
Fields in surch of Shannon. our stores were now so
much exhausted that
we found we could proceed with one canoe less. we
therefore drew out
one of them into a thicket of brush and secured her
in such manner that
the water could not take her off should the river
rise to the hight
where she is. The creek which falls in above us we
called turf creek
from the cercustance of it's bottoms being composed
of excellent turf.
my air gun was out of order and her sights had been
removed by some
accedent I put her in order and regulated her. she shot
again as well as
she ever did. The clouds last night prevented my
taking any lunar
observations this day I took Equal Altitudes of the 0
with Sextant.
At one oclock all
our baggage was dry we therefore packed it up
reloaded the canoes
and the party proceeded with Capt. Clark up
Jefferson's river. I
remained with Sergt. Gass to complete the
observation of
equal altitudes and joined them in the evening at their
camp on the Lard.
side just above the entrance of turf creek. we had a
shower of rain wich
continued about 40 minutes attended with thunder
and lightning. this
shower wet me perfectly before I reached the camp.
the clouds
continued during the night in such manner that I was unable
to obtain any lunar
observations. This evening Drewyer brought in a
deer which he had
killed. we have not heard any thing from Shannon yet,
we expect that he
has pursued Wisdom river upwards for som distance
probably killed
some heavy animal and is waiting our arrival. the large
biteing fly or hare
fly as they sometimes called are very troublesome
to us. I observe
two kinds of them a large black species and a small
brown species with
a green head. the musquetoes are not as troublesome
as they were below,
but are still in considerable quantities. the eye
knats have
disappeared. the green or blowing flies are still in swarms.
r the courses from
the entrance of Wisdom river to the forks of
Jefferson's river
are taken directly to the objects mentioned and the
distance set down
is that by land on a direct line between the points;
the estimated
distances by water is also added in the body of the
remarks on each
course.
[Clark, August 7,
1805]
August 7th
Wednesday 1805
a fine morning put
out our Stores &c. to dry & took equal altitudes
with the Sextant,-
as our Store were a little exorsted and one Canoe
became unnecessary
deturmind to leave one. we Hauled her up in the
bushes on the lower
Side of the main fork & fastened her So that the
water could not
flote her off. The Countrey in this quarter is as
follows i, e a
Vallie of 5 or 6 miles wide Inclosed between two high
Mountains, the
bottom rich Some Small timber on the Islands & bushes on
the edges of the
river Some Bogs & verry good turf in different places
in the vallie, Some
scattering Pine & ceder on the mountains in places,
other Parts nacked
except grass and Stone The Lattitude of the Mouth of
Wisdom River is 45°
2' 21.6" North, we proceeded up the Main Middle or S.
E. fork, passed a
Camped on the Lard. Side above the mouth of a bold
running Stream 12
yards wide, which we call turf Creek from the number
of bogs &
quanty of turf in its waters. this Creek runs thro a open
Plain for Several
miles, takeing its rise in a high mountain to the N
E. The river
Jefferson above Wisdom is gentle Crooked and about 40
yards wide,
Containing but little timber, Some few Cotton willow Willow
& Birch, and
the Srubs common to the countrey and before mentioned at 5
oClock a thunder
Storm from the N. W. accompanied with rain which
lasted about 40
minits.- despatched R Fields to hunt Shannon, who was
out huntg. on
Wisdom river at the time I returned down that Stream, and
has made on up the
river expecting us to follow him up that river one
Deer killed this
evening. all those Streams Contain emence number of
Beaver orter
Muskrats &c.
[Lewis, August 8,
1805]
Thursday August 8th
1805.
We had a heavy dew
this morning. as one canoe had been left we had now
more hads to spear
for the chase; game being scarce it requires more
hunters to supply
us. we therefore dispatched four this morning. we set
out at sunrise and
continued our rout up the river which we find much
more gentle and
deep than below the entrance of Wisdom river it is from
35 to 45 yards wide
very crooked many short bends constituteing large
and general bends;
insomuch that altho we travel briskly and a
considerable
distance yet it takes us only a few miles on our general
course or rout.
there is but very little timber on this fork
principally the
under brush frequently mentioned. I observe a
considerable
quantity of the buffaloe clover in the bottoms. the
sunflower, flax,
green swoard, thistle and several species of the rye
grass some of which
rise to the hight of 3 or 4 feet. there is a grass
also with a soft
smooth leaf that bears it's seeds very much like the
timothy but it dose
not grow very luxouriant or appear as if it would
answer so well as
the common timothy for meadows. I preserved some of
it's seeds which
are now ripe, thinking perhaps it might answer better
if cultivated, at
all events is at least worth the experi-ment. it
rises about 3 feet
high. on a direct line about 2 miles above our
encampment of this
morning we passed the entrance of Philanthrophy
River which
discharges itself by 2 channels a small distance assunder.
this river from
it's size and S. Eastwardly course no doubt heads with
Madisons river in
the snowey mountains visible in that direction. at
Noon Reubin Fields
arrived and reported that he had been up Wisdom
river some miles
above where it entered the mountain and could find
nothing of Shannon,
he had killed a deer and an Antelope. great
quantity of beaver
Otter and musk-rats in these rivers. two of the
hunters we sent out
this morning returned at noon had killed each a
deer and an
Antelope. we use the seting poles today almost altogether.
we encamped on the
Lard sides where there was but little timber were
obliged to use
willow brush for fuel; the rosebushes and bryers were
very thick. the
hunters brought in another deer this evening. to tumor
on Capt. Clarks
ankle has discharged a considerable quantity of matter
but is still much
swolen and inflamed and gives him considerable pain.
saw a number of
Gees ducks and some Crains today. the former begin to
fly.
the evening again
proved cloudy much to my mortification and prevented
my making any lunar
observations. the Indian woman recognized the point
of a high plain to
our right which she informed us was not very distant
from the summer
retreat of her nation on a river beyond the mountains
which runs to the
west. this hill she says her nation calls the
beaver's head from
a conceived remblance of it's figure to the head of
that animal. she
assures us that we shall either find her people on
this river or on
the river immediately west of it's source; which from
it's present size
cannot be very distant. as it is now all important
with us to meet
with those people as soon as possible, I determined to
proceed tomorrow
with a small party to the source of the principal
stream of this
river and pass the mountains to the Columbia; and down
that river untill I
found the Indians; in short it is my resolusion to
find them or some
others, who have horses if it should cause me a trip
of one month. for
without horses we shall be obliged to leave a great
part of our stores,
of which, it appears to me that we have a stock
already
sufficiently small for the length of the voyage before us.
[Clark, August 8,
1805]
August 8th Thursday
1805
We proceeded on
early wind from the S W. The Thermometer at 52 a 0 at
Sunrise at 5 miles
by water & 41/2 on a derect line from the forks we
passed a River on
the Lard Side 30 yards wide and navagable for Some
distance takeing
its rise in the Mountains Easterly & with the waters
of Madisons River,
passes thro an extensive vallie open & furtill &c.
this river we call
Philanthophy- above this river (which has but little
timber) Jeffersons
R is crooked with Short bends a fiew Islands and
maney gravelly
Sholes, no large timber, Small willow Birch & Srubs &c.
Encamped on the
Lard Side, R Fields joined us this eveng. & informes
that he could not
find Shannon my foot yet verry Swore
[Lewis, August 9,
1805]
Friday August 9th
1805.
The morning was
fair and fine; we set out at an early hour and
proceeded on very
well. some parts of the river more rapid than
yesterday. I walked
on shore across the land to a point which I
presumed they would
reach by 8 A.M. our usual time of halting. by this
means I acquired
leasure to accomplish some wrightings which I
conceived from the
nature of my instructions necessary lest any
accedent should
befall me on the long and reather hazardous rout I was
now about to take.
the party did not arrive and I returned about a mile
and met them, here
they halted and we breakefasted; I had killed two
fine gees on my
return. while we halted here Shannon arrived, and
informed us that
having missed the party the day on which he set out he
had returned the
next morning to the place from whence he had set out
or furst left them
and not finding that he had supposed that they wer
above him; that he
then set out and marched one day up wisdom river, by
which time he was
convinced that they were not above him as the river
could not be
navigated; he then returned to the forks and had pursued
us up this river.
he brought the skins of three deer which he had
killed which he
said were in good order. he had lived very plentifully
this trip but
looked a good deel worried with his march. he informed us
that Wisdom river
still kept it's course obliquely down the Jefferson's
river as far as he was
up it. immediately after breakfast I slung my
pack and set out
accompanyed by Drewyer Shields and McNeal who had been
previously directed
to hold themselves in readiness for this service. I
directed my course
across the bottom to the Stard. plain led left the
beaver's head about
2 miles to my left and interscepted the river about
8 miles from the
point at which I had left it; I then waded it and
continued my rout
to the point where I could observe that it entered
the mountain, but
not being able to reach that place, changed my
direction to the
river which I struck some miles below the mountain and
encamped for the
evening having traveled 16 M. we passed a handsom
little stream
formed by some large spring which rise in this wide
bottom on the Lard.
side of the river. we killed two Antelopes on our
way and brought
with us as much meat as was necessary for our suppers
and breakfast the
next morning. we found this bottom fertile and
covered with taller
grass than usual. the river very crooked much
divided by islands,
shallow rocky in many plases and very rapid;
insomuch that I
have my doubts whether the canoes could get on or not,
or if they do it
must be with great labour.- Capt. Clark proceeded
after I left him as
usual, found the current of the river increasing in
rapidity towards
evening. his hunters killed 2 antelopes only. in the
evening it clouded
up and we experienced a slight rain attended with
some thunder and
lightning. the musquetoes very troublesome this
evening. there are
some soft bogs in these vallies covered with turf.
the earth of which
this mud is composed is white or bluish white and
appears to be
argillacious.
