University of Virginia Library

Monday August 4th. 1806.

Set out at 4 A. M. this morning. permited Willard and
Sergt. Ordway to exchange with the Fieldses and take their
small canoe to hunt today. at 1/2 after eleven O'Ck. passed the
entrance of big dry river; found the water in this river about
60 yds. wide tho' shallow. it runs with a boald even current.
at 3 P. M. we arrived at the entrance of Milk river where we

halted a few minutes. this stream is full at present and it's
water is much the colour of that of the Missouri; it affords as
much water at present as Maria's river and I have no doubt
extends itself to a considerable distance North. during our
halt we killed a very large rattlesnake of the speceis common
to our country. it had 176 scutæ on the abdomen and 25 on
the tail, it's length 5 feet, the scutæ on the tail folly formed.
after passing this river we saw several large herds of buffaloe
and Elk we killed one of each of these animals and took as
much of the flesh as we wished. we encamped this evening
two miles below the gulph on the N. E. side of the river.
Tonight for the first time this season I heard the small whippoorwill
or goatsucker of the Missouri cry. Colter and Collins
have not yet overtaken us. Ordway and Willard delayed so
much time in hunting today that they did not overtake us
untill about midnight. they killed one bear and 2 deer. in
passing a bend just below the gulph it being dark they were
drawn by the currant in among a parsel of sawyers, under one
of which the canoe was driven and throwed Willard who was
steering overboard; he caught the sawyer and held by it;
Ordway with the canoe drifted down about half a mile among
the sawyers under a falling bank, the canoe struck frequently
but did not overset; he at length gained the shore and returned
by land to learn the fate of Willard whom he found
was yet on the sawyer; it was impossible for him to take the
canoe to his relief. Willard at length tied a couple of sticks
together which had lodged against the sawyers on which he
was and set himself adrift among the sawyers which he fortunately
escaped and was taken up about a mile below by Ordway
with the canoe; they sustained no loss on this occasion. it
was fortunate for Willard that he could swim tolerably well.