University of Virginia Library

[Clark, first draft:]

October 15th Tuesday 1805.

a fair morning after a cold night. Some frost this morning
and Ice. Several hunters out saw nothing Capt Lewis assended
the hills & saw Mountain a head bearing S. E. & N W. a high
point to the West. Plains wavering. Set out at 3 oClock

Course

           

South	4 ½	miles to the lower point of a Island, close under the Std Side passed one on the Lard. & one other in the middle of the river, 4 small rapids at the lower pt of 1st Isd opsd 2nd & 3rd Islands
S. E.	1 ½	miles to the lower point of an Isd. close under the Lard. bend opsd. the upper pt. of an Isd. on Std. point a small rapid opposit
S. 35°. W.	9	miles to a Point of rocks on Lard. Sd. passed a place of swift water at the lower point of the 1st. Island a small rapid a little below a Lard. point at 2 miles a Stard point at 4 miles, a Lard. point at 5 miles a Stard point 3 small Isd. opsd. on Lard. & 2 on Stard. Side at 6 ½ a small rapid, several scafles of split timber on the Stard. Side in the bottom below the Islands a Island in the river at 8 ½ miles on Std. Side a fishing timber scaffeled a willow bottom on the Lard Side above the point country lower each side 90 to 100 feet is the hite of the plains some swift water at the last Isd.
	15
South	5	miles to an Island in the head of a rapid Passed for 3 miles through good water inclosed in clifts of rocks 100 feet high. below which the river widens into a Bay nearly round. we Encamped at three scaffles of split timber on the Stard Side. here we found our Pilot & one man wateing for us to show us the best way thro those rapids. the evening cool, we saw no timber to day, except small willow & srub of Hackberry Killed 2 Teel this evening.
	20

Map from Clark Field-book, locating Indian Tribes.

October 15th. Tuesday 1805

a fair morning sent out hunters to hunt in the plains, about
10 oClock they returned and informed that they could not See
any Signs of game of any kind. Capt. Lewis walked on the
plains and informs that he could plainly See a rainge of mountains
which bore S. E. & N. W. the nearest point south
about 60 miles, and becoms high toward the N. W.[11] The
plaines on each side is wavering. Labiesh killed 2 gees & 2
Ducks of the large kind. at two oClock we loaded & Set out,
our Powder & Provisions of roots not sufficently dry. but we
shall put them out at the forks or mouth of this river which is
at no great distance, and at which place we Shall delay to make
some selestial observations &c. passed Eleven Island[s] and
Seven rapids today Several of the rapids verry bad and dificuelt
to pass, The Islands of different sizes and all of round
Stone and Sand, no timber of any kind in Sight of the river,
a fiew small willows excepted; in the evening the countrey
becomes lower not exceding 90 or 100 feet above the water
and back is a wavering Plain on each Side, passed thro:
narrows for 3 miles where the clifts of rocks juted to the river
on each side compressing the water of the river through a
narrow chanel; below which it widens into a kind of bason
nearly round without any proceptiable current. at the lower
part of this bason is a bad dificuelt and dangerous rapid to pass,
at the upper part of this rapid we over took the three Indians
who had Polited [piloted] us thro the rapids from the forks.
those people with our 2 Chiefs had proceeded on to this place
where they thought proper to delay for us to warn us of the
difficulties of this rapid. we landed at a parcel of split timber,
the timber of a house of Indians out hunting the Antilope in
the plains; and raised on scaffolds to save them from the
spring floods. here we were obliged for the first time to take
the property of the Indians without the consent or approbation
of the owner. the night was cold & we made use of a part of
those boards and split logs for fire wood. Killed two teel this

evening. Examined the rapids which we found more dificuelt
to pass than we expected from the Indians information—a
suckcession of sholes, appears to reach from bank to bank for
3 miles which was also intersepted with large rocks Sticking up
in every direction, and the chanel through which we must pass
crooked and narrow. We only made 20 miles today,[12] owing
to the detention in passing rapids &c.