[Clark, August 9,
1805]
August 9th Friday
1805
a fine morning wind
from the N. E we proceeded on verry well rapid
places more
noumerous than below, Shannon the man whome we lost on
Wisdom River Joined
us, haveing returned to the forks & prosued us up
after prosueing
Wisdom River one day
Capt Lewis and 3
men Set out after brackft. to examine the river above,
find a portage if
possible, also the Snake Indians. I Should have taken
this trip had I
have been able to march, from the rageing fury of a
turner on my anckle
musle, in the evening Clouded up and a fiew drops
of rain Encamped on
the Lard Side near a low bluff, the river to day as
yesterday. the
three hunters Could kill only two antelopes to day, game
of every kind
Scerce
[Lewis, August 10,
1805]
Saturday August
10th 1805.
We set out very
early this morning and continued our rout through the
wide bottom on the
Lard. side of the river after passing a large creek
at about 5 miles we
fel in with a plain Indian road which led towards
the point that the
river entered the mountain we therefore pursued the
road I sent Drewyer
to the wright to kill a deer which we saw feeding
and halted on the
river under an immencely high perpendicular clift of
rocks where it
entered the mountain here we kindled a fire and waited
for Drewyer. he
arrived in about an hour and a half or at noon with
three deer skins
and the flesh of one of the best of them, we cooked
and eat a haisty
meal and departed, returning a shot distance to the
Indian road which
led us the best way over the mountains, which are not
very high but ar
ruggid and approach the river closely on both sides
just below these
mountains I saw several bald Eagles and two large
white headed
fishinghawks boath these birds were the same common to our
country.
from the number of
rattle snakes about the Clifts at which we halted we
called them the
rattle snake clifts. this serpent is the same before
discribed with oval
spots of yellowish brown. the river below the
mountains is rapid
rocky, very crooked, much divided by islands and
withal shallow.
after it enters the mountains it's bends are not so
circuetous and it's
general course more direct, but it is equally
shallow les divided
more rocky and rapid. we continued our rout along
the Indian road
which led us sometimes over the hills and again in the
narrow bottoms of
the river till at the distance of fifteen Ms. from
the rattle snake
Clifts we arrived in a hadsome open and leavel vally
where the river
divided itself nearly into two equal branches; here I
halted and examined
those streams and readily discovered from their
size that it would
be vain to attempt the navigation of either any
further. here also
the road forked one leading up the vally of each of
these streams. I
therefore sent Drewer on one and Shields on the other
to examine these
roads for a short distance and to return and compare
their information
with respect to the size and apparent plainness of
the roads as I was
now determined to pursue that which appeared to have
been the most
traveled this spring. in the mean time I wrote a note to
Capt. Clark
informing him of the occurrences which had taken place,
recommending it to
him to halt at this place untill my return and
informing him of
the rout I had taken which from the information of the
men on their return
seemed to be in favour of the S W or Left hand fork
which is reather
the smallest. accordingly I put up my note on a dry
willow pole at the
forks, and set out up the S. E. fork, after
proceeding about
11/2 miles I discovered that the road became so blind
that it could not
be that which we had followed to the forks of
Jefferson's river,
neither could I find the tracks of the horses which
had passed early in
the spring along the other; I therefore determined
to return and
examine the other myself, which I did, and found that the
same horses had
passed up the West fork which was reather largest, and
more in the
direction that I wished to pursue; I therefore did not
hesitate about
changing my rout but determined to take the western
road. I now wrote a
second note to Capt C. informing him of this change
and sent Drewyer to
put it with the other at the forks and waited
untill he returned.
there is scarcely any timber on the river above the
R. Snake Clifts,
nor is there anything larger than willow brush in
sight of these
forks. immediately in the level plain between the forks
and about 1/2 a
mile distance from them stands a high rocky mountain,
the base of which
is surrounded by the level plain; it has a singular
appearance. the
mountains do not appear very high in any direction tho
the tops of some of
them are partially covered with snow. this
convinces me that
we have ascended to a great hight since we have
entered the rocky
Mountains, yet the ascent has been so gradual along
the vallies that it
was scarcely perceptable by land. I do not beleive
that the world can
furnish an example of a river runing to the extent
which the Missouri
and Jefferson's rivers do through such a mountainous
country and at the
same time so navigable as they are. if the Columbia
furnishes us such
another example, a communication across the continent
by water will be
practicable and safe. but this I can scarcely hope
from a knowledge of
its having in it comparitively short course to the
ocean the same
number of feet to decend which the Missouri and
Mississippi have
from this point to the Gulph of Mexico.
The valley of the
west fork through which we passed for four miles boar
a little to N of
West and was about 1 mile wide hemned in on either
side by rough
mountain and steep Clifts of rock at 41/2 miles this
stream enters a
beatifull and extensive plain about ten miles long and
from 5 to six in
width. this plain is surrounded on all sides by a
country of roling
or high wavy plains through which several little
rivulets extend
their wide vallies quite to the Mountains which
surround the whole
in an apparent Circular manner; forming one of the
handsomest coves I
ever saw, of about 16 or 18 miles in diameter. just
after entering this
cove the river bends to the N. W. and runs close
under the Stard.
hills. here we killed a deer and encamped on the
Stard.,side and
made our fire of dry willow brush, the only fuel which
the country
produces. there are not more than three or four cottonwood
trees in this
extensive cove and they are but small. the uplands are
covered with
prickly pears and twisted or bearded grass and are but
poor; some parts of
the bottom lands are covered with grass and
tolerably fertile;
but much the greater proportion is covered with
prickly pears sedge
twisted grass the pulpy leafed thorn southernwood
wild sage &c
and like the uplands is very inferior in point of soil. we
traveled by
estimate 30 Ms. today, that is 10 to the Rattle snake
Clift, 15 to the
forks of Jefferson's river and 5 to our camp in the
cove. at the
apparent extremity of the bottom above us two
perpendicular
clifts of considerable hight stand on either side of the
river and appers at
this distance like a gate, it is about 10 M. due
West.
Capt Clark set out
at sunrise this morning and pursued his rout; found
the river not rapid
but shallow also very crooked. they were obliged to
drag the canoes
over many riffles in the course of the day. they passed
the point which the
natives call the beaver's head. it is a steep rocky
clift of 150 feet
high near the Stard. side of the river, opposite to
it at the distance
of 300 yards is a low clift of about 50 feet which
is the extremity of
a spur of the mountains about 4 miles distant on
Lard. at 4 P.M.
they experienced a heavy shower of rain attended with
hail thunder and Lightning
which continued about an hour. the men
defended themselves
from the hail by means of the willow bushes but all
the party got
perfectly wet. after the shower was over they pursued
their march and
encamped on the stard side only one deer killed by
their hunters
today. tho they took up another by the way which had been
killed three days
before by Jos. Fields and hung up near the river.
[Clark, August 10,
1805]
August 10th
Satturday 1805
Some rain this
morning at Sun rise and Cloudy we proceeded on passed a
remarkable Clift
point on the Stard. Side about 150 feet high, this
Clift the Indians
Call the Beavers head, opposit at 300 yards is a low
clift of 50 feet
which is a Spur from the Mountain on the Lard. about 4
miles, the river
verry Crooked, at 4 oClock a hard rain from the S W
accompanied with
hail Continued half an hour, all wet, the men
Sheltered
themselves from the hail with bushes We Encamped on the Stard
Side near a Bluff,
only one Deer killed to day, the one killed Jo
Fields 3 Days past
& hung up we made use of river narrow, & Sholey but
not rapid.
[Lewis, August 11,
1805]
Sunday August 11th
1805.
We set out very
early this morning; but the track which we had pursued
last evening soon
disappeared. I therefore resolved to proceed to the
narrow pass on the
creek about 10 miles West in hopes that I should
again find the
Indian road at the place, accordingly I passed the river
which was about 12
yards wide and bared in several places entirely
across by beaver
dams and proceeded through the level plain directly to
the pass. I now
sent Drewyer to keep near the creek to my right and
Shields to my left,
with orders to surch for the road which if they
found they were to
notify me by placing a hat in the muzzle of their
gun. I kept McNeal
with me; after having marched in this order for
about five miles I
discovered an Indian on horse back about two miles
distant coming down
the plain toward us. with my glass I discovered
from his dress that
he was of a different nation from any that we had
yet seen, and was
satisfyed of his being a Sosone; his arms were a bow
and quiver of
arrows, and was mounted on an eligant horse without a
saddle, and a small
string which was attatched to the underjaw of the
horse which
answered as a bridle. I was overjoyed at the sight of this
stranger and had no
doubt of obtaining a friendly introduction to his
nation provided I
could get near enough to him to convince him of our
being whitemen. I
therefore proceeded towards him at my usual pace.
when I had arrived
within about a mile he mad a halt which I did also
and unloosing my
blanket from my pack, I mad him the signal of
friendship known to
the Indians of the Rocky mountains and those of the
Missouri, which is
by holding the mantle or robe in your hands at two
corners and then
throwing up in the air higher than the head bringing
it to the earth as
if in the act of spreading it, thus repeating three
times. this signal
of the robe has arrisen from a custom among all
those nations of
spreading a robe or skin for ther gests to set on when
they are visited.
this signal had not the desired effect, he still kept
his position and
seemed to view Drewyer an Shields who were now
comiming in sight
on either hand with an air of suspicion, I wold
willingly have made
them halt but they were too far distant to hear me
and I feared to
make any signal to them least it should increase the
suspicion in the
mind of the Indian of our having some unfriendly
design upon him. I
therefore haistened to take out of my sack some
beads a looking
glas and a few trinkets which I had brought with me for
this purpose and
leaving my gun and pouch with McNeal advanced unarmed
towards him. he
remained in the same stedfast poisture untill I arrived
in about 200 paces
of him when he turn his hose about and began to move
off slowly from me;
I now called to him in as loud a voice as I could
command repeating
the word tab-ba-bone, which in their language
signifyes white
man. but loking over his sholder he still kept his eye
on Drewyer and
Sheilds who wer still advancing neither of them haveing
segacity enough to
recollect the impropriety of advancing when they saw
me thus in parley
with the Indian. I now made a signal to these men to
halt, Drewyer
obeyed but Shields who afterwards told me that he did not
obseve the signal
still kept on the Indian halted again and turned his
horse about as if
to wait for me, and I beleive he would have remained
untill I came up
whith him had it not been for Shields who still
pressed forward.
