University of Virginia Library

Thursday 12.th August 1806

I set out early this morning and had not proceeded on far
before Shannon discovered he had lost his Tomahk. I derected
him to land his Skin Canoe and go back to our camp of last
night in serch of it, and proceeded on my self with the two
wood and one Skin canoe to a large bottom on the N E. Side
above the head of Jins (Qu: an) island and landed to take
brackfast as well as to delay untill Shannon & Gibson should
arive. Sent out Shields & Labiech to hunt deer in the bottom,
at 2 P. M. Shannon and gibson arived having found the toma-hawk
at our camp. they killed 3 Elk &c. one of the canoes
of Buffalow Skin by accident got a hole peirced in her of about
6 inches diameter. I derected two of the men to patch the
canoe with a piece of Elk skin over the hole, which they did
and it proved all sufficient, after which the Canoe did not leak
one drop. The two hunters returned without haveing killed
any thing. at Meridian Capt Lewis hove in Sight with the
party which went by way of the Missouri as well as that which
accompanied him from Travellers rest on Clarks river; I was
alarmed on the landing of the Canoes to be informed that
Capt. Lewis was wounded by an accident. I found him lying in
the Perogue, he informed me that his wound was slight and
would be well in 20 or 30 days this information relieved me
very much. I examined the wound and found it a very bad
flesh wound the ball had passed through the fleshey part of his
left thy below the hip bone and cut the cheek of the right buttock
for 3 inches in length and the debth of the ball. Capt. L.
informed me the accident happened the day before by one of
the men "Peter Crusat misstaking him in the thick bushes to be
an Elk. Capt Lewis with this Crusat and several other men
were out in the bottom Shooting of Elk, and had Scattered in

a thick part of the woods in pursute of the Elk. Crusat seeing
Capt L. passing through the bushes and taking him to be an
Elk from the colour of his cloathes which were of leather and
very nearly that of the Elk fired and unfortunately the ball
passed through the thy as aforesaid. Capt. Lewis thinking it
indians who had Shot him hobbled to the canoes as fast as
possible and was followed by Crusat, the Mistake was then
discovered. This Crusat is near Sighted and has the use of but
one eye, he is an attentive industrious man and one whome we
both have placed the greatest confidence in dureing the whole
rout. After Capt. Lewis and myself parted at Trevellers rest,
he with the Indians proceeded down the West Side of Clarks
river seven miles and crossed on rafts 2 miles below the East
fork 120 yards wide, after crossing the river he proceeded
up the North Side of the east fork and encampd. here the Indians
left him and proceeded down Clarks river in Serch of
Tushepaws an Indian man came up with Capt L. from the W.
of the mountains and proceeded on with those who had accompanied
us Capt L. proceeded up the E. fork of Clarks river
17 M8. to the enterance of Cokahlarishkit river or the river to
[the] buffalow, he proceeded up on the North Side of this
river which is 60 yards wide crossing several small streams and
the N. fork, passing over part of the dividing mountain onto
the waters of Dearbourns river in the plains and in a Derection
to the N. extremity of Easte range of rocky mountains which
pass the Missouri at the pine Island Rapid. from thence he
bore his course to the N E untill he Struck Meadicin river
near where that river Enters the rocky Mts and proceeded down
Medicine river to the Missouri at the white bear Islands at the
upper part of the portage. this rout is a very good one tho
not the most derect rout, the most derect rout would be to
proceed up the Missouri above Dearborns river and take
a right hand road & fall on a South branch of the Cokatlarishkit
R. and proceed down that river to the main road but the
best rout would be from the falls of the Missouri by fort
mountain and passing the N. extremity of that range of the
Rocky Mountains which pass the Missouri at the pine Island
rapid Course nearly S.W. and to the gap through which the
great road passes the dividing Mountain the distance from
the falls to this gap about 45 Miles through a tolerable leavel
plain on an old indian road. and the distance from thence to
Clarks river is 105 miles The total distance from the falls of
the Missouri to Clarks river is only 150 miles of a tolerable
road Capt L. arived at the white Bear Islands and encampd. on
the West Side of the Missouri and in the morning he discovered
that the Indians had taken of[f] seven of his best
horses, drewyer prosued the indians two day's on the rout
towards Clarks river. he Saw their camp on Dearborns river
near the road on which Capt. Lewis & party come on by a place
where they had left only one or two day[s] at this encampment
he Saw great appearance of horses on the return of
Drewyer Capt L. took Drewyer & the 2 fieldses & proceeded
on his intended rout up Marias river leaving Sergt. Gass, Thompson,
Frazier, Werner, Mc Neal & Goodrich at the portage to
prepare Geer and repar the wheels & carrage against the arival
of the canoes and he also left 4 horses for the purpose of hauling
the canoes across. The canoes arrived on the 16th, and on
the 26th. they had all except one across, the Plains becom so
muddy from the emence rains which had fallen, that they could
not get her over the portage. on the 28th. they joined Capt.
Lewis at the Grog Spring a fiew miles above the enterance of
Marias river. From the Falls of Missouri Capt. L. proceeded
on with Drewyer & the 2 fieldses—

