University of Virginia Library

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 (cachés);[5] . on enquiry I found that
Cruzatte was well acquainted [with] 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 No[r]thern 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 Latitude 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 probable 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
No[r]thern 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 fo[r]bid us to
believe. 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 belief 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[e] 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. [is the] 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 no[r]thern side; the situation a dry one
which is always necessary. a place being fixed on for a cash,
a circle ab[o]ut 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 then [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.

Point of observation No. 27. June 9th. 1805.

At our camp on the point of land formed by the junction of the
Missouri and Maria's rivers made the following observations.

   

Magnetic Azimuth of ☉ with Circumferentr.	Time by Chronometer	: Altitude of ☉'8.
		: U. L. with Sextant.

     

		h. m. s.
N. 70°. E	A.M.	8. 30. 44.	58°. 12′ 45″
N. 71°. E.	"	8. 37. 35.	69. 29′ 45.

Took Equal Altitudes of ☉ with Sextant.

       

	h m s		h m s
A.M.	8. 42. 56.	P.M.	5. 50. 43	Alt1. by Sextant at the tim[e] of observation 62°. 18′ 15″
	" 42. 32.		" 52. 15
	" 46. 9.		" 53. 52

   

	h m s
Chronometer too fast on mean time	1. 19. 45.7.

Observed Magnetic azimuth of the Sun.

   

Azimuth by Circumferentr.	Time by Chronometer	: Altitude by Sextant
		: of ☉ L. L.

     

		h m s
S. 77°. W.	P.M.	6. 12. 15.	55°. 6′. 15″.
S. 78°. W.	"	6. 17. 4.	53°. 29′. 45.

       

Observed Meridian Altitude of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observation	54°. 54′. .″
Latitude deduced from this observation.	47°. 28′. 46″.2
Observed time and distance of D's Western limb from, a. Aquilæ*.
East: with Sextant.

         

	Time	Distance		Time	Distance
	h m s			h m s
P.M.	11. 9. 26	58°. 55′. 00″	P.M.	11. 18. 30	58° 51′ 15″
	" 13. 33	" 54. 15.		" 22. 5.	" 50. 00.
	" 16. 00.	". 52. 30.		" 24. 20.	". 49. 30.

The Standing error of the Sextant is 8′. 45″.—or Sub. That of the
Octant by the back observation 2°. 40′. + or addetive by the direct
observation with the same instumt 2°. + only.
Observed time and distance of D's. Western limb from Spica. .*.
West with Sextant.

         

	Time	Distance		Time	Distance
	h m s			h m s
P.M.	11. 29. 31.	35°. 55′. 00″	P.M.	11. 39. 9.	35°. 57′ 00″
	" 33. 56.	". 55. 30		" 41. 4.	". 57. 45.
	" 36. 6.	" 56. 00		". 44. 14	". 59.—

Observed Magnetic Azimuth of Pole Star.

     

		h m s
Time by Chromometer astronomical	P.M.	12. 58. 12.
Azimuth by Circumferentor		N. 15°. W.