whe I arrived within about 150 paces I again
repepeated the word
tab-ba-bone and held up the trinkits in my hands
and striped up my
shirt sieve to give him an opportunity of seeing the
colour of my skin
and advanced leasure towards him but he did not
remain untill I got
nearer than about 100 paces when he suddonly turned
his hose about,
gave him the whip leaped the creek and disapeared in
the willow brush in
an instant and with him vanished all my hopes of
obtaining horses
for the preasent. I now felt quite as much
mortification and
disappointment as I had pleasure and expectation at
the first sight of
this indian. I fet soarly chargrined at the conduct
of the men
particularly Sheilds to whom I principally attributed this
failure in
obtaining an introduction to the natives. I now called the
men to me and could
not forbare abraiding them a little for their want
of attention and
imprudence on this occasion. they had neglected to
bring my spye-glass
which in haist I had droped in the plain with the
blanket where I
made the signal before mentioned. I sent Drewyer and
Shields back to
surche it, they soon found it and rejoined me. we now
set out on the
track of the horse hoping by that means to be lead to an
indian camp, the
trail of inhabitants of which should they abscond we
should probably be
enabled to pursue to the body of the nation to which
they would most
probably fly for safety. this rout led us across a
large Island framed
by nearly an equal division of the creek in this
bottom; after
passing to the open ground on the N. side of the creek we
observed that the
track made out toward the high hills about 3 m.
distant in that
direction. I thought it probable that their camp might
probably be among
those hills & that they would reconnoiter us from the
tops of them, and
that if we advanced haistily towards them that they
would become
allarmed and probably run off; I therefore halted in an
elivated situation
near the creek had a fire kindled of willow brush
cooked and took
breakfast. during this leasure I prepared a small
assortment of
trinkits consisting of some mockkerson awls a few strans
of several kinds of
beads some paint a looking glass &c which I
attatched to the
end of a pole and planted it near our fire in order
that should the
Indians return in surch of us they might from this
token discover that
we were friendly and white persons. before we had
finised our meal a
heavy shower of rain came on with some hail wich
continued abot 20
minutes and wet us to the skin, after this shower we
pursued the track
of the horse but as the rain had raised the grass
which he had
trodden down it was with difficulty that we could follow
it. we pursued it
however about 4 miles it turning up the valley to the
left under the foot
of the hills. we pas several places where the
Indians appeared to
have been diging roots today and saw the fresh
tracks of 8 or ten
horses but they had been wandering about in such a
confused manner
that we not only lost the track of the hose which we
had been pursuing
but could make nothing of them. in the head of this
valley we passed a
large bog covered with tall grass and moss in which
were a great number
of springs of cold pure water, we now turned a
little to the left
along the foot of the high hills and arrived at a
small branch on
which we encamped for the night, having traveled in
different
directions about 20 Miles and about 10 from the camp of last
evening on a direct
line. after meeting with the Indian today I fixed a
small flag of the
U'S. to a pole which I made McNeal carry. and planted
in the ground where
we halted or encamped.
This morning Capt
Clark dispatched several hunters a head; the morning
being rainy and wet
did not set out untill after an early breakfast. he
passed a large
Island which he called the 3000 mile Island from the
circumstance of
it's being that distance from the entrance of the
Missouri by water.
a considerable proportion of the bottom on Lard.
side is a bog
covered with tall grass and many parts would afford fine
turf; the bottom is
about 8 Ms. wide and the plains which succeed it on
either side extend
about the same distance to the base of the
mountains. they
passed a number of small Islands and bayous on both
sides which cut and
intersect the bottoms in various directions. found
the river shallow
and rapid, insomuch that the men wer compelled to be
in the water a
considerable proportion of the day in drageing the
canoes over the
shoals and riffles. they saw a number of geese ducks
beaver & otter,
also some deer and antelopes. the men killed a beaver
with a seting pole
and tommahawked several Otter. the hunters killed 3
deer and an
Antelope. Capt. C. observed some bunches of privy near the
river. there are
but few trees in this botom and those small narrow
leafed Cottonwood.
the principal growth is willow with the narrow leaf
and Currant bushes.
they encamped this evening on the upper point of a
large Island near
the Stard. shore.-
[Clark, August 11,
1805]
August 11th Sunday
1805.
a Shower of rain
this morning at Sun rise, Cloudy all the morning wind
from the S W passed
a large Island which I call the 3000 mile Island as
it is Situated that
distance from the mouth of the Missouri by water, a
number of Small
Bayoes running in different directions thro the Bottom,
which is about 5
miles wide, then rises to an ellivated plain on each
Side which extends
as far. passed Several Small Islands and a number of
Bayoes on each Side
and Encamped on the upper point of a large Island,
our hunters killed
three Deer, one antilope, and Tomahawked Several
Orter to day killed
one Beaver with a Setting pole. I observed Some
bunches of Privey
on the banks
[Lewis, August 12,
1805]
Monday August 12th
1805
This morning I sent
Drewyer out as soon as it was light, to try and
discover what rout
the Indians had taken. he followed the track of the
horse we had
pursued yesterday to the mountain wher it had ascended,
and returned to me
in about an hour and a half. I now determined to
pursue the base of
the mountains which form this cove to the S. W. in
the expectation of
finding some Indian road which lead over the
Mountains,
accordingly I sent Drewyer to my right and Shields to my
left with orders to
look out for a road or the fresh tracks of horses
either of which we
should first meet with I had determined to pursue.
at the distance of
about 4 miles we passed 4 small rivulets near each
other on which we
saw som resent bowers or small conic lodges formed
with willow brush.
near them the indians had geathered a number of
roots from the
manner in which they had toarn up the ground; but I
could not discover
the root which they seemed to be in surch of. I saw
several large hawks
that were nearly black near this place we fell in
with a large and
plain Indian road which came into the cove from the N.
E. and led along
the foot of the mountains to the S. W. oliquely
approaching the
main stream which we had left yesterday. this road we
now pursued to the
S. W. at 5 miles it passed a stout stream which is a
principal fork of
the man stream and falls into it just above the
narrow pass between
the two clifts before mentioned and which we now
saw below us. here
we halted and breakfasted on the last of our
venison, having yet
a small peice of pork in reseve. after eating we
continued our rout
through the low bottom of the main stream along the
foot of the
mountains on our right the valley for 5 mes. further in a
S. W. direction was
from 2 to 3 miles wide the main stream now after
discarding two
stream on the left in this valley turns abruptly to the
West through a
narrow bottom betwen the mountains. the road was still
plain, I therefore
did not dispair of shortly finding a passage over
the mountains and
of taisting the waters of the great Columbia this
evening. we saw an
animal which we took to be of the fox kind as large
or reather larger
than the small wolf of the plains. it's colours were
a curious mixture
of black, redis-brown and yellow. Drewyer shot at him
about 130 yards and
knocked him dow bet he recovered and got out of our
reach. it is
certainly a different animal from any that we have yet
seen. we also saw
several of the heath cock with a long pointed tail
and an uniform dark
brown colour but could not kill one of them. they
are much larger
than the common dunghill fowls, and in their habits and
manner of flying
resemble the growse or prarie hen. at the distance of
4 miles further the
road took us to the most distant fountain of the
waters of the
mighty Missouri in surch of which we have spent so many
toilsome days and
wristless nights. thus far I had accomplished one of
those great objects
on which my mind has been unalterably fixed for
many years, judge
then of the pleasure I felt in allying my thirst with
this pure and ice
cold water which issues from the base of a low
mountain or hill of
a gentle ascent for 1/2 a mile. the mountains are
high on either hand
leave this gap at the head of this rivulet through
which the road
passes. here I halted a few minutes and rested myself.
two miles below
McNeal had exultingly stood with a foot on each side of
this little rivulet
and thanked his god that he had lived to bestride
the mighty &
heretofore deemed endless Missouri. after refreshing
ourselves we
proceeded on to the top of the dividing ridge from which I
discovered immence
ranges of high mountains still to the West of us
with their tops
partially covered with snow. I now decended the
mountain about 3/4
of a mile which I found much steeper than on the
opposite side, to a
handsome bold running Creek of cold Clear water.
here I first tasted
the water of the great Columbia river. after a
short halt of a few
minutes we continued our march along the Indian
road which lead us
over steep hills and deep hollows to a spring on the
side of a mountain
where we found a sufficient quantity of dry willow
brush for fuel,
here we encamped for the night having traveled about 20
Miles. as we had
killed nothing during the day we now boiled and eat
the remainder of
our pork, having yet a little flour and parched meal.
at the creek on
this side of the mountain I observed a species of deep
perple currant
lower in its growth, the stem more branched and leaf
doubly as large as
that of the Missouri. the leaf is covered on it's
under disk with a
hairy pubersence. the fruit is of the ordinary size
and shape of the
currant and is supported in the usual manner, but is
ascid & very
inferior in point of flavor.
this morning Capt.
Clark set out early. found the river shoally, rapid
shallow, and
extreemly difficult. the men in the water almost all day.
they are geting
weak soar and much fortiegued; they complained of the
fortiegue to which
the navigation subjected them and wished to go by
land Capt. C.
engouraged them and passifyed them. one of the canoes was
very near
overseting in a rapid today. they proceeded but slowly. at
noon they had a
thunderstorm which continued about half an hour. their
hunters killed 3
deer and a fawn. they encamped in a smoth plain near a
few cottonwood
trees on the Lard. side.-
[Clark, August 12,
1805]
August 12th Monday
1805
We Set out early
(Wind N E) proceeded on passed Several large Islands
and three Small
ones, the river much more Sholey than below which
obliges us to haul
the Canoes over those Sholes which Suckceed each
other at Short
intervales emencely laborious men much fatigued and
weakened by being
continualy in the water drawing the Canoes over the
Sholes encamped on
the Lard Side men complain verry much of the emence
labour they are
obliged to undergo & wish much to leave the river. I
passify them. the
weather Cool, and nothing to eate but venison, the
hunters killed
three Deer to day
[Lewis, August 13,
1805]
Tuesday August 13th
1805.
