29th.. of April Monday
1805
Set out this morning at the usial hour. the wind is moderate
& from the N.E. had not proceeded far eer we Saw a female
&
her faun of the Bighorn animal on the top of a Bluff lying,
the noise we
made allarmed them and they came down on the
side of the bluff which had
but little slope being nearly purpindicular,
I directed two men to kill those anamals, one
went on the top and
the other man near the water they had
two shots at the doe while in motion
without effect, Those
animals run & Skiped about with great ease on
this declivity
& appeared to prefur it to the leavel bottom or plain.
Capt.
Lewis & one man walkd on
shore and he killed a yellow Bear
& the man with him wounded one
other, after getting the
flesh of the bear on bord which was not far from
the place we
brackfast, we proceeded on Saw 4 gangus of buffalow and great
numbers of antelopes in every direction also saw Elk and
several
wolves, I walked on Shore in the evening & killed a
Deer which was so
meager as to be unfit for use. The hills
contain more coal, and has a
greater appearance of being burnt
that [than] below, the burnt parts
appear on a parrilel with
the stratiums of coal, we came too in the mouth
of a Little
river on the S.S. which is about 50 or 60 yards from banks to
bank, I was up this Stream 3 miles it continues its width and
glides
with a gentle current, its water is about 15 yards wide
at this time, and
appears to be navagable for canoes &c. it
meanders
through a butifull & extencive vallie as far as can be
Seen about N
30° W. I saw only a single tree in this fertile
vallie The water of the River is clear of a yellowish
colour,
we call this river Martheys river in honor to the Selebrated
M.F. Here the high land widen from five to Eight miles
and much
lower than below. Saw several of the big horn
animals this evening. The
Wolves distroy great numbers of
the antilopes by decoying those animals
singularly out in the
plains and prosueing them alternetly, those
antelopes are
curious and will approach any thing which appears in motion
near them &
c.
Course & Distance the 29th.. of
April
|
|
|
miles |
|
| N. |
45°. |
W |
3 |
to a point of wood land on the Ld Side opsd. to a high
Bluff on the
Stard
Side |
| West |
|
|
2 |
to a wood land on the Std Side opsd. a
Bluff |
| N |
80°. |
W. |
1 1/2 |
on the Std point, a high Sharp
bluff |
| N. |
45°. |
W. |
2 |
to a point of wood land on the L. Side, a high bluff
opposit on the
S.S. |
| N. |
55°. |
W. |
3 |
to a point of timbered land on the Lard Side a Bluff
on the S.
Side |
| N. |
65°. |
W |
1 1/4 |
to a Bluff point on the Stard.
Side. |
| S. |
30°. |
W. |
3 |
to the upper point of a high timber on the L. Side in
a lard bend of the
river |
| S. |
85°. |
W. |
1 1/4 |
to a pt. of timber on Stard. Sd. opsd. a
bluff |
| N |
55°. |
W. |
3 1/2 |
to the commencement of a bluff on S.S. passd a sand
pt. at 2 1/2 miles on the
Lard. Sd. |
| S |
75°. |
W. |
1 1/2 |
to a point of wood land on the passing a
sand bar the
river makeing a Deep bend to the
South |
| N. |
75°. |
W. |
3 |
to the enterence of a river on the Stard Side in a bend,
where we encamped for the
night. |
|
|
|
25 |
|
