University of Virginia Library

[Lewis—apparently the first draft:][3]

August 1st 1805—

At half after 8 A. M. we halted for breakfast and as had
been previously agreed on between Capt. Clark and myself I

set out with 3 men in quest of the Snake Indians. the men I
took were the two Interpreters Drewyer and Sharbono and
Sergt. Gass who by an accedental fall had so disabled himself
that it was with much pain he could work in the canoes tho'
he could march with convenience. the rout we took lay over
a rough high range of mountains on the North side of the
river. the rive[r] entered these mountains a few miles above
where we left it. Capt. Clark recommended this rout to me
from a belief that the river as soon as it past the mountains
boar to the N. of W. he having a few days before asscended
these mountains to a position from which he discovered a large
valley passing between the mountains and which boar to the
N. West. this however p[r]oved to be the inlet of a large
creek which discharged itself into the river just above this
range of mountains, the river bearing to the S. W. we were
therefore thrown several miles out of our rout. as soon as we
discovered our mistake we directed our course to the river
which we at length gained about 2 P. M. much exhausted by
the heat of the day the roughness of the road and the want of
water. the mountains are extreemly bare of timber and our
rout lay through the steep valleys exposed to the heat of the
sun without shade and scarcely a breath of air; and to add to
my fatigue in this walk of about 11 miles I had taken a doze
of glauber salts in the morning in consequence of a slight
desentary with which I had been afflicted for several days;
being weakened by the disorder and the opperation of the
medicine I found myself almost exhausted before we reached
the river. I felt my sperits much revived on our near approach
to the river at the sight of a herd of Elk of which
Drewyer and myself killed two. we then hurried to the river
and allayed our thirst. I ordered two of the men to skin the
Elk and bring the meat to the river while myself and the other
prepared a fire and cooked some of the meat for our dinner.
we made a comfortable meal of the Elk and left the ballance
of the meat on the bank of the river [for] the party with Capt.
Clark. this supply was no doubt very acceptable to them as
they had had no fresh meat for near two days except one
beaver Game being very scarce and shy. we had seen a few
deer and some goats but had not been fortunate enough to
kill any of them. after dinner we resumed our march and
encamped about 6 M. above on the Stard-side of the river.