We set out very
early on the Indian road which still led us through an
open broken country
in a westerly direction. a deep valley appeared to
our left at the
base of a high range of mountains which extended from
S. E. to N. W.
having their sides better clad with pine timber than we
had been accustomed
to see the mountains and their tops were also
partially covered
with snow. at the distance of five miles the road
after leading us
down a long decending valley for 2 Ms. brought us to a
large creek about
10 yds. wide; this we passed and on rising the hill
beyond it had a
view of a handsome little valley to our left of about a
mile in width
through which from the appearance of the timber I
conjectured that a
river passed. I saw near the creek some bushes of
the white maple,
the shumate of the small species with the winged rib,
and a species of
honeysuckle much in it's growth and leaf like the
small honeysuckle
of the Missouri only reather larger and bears a
globular berry as
large as a garden pea and as white as wax. this berry
is formed of a thin
smooth pellicle which envellopes a soft white
musilagenous
substance in which there are several small brown seed
irregularly
scattered or intermixed without any sell or perceptable
membranous
covering.- we had proceeded about four miles through a wavy
plain parallel to
the valley or river bottom when at the distance of
about a mile we saw
two women, a man and some dogs on an eminence
immediately before
us. they appeared to vew us with attention and two
of them after a few
minutes set down as if to wait our arrival we
continued our usual
pace towards them. when we had arrived within half
a mile of them I
directed the party to halt and leaving my pack and
rifle I took the
flag which I unfurled and avanced singly towards them
the women soon
disappeared behind the hill, the man continued untill I
arrived within a
hundred yards of him and then likewise absconded. tho
I frequently
repeated the word tab-ba-bone sufficiently loud for him to
have heard it. I
now haistened to the top of the hill where they had
stood but could see
nothing of them. the dogs were less shye than their
masters they came
about me pretty close I therefore thought of tying a
handkerchief about
one of their necks with some beads and other
trinkets and then
let them loose to surch their fugitive owners
thinking by this
means to convince them of our pacific disposition
towards them but
the dogs would not suffer me to take hold of them;
they also soon
disappeared. I now made a signal fror the men to come
on, they joined me
and we pursued the back tarck of these Indians which
lead us along the
same road which we had been traveling. the road was
dusty and appeared
to have been much traveled lately both by men and
horses. these
praries are very poor the soil is of a light yellow clay,
intermixed with
small smooth gravel, and produces little else but
prickly pears, and
bearded grass about 3 inches high. the prickley pear
are of three
species that with a broad leaf common to the missouri;
that of a globular
form also common to the upper part of the Missouri
and more especially
after it enters the Rocky Mountains, also a 3rd
peculiar to this
country. it consists of small circular thick leaves
with a much greater
number of thorns. these thorns are stronger and
appear to be
barbed. the leaves grow from the margins of each other as
in the broad leafed
pear of the missouri, but are so slightly attatched
that when the thorn
touches your mockerson it adhears and brings with
it the leaf covered
in every direction with many others. this is much
the most
troublesome plant of the three. we had not continued our rout
more than a mile
when we were so fortunate as to meet with three female
savages. the short
and steep ravines which we passed concealed us from
each other untill
we arrived within 30 paces. a young woman immediately
took to flight, an
Elderly woman and a girl of about 12 years old
remained. I
instantly laid by my gun and advanced towards them. they
appeared much
allarmed but saw that we were to near for them to escape
by flight they
therefore seated themselves on the ground, holding down
their heads as if
reconciled to die which the expected no doubt would
be their fate; I
took the elderly woman by the hand and raised her up
repeated the word
tab-babone and strip up my shirt sieve to sew her my
skin; to prove to
her the truth of the ascertion that I was a white man
for my face and
hads which have been constantly exposed to the sun were
quite as dark as
their own. they appeared instantly reconciled, and the
men coming up I
gave these women some beads a few mockerson awls some
pewter
looking-glasses and a little paint. I directed Drewyer to
request the old
woman to recall the young woman who had run off to some
distance by this
time fearing she might allarm the camp before we
approached and
might so exasperate the natives that they would perhaps
attack us without
enquiring who we were. the old woman did as she was
requested and the fugitive
soon returned almost out of breath. I
bestoed an
equvolent portion of trinket on her with the others. I now
painted their tawny
cheeks with some vermillion which with this nation
is emblematic of
peace. after they had become composed I informed them
by signs that I
wished them to conduct us to their camp that we wer
anxious to become
acquainted with the chiefs and warriors of their
nation. they
readily obeyed and we set out, still pursuing the road
down the river. we
had marched about 2 miles when we met a party of
about 60 warriors
mounted on excellent horses who came in nearly full
speed, when they
arrived I advanced towards them with the flag leaving
my gun with the
party about 50 paces behid me. the chief and two others
who were a little
in advance of the main body spoke to the women, and
they informed them
who we were and exultingly shewed the presents which
had been given them
these men then advanced and embraced me very
affectionately in
their way which is by puting their left arm over you
wright sholder
clasping your back, while they apply their left cheek to
yours and
frequently vociforate the word ah-hi'-e, &h-hi'-e that is, I
am much pleased, I
am much rejoiced. bothe parties now advanced and we
wer all carresed
and besmeared with their grease and paint till I was
heartily tired of
the national hug. I now had the pipe lit and gave
them smoke; they
seated themselves in a circle around us and pulled of
their mockersons
before they would receive or smoke the pipe. this is a
custom among them
as I afterwards learned indicative of a sacred
obligation of
sincerity in their profession of friendship given by the
act of receiving
and smoking the pipe of a stranger. or which is as
much as to say that
they wish they may always go bearfoot if they are
not sincere; a
pretty heavy penalty if they are to march through the
plains of their
country. after smoking a few pipes with them I
distributed some
trifles among them, with which they seemed much
pleased
particularly with the blue beads and vermillion. I now informed
the chief that the
object of our visit was a friendly one, that after
we should reach his
camp I would undertake to explain to him fully
those objects, who
we wer, from whence we had come and wither we were
going; that in the
mean time I did not care how soon we were in motion,
as the sun was very
warm and no water at hand. they now put on their
mockersons, and the
principal chief Ca-me-ah-wait made a short speach
to the warriors. I
gave him the flag which I informed him was an emblem
of peace among
whitemen and now that it had been received by him it was
to be respected as
the bond of union between us. I desired him to march
on, which did and
we followed him; the dragoons moved on in squadron in
our rear. after we
had marched about a mile in this order he halted
them ang gave a
second harang; after which six or eight of the young
men road forward to
their encampment and no further regularity was
observed in the
order of march. I afterwards understood that the
Indians we had
first seen this morning had returned and allarmed the
camp; these men had
come out armed cap a pe for action expecting to
meet with their
enemies the Minnetares of Fort de Prarie whome they
Call Rah'-kees.
they were armed with bows arrow and Shield except three
whom I observed
with small pieces such as the N. W. Company furnish the
natives with which
they had obtained from the Rocky Mountain Indians on
the yellow stone
river with whom they are at peace. on our arrival at
their encampmen on
the river in a handsome level and fertile bottom at
the distance of 4
Ms. from where we had first met them they introduced
us to a londge made
of willow brush and an old leather lodge which had
been prepared for
our reception by the young men which the chief had
dispatched for that
purpose. Here we were seated on green boughs and
the skins of
Antelopes. one of the warriors then pulled up the grass in
the center of the
lodge forming a smal circle of about 2 feet in
diameter the chief
next produced his pipe and native tobacco and began
a long cerimony of
the pipe when we were requested to take of our
mockersons, the
Chief having previously taken off his as well as all
the warriors
present. this we complyed with; the Chief then lit his
pipe at the fire
kindled in this little magic circle, and standing on
the oposite side of
the circle uttered a speach of several minutes in
length at the
conclusion of which he pointed the stem to the four
cardinal points of
the heavens first begining at the East and ending
with the North. he
now presented the pipe to me as if desirous that I
should smoke, but
when I reached my hand to receive it, he drew it back
and repeated the
same cremony three times, after which he pointed the
stern first to the
heavens then to the center of the magic circle
smoked himself with
three whifs and held the pipe untill I took as many
as I thought
proper; he then held it to each of the white persons and
then gave it to be
consumed by his warriors. this pipe was made of a
dense
simitransparent green stone very highly polished about 21/2
inches long and of
an oval figure, the bowl being in the same direction
with the stem. a
small piece of birned clay is placed in the bottom of
the bowl to
seperate the tobacco from the end of the stem and is of an
irregularly rounded
figure not fitting the tube purfectly close in
order that the
smoke may pass. this is the form of the pipe. their
tobacco is of the
same kind of that used by the Minnetares Mandans and
Ricares of the
Missouri. the Shoshonees do not cultivate this plant,
but obtain it from
the Rocky mountain Indians and some of the bands of
their own nation
who live further south. I now explained to them the
objects of our
journey &c. all the women and children of the camp were
shortly collected
about the lodge to indulge themselves with looking at
us, we being the
first white persons they had ever seen. after the
cerimony of the
pipe was over I distributed the remainder of the small
articles I had
brought with me among the women and children. by this
time it was late in
the evening and we had not taisted any food since
the evening before.
the Chief informed us that they had nothing but
berries to eat and
gave us some cakes of serviceberries and Choke
cherries which had
been dryed in the sun; of these I made a hearty
meal, and then
walked to the river, which I found about 40 yards wide
very rapid clear
and about 3 feet deep. the banks low and abrupt as
those of the upper
part of the Missouri, and the bed formed of loose
stones and gravel.
