University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Friday May 17th.

Set out at an early hour, and proceeded on very well; we
employed the toe line the greater part of the day; the banks
were firm and shore boald which favoured the uce of the cord.

I find this method of asscending the river, when the shore is
such as will permit it, the safest and most expeditious mode of
traveling, except with sails in a steady and favourable breze.
The country rugged, the hills high, their summits and sides
partially covered with pine and cedar, and the river on either
side washing their bases.[14] it is somewhat singular that the
lower part of these hills appear to be formed of a dark rich
loam while the upper region about 150 feet is formed of a
whiteish brown sand, so hard in many parts as to resemble
stone; but little rock or stone of any kind to be seen in these
hills. the river is much narrower than usual, the bed from
200 to 300 yards only and possessing a much larger proportion
of gravel than usual. a few scattering cottonwood trees are
the only timber near the river; the sandbars, and with them
the willow points have almost entirely disappeared. greater
appearance than usual of the saline incrustations of the banks
and river hills. we passed two creeks, the one on Stard. side,
and the other just below our camp on the Lard. side; each
of these creeks afford a small quantity of runing water, of a
brackish tast[e]. the great number of large beds of streams
perfectly dry which we daily pass indicate a country but badly
watered, which I fear is the case with the country through
which we have been passing for the last fifteen or twenty days.
Capt. Clark walked on shore this evening and killed an Elk;
buffaloe are not so abundant as they were some days past.
the party with me killed a female brown bear, she was but
meagre, and appeared to have suckled young very recently.
Capt. Clark narrowly escaped being bitten by a rattlesnake in
the course of his walk, the party killed one this evening at our
encampment, which he informed me was similar to that he had
seen; this snake is smaller than those common to the middle
Atlantic States, being about 2 feet 6 inches long;[15] it is of a
yellowish brown colour on the back and sides, variagated with
one row of oval spots of a dark brown colour lying transversely
over the back from the neck to the tail, and two other
rows of small circular spots of the same colour which garnis
the sides along the edge of the scuta. it's bely contains 176
[s]cuta on the belly and 17 on the tale. Capt Clark informed
me that he saw some coal which had been brought down by
the water of the last creek we passed; this creek also throws
out considerable quantities of Drift-wood, though there is no
timber on it which can be perceived from the Missouri; we
called this stream rattlesnake creek. Capt Clark saw an
Indian fortifyed camp this evening, which appeared to have
been recently occupyed, from which we concluded it was probable
that it had been formed by a war party of the Menetares
who left their vilage in March last with a view to attack the
blackfoot Indians in consequence of their having killed some
of their principal warriors the previous autumn. we were
roused late at night by the Sergt. of the guard, and warned
of the danger we were in from a large tree that had taken
fire and which leant immediately over our lodge. we had the
loge removed, and a few minutes after a large proportion of
the top of the tree fell on the place the lodge had stood; had
we been a few minutes later we should have been crushed to
attoms. the wind blew so hard, that notwithstanding the
lodge was fifty paces distant from the fire it sustained considerable
injury from the burning coals which were thrown on it;
the party were much harrassed also by this fire which communicated
to a collection of fallen timber, and could not be
extinguished.

Cou[r]ses and distances, May 17th.

                                             

		Miles
S. 70°. W.	to a point of woodland on Stard. side.	1. 1/2
S. 75°. W.	to a point of woods on Stard. side	2.
W.	along the Stard. point.	1. 1/2
N. 70. W.	to a point of woods on the Lard. side the hills approach the river on each side	2.
S. 80. W.	to a point of timber on the Stard. side oppoite the entrance of a small creek	3. 1/2
N. 82. W.	to a clump of trees on the Lard. side	2.
West.	along the Lard. side to a point opposite to the entrance of a large creek.	1.
S. 70. W.	along the highland on the Lard. side	1. 1/2
S. 50. W.	along the Lard. side	1/4
S. 30. W.	along the Lard. side	1/4
S. 10. W.	along the Lard. side	1/4
South.	along the Lard. side	1/4
S. 15. E.	along the Lard. side	1/4
S. 30. E.	along the Lard. side	1/2
S. 35. E.	along the Lard. side, to the commencement of a bluff in a Lard. bend.	1/4
S. 2. W.	to a point of timber on the Stard. side, opposite to a bluff	1/2
S. 45. W.	to a point of timber on the Lard. side.	1/2
S. 20. E.	to a point of timber on the Stard. side.	1/4
South.	along the Stard. point	3/4
S. 15. W.	along the Stard. point, passing the entrance of a large creek on Lard. side.	1/4
S. 80. W.	to a point of woodland on Lard. side, passing a bluff on Lard. side; here we encamped	1. 1/4
	Miles	20 1/2