Tuesday 29.th July 1806
A slight rain last night with hard thunder and Sharp lightning
accompanied with a violent N. E. wind. I set out early
this morning wind So hard a head that w[e] made but little
way. in the fore part of the day, I saw great numbers of
Buffalow on the banks. the country on either side is like that
of yesterday. passed three large dry Brooks on the Stard. Side
and four on the Lard. Side. great quantities of coal in all the
hills I passed this day. late in the evening I arived at the enterance
of a River which I take to be (called by Indians) the
[Lazeka or Tongue River] it discharges itself on the Stard. Side
and is 150 yards wide of water the banks are much wider. I
intended to encamp on an eligable spot imediately below this
river, but finding that it's water [is] so Muddy and worm as to
render it very disagreeable to drink, I crossed the rochejhone
and encamped on an island close to the Lard. Shore. The
water of this river is nearly milk worm very muddy and of a
lightish brown colour, the current rapid and the chanel contains
great numbers of snags, near its enterance there is great
quantities of wood such as is common in the low bottoms of the
Rochejhone and Missouri, (it heads in Cote Noir has 2 branches
I heads with the Chayenne & I with one of the Big H's branches
tho' I believe that the country back thro' which this river
passes is an open one where the water is exposed to the sun
which heats it in its passage, it is Shallow and throws out
great quantities of mud and some cors gravel.[56]
below this river
and on the Stard. Side at a fiew Miles from the Rochejhone the
hills are high and ruged containing Coal in great quantities.
Beaver is very plenty on this part of the Rochejhone. The
river widens I think it may be generally Calculated at from 500
yards to half a mile in width more Sand and gravelly bars
than above. cought 3 cat fish. they wer small and fat. also
a Soft Shell turtle.
Course Distance & Remarks July 29th
|
M |
N.25°. W. to the enterance of a dry Brook in a Lard. Bend near
the high lands. passed 8 islands & three Sand and gravelly bars |
5. |
East to the enterance of a brook in the Stard. Bend below a
small island |
3. |
| N.10°. W. to a Larboard Bend |
1 1/2 |
| East to a Bluff on the Stard. Side |
1 1/2 |
| N.40°. E. to the lower part of a Stard. Bluff |
4 1/2 |
| North to a fiew trees in a Lard Bend |
1 1/2 |
East to a low Bluff on the Stard. Side passed an island. also
a large dry Brook at 5 Miles on the Stard Side on which there
is some wood |
6. |
N.76°. E. to a coal Bluff on the Stard Side passed an island
and a dry brook on Stard Side |
3. |
| N.40°. E. under the Coal Bluff on Stard Side |
1. |
North to the upper part of a Lard. Bluff passed an island and
a large brook on the Stard. Side. & a large Bead or dry brook on
the Lard. Side |
4. |
| N.55°. E. to a lard point low bottom on each Side |
2 1/2 |
N.20°. E. to a Lard. Bluff. (coal to be seen in the hills 1 M
from R. |
1 1/2 |
| N.60°. E. to a point of rocks on the Lard Side passed a Sand bar. |
1 1/2 |
N.30°. E. to a point on Stard Side near which the river is within
100 paces [of Tongue river] |
3 |
N.45°. E. to the enterance of [Le-ze-ka or Tongue] river on the
Stard. Side 150 Yds wide. passed an island |
2 |
| Miles |
41 |
