[Lewis:]
Wednesday July 3rd. 1805.
This morning early we employed all hands; some were
making tar or attempting to make it, others wer attatching the
skins on the boat, other[s] 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 wa[n]t 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[l] sometimes
be under the necessity of fasting occasionally. and at all
events the white puddings will be irretrievably 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 upwards 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.
