Sunday 31st August 1806
all wet and disagreeable this morning. at half past 11
P. M. last night the wind Shifted about to the N. W. and it
began to rain with hard claps of thunder and lightning the
clouds passd over and the wind Shifted about to the S W. &
blew with great violence so much so that all hands were obliged
to hold the Canoes & Perogue to prevent their being blown
off from the sand bar, however a Sudan Squal of wind broke
the cables of the two Small Canoes and with Some difficuelty
they were got to Shore Soon after the 2 canoes in which
Sergt Pryor and the indians go in broke loose with wiser and
Willard in them and were blown quite across the river to the
N. E. Shore where fortunately they arived Safe, I sent Sergt
Jo. Ordway with a Small Perogue and 6 men to prosue the
2 Canoes and assist them in effecting a landing, those 2 canoes
being tied together 2 men could not manage them, the wind
Slackened a little and by 2 A. M. Sergt Ordway with Willard
Wiser and the 2 Canoes returned all safe, the wind continued
to blow and it rained untill day light all wet and disagreeable.
all the party examined their arms and put them in order, and
we set out and proceeded on down. Saw Several Indians on
the hills untill we passed the Island of Cedar at 9 A. M. the
morning cloudy and wind down th[e] river at 4 P. M. passed
the doome[24]
and lowest village of Barking Squirels. this is
also the highest up the river where I observed the fox Squirel
in the bottom above the doome on N. E. side I killed 2 fox
Squirels. we Saw no game of any kind to day as [on] the
banks as usial. the Sun Shone with a number of flying
Clouds. we encamped on the N. E. Side a little below our
Encampment of the 5
th. of Sept
r. on no preserve Island [near
Chouteau bluffs] haveing come 70 Miles.