Cameahwait informed me that this stream discharged
itself into another
doubly as large at the distance of half a days
march which came
from the S. W. but he added on further enquiry that
there was but
little more timber below the junction of those rivers
than I saw here,
and that the river was confined between inacessable
mountains, was very
rapid and rocky insomuch that it was impossible for
us to pass either
by land or water down this river to the great lake
where the white men
lived as he had been informed. this was unwelcome
information but I
still hoped that this account had been exagerated
with a view to
detain us among them. as to timber I could discover not
any that would
answer the purpose of constructing canoes or in short
more than was
bearly necessary for fuel consisting of the narrow leafed
cottonwood and
willow, also the red willow Choke Cherry service berry
and a few currant
bushes such as were common on the Missouri. these
people had been
attacked by the Minetares of Fort de prarie this spring
and about 20 of
them killed and taken prisoners. on this occasion they
lost a great part
of their horses and all their lodges except that
which they had
erected for our accomodation; they were now living in
lodges of a conic
figure made of willow brush. I still observe a great
number of horses
feeding in every direction around their camp and
therefore entertain
but little doubt but we shall be enable to furnish
ourselves with an
adiquate number to transport our stores even if we
are compelled to
travel by land over these mountains. on my return to
my lodge an indian
called me in to his bower and gave me a small morsel
of the flesh of an
antelope boiled, and a peice of a fresh salmon
roasted; both which
I eat with a very good relish. this was the first
salmon I had seen
and perfectly convinced me that we were on the waters
of the Pacific
Ocean. the course of this river is a little to the North
of west as far as I
can discover it; and is bounded on each side by a
range of high
Mountains. tho those on the E. side are lowest and more
distant from the
river.
This evening the
Indians entertained us with their dancing nearly all
night. at 12 O'Ck.
I grew sleepy and retired to rest leaving the men to
amuse themselves
with the Indians. I observe no essential difference
between the music
and manner of dancing among this nation and those of
the Missouri. I was
several times awoke in the course of the night by
their yells but was
too much fortiegued to be deprived of a tolerable
sound night's
repose.
This morning Capt
Clark set out early having previously dispatched some
hunters ahead. it
was cool and cloudy all the forepart of the day. at 8
A.M. they had a
slight rain. they passed a number of shoals over which
they were obliged
to drag the canoes; the men in the water 3/4ths of
the day, they
passed a bold runing stream 7 yds. wide on the Lard. side
just below a high
point of Limestone rocks. this stream we call
McNeal's Creek
after Hugh McNeal one of our party. this creek heads in
the Mountains to
the East and forms a handsome valley for some miles
between the
mountains. from the top of this limestone Clift above the
creek The beaver's head
boar N 24° E. 12 Ms. the course of Wisdom river
or that which the
opening of it's valley makes through the mountains is
N. 25 W. to the gap
through which Jefferson's river enters the
mountains above is
S 18° W 10 M. they killed one deer only today. saw a
number of Otter
some beaver Antelopes ducks gees and Grains. they
caught a number of
fine trout as they have every day since I left them.
they encamped on
Lrd. in a smooth level prarie near a few cottonwood
trees, but were
obliged to make use of the dry willow brush for fuel.
[Clark, August 13,
1805]
August 13th Tuesday
1805
a verry Cool
morning the Thermometer Stood at 52 a 0 all the fore part
of the day. Cloudy
at 8 oClock a mist of rain we proceeded on passed
inumerable Sholes
obliged to haul the boat 3/4 of the Day over the
Shole water. passed
the mouth of a bold running Stream 7 yards wide on
the Lard Side below
a high Point of Limestone rocks on the Stard Side
this Creek heads in
the mountains to the easte and forms a Vallie
between two
mountains. Call this stream McNeal Creek From the top of
this rock the Point
of the Beaver head hill bears N. 24° E 12 ms.
The Course of the
Wisdom river is- N. 25 W
The gap at the
place the river passes thro a mountain in advance is- S.
18° W. 10 ms.
proceeded on and
Encamped on the Lard side no wood except dry willows
and them Small, one
Deer killed to day. The river obliges the men to
undergo great
fatigue and labour in hauling the Canoes over the Sholes
in the Cold water
naked.
[Lewis, August 14,
1805]
Wednesday August
14th
In order to give
Capt. Clark time to reach the forks of Jefferson's
river I concluded
to spend this day at the Shoshone Camp and obtain
what information I
could with rispect to the country. as we had nothing
but a little flour
and parched meal to eat except the berries with
which the Indians
furnished us I directed Drewyer and Shields to hunt a
few hours and try
to kill something, the Indians furnished them with
horses and most of
their young men also turned out to hunt. the game
which they
principally hunt is the Antelope which they pursue on
horseback and shoot
with their arrows. this animal is so extreemly
fleet and dureable
that a single horse has no possible chance to
overtake them or
run them down. the Indians are therefore obliged to
have recorce to
strategem when they discover a herd of the Antelope
they seperate and
scatter themselves to the distance of five or six
miles in different
directions arround them generally scelecting some
commanding eminence
for a stand; some one or two now pursue the herd at
full speed over the
hills values gullies and the sides of precipices
that are
tremendious to view. thus after runing them from five to six
or seven miles the
fresh horses that were in waiting head them and
drive them back
persuing them as far or perhaps further quite to the
other extreem of
the hunters who now in turn pursue on their fresh
horses thus
worrying the poor animal down and finally killing them with
their arrows. forty
or fifty hunters will be engaged for half a day in
this manner and
perhaps not kill more than two or three Antelopes. they
have but few Elk or
black tailed deer, and the common red deer they
cannot take as they
secrete themselves in the brush when pursued, and
they have only the
bow and arrow wich is a very slender dependence for
killing any game
except such as they can run down with their horses. I
was very much
entertained with a view of this indian chase; it was
after a herd of
about 10 Antelope and about 20 hunters. it lasted about
2 hours and
considerable part of the chase in view from my tent. about
1 A.M. the hunters
returned had not killed a single Antelope, and their
horses foaming with
sweat. my hunters returned soon after and had been
equally
unsuccessfull. I now directed McNeal to make me a little paist
with the flour and
added some berries to it which I found very
pallateable.
The means I had of
communicating with these people was by way of
Drewyer who
understood perfectly the common language of jesticulation
or signs which
seems to be universally understood by all the Nations we
have yet seen. it
is true that this language is imperfect and liable to
error but is much
less so than would be expected. the strong parts of
the ideas are
seldom mistaken.
I now prevailed on
the Chief to instruct me with rispect to the
geography of his
country. this he undertook very cheerfully, by
delienating the
rivers on the ground. but I soon found that his
information fell
far short of my expectation or wishes. he drew the
river on which we
now are to which he placed two branches just above
us, which he shewed
me from the openings of the mountains were in view;
he next made it
discharge itself into a large river which flowed from
the S. W. about ten
miles below us, then continued this joint stream in
the same direction
of this valley or N. W. for one days march and then
enclined it to the
West for 2 more days march, here he placed a number
of beeps of sand on
each side which he informed me represented the vast
mountains of rock
eternally covered with snow through which the river
passed. that the
perpendicular and even juting rocks so closely hemned
in the river that
there was no possibilyte of passing along the shore;
that the bed of the
river was obstructed by sharp pointed rocks and the
rapidity of the
stream such that the whole surface of the river was
beat into perfect
foam as far as the eye could reach. that the
mountains were also
inaccessible to man or horse. he said that this
being the state of
the country in that direction that himself nor none
of his nation had
ever been further down the river than these
mountains. I then
enquired the state of the country on either side of
the river but he
could not inform me. he said there was an old man of
his nation a days
march below who could probably give me some
information of the
country to the N. W. and refered me to an old man
then present for
that to the S. W.- the Chief further informed me that
he had understood
from the persed nosed Indians who inhabit this river
below the rocky
mountains that it ran a great way toward the seting sun
and finally lost
itself in a great lake of water which was illy
taisted, and where
the white men lived. I next commenced my enquiries
of the old man to
whom I had been refered for information relative the
country S W. of us.
this he depicted with horrors and obstructions
scarcely inferior
to that just mentioned. he informed me that the band
of this nation to
which he belonged resided at the distance of 20 days
march from hence
not far from the white people with whom they traded
for horses mules
cloth metal beads and the shells which they woar as
orniment being
those of a species of perl oister. that the course to
his relations was a
little to the West of South. that in order to get
to his relations
the first seven days we should be obliged to climb
over steep and
rocky mountains where we could find no game to kill nor
anything but roots
such as a ferce and warlike nation lived on whom he
called the broken
mockersons or mockersons with holes, and said
inhabited those
mountains and lived like the bear of other countries
among the rocks and
fed on roots or the flesh of such horses as they
could take or steel
from those who passed through their country. that
in passing this
country the feet of our horses would be so much wounded
with the stones
many of them would give out. the next part of the rout
was about 10 days
through a dry and parched sandy desert in which no
food at this season
for either man or horse, and in which we must
suffer if not
perish for the want of water. that the sun had now dryed
up the little pools
of water which exist through this desert plain in
the spring season
and had also scorched all the grass. that no animal
inhabited this
plain on which we could hope to subsist. that about the
center of this
plain a large river passed from S. E. to N. W. which was
navigable but
afforded neither Salmon nor timber. that beyond this
plain thee or four
days march his relations lived in a country
tolerable fertile
and partially covered with timber on another large
river which ran in
the same direction of the former. that this last
discharged itself
into a large river on which many numerous nations
lived with whom his
relations were at war but whether this last
discharged itself
into the great lake or not he did not know. that from
his relations it
was yet a great distance to the great or stinking lake
as they call the
Ocean. that the way which such of his nation as had
been to the
Stinking lake traveled was up the river on which they lived
and over to that on
which the white people lived which last they knew
discharged itself
into the Ocean, and that this was the way which he
would advise me to
travel if I was determined to proceed to the Ocean
but would advise me
to put off the journey untill the next spring when
he would conduct
me. I thanked him for his information and advise and
gave him a knife
with which he appeared to be much gratifyed. from this
narative I was
convinced that the streams of which he had spoken as
runing through the
plains and that on which his relations lived were
southern branches
of the Columbia, heading with the rivers Apostles and
Collorado, and that
the rout he had pointed out was to the Vermillion
Sea or gulph of
Callifornia. I therefore told him that this rout was
more to the South
than I wished to travel, and requested to know if
there was no rout
on the left of this river on which we now are, by
means of which, I
could intercept it below the mountains through which
it passes; but he
could not inform me of any except that of the barren
plain which he said
joined the mountain on that side and through which
it was impossible
for us to pass at this season even if we were
fortunate enough to
escape from the broken mockerson Indians. I now
asked Cameahwait by
what rout the Pierced nosed indians, who he
informed me
inhabited this river below the mountains, came over to the
Missouri; this he
informed me was to the north, but added that the road
was a very bad one
as he had been informed by them and that they had
suffered
excessively with hunger on the rout being obliged to subsist
for many days on
berries alone as there was no game in that part of the
mountains which
were broken rockey and so thickly covered with timber
that they could
scarcely pass. however knowing that Indians had passed,
and did pass, at
this season on that side of this river to the same
below the mountains,
my rout was instantly settled in my own mind,
povided the account
of this river should prove true on an investigation
of it, which I was
determined should be made before we would undertake
the rout by land in
any direction. I felt perfectly satisfyed, that if
the Indians could
pass these mountains with their women and Children,
that we could also
pass them; and that if the nations on this river
below the mountains
were as numerous as they were stated to be that
they must have some
means of subsistence which it would be equally in
our power to
procure in the same country. they informed me that there
was no buffaloe on
the West side of these mountains; that the game
consisted of a few
Elk deer and Antelopes, and that the natives
subsisted on fish
and roots principally. in this manner I spent the day
smoking with them
and acquiring what information I could with respect
to their country.
