University of Virginia Library

Thursday 28th. of August 1806

Capt. Lewis had [a] bad nights rest and is not very well this
morning. we set out early and proceded on very well, Saw
a number of Buffalow bulls on the banks in different places.
passd. the 3 rivers of the Scioux pass at 9 A. M. a Short distance
below on the S W Side sent out Ruebin & Joseph Field to
hunt for the Mule deer or the antilope neither of which we
have either the Skins or scellitens of, we derected those two
men to proceed on down to the places we encamped the 16th &
17th of Septr. 1804 and which place the party had called pleasant

camp[23] from the great abundance of Game Such as Buffalow,
Elk, antilopes, Blacktail or Mule deer, fallow deer common
deer wolves barking Squirels, Turkies and a variety of other
animals, aded to which there was a great abundance of the
most delicious plumbs and grapes. [At] this Situation which
is a short distance above the enterance of Corvus [Crow, or
American] Creek we are deturmined to delay one day for the
purpose of precureing the sceletins of the Mule deer & antilope,
and some barking Squirels. a fiew miles below the place
the 2 fields were Set on Shore we Set Drewyer and Labeech
on shore with the Same directions which had been given to the
2 field's at 12 oClock we Landed on the S W. Side at the
Same Spot which we had encamped on the 16th and 17th of
September 1804, and formed a camp, Sent out Serjt. Pryor,
Shields, Go. Gibson, Willard and Collins to hunt in the plains
up Corvus Creek for the antilope and Mule deer sent out
Bratten and Frazier to kill the barking Squirel, and Gave
directions to all of them to kill the Magpye if they Should
See any of them several of the men and the Squaws of the
enterpreter Jessomme and the Mandan Chief went to some
plumb bushes in the bottom and geathered more plumbs than
the party could eate in 2 days, those plumbs are of 3 speces,
the most of them large and well flavored. our Situation is
pleasent a high bottom thinly timbered and covered with low
grass without misquitors. at 3 P. M. Drewyer and Labeech
arived, the latter haveing killd. a Deer of the Common Species
only. in the evening late all the hunters returned without any
Species of animal we were in want of, they killed 4 common
deer and two buffalow a part of the best of the meat of those
animals they brought in. we precured two of the barking
Squirels only. as we could not precure any Mule deer or
antelope we concluded to send the hunters on a head early in
the morning and delay untill 10 A.M to give them time to
hunt. I derected Shannon and Collins to go on the opposit
Side and Labeech and Willard to proceed down on this side
at some distance from the river and join the party at the round
Island &c. and R. Field to proceed on slowly in the Small
Canoe to that place and take in any thing which the hunters
might kill. Made 32 Miles to day. The hunters informed
me that they Saw great numbers of Buffalow in the Plains. I
Saw Several herds of those animals on either Side to day at a
distance.