Cours[e]s 17th July

 

N.10°. W.

20

Miles from the Great falls of the Missouri to rose river through an open fertile plain.

18th July

     

N.25°. W.	7	miles to the Sourse of Buffalow Creek, passing a dividing ridge dividing the waters of Marrias river from rose river at 6 miles Country hilly &c.
N.15°. W.	12	Miles down Buffalow Creek here the timber commences creek 25 Yds wide no running water.
North	5	Miles to Marias river 130 yards wide 3 feet deep. here Capt Lewis encamped the 18th July 1806

[19th July]

 

N.80°. W.

20

Miles up Marias river on its North Side passed a large creek on the South Side with some timber in it's vally at 8 miles also another large creek on the N. Side at 15 Miles 30 yards wide with but little water.

July 20th.

 

S.80°. W.

28

Miles with the river in it's course upwds. on it's N. Side river 120 Yds wide, passed a creek on South Side at 6 Miles, one at 22 miles on the N. side the last has no water, some little timber, the Genl. course of this river is very Streight its Vally ½ M. wide.

July 21st

           

S.80°. W.	15	Miles to the forks of the river the Main Southern branch bears S.75°. W. about 30 Miles to the rocky Mountains.
N.40°. W.	6	Miles up the North branch 30 yds wd. confined close between clifts of rock, shallow, rapid and not navagable.
N.25° W.	7	Miles up the North fork, hills broken & pore.
N.30°. W.	7	M. up the river, water transparent.
S.80°. W.	10	M. through the plains the river makeing a considerable bend to the right or N W.
S.75°. W.	11	M. through the plains on the N. Side of the river which here made a considerable bend to the left or S. haveing passed the river twice.

here Capt Lewis Continued the 23rd. 24th. & 25th of July to
make Some celestial observations but the weather proved So
Cloudy that he only made the following observations on the
23rd. of July

   

Observed Meridian Altd. of ☉5. L. L. with	° ′ ″
Octant by the back observation	—62.00.00.

Latitude deduced from this observation [blank space in MS.]
observed equal altitudes of the Sun with the Sextant.

       

	h	m	s		h	m	s
A.M	7.	40	57	PM	4.	32.	40.	altitude of ☉
	".	42.	30		".	33.	13	° ′ ″
	".	43.	5		".	34.	43	56. 8.45

on the 26th of July Capt. Lewis set out on his return to the
enterance of Marias river to meet with the party with the
Canoes from the falls. his course was through the plains.

S.E. 5 Miles—passing a small Creek from the Mts..

