Monday 9th. August 1806
a heavy dew this morning. loaded the canoes and proceeded
on down about 6 miles and landed at the Camp of the 2 hunters
Shields and Gibson whome I had sent down to hunt last evening,
they had killed five deer two of which were in good order
which they brought in. here I took brackfast and proceeded
on a fiew miles and I walked on Shore across a point of near
10 miles in extent in this bottom which was mostly open I
saw some fiew deer and Elk. I killed 3 of the deer which
were Meagure the Elk appeared fat. I did not kill any of
them as the distance to the river was too great for the men to
carry the meat at the lower part of this bottom a large creek
of running water 25 yds wide falls in which meanders through
an open roleing plain of great extent. in the low bottoms of
this Creek I observed some timber Such as Cottonwood, ash
& Elm. on my arival at the lower part of the bottom found
that the canoes had been in waiting for me nearly two hours.
The Squaw brought me a (1800 Miles up the Missouri I found a)
large and well flavoured Goose berry of a rich crimsin colour,
and [a] deep purple berry of the large Cherry of the Current
Species which is common on this river as low as the Mandans,
the engagees call it the Indian Current. I landed opposit to
a high plain on the S.E. side late in the evening and walked
in a Grove of timber where I met with an Elk which I killed.
this Elk was the largest Buck I ever Saw and the fattest animal
which have been killed on the rout. I had the flesh and fat
of this Elk brough to Camp and cut thin ready to dry. the
hunters killed nothing this evening.