they informed me that they could pass to the
Spaniards by the
way of the yellowstone river in 10 days. I can
discover that these
people are by no means friendly to the Spaniard
their complaint is,
that the Spaniards will not let them have fire arms
and amunition, that
they put them off by telling them that if they
suffer them to have
guns they will kill each other, thus leaving them
defenceless and an
easy prey to their bloodthirsty neighbours to the
East of them, who
being in possession of fire arms hunt them up and
murder them without
rispect to sex or age and plunder them of their
horses on all
occasions. they told me that to avoid their enemies who
were eternally
harrassing them that they were obliged to remain in the
interior of these
mountains at least two thirds of the year where the
suffered as we then
saw great heardships for the want of food sometimes
living for weeks
without meat and only a little fish roots and berries.
but this added
Cameahwait, with his ferce eyes and lank jaws grown
meager for the want
of food, would not be the case if we had guns, we
could then live in
the country of buffaloe and eat as our enimies do
and not be
compelled to hide ourselves in these mountains and live on
roots and berries
as the bear do. we do not fear our enimies when
placed on an equal
footing with them. I told them that the Minnetares
Mandans &
Recares of the Missouri had promised us to desist from making
war on them &
that we would indevour to find the means of making the
Minnetares of fort
d Prarie or as they call them Pahkees desist from
waging war against
them also. that after our finally returning to our
homes towards the
rising sun whitemen would come to them with an
abundance of guns
and every other article necessary to their defence
and comfort, and
that they would be enabled to supply themselves with
these articles on
reasonable terms in exchange for the skins of the
beaver Otter and
Ermin so abundant in their country. they expressed
great pleasure at
this information and said they had been long anxious
to see the whitemen
that traded guns; and that we might rest assured of
their friendship
and that they would do whatever we wished them.
I now told
Cameahwait that I wished him to speak to his people and
engage them to go
with me tomorrow to the forks of Jeffersons river
where our baggage
was by this time arrived with another Chief and a
large party of
whitemen who would wait my return at that place. that I
wish them to take
with them about 30 spare horses to transport our
baggage to this
place where we would then remain sometime among them
and trade with them
for horses, and finally concert our future plans
for geting on to
the ocean and of the traid which would be extended to
them after our
return to our homes. he complyed with my request and
made a lengthey
harrangue to his village. he returned in about an hour
and a half and
informed me that they would be ready to accompany me in
the morning. I
promised to reward them for their trouble. Drewyer who
had had a good view
of their horses estimated them at 400. most of them
are fine horses.
indeed many of them would make a figure on the South
side of James River
or the land of fine horses.- I saw several with
Spanish brands on
them, and some mules which they informed me that they
had also obtained
from the Spaniards. I also saw a bridle bit of
spanish
manufactary, and sundry other articles which I have no doubt
were obtained from
the same source. notwithstanding the extreem poverty
of those poor
people they are very merry they danced again this evening
untill midnight.
each warrior keep one ore more horses tyed by a cord
to a stake near his
lodge both day and night and are always prepared
for action at a
moments warning. they fight on horseback altogether.
lobserve that the
large flies are extreemly troublesome to the horses
as well as
ourselves.
The morning being
cold and the men stif and soar from the exertions of
yesterday Capt.
Clark did not set out this morning untill 7 A.M. the
river was so
crooked and rapid that they made but little way at one
mile he passed a
bold runing stream on Stard. which heads in a mountain
to the North, on
which there is snow. this we called track Creek. it is
4 yard wide and 3
feet deep at 7 Ms. passed a stout stream which heads
in some springs
under the foot of the mountains on Lard. the river near
the mountain they
found one continued rapid, with was extreemly
laborious and
difficult to ascend. this evening Charbono struck his
indian Woman for
which Capt. C. gave him a severe repremand. Joseph and
Reubin Fields
killed 4 deer and an Antelope, Capt. C. killed a buck.
several of the men
have lamed themselves by various accedents in
working the canoes
through this difficult part of the river, and Capt.
C. was obliged
personally to assist them in this labour. they encamped
this evening on
Lard. side near the rattlesnake clift
[Clark, August 14,
1805]
August 14th
Wednesday 1805.
a Cold morning wind
from the S. W. The Thermometer Stood at 51° a 0, at
Sunrise the morning
being cold and men Stiff. I deturmind to delay &
take brackfast at
the place we Encamped. we Set out at 7 oClock and
proceeded on river
verry Crooked and rapid as below Some fiew trees on
the borders near
the mountain, passed a bold running Stream at 1 mile
on the Stard. Side
which heads in a mountain to the North on which
there is Snow passed
a bold running Stream on the Lard. Side which
heads in a Spring
undr. a mountain, the river near the mountain is one
continued rapid,
which requres great labour to push & haul the Canoes
up. We Encamped on
the Lard Side near the place the river passes thro
the mountain. I
checked our interpreter for Strikeing his woman at
their Dinner.
The hunters Jo.
& R. Fields killed 4 Deer & a antilope, I killed a fat
Buck in the
evening, Several men have hurt themselves pushing up the
Canoes. I am oblige
to a pole occasionally.
[Lewis, August 15,
1805]
Thursday August
15th 1805.
This morning I
arrose very early and as hungary as a wolf. I had eat
nothing yesterday
except one scant meal of the flour and berries except
the dryed cakes of
berries which did not appear to satisfy my appetite
as they appeared to
do those of my Indian friends. I found on enquiry
of McNeal that we
had only about two pounds of flour remaining. this I
directed him to
divide into two equal parts and to cook the one half
this morning in a
kind of pudding with the hurries as he had done
yesterday and
reserve the ballance for the evening. on this new
fashoned pudding
four of us breakfasted, giving a pretty good allowance
also to the Chief
who declared it the best thing he had taisted for a
long time. he took
a little of the Hour in his hand, taisted and
examined very
scrutinously and asked me if we made it of roots. I
explained to him
the manner in which it grew. I hurried the departure
of the Indians. the
Chief addressed them several times before they
would move they
seemed very reluctant to accompany me. I at length
asked the reason
and he told me that some foolish persons among them
had suggested the
idea that we were in league with the Pahkees and had
come on in order to
decoy them into an ambuscade where their enimies
were waiting to
receive them. but that for his part he did not believe
it. I readily
perceived that our situation was not entirely free from
danger as the
transision from suspicion to the confermation of the fact
would not be very
difficult in the minds of these ignorant people who
have been
accustomed from their infancy to view every stranger as an
enimy. I told
Cameahwait that I was sorry to find that they had put so
little confidence
in us, that I knew they were not acquainted with
whitemen and
therefore could forgive them. that among whitemen it was
considered
disgracefull to lye or entrap an enimy by falsehood. I told
him if they
continued to think thus meanly of us that they might rely
on it that no
whitemen would ever come to trade with them or bring them
arms and amunition
and that if the bulk of his nation still entertained
this opinion I
still hoped that there were some among them that were
not affraid to die,
that were men and would go with me and convince
themselves of the
truth of what I had asscerted. that there was a party
of whitemen waiting
my return either at the forks of Jefferson's river
or a little below
coining on to that place in canoes loaded with
provisions and
merchandize. he told me for his own part he was
determined to go,
that he was not affraid to die. I soon found that I
had touched him on
the right string; to doubt the bravery of a savage
is at once to put
him on his metal. he now mounted his horse and
haranged his
village a third time; the perport of which as he
afterwards told me
was to inform them that he would go with us and
convince himself of
the truth or falsity of what we had told him if he
was sertain he
should be killed, that he hoped there were some of them
who heard him were
not affraid to die with him and if there was to let
him see them mount
their horses and prepare to set out. shortly after
this harange he was
joined by six or eight only and with these I smoked
a pipe and directed
the men to put on their packs being determined to
set out with them
while I had them in the humour at half after 12 we
set out, several of
the old women were crying and imploring the great
sperit to protect
their warriors as if they were going to inevitable
distruction. we had
not proceeded far before our party was augmented by
ten or twelve more,
and before we reached the Creek which we had passed
in the morning of
the 13th it appeared to me that we had all the men of
the village and a
number of women with us. this may serve in some
measure to
ilustrate the capricious disposition of those people who
never act but from
the impulse of the moment. they were now very
cheerfull and gay,
and two hours ago they looked as sirly as so many
imps of satturn.
when we arrived at the spring on the side of the
mountain where we
had encamped on the 12th the Chief insited on halting
to let the horses
graize with which I complyed and gave the Indians
smoke. they are
excessively fond of the pipe; but have it not much in
their power to
indulge themselves with even their native tobacco as
they do not
cultivate it themselves.- after remaining about an hour we
again set out, and
by engaging to make compensation to four of them for
their trouble
obtained the previlege of riding with an indian myself
and a similar
situation for each of my party. I soon found it more
tiresome riding
without tirrups than walking and of course chose the
latter making the
Indian carry my pack. about sunset we reached the
upper part of the
level valley of the Cove which now called Shoshone
Cove. the grass
being birned on the North side of the river we passed
over to the south
and encamped near some willow brush about 4 miles
above the narrow
pass between the hills noticed as I came up this cove
the river was here
about six yards wide, and frequently darned up by
the beaver. I had
sent Drewyer forward this evening before we halted to
kill some meat but
he was unsuccessfull and did not rejoin us untill
after dark I now
cooked and among six of us eat the remaining pound of
flour stired in a
little boiling water.- Capt. Clark delayed again this
morning untill
after breakfast, when he set out and passed between low
and rugged
mountains which had a few pine trees distributed over them
the clifts are
formed of limestone and a hard black rock intermixed. no
trees on the river,
the bottoms narrow river crooked shallow shoally
and rapid. the
water is as coald as that of the best springs in our
country. the men as
usual suffered excessively with fatiegue and the
coldness of the
water to which they were exposed for hours together. at
the distance of 6
miles by water they passed the entrance of a bold
creek on Stard.
side 10 yds. wide and 3 f. 3 i. deep which we called
Willard's Creek
after Alexander Willard one of our party. at 4 miles by
water from their
encampment of las evening passed a bold branch which
tumbled down a
steep precipice of rocks from the mountains on the Lard.
