University of Virginia Library

Saturday 26th July 1806

Set out this morning very early proceeded on very well
Passed Creeks (Hall's N. Side) the river reagulilarly swift
much divided by stoney islands and bars also handsome Islands
covered with cotton wood the bottoms extensive on the Stard
Side on the Lard the Clifts of high land border the river,
those clifts are composed of a whitish rock of an excellent
grit for Grindstones. The country back on each side is
wavering lands with scattering pine. passed 2 Small Brooks
on the Stard. Side and two large ones on the Lard. Side. I shot
a Buck from the Canoe and killed one other on a Small Island.
and late in the evening passed a part of the river which was
rock under the Lard Clifts fortunately for us we found an
excellent chanel to pass down on the right of a Stoney Island
half a Mile below this bad place, we arived at the enterance of
Big Horn River on the Stard. Side, here I landed imediately
in the point which is a Sof[t] Mud mixed with the Sand and
Subject to overflow for Some distance back in between the two
rivers. I walked up the big horn 1/2 a mile and crossed over
to the lower Side, and formed a camp on a high point. I with
one of my men Labeech walked up the N E Side of Big horn
river 7 miles to thenterance of a Creek which falls in on the
N E. Side and is (28) Yds wide some running water which is
very Muddy this Creek I call Muddy Creek[47] Some fiew
miles above this Creek the river bent around to the East of
South.

The courses as I assended it as follows Viz:

S.35°.E. 3 miles to a low clift on the right passed a point on the
right at 1 1/2 Ms. an island Situatd. close to the left hand
Shore. under this clift is some swift rapid water and
high waves

S.61°.E. 3 Miles to a high bank of a Second bottom in the left hand
bend passed head of the Isld.

8.38°.W. 4 miles to a right hand bend, passing a large creek of
muddly water on the left Side at 1 Mile, opposit a Sand
bar from the right.

The bottoms of the Bighorn river are extencive and Covered
with timber principally Cotton. it's current is regularly Swift,
like the Missouri, it washes away its banks on one Side while
it forms extensive sand bars on the other. contains much less
portion of large gravel than the R: Rochjhone and its water
more mudy and of a brownish colour, while that of the rochejhone
is of a lightish colour. the width of those two rivers
are very nearly the same imediately at their enterances the
river Rochejhone much the deepest and contain most water. I
measured the debth of the big horn quit[e] across a[t] 1/2 a
mile above its junction and found it from 5 to 7 feet only while
that of the River (rochejaune) is in the deepest part 10 or 12
feet water. on the lower Side of the bighorn is [an] extencive
boutifull and leavil bottom thinly covered with cotton wood
under which there grows great quantities of rose bushes. I am
informed by the Menetarres Indians and others that this River
takes its rise in the Rocky mountains with the heads of the
river plate and at no great distance from the river Rochejhone
and passes between the Coat Nor [Côte Noir] or Black Mountains
and the Most Easterly range of Rocky Mountains. it is
very long and contains a great perpotion of timber on which
there is a variety of wild animals, perticularly the big horn
which are to be found in great numbers on this river. (2 large
forks come in on Sth. & 1 on North)[48] Buffalow, Elk, Deer and
Antelopes are plenty and the river is said to abound in beaver
it is inhabited by a great number of roveing Indians of the
Crow Nation, the paunch Nation (a band of Crows) and the
Castahanas (a band of Snake In.)[49] all of those nations who are
Subdivided rove and prosue the Buffalow of which they make

their principal food, their Skins together with those of the Big
horn and Antilope serve them for Clothes. This river is said
to be navagable a long way for perogues without falls and
waters a fine rich open Country. it is 200 yds water & 1/4 of a
Ml. wd. I returned to camp a little after dark, haveing killed
one deer, finding my self fatigued went to bed without my
supper. Shields killed 2 Bull[s] & 3 Elk.

Courses distances & remarks July 26th. 1806

                                     

N. 18°. E. to a point on the Stard. Side, passed a low narrow island on the Stard. and Som bars near the Lard. Side	6.
N. 57°. E. to a point on the Stard. Side. passed an island and 4 Stoney bars. also a large Creek 40 Yds wide [I call Halls R] on the Lad. Side at 4 miles. but little water	6.
East 4 Miles to a Clift under a high pine hill on the Stard. Side. passed a small Creek on the Stard at 1 mile and the Lard Clift opsd. the head of an Isld. at 2 Miles on this course .	4.
N. 12°. E. to a clift of white rocks on the Lard. Side, passed the island and 2 stoney bars	3 1/2
East to clift of rocks on the Stard. Side. passed several stoney bars or islands	5.
N.45°. E. to a high clift on the Lard. Side opposit several small islands. Chanel of the river much divided. passed 2 small Islands. low bottoms on the Stard Side rocky clifts on Lard side	2 1/2
East to a Stard. Bend passed an island & a stoney bar .	2 1/2
N.10°. E. to a clift on the Lard Side. Island on Stard. Side	1 1/2
N.54.°. E, to the lower point of the island near the Stard. side. passed the upper point of an island	1 1/2
North to a high White clift on the Lard. Side haveing passed two stoney Islands	4.
East. to the enterance of a small brook on the Stard. passed 3 islands and the upper point of the 4th. near Lard	6.
North to the lower point of an island close to the Lard. Side. back of which a large creek falls in on the Lard Side Island [brook]	4.
N. 60°. E. to a tree under a Lard. Clift passed a Std. Clift .	3.
East to a large tree in the Stard. Bend	4.
N. 35°. E. to a Lard. Bend passed the Stard. Clift at 2 Miles.	4.
East to the lower point of an island	1 1/2
N: 35°. E. to a clift in a Lard. Bend under which there is a rapid, a gravelly bar opposit on the S.E of which there is a good chanel	2 1/2
East to the junction of the Big horn River on the Stard. 200 yards wide from 5 to 7 feet deep quit[e] across, and encamped on the lower side bottom subject to floods	1/2
Miles	62

