University of Virginia Library

Tuesday June 11th. 1805.

This morning I felt much better, but somewhat w[e]akened
by my disorder. at 8 A.M. I swung my pack, and set forward
with my little party. proceeded to the point where Rose
(Tansey) River a branch [of] 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 abundantly 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 tast was produced; at sunset
I took a point [pint] of this decoction and ab[o]ut an hour
after repeated the d[o]ze 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 Hickary 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
coulour 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.[7] 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.