S.70° E. 9 Miles to a principal branch of Marias River
65 yards wide not very deep at 7 Mile. this last branch is
Shallow and rapid about the size of the former from the S. W.
both of those Streams contain a great preportion of timber
here we find the 3 Species of Cotton before mentioned.

N.80°. E. 4 Miles down Marias river and Met with 8 Indians
of the Blackfoot nation with about 30 horses, those
Indians professed friendship and Set out with him and encamped
together the night of the night of the 26th. of July,
they informed him that there was two large bands of their
nation in that quarter one of which would be at the enterance
of Marias river in a fiew days. they also informed that a
french Trader was with one of those bands, that they traded
with the white people on the Suskashwen River at 6 easy days
march or about 150 miles distant from whome they precured
Guns Powder Lead blankets & in exchange for wolf and
beaver Skins. Capt Lewis gave them a Flag Meadel & Handkerchief.
Capt. L. informed those Indians where he was from
& where he had been and his objects & friendly views &c. of
which they appeared to be well satisfied.

on the morning of the 27th. at day light the indians got up
and crouded around the fire, Jo. Field who was on post had
carelessly laid his gun down behind him near where his brother
was sleeping. one of the Indians Slipd. behind him and took
his gun and that of his brother unperceived by him, at the
Same instant two others advanced and Seized the guns of
Drewyer and Capt Lewis who were yet asleep. Jo. Fields seeing
this turned about to take his gun and saw the fellow running
off with his and his brothers, he called to his brother who
instantly jumped up and prosued the indian with him whome
they overtook at the distance of 50 or 60 paces Seized their
guns and rested them from him and R. Field as he Seized his
gun stabed the indian to the heart with his knife who fell dead;
(this Capt L. did not know untill some time after. drewyer

who awoke at the first alarm jumped up and Seized & rested
his gun from the indian &c. Capt L. awoke and asked what
was the matter, Seeing Drewyer in a scuffle for his gun he
turned to get his gun and found her gorn, he drew a pistol
from his holsters and prosued the Indian whom he saw in possession
of his gun making off he presented the pistol and the
indian lay down the gun. the two Fields came up and drew
up to shoot the Indian which Capt L. forbid the indians then
attempted to drive off all the horses. Capt L. derected the
men to fire on them if they attempted to drive off the horses,
and prosued two fellows who continued to drive of[f] his horses
he Shot the Indian who had taken his gun and [was] then in
possession of his horse through the belly, he fell and raised
on his elbow and fired at Capt L. the other made his escape
into a nitch out of Sight with his bow and arrows and as Capt L.
guns was empty and he without his Shot pouch, he returnd. to
the Camp where the 2 fields and Drewyer joined him having
prosued the indians across the river the[y] were now in
possession of the most of their own as well as the indian
horses and a gun several bows & arrows and all the indians
baggage the gun & some feathers and flag they took and burnt
all the other articles. and Saddled up a[s] many of the best
horses as they wished with Some Spear horses, and Set out for
to intersept the party at Marias river and poeceded on a little
to the S. of East 112 Miles to the Missouri at the Grog Spring.
here they met with Canoes and party decending joined them
leaving their horses on the river bank, and proceeded on to
the enterance of Marias river opened the deposits, found
Several articles damaged. 3 Beaver traps could not be found,
the red perogue unfit for Service, from thence they proceeded
without delay to the River Rochejhone see cources of Capt
Lewis rout in next book.

at 2 P.M. Shannon & Gibson arrived in the Skin canoe with
the Skins and the greater part of the flesh of 3 Elk which they
had killed a fiew miles above. the two men Dixon & Handcock
the two men we had met above came down intending to
proceed on down with us to the Mandans. at 3 P M we proceeded
on all together haveing left the 2 leather canoes on the

bank, a little below the enterance of Shabonos Creek[72] we
came too on a large Sand point from the S.E. Side and Encamped.
the wind blew very hard from the S W. and Some
rain. I washed Capt L. wound which has become Sore and
Somewhat painfull to him.