Tuesday August 3rd. 1806
last night the Musquetors was so troublesom that no one of
the party Slept half the night. for my part I did not sleep one
hour. those tormenting insects found their way into My beare
and tormented me the whole night. they are not less noumerous
or troublesom this morning. at 2 miles passed the enterance
of Jo. Field's Creek 35 yds wide imediately above a high bluff
which is falling into the river very fast. on the side of this
bluff I saw some of the Mountain Bighorn animals. I assended
the hill below the Bluff. the Musquetors were so noumerous
that I could not Shute with any certainty and therefore soon
returned to the Canoes. I had not proceeded far before I saw
a larger gangue of ewes & yearlins & fawns or lambs of the big
horn, and at a distance alone I saw a ram. landed and Sent
Labeech to kill the ram, which he did kill and brought him on
board. this ram is not near as large as maney I have Seen.
however he is sufficiently large for a Sample. I directed
Bratten to skin him with his head horns & feet to the Skin
and Save all the bone. I have now the skin & bone of a Ram
a Ewe & a yearlin ram of those big Horn animals. at 8. A.M.
I arived at the junction of the Rochejhone with the Missouri,
and formed my camp imediately in the point between the two
river[s] at which place the party had all encamped the 26th. of
April, 1805. at landing I observed several Elk feeding on the
young willows in the point among which was a large Buck Elk
which I shot & had his flesh dryed in the sun for a Store down
the river. had the Canoes unloaded and every article exposed
to dry & Sun. Maney of our things were wet, and nearly all
the Store of meat which had been killed above Spoiled. I
ordered it to be thrown into the river. Several skins are also
spoiled which is a loss, as they are our principal dependence for
Clothes to last us to our homes &c.
Course distance & Remarks Augt. 3rd 1806.
West. along the Stard. Bluff to a point opposit to a low extencive
timbered bottom on the Lard Side |
1/4 |
North to the lower part of the Stard. Bluff at the commencement
of a large timbered bottom. passed an island |
1 3/4 |
N.20°. W. to a Lard. point passed a large bar on the Lard
Side, and one below the Stard. point bottoms on each side
extencive & covered with wood |
3 1/2 |
N.58°. W. to the junction of the Rochejhone with the
Missouri, passed a Stard. point at 1 1/2 miles above which there
is a deep bend to the Std. and an extencive sand bar from the
above Lard point. also an extencive Sand bar below the Stard. |
— |
| point Miles |
8 |
The distance from the Rocky Mountains at which place I
struck the River Rochejhone to its enterance into the Missouri
837 Miles 636 Miles of this distance I decended in 2 Small
Canoes lashed together in which I had the following Persons.
John Shields, George Gibson, William Bratten, W. Labeech,
Toust. Shabono his wife & child & my man York. The
Rochejhone or Yellow Stone river is large and navagable with
but fiew obstructions quite into the rocky Mountains. and
probably to-head [near it's source]. The country through
which it passes from those Mounts. to its junction is Generaly
fertile rich open plains the upper portion of which is roleing
and the high hills and hill Sides are partially covered with pine
and Stoney. The middle portion or from the enterance of
[Clarks] Fork as low as the Buffalow Shoals the high lands contain
Some Scattering pine on the Lard Side. on the Stard. or
S. E. Side is Some hills thickly Supplied with pine. The lower
portion of the river but fiew pines are to be Seen the Country
opens into extencive plains river widens and contains more
islands and bars; of corse gravel sand and Mud. The Current
of this river may be estimated at 4 Miles and 1/2 p
r. hour from
the Rocky M
ts. as low as [
Clarks]] Fork, at [3 1/2] Miles p
r. hour
from thence as low as the Bighorn, at 3 Miles p
r. hour from
thence as low as the Tongue river, at [2 3/4] Miles p
t. hour from
thence as low as Wolf rapid and at 2 1/2 miles p
r. hour from thence
to its enterance into the Missouri
The colour of the Water differs from that of the Missouri it
being of a yellowish brown, whilst that of the Missouri is of a
deep drab colour containing a greater portion of Mud than the
Rochejhone.