[Speech prepared for Yellowstone Indians][50]

Children. The Great Spirit has given a fair and bright day
for us to meet together in his View that he may inspect us in
this all we say and do.

Children I take you all by the hand as the children of your
Great father the President of the U. States of America who is
the great chief of all the white people towards the riseing sun.

Children This Great Chief who is Benevolent, just, wise &
bountifull has sent me and one other of his chiefs (who is at
this time in the country of the Blackfoot Indians) to all his
read children on the Missourei and its waters quite to the great
lake of the West where the land ends and the [sun] sets on the
face of the great water, to know their wants and inform him of
them on our return.

Children We have been to the great lake of the west and
are now on our return to my country. I have seen all my
read children quite to that great lake and talked with them,
and taken them by the hand in the name of their great father
the Great Chief of all the white people.

Children We did not see the [blank space in MS.] or the
nations to the North. I have [come] across over high mountains
and bad road to this river to see the [blank space in MS.]
Natn I have come down the river from the foot of the great

snowey mountain to see you, and have looked in every derection
for you, without seeing you untill now

Children I heard from some of your people [blank space in
MS.] nights past by my horses who complained to me of your
people haveing taken 4 [24] of their cummerads.

Children The object of my comeing to see you is not to do
you injurey but to do you good the Great Chief of all the
white people who has more goods at his command than could
be piled up in the circle of your camp, wishing that all his read
children should be happy has sent me here to know your
wants that he may supply them.

Children Your great father the Chief of the white people
intends to build a house and fill it with such things as you may
want and exchange with you for your skins & furs at a very
low price. & has derected me [to] enquire of you, at what
place would be most convenient for to build this house. and
what articles you are in want of that he might send them imediately
on my return

Children The people in my country is like the grass in
your plains noumerous they are also rich and bountifull. and
love their read brethren who inhabit the waters of the Missoure

Children I have been out from my country two winters,
I am pore necked and nothing to keep of[f] the rain, when
I set out from my country I had a plenty but have given it all
to my read children whome I have seen on my way to the
Great Lake of the West, and have now nothing.

Children Your Great father will be very sorry to here of
the [blank space in MS.] stealing the horses of his Chiefs &
Warrors whome he sent out to do good to his red children on
the waters of Missoure.

[Two lines in MS. so worn and torn as to be illegible.]
their ears to his good counsels he will shut them and not let
any goods & guns be brought to the red people. but to those
who open their Ears to his counsels he will send every thing
they want into their country. and build a house where they
may come to and be supplyed whenever they wish.

Children Your Great father the Chief of all the white people
has derected me [to] inform his red children to be at peace

with each other, and with the white people who may come into
your country under the protection of the Flag of your great
father which you. those people who may visit you under the
protection of that flag are good people and will do you no
harm

Children Your great father has derected me to tell you not
to suffer your young and thoughtless men to take the horses
or property of your neighbours or the white people, but to
trade with them fairly and honestly, as those of his red children
below.

Children The red children of your great father who live
near him and have opened their ears to his counsels are rich
and hapy have plenty of horses cows & Hogs fowls bread &c.
&c. live in good houses, and sleep sound. and all those of his
red children who inhabit the waters of the Missouri who open
their ears to what I say and follow the counsels of their great
father the President of the United States, will in a feew years
be a[s] hapy as those mentioned &c.

Children It is the wish of your Great father the Chief of all
the white people that some 2 of the principal Chiefs of this
[blank space in MS.] Nation should Visit him at his great city
and receive from his own mouth. his good counsels, and from
his own hands his abundant gifts, Those of his red children
who visit him do not return with empty hands, he [will] send
them to their nation loaded with presents

Children If any one two or 3 of your great chiefs wishes to
visit your great father and will go with me, he will send you
back next Summer loaded with presents and some goods for
the nation. You will then see with your own eyes and here
with your own years what the white people can do for you.
they do not speak with two tongues nor promis what they
can't perform

Children Consult together and give me an answer as soon
as possible your great father is anxious to here from. (& see
his red children who wish to visit him) I cannot stay but
must proceed on & inform him &c.