University of Virginia Library

Monday 7th.. Oct. 1805.

a fair morning. we put the other three canoes in to the
River and got them in readiness and loaded them. about 3
oClock P. M. we Set out on our way to descend the River.
the 2 Indians we came over the mount. with us continues on
with us, and a chief & one more Indian who agreed to go
down with us has gone by land Some distance down, and then
Intends comming on board. we proceeded on over a nomber

of bad rapids where the canoes run fast and obledged us to git
out in the cold water and hale them off. Some places the
water is deep & current gentle for Some distance, but the
Shole rapids are common & rockey. the River hills make
close to the River on each Side. Some clifts of rocks, a fiew
Scattering pine trees on the hills, but they are mostly barron
broken & covred over with grass. Some Small cotton wood
along the Shores. Some of the rapids which are deep enofe to
run clear are So bad that we take water over the canoes by the
waves. Strike Some large rocks & Slide of [f] without Injury.
Came 21 miles and Camped on Stard. Side the officers canoe
leaks So that they changes their Baggag[e] in an other canoe
for fear of gitting the Instruments &c wet. the Evening
cloudy. one man taken Sick with the collick. we passed
Some old Indian Camps this afternoon & a Small canoe on
Shore.