Capt Clark was very
near being bitten twice today by rattlesnakes, the
Indian woman also
narrowly escaped. they caught a number of fine trout.
Capt. Clark killed
a buck which was the only game killed today. the
venison has an
uncommon bitter taist which is unpleasent. I presume it
proceeds from some
article of their food, perhaps the willow on the
leaves of which
they feed very much. they encamped this evening on the
Lard. side near a
few cottonwood trees about which there were the
remains of several
old Indian brush lodges.
[Clark, August 15,
1805]
August 15th
Thursday 1805
a Cool windey
morning wind from the S W we proceeded on thro a ruged
low mountain water
rapid as usial passed a bold running Stream which
falls from the
mountain on the Lard. Side at 4 miles, also a bold
running Stream 10
yards wide on the Stard Side 8 feet 3 In. Deep at 6
miles, Willards
Creek the bottoms narrow, the Clifs of a Dark brown
Stone Some
limestone intermixed- an Indian road passes on the Lard Side
latterly used. Took
a Meridian altitude at the Comsnt. of the Mountain
with Octent 65° 47'
0". The Latd. 44° 0' 48 1/10" proceeded on with great
labour &
fatigue to the Mouth of a Small run on the Lard. Side
passed Several
Spring runs, the men Complain much of their fatigue and
being repetiedly in
the water which weakens them much perticularly as
they are obliged to
live on pore Deer meet which has a Singular bitter
taste. I have no
accounts of Capt Lewis Sence he Set out
In walking on Shore
I Saw Several rattle Snakes and narrowly escaped at
two different
times, as also the Squar when walking with her husband on
Shore- I killed a
Buck nothing else killed to day- This mountn. I call
rattle Snake
mountain. not one tree on either Side to day
[Lewis, August 16,
1805]
Friday August 16th
1805.
I sent Drewyer and
Shields before this morning in order to kill some
meat as neither the
Indians nor ourselves had any thing to eat. I
informed the Ceif
of my view in this measure, and requested that he
would keep his
young men with us lest by their hooping and noise they
should allarm the
game and we should get nothing to eat, but so
strongly were there
suspicions exited by this measure that two parties
of discovery
immediately set out one on ech side of the valley to watch
the hunters as I
beleive to see whether they had not been sent to give
information of
their approach to an enemy that they still preswaided
themselves were
lying in wait for them. I saw that any further effort
to prevent their
going would only add strength to their suspicions and
therefore said no
more. after the hunters had been gone about an hour
we set out. we had
just passed through the narrows when we saw one of
the spies comeing
up the level plain under whip, the chief pawsed a
little and seemed
somewhat concerned. I felt a good deel so myself and
began to suspect
that by some unfortunate accedent that perhaps some of
there enimies had
straggled hither at this unlucky moment; but we were
all agreeably
disappointed on the arrival of the young man to learn
that he had come to
inform us that one of the whitemen had killed a
deer. in an instant
they all gave their horses the whip and I was taken
nearly a mile
before I could learn what were the tidings; as I was
without tirrups and
an Indian behind me the jostling was disagreeable I
therefore reigned
up my horse and forbid the indian to whip him who had
given him the lash
at every jum for a mile fearing he should loose a
part of the feast.
the fellow was so uneasy that he left me the horse
dismounted and ran
on foot at full speed, I am confident a mile. when
they arrived where
the deer was which was in view of me they dismounted
and ran in tumbling
over each other like a parcel of famished dogs each
seizing and tearing
away a part of the intestens which had been
previously thrown
out by Drewyer who killed it; the seen was such when
I arrived that had
I not have had a pretty keen appetite myself I am
confident I should
not have taisted any part of the venison shortly.
each one had a
peice of some discription and all eating most
ravenously. some
were eating the kidnies the melt and liver and the
blood runing from
the corners of their mouths, others were in a similar
situation with the
paunch and guts but the exuding substance in this
case from their
lips was of a different discription. one of the last
who attacted my
attention particularly had been fortunate in his
allotment or
reather active in the division, he had provided himself
with about nine
feet of the small guts one end of which he was chewing
on while with his
hands he was squezzing the contents out at the other.
I really did not
untill now think that human nature ever presented
itself in a shape
so nearly allyed to the brute creation. I viewed
these poor starved
divils with pity and compassion I directed McNeal to
skin the deer and
reserved a quarter, the ballance I gave the Chief to
be divided among
his people; they devoured the whole of it nearly
without cooking. I
now boar obliquely to the left in order to
interscept the
creek where there was some brush to make a fire, and
arrived at this
stream where Drewyer had killed a second deer; here
nearly the same
seene was encored. a fire being kindled we cooked and
eat and gave the
ballance of the two deer to the Indians who eat the
whole of them even
to the soft parts of the hoofs. Drewyer joined us at
breakfast with a
third deer. of this I reserved a quarter and gave the
ballance to the
Indians. they all appeared now to have filled
themselves and were
in a good humour. this morning early soon after the
hunters set out a
considerable part of our escort became allarmed and
returned 28 men and
three women only continued with us. after eating
and suffering the
horses to graize about 2 hours we renued our march
and towads evening
arrived at the lower part of the cove Shields killed
an Antelope on the
way a part of which we took and gave the remainder
to the Indians.
being now informed of the place at which I expected to
meat Capt C. and
the party they insisted on making a halt, which was
complyed with. we
now dismounted and the Chief with much cerimony put
tippets about our
necks such as they temselves woar I redily perceived
that this was to
disguise us and owed it's origine to the same cause
already mentioned.
to give them further confidence I put my cocked hat
with feather on the
chief and my over shirt being of the Indian form my
hair deshivled and
skin well browned with the sun I wanted no further
addition to make me
a complete Indian in appearance the men followed my
example and we were
son completely metamorphosed. I again repeated to
them the
possibility of the party not having arrived at the place which
I expected they
were, but assured them they could not be far below,
lest by not finding
them at the forks their suspicions might arrise to
such hight as to
induce them to return precipitately. we now set out
and rode briskly
within sight of the forks making one of the Indians
carry the flag that
our own party should know who we were. when we
arrived in sight at
the distance of about 2 miles I discovered to my
mortification that
the party had not arrived, and the Indians slackened
their pace. I now
scarcely new what to do and feared every moment when
they would halt
altogether, I now determined to restore their
confidence cost
what it might and therefore gave the Chief my gun and
told him that if
his enimies were in those bushes before him that he
could defend
himself with that gun, that for my own part I was not
affraid to die and
if I deceived him he might make what uce of the gun
he thought proper
or in other words that he might shoot me. the men
also gave their
guns to other indians which seemed to inspire them with
more confidence;
they sent their spies before them at some distance and
when I drew near
the place I thought of the notes which I had left and
directed Drewyer to
go with an Indian man and bring them to me which he
did. the indian
seeing him take the notes from the stake on which they
had been plased I
now had recource to a stratagem in which I thought
myself justifyed by
the occasion, but which I must confess set a little
awkward. it had
it's desired effect. after reading the notes which were
the same I had left
I told the Chief that when I had left my brother
Chief with the
party below where the river entered the mountain that we
both agreed not to
bring the canoes higher up than the next forks of
the river above us
wherever this might happen, that there he was to
wait my return,
should he arrive first, and that in the event of his
not being able to
travel as fast as usual from the difficulty of the
water, that he was
to send up to the first forks above him and leave a
note informing me
where he was, that this note was left here today and
that he informed me
that he was just below the mountains and was coming
on slowly up, and
added that I should wait here for him, but if they
did not beleive me
that I should send a man at any rate to the Chief
and they might also
send one of their young men with him, that myself
and two others
would remain with them at this place. this plan was
readily adopted and
one of the young men offered his services; I
promised him a
knife and some beads as a reward for his confidence in
us. most of them
seemed satisfyed but there were several that
complained of the
Chief's exposing them to danger unnecessarily and
said that we told
different stories, in short a few were much
dissatisfyed. I
wrote a note to Capt. Clark by the light of some willow
brush and directed
Drewyer to set out early being confident that there
was not a moment to
spare. the chief and five or six others slept about
my fire and the
others hid themselves in various parts of the willow
brush to avoid the
enimy whom they were fearfull would attack them in
the course of the
night. I now entertained various conjectures myself
with rispect to the
cause of Capt. Clarks detention and was even fearful
l that he had found
the river so difficult that he had halted below the
Rattlesnake bluffs.
