University of Virginia Library

[Clark, first draft:]

October 26th. 1805 Saturday

a fine morning sent out six men to hunt deer & collect
rozin to Pitch our canoes, had all our articles put out to dry.
Canoes drawed out and repaired, the injoiries receved in drawing
them over the rocks, every article wet in the canoe which
nearly sunk yesterday

Took the Azmuth of the Sun & time this morning

         

	Azmuth			Time			distance
			h	m	s
S.	64°.	E	8	41	6	41°.	1′	0″
S.	63°.	E	8	45	32	42	6	30
S.	62°.	E	8	51	8	43	28	15

Took equal altitudes with Sextant

       

	H.	M	s.		h	m	s
A M	8	54	22	P M	2	9	44
	8	56	41		"	12	5
	8	59	1

Altitude produced from this observation 44° –14′ –15″

a number of Indians came to the opposit side and shew great anxiety
to come over. they delayed untill late

Took time and distance of Sun and moon Sun West P. M.

                     

h	m	s
2	21	12	49°	51′	15″
"	25	45	49	51	00
"	29	4	49	52	00
"	31	43	49	52	30
"	33	9	49	52	45
"	36	2	49	53	30
"	37	49	49	54	30
"	39	5	49	55	00
"	40	23	49	55	30
"	41	36	49	56	00

Took time and distance of Moons Western limb & Fulenhalt
[Fomalhaut.] Star East

         

		Time			distance
	h	m	s
P M	6	34	0	67°	36′	15″
	"	36	4	67	35	15
	"	39	2	67	34	30

In the evening 2 chief[s] and 15 men came over in a single
canoe, those chiefs proved to be the 2 great chiefs of the
tribes above, one gave me a Dressed Elk Skin, and gave us
some deer meet, and 2 cakes of white bread made of white
roots, we gave to each chief a meadel of the small size a red
silk handkerchief a knife to the 1st. a arm ban[d] & a pice of
Paint & a comb to his son a Pice of riben tied to a tin gorget
and 2 hams of Venison They deturmined to stay with us all
night, we had a fire made for them & one man played on the
violin which pleased them much my servent danced. our
hunters killed five Deer, 4 verry large gray squirrels, a goose
& Pheasent, one man giged a Salmon trout which we had fried
In a little Bears oil which a Chief gave us yesterday and I think
the finest fish I ever tasted, saw great numbers of white
crains flying in Different directions verry high. The river has
rose nearly 8 Inches to day and has every appearance of a tide,
from what cause I can't say. our hunters saw Eik & bear
signs to day In the white oake woods the countrey to the
Lard. is broken Countrey thinly timbered with pine and white
oake, a mountain which I must call Timm or falls mountain
rises verry high and bears to S.W. the course it has bore since
we first saw it, our men danced to night. dried all our wet
articles and repaired our canoes.

The flees my self and the men got on them in passing thro
the plains the Indians had lately lived in Lodges on the Lard.
Side at the falls, are very troublesom and with every exertion
the men can't get rid of them, particularly as they have no
clothes to change those which they wore. Those Indians are
at war with the Snake Indians on the river which falls in a few
miles above this and have lately had a battle with them, their
loss I cannot lern

October 26th. Saturday 1805.

A fine morning Sent Six men out to hunt Deer, and collect
rozin to pitch the canoes which has become verry leakey by
frequently hauling them over rocks &c. as well [as] Striking
rocks frequently in passing down. all our articles we have
exposed to the Sun to Dry; and the Canoes drawn out and

turned up. maney of our Stores entirely spoiled by being
repeetedly wet,[17]

A number of Indians came to the oposit side of the river in
the fore part of the day and Shew[ed] that they were anxious
to cross to us, we did not think proper to cross them in our
Canoes and did not Send for them. in the evening two
chiefs and 15 men came over in a Small Canoe, those two
chiefs proved to be the two Principal Chiefs of the tribes above
at the falls, and above, who was out hunting at the time we
passed their bands; one of those Chiefs made Capt. Lewis and
my self each a Small present of Deer meat, and small cakes of
white bread made of roots. we gave to each chief a Meadel
of the Small Size a red Silk handkerchief, arm band, Knife
& a piece of Paint, and acknowledged them as chiefs; as we
thought it necessary at this time to treat those people verry
friendly & ingratiate our Selves with them, to insure us a kind
& friendly reception on our return, we gave Small presents to
Several, and half a Deer to them to eate. we had also a fire
made for those people to sit around in the middle of our camp,
and Peter Crusat Played on the violin, which pleased those
nativs exceedingly. (Yorke danced for the Inds.) the two Chiefs
and several men deturmined to delay all night with us all the
others returned, leaving the horses for those who staied on the
opposit Side. our hunters returned in the evening Killed five
Deer, four verry large grey Squirels and a grouse. one of the
guard at the river guiged a Salmon Trout, which we had fried
in a little Bears oil which the Chief we passed below the narrows
gave us: this I thought one of the most delicious fish I have
ever tasted

Great numbers of white crain flying in different Directions
verry high. The river rose 8 inches to day from what cause
I cannot Say certainly, as the tides cannot effect the river
here as there is a falls below, I conjecture that the rise is owing
to the winds which has Set up the river for 24 hours past

our hunters inform that the country back is broken, stoney
and thinly timbered with pine and white Oake. They saw

Elk & Bear sign in the mountains. Dried all our wet articles
and repaired our canoes to day, and the Party amused themselves
at night danceing. The Flees which the party got on
them at the upper & great falls, are very troublesom and dificuelt
to get rid of, perticularly as the me[n] have not a Change
of Clothes to put on, they strip off their Clothes and kill the
flees, dureing which time they remain nakid.

The nations in the vicinity of this place is at War with the
Snake Indians who they Say are noumerous and live on the
river we passed above the falls on the Same Side on which we
have encamped, and, the nearest town is about four days march
they pointed nearly S. E. and informed that they had a battle
with those Inds. laterly, their loss I could not assertain.