University of Virginia Library

Sunday July 21st 1805.

Set out early this morning and passed a bad rappid where
the river enters the mountain about 1. M. from our camp of
last evening the Clifts high and covered with fragments of
broken rocks. the current strong; we employed the toe rope
principally; and also the poles as the river is not now so deep
but reather wider and much more rapid our progress was therefore
slow and laborious. we saw three swans this morning,
which like the geese have not yet recovered the feathers of
the wing and could not fly we killed two of them the third
escaped by diving and passed down with the current; they
had no young ones with them therefore presume they do not
breed in this country these are the first we have seen on the
river for a great distance. we daily see great numbers of gees
with their young which are perfectly feathered except the wings
which are deficient in both young and old. My dog caught
several today, as he frequently dose. the young ones are very
fine, but the old gees are poor and unfit for uce. saw several
of the large brown or sandhill Crain today with their young.
the young Crain is as large as a turkey and cannot fly they are
of a bright red bey colour or that of the common deer at this
season. this bird feeds on grass prinsipally and is found in
the river bottoms. the grass near the river is lofty and green
that of the hill sides and high open grounds is perfectly
dry and appears to be scorched by the heat of the sun. the
country was rough mountainous & much as that of yesterday
untill towards evening when the river entered a beautifull and
extensive plain country of about 10 or 12 miles wide which
extended upwards further that the eye could reach this valley
is bounded by two nearly parallel ranges of high mountains
which have their summits partially covered with snow. below
the snowey region pine succeeds and reaches down their sides
in some parts to the plain but much the greater portion of
their surfaces is uncovered with timber and expose either a
barren sterile soil covered with dry parched grass or black and
rugged rocks. the river immediately on entering this valley
assumes a different aspect and character, it spreads to a mile
and upwards in width, crouded with Islands, some of them

large; is shallow enough for the use of the seting pole in
almost every part and still more rappid than before; it's
bottom is smooth stones and some large rocks as it has been
since we have entered the mountains. the grass in these
extensive bottoms is green and fine, about 18 inches or 2 feet
high. the land is a black rich loam and appears very fertile.
we encamped in this beatifull valley on the Lard. side[18] the
party complain of being much fatiegued with this days travel.
we killed one deer today.

This morning we passed a bold creek 28 yds. wide which falls
in on Stard. side. it has a handsome and an extensive valley.
this we called Pryor's Creek after Sergt. John[19] Pryor one of
our party. I also saw two fesants (Phesants)[20] today of a dark
brown colour much larger than the phesant of the U'States.

this morning Capt. Clark having determined to hunt and
wait my arrival somewhere about his prese[n]t station was
fearfull that some indians might still be on the river above
him sufficiently near to hear the report of his guns and therefore
proceeded up the river about three miles and [not] finding
any indians nor discovering any fresh appearance of them
returned about four miles below and fixed his camp near the
river; after refreshing themselves with a few hours rest they
set out in different directions to hunt. Capt C. killed a buck
and Fields a buck and doe. he caught a young curlooe which
was nearly feathered. the musquetoes were equally as troublesome
to them as to ourselves this evening; tho' some hours
after dark the air becomes so cold that these insects disappear.
the men are all fortunately supplyed with musquetoe biers
(made of duck or gauze, like a trunk to get under) otherwise it
would be impossible for them to exist under the fatiegues
which they daily encounter without their natural rest which

they could not obtain for those tormenting insects if divested
of their biers. timber still extreemly scant on the river but
there is more in this valley than we have seen since we entered
the mountains; the creeks which fall into the river are better
supplyed with this article than the river itself.

Courses and distances July 21st. 1805.

               

S. 5°. W.	1/2	to a Lard. point opposite an Island
S. 30°. E.	1	to the center of a Lard. bend, the hills now become low and the country opens on either side.
S. 25°. W.	3.	to the center of a Stard. bend passing a large island on Lard. side at one mile.
S. 80°. E.	3 1/2	to a point in the Stard. bend passing a large creek 28 Yds. wide on Stard. side at 2 1/2 Miles Pryor's Creek. 15 yds. wide.
N. 40°. E.	1.	to the center of a Lard. bend.
S. 65°. E.	3.	to the center of a Stard. bend
S. 60°. E.	3 1/2	to the center of a Stard. bend throughout this course
Miles	15 1/2	the river is divided by a number of islands near the Stard. side, on the Lard. wide bottoms. encamped on Lard. in the bottom.

Point of Observation No. 36.

On the Lard. side of the Missouri 1/2 a mile above the extremity of
the 2ed. course of this day observed time and distance of ☉'s and D's
nearest limbs with Sextant ☉ East.

           

	Time	Distance		Time	Distance
	h m s.	° ′ ″		h m s.
A. M.	8. 35. 31	63. 54. 30.	A. M.	8. 41.36	63. 50. 15.
	". 36. 44	". 54. –.		". 43. 31	". 50. –.
	". 38. 20	". 52. 30.		". 44. 49	". 49. 45
	". 40. 24	". 51. 15.		". 46. 10	". 49. 15.

Also Observed Equal altitudes of ☉ with Sextant.

       

	h m s		h m s
A. M.	8. 50. 44.	P. M.	4. 21. 1.	Altitude at the time of observation. ° ′ ″ 75. 29. 3.
	". 52. 17		". 22. 18
	". 53. 52.		". 24. 7.

Point of Observation No. 37.

   

On the Lard. side of the river at the extremity of the fourth course of this day; observed Meridian Altitude of ☉'s. L. L. with Octant by back observation	° ′ ″ 57. 14. –. ° ′ ″
Latitude deduced from this observation.	46. 10. 32.9

We saw a number of trout today since the river has become
more shallow; also caught a fish of a white colour on the belly
and sides and of a bluish cast on the back which had been
accedentally wounded by a setting pole. it had a long pointed
mouth which opened somewhat like the shad.[21]