I knew that if these people left me that they would
immediately
disperse and secrete themselves in the mountains where it
would be impossible
to find them or at least in vain to pursue them and
that they would
spread the allarm to all other bands within our reach &
of course we should
be disappointed in obtaining horses, which would
vastly retard and
increase the labour of our voyage and I feared might
so discourage the
men as to defeat the expedition altogether. my mind
was in reallity
quite as gloomy all this evening as the most affrighted
indian but I affected
cheerfullness to keep the Indians so who were
about me. we
finally laid down and the Chief placed himself by the side
of my musquetoe
bier. I slept but little as might be well expected, my
mind dwelling on
the state of the expedition which I have ever held in
equal estimation
with my own existence, and the fait of which appeared
at this moment to
depend in a great measure upon the caprice of a few
savages who are
ever as fickle as the wind. I had mentioned to the
chief several times
that we had with us a woman of his nation who had
been taken prisoner
by the Minnetares, and that by means of her I hoped
to explain myself
more fully than I could do by signs. some of the
party had also told
the Indians that we had a man with us who was black
and had short
curling hair, this had excited their curiossity very
much. and they
seemed quite as anxious to see this monster as they wer
the merchandize
which we had to barter for their horses.
at 7 A M. Capt. C.
set out after breakfast. he changed the hands in
some of the canoes;
they proceeded with more ease than yesterday, yet
they found the
river still rapid and shallow insomuch that they were
obliged to drag the
large canoes the greater part of the day. the water
excessively cold.
in the evening they passed several bad rapids.
considerable
quantities of the buffaloe clover grows along the narrow
bottoms through
which they passed. there was no timber except a few
scatiring small
pine on the hills. willow service berry and currant
bushes were the
growth of the river bottoms. they geatherd considerable
quantities of
service berries, and caught some trout. one deer was
killed by the
hunters who slept out last night. and did not join the
party untill 10
A.M.
Capt. Clark sent
the hunters this evening up to the forks of the river
which he discovered
from an eminence; they mus have left this place but
a little time
before we arrived. this evening they encamped on the
Lard. side only a
few miles below us. and were obliged like ourselves
to make use of
small willow brush for fuel. the men were much fatigued
and exhausted this
evening.
[Clark, August 16,
1805]
August 16th Friday
1805
as this morning was
cold and the men fatigued Stiff and Chilled
deturmined me to
detain & take brackfast before I Set out. I changed
the hands and Set
out at 7 oClock proceeded on Something better than
yesterday for the
fore part of the Day passed Several rapids in the
latter part of the
day near the hills river passed between 2 hills I
saw a great number
of Service berries now ripe. the Yellow Current are
also Common I
observe the long leaf Clover in great plenty in the
vallie below this
vallie- Some fiew tres on the river no timber on the
hills or mountn.
except a fiew Small Pine & Cedar. The Thmtr. Stood at
48° a. 0 at Sunrise
wind S W. The hunters joined me at 1 oClock, I
dispatched 2 men to
prosue an Indian roade over the hills for a fiew
miles, at the
narrows I assended a mountain from the top of which I
could See that the
river forked near me the left hand appeared the
largest & bore
S. E. the right passed from the West thro an extensive
Vallie, I could See
but three Small trees in any Direction from the top
of this mountain.
passed an Isld. and Encamped ion the Lard. Side the
only wood was Small
willows
[Lewis, August 17,
1805]
Saturday August
17th 1805.
This morning I
arrose very early and dispatched Drewyer and the Indian
down the river.
sent Shields to hunt. I made McNeal cook the remainder
of our meat which
afforded a slight breakfast for ourselves and the
Cheif. Drewyer had
been gone about 2 hours when an Indian who had
straggled some
little distance down the river returned and reported
that the whitemen
were coming, that he had seen them just below. they
all appeared
transported with joy, & the chef repeated his fraturnal
hug. I felt quite
as much gratifyed at this information as the Indians
appeared to be.
Shortly after Capt. Clark arrived with the Interpreter
Charbono, and the
Indian woman, who proved to be a sister of the Chif
Cameahwait. the
meeting of those people was really affecting,
particularly
between Sah cah-gar-we-ah and an Indian woman, who had
been taken prisoner
at the same time with her, and who had afterwards
escaped from the
Minnetares and rejoined her nation. At noon the Canoes
arrived, and we had
the satisfaction once more to find ourselves all
together, with a
flattering prospect of being able to obtain as many
horses shortly as
would enable us to prosicute our voyage by land
should that by
water be deemed unadvisable.
We now formed our
camp just below the junction of the forks on the
Lard. side in a
level smooth bottom covered with a fine terf of
greenswoard. here
we unloaded our canoes and arranged our baggage on
shore; formed a
canopy of one of our large sails and planted some
willow brush in the
ground to form a shade for the Indians to set under
while we spoke to
them, which we thought it best to do this evening.
acordingly about 4
P.M. we called them together and through the medium
of Labuish,
Charbono and Sah-cah-gar-weah, we communicated to them
fully the objects
which had brought us into this distant part of the
country, in which
we took care to make them a conspicuous object of our
own good wishes and
the care of our government. we made them sensible
of their dependance
on the will of our government for every species of
merchandize as well
for their defence & comfort; and apprized them of
the strength of our
government and it's friendly dispositions towards
them. we also gave
them as a reason why we wished to petrate the
country as far as
the ocean to the west of them was to examine and find
out a more direct
way to bring merchandize to them. that as no trade
could be carryed on
with them before our return to our homes that it
was mutually
advantageous to them as well as to ourselves that they
should render us
such aids as they had it in their power to furnish in
order to haisten
our voyage and of course our return home. that such
were their horses
to transport our baggage without which we could not
subsist, and that a
pilot to conduct us through the mountains was also
necessary if we
could not decend the river by water. but that we did
not ask either
their horses or their services without giving a
satisfactory
compensation in return. that at present we wished them to
collect as many
horses as were necessary to transport our baggage to
their village on
the Columbia where we would then trade with them at
our leasure for
such horses as they could spare us.- They appeared well
pleased with what
had been said. the chief thanked us for friendship
towards himself and
nation & declared his wish to serve us in every
rispect; that he
was sorry to find that it must yet be some time before
they could be
furnished with firearms but said they could live as they
had done heretofore
untill we brought them as we had promised. he said
they had not horses
enough with them at present to remove our baggage
to their village
over the mountain, but that he would return tomorrow
and encourage his
people to come over with their horses and that he
would bring his own
and assist us. this was complying with all we
wished at present.
we next enquired who were chiefs among them.
Cameahwait pointed
out two others whom he said were Chiefs we gave him
a medal of the
small size with the likeness of Mr. Jefferson the
President of the U
States in releif on one side and clasp hands with a
pipe and tomahawk
on the other, to the other Chiefs we gave each a
small medal which
were struck in the Presidency of George Washing Esqr.
we also gave small
medals of the last discription to two young men whom
the 1st Chief
informed us wer good young men and much rispected among
them. we gave the
1st Chief an uniform coat shirt a pair of scarlet
legings a carrot of
tobacco and some small articles to each of the
others we gave a
shirt leging handkerchief a knife some tobacco and a
few small articles
we also distributed a good quantity paint mockerson
awls knives beads
lookingglasses &c among the other Indians and gave
them a plentifull
meal of lyed corn which was the first they had ever
eaten in their
lives. they were much pleased with it. every article
about us appeared
to excite astonishment in ther minds; the appearance
of the men, their
arms, the canoes, our manner of working them, the
back man york and
the segacity of my dog were equally objects of
admiration. I also
shot my air-gun which was so perfectly
incomprehensible
that they immediately denominated it the great
medicine. the idea
which the indians mean to convey by this appellation
is something that
eminates from or acts immediately by the influence or
power of the great
sperit; or that in which the power of god is
manifest by it's
incomprehensible power of action. our hunters killed 4
deer and an
Antelope this evening of which we also gave the Indians a
good proportion.
the cerimony of our council and smoking the pipe was
in conformity of
the custom of this nation perfomed bearfoot. on those
occasions points of
etiquet are quite as much attended to by the
Indians as among
scivilized nations. To keep indians in a good humour
you must not
fatiegue them with too much business at one time.
therefore after the
council we gave them to eat and amused them a while
by shewing them
such articles as we thought would be entertaining to
them, and then
renewed our enquiries with rispect to the country. the
information we
derived was only a repetition of that they had given me
before and in which
they appeared to be so candid that I could not
avoid yealing
confidence to what they had said. Capt. Clark and myself
now concerted
measures for our future operations, and it was mutually
agreed that he
should set out tomorrow morning with eleven men
furnished with axes
and other necessary tools for making canoes, their
arms accoutrements
and as much of their baggage as they could carry.
also to take the
indians Carbono and the indian woman with him; that on
his arrival at the
Shoshone camp he was to leave Charbono and the
Indian woman to
haisten the return of the Indians with their horses to
this place, and to
proceede himself with the eleven men down the
Columbia in order
to examine the river and if he found it navigable and
could obtain timber
to set about making canoes immediately. In the mean
time I was to bring
on the party and baggage to the Shoshone Camp,
calculating that by
the time I should reach that place that he would
have sufficiently
informed himself with rispect to the state of the
river &c. as to
determine us whether to prosicute our journey from
thence by land or
water. in the former case we should want all the
horses which we
could perchase, the latter only to hire the Indians to
transport our
baggage to the place at which we made the canoes. in
order to inform me
as early as possible of the state of the river he
was to send back
one of the men with the necessary information as soon
as he should
satisfy himself on this subject. this plan being settled
we gave orders
accordingly and the men prepared for an early march. the
nights are very
cold and the sun excessively hot in the day. we have no
fuel here but a few
dry willow brush. and from the appearance of
country I am
confident we shall not find game here to subsist us many
days. these are
additional reasons why I conceive it necessary to get
under way as soon
as possible.- this morning Capt. Clark had delayed
untill 7 A.M.
before he set out just about which time Drewyer arrived
with the Indian; he
left the canoes to come on after him, and
immediately set out
and joined me as has been before mentioned.The
sperits of the men
were now much elated at the prospect of geting
horses.
[Clark, August 17,
1805]
August 17th
Satturday 1805
a fair Cold morning
wind S. W. the Thermometer at 42 a. 0 at Sunrise,
We Set out at 7
oClock and proceeded on to the forks I had not
proceeded on one
mile before I saw at a distance Several Indians on
horsback Comeing
towards me, The Intertrepeter & Squar who were before
me at Some distance
danced for the joyful Sight, and She made signs to
me that they were
her nation, as I aproached nearer them descovered one
of Capt Lewis party
With them dressed in their Dress; the met me with
great Signs of joy,
as the Canoes were proceeding on nearly opposit me
I turned those
people & joined Capt Lewis who