University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Tuesday July 30th. 1805.

Capt. Clark being much better this morning and having
completed my observations we reloaded our canoes and set
out, ascending Jeffersons river. Sharbono, his woman two invalleds
and myself walked through the bottom on the Lard. side
of the river about 4 1/2 miles when we again struck it at the place
the woman informed us that she was taken prisoner. here we
halted until Capt. Clark arrived which was not untill after one
P. M. the water being strong and the river extreemly crooked.
we dined and again proceeded on; as the river now passed
through the woods the invalleds got on board together with
Sharbono and the Indian woman; I passed the river and continued
my walk on the Stard. side. saw a vast number of
beaver in many large dams which they had maid in various
bayoes of the river which are distributed to the distance of
three or four miles on this side of the river over an extensive

bottom of timbered and meadow lands intermixed. in order
to avoid these bayoes and beaver dams which I fou[n]d difficult
to pass I directed my course to the high plain to the right
which I gained after some time with much difficulty and waiding
many beaver dams to my waist in mud and water. I
would willingly have joined the canoes but the brush were
so thick, the river crooked and bottoms intercepted in such
manner by the beaver dams, that I found it uceless to attempt
to find them, and therefore proceeded on up the river in order
to intersept it where it came near the plain and woult be more
collected into one channel. at length about sunset I arrived
at the river only about six miles from my calculation on a
direct line from the place I had left the canoes but I thought
they were still below me. I found the river was divided where
I reached it by an Island and was therefore fearfull that they
might pass without my seeing them, and went down to the
lower point of the large island; here I discovered a small
Island, close under the shore on which I was; I passed the
narrow channel to the small island and examined the gravly
bar along the edge of the river for the tracks of the men,
knowing from the appearance of the river at this place that if
they had passed they would have used the cord on the side
where I was. I saw no tracks and was then fully convinced
that they were below me. I fired my gun and hallooed but
counld hear nothing of them. by this time it was getting
nearly dark and a duck lit on the shore in about 40 steps of
me and I killed it; having now secured my supper I looked
our for a suitable place to amuse myself in combating the
musquetoes for the ballance of the evening. I found a parsel
of drift wood at the head of the little Island on which I was
and immediately set it on fire and collected some willow brush
to lye on. I cooked my duck which I found very good and
after eating it layed down and should have had a comfortable
nights lodge but for the musquetoes which infested me all
night. late at night I was awakened by the nois of some
animal runing over the stoney bar on which I lay but did not
see it; from the weight with which it ran I supposed it to be
either an Elk or a brown bear. the latter are very abundant
in this neighbourhood. the night was cool but I felt very
little inconvenience from it as I had a large fire all night.
Capt. Clark had proceeded on after I seperated from him and
encamped on a islad. only about 2 miles below me but did not
hear the report of my gun nor of my hooping. I saw some
deer and antelopes.

The Courses and distances of July 30th. 1805.

                                                         

N. 70°. W.	1/4	to a Stard. bend, passing timber on both sides
S. 20°. W.	1/2	to a Stard. bend passing an Island.
S. 80°. E.	1/4	to a Lard. bend.
S. 50.°. W.	1/2	to the lower point of an Island.
South	1/2	to a Lard. bend
S. 45°. W.	1/8	to a tree in the Lard. bend
N. 45°. W.	1/4	to the upper point of an island
West	1/2	to a Lard. bend opposite an Island
N. 60°. W.	1/8	to a channel passing through the Island
South –	1/4	to a Lard. bend opposite to an Island, passing severall small Bayous on the Lard. side.
West	1/2	to the upper point of an Island passing a Bayou on the Lard. side.
S. 70°. W.	1/4	to the entrance of a Bayou on Lard. side
West	1	to the upper point of an Island, passing the upper point of another Island 1/4, one at 3/4 and two bayous on Lard. side.
S. 60°. W.	1.	to a high bank in a Stard. bend.
S. 35°. W.	3/4	to a the upper point of a bluff in a Stard. bend opposite to an Island.
S. 45°. E.	3/4	to a Lard. bend, passing the upr. pt. of an Isld. and a bayou Lard.
S. 35°. W.	1/4	to a Lard. bend opposite an Island.
West .	1/4	to a Stard. bend opposite an Isld. having passed another
S. 30°. W.	3/4	to an Island in a Stard. bend opposite a high plain Stard.
S. 20°. W.	1 1/4	to a clift rocks under a mountain Stard. side having passed an Island.
South	1/2	to a point on the Stard. side.
S. 30°. W.	1/4	to a high clift of craiggey rocks on the Stard. opt. 1 Isd.
S. 45°. W.	1/8	to a Stard. bend under a Clift.
S. 45°. E.	1/4	to a Bayou in a Lard. bend passing an Island.
S. 60°. W.	1/8	to a Bayou in a Stard. bend above an Island
S. 50°. E.	1/4	to a Bayou in a Lard. bend, opposite several small Islds.
S. 45°. W.	1/4	to the mouth of a Bayou in a Lard. bend.
S. 20°. W.	1/4	to a Bayou in a Lard. bend, passing the upper point of an Isld. on Lard.
S. 70°. W.	1/4	to a Stard. bend where the party encamped for the night