University of Virginia Library

Thursday April 11th.

Set out at an early hour; I proceeded with the party and
Capt. Clark with George Drewyer walked on shore in order to
procure some fresh meat if possible. we proceeded on abot
five miles, and halted for breakfast, when Capt. Clark and
Drewyer joined us; the latter had killed, and brought with
him a deer, which was at this moment excep[t]able, as we had
had no fresh meat for several days. the country from fort
Mandan to this place is so constantly hunted by the Minetaries
that there is but little game. we halted at two P.M.
and made a comfortable dinner on a venison stake and beavers
tales with the bisquit which got wet on the 8th. inst. by the accident
of the canoe filling with water before mentioned. the
powder which got wet by the same accedent, and which we had
spread to dry on the baggage of the large perogue, was now
examined and put up; it appears to be almost restored, and


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our loss is therefore not so great as we had at first apprehended.
the country much the same as yesterday. on the
sides of the hills and even the banks of the rivers and sandbars,
there is a white substance t[h]at appears in considerable
quantities on the surface of the earth, which tastes like a
mixture of common salt and glauber salts. many of the
springs which flow from the base of the river hills are so
strongly impregnated with this substance that the water is
extreemly unpleasant to the taste and has a purgative effect.[21]
saw some large white cranes pass up the river —these are the
largest bird of that genus common to the country through
which the Missouri and Mississippi pass. they are perfectly
white except the large feathers of the two first joints of the
wing which are black. we encamped this evening on the Stard.
shore just above the point of woodland which formed to
extremity of the last course of this day. there is a high bluff
opposite to us, under which we saw some Indians, but the
river is here so wide that we could not speake to them; suppose
them to be a hunting party of Minetares. we killed two
gees to-day.

The courses and distances of this day

               
miles 
S. 85. W.  to the upper point of a bluff on Lard. Sd
N. 38. W.  to a point on the Lard. shore, oppot. a bluff 
S. 30. W.  to the upper part of a timbered bottom on the Lard.
side. a large sand bar making out from the Stard.
side 1 1/2 miles wide 
N. 52. W.  to a red knob in a bend to the Stad. side near the
upper part of a timbered bottom 
S. 70. W.  to a point of timbered land on the Stard. Sd. 
W.  on the Stard. point  1 
19 
 
[21]

The famous "alkali" of the West, often rendering the water undrinkable, and
covering great areas like snow. It consists largely or mainly of sulphate of soda.—ED.