University of Virginia Library

LX. LX

LEWIS TO JEFFERSON (A FRAGMENT)

LX. [From original incomplete MS. in Lewis and Clark journals—Codex S. Apparently the
commencement of a draft of the "sketch of the Most prominent perigrinations since we left the
Mandans," promised in the succeeding letter; but it does not appear to have been completed.]

Sir: Having acquired information & provisions of the Mandans
On the evening of the 7th of Apl. 1805 we embarked with our baggage
on board 2 large perogues and six small canoes at Fort Mandan on a
Voyage of Discovery to the Pacific Ocean. The party consisted of the
following persons my friend and Colleague Capt. Wm.. Clark, Interpreters
George Drewyer and Touasant Charbono, Sergts. John Ordway,
Nathanial Pryor, and Patric Gass, privates John Shields &c a Shoshone
Woman and child wife and Infant of Touts Charbono and York a black
man servant to Capt. Clark making a total with myself of 33 persons.
A Man of the Mandan nation also set out with us under promis to
accompany us to the Rocky Mountains with a view to reestablish peace
between the Minnetares & Ahwahaways and the Shoshones and others
at the head of the Missouri, but becoming very early tired of his mission
he abandoned us on the 8th. and returned to his village. the river was
full and the water excessively cold the ice which confined it from the
[blank space in MS.]th of November 1804 had departed only within
a few days previously in this navigating we employed the oar cord
and sail the water being too high to permit the uce of the seting pole
which in the latter part of summer and autumn may be employed to great
advantage on a large proportion of every part of the Missouri, (and
when the state of the river is such as to permit the uce of the pole it is
always to be prefered to the oar in resisting the forse of it's currant).
we ascended with as little difficulty as we had previously met with, found
the river equally wide deep and navigable as below fort Mandan.

it may not be amis to premise that the distances herein stated are
those from the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi from which
you will recollect that Fort Mandan is 1609 miles distant. we have

through the whole course of the voyage taken a chart of the several
rivers which we have navigated on a large scale as well as delienated
our several tracts by land marking our dayly encampments the entrance
of watercourses points of celestial observation, and all other places and
objects worthy of notice.

at the distance of 1699 mile from the confluence of the Missouri and
Mississippi we arrived on the 13th of Apl at the entrance of the little
Missouri a handsom river of [blank space in MS.] yds. in width discharging
itself on the S. side, navigable for canoes [blank space in MS.]
Ms. here we remained untill the 15th on pursuing our rout we passed
the entrance of the white earth river on the [blank space in MS.] Apr.
at 1. Ms. this river discharged itself on the N. E. side is [blank space
in MS.] yds in width and appears as if it might be navigated with small
canoes many miles it's course is due north through an open level plain.
a small party of white men, residing with the Mandans, had ascended
the Missouri within [blank space in MS.] miles of the entrance of this
river about 4 years before but we have no certain account of any white
persons reaching its entrance previous to ourselves. from hence therefore
our footsteps were on unkno[wn] ground. here the beaver become
very abundant on the R. at the distance of 1888 miles we reached the
entrance of the Yellow Rock river on the 27th of Apl. this noble
branch of the Missouri discharges itself on the S.W. side. it is nearly
as wide as the Missouri has from 6 to 8 feet water with an even gentle
currant it discharges much more water than any other branch of the
Missouri, at least twice as much at many seasons of the year as the great
river Platte which has been hitherto considered the most conspicuous
among the branches of the Missouri. we examined the country minutely
in the vicinity of the entrance of the River Rochejone and found it
possessed of every natural advantage necessary for an establishment, it's
position in a geographical point of view has destined it for one of the
most important establishments both as it reguards the fur trade and
the government of the natives in that quarter of the continent. having
made the necessary observations at this place we left it on the [blank
space in MS.] of Apr. determining to explore this river on our return.
still ascending we passed the entrances of two handsome rivers on the
N.E. side the 1st at 1944 ms to which we gave the name of Marthy's
river the 2d. at 53 miles further which we called Porcupine river, the
1st is 50 yds. wide and the 2ed. 112, both discharge considerable quantities
of water; the latter we believe to be navigable many miles for canoes
the latter not so far. on the [blank space in MS.] of May we arrived
at the entrance of a bold river on the N. E. side 150 yds. wide which

from the colour of it's water we called milk river. the currant is
gentle stream deep and is probably navigable for large perogues or boats
for 150 miles, that is judging from streams of similar size which like it
pass through an open country. it's course as far as we could discover
it from an eminence or about 30 ms. was due north and I am [MS.
here ends.—Ed.]