University of Virginia Library

Chapter IX

PORTAGING AROUND THE GREAT FALLS

IX. June 21–July 14, 1805

June 21st.. Friday 1805.

A FINE morning the wind from the S. W. off the Mountains
& hard. Capt. Lewis with the men except a fiew
take a part of the baggage &c. & a canoe up the Hill
better than a mile in advance. Several men employed in
Shave[in]g & graining Skins Elk hides for the Iron boat as
it is called. the meat was brought in & the men returned
which Stayed out to dress the buffalow last night. they killed
2 or 3 deer and a buffalow calf & a Small Elk. we Saw
innumerable numbers & gangs of buffalow & calfs on the high
plains on Stard. Side of the Missourie.

Saturday 22nd.. June 1805.

a fair pleasant morning. the wind as usal. the party all
raised up eairly. Capt. Lewis and Clark with all the party
except 3 Set out with a waggon & baggage to take the canoe
& loading which was halled on the hill yesterday up to the
upper end of the portage, where we Shall form a Camp. Capt.
Lewis & 3 or 4 men carried all their baggage in order to Stay
up their, in order to git the Iron boat in readiness &c. the
buffalow around the lower Camp verry thick Some gangs
Swam the River Capt. Clarks Servant york killed one which
was verry fat. Capt. Clark informed us that he Saw 40 or 50
Swimming the River abv. the falls and Some went down over
them which he could not See them rise any more. a nomber
got to Shore half drowned. in this way great numbers of
those animels are lost and accounts for So many as we Saw
lying on the Shores below the falls ever Since we came from

the Mandans & Grossvauntares but a vast deal pleantier near
them. the country in general is verry high. no timber back
from the river and but verry little on the river, but bluffs &
high Clifts the most of the Shores. we are a little South of
the Mandans, but have had no verry hot weather as yet.

Sunday 23rd.. June 1805.

the wind has Shifted to the East. Cloudy. a light Sprinkling
of rain. in the afternoon one of the hunters came in from
the Medicine River & informed us that one man G. Shannon
left them the first day he left this place, & took with him a
Small kittle & Some parched meal which was for the hunters,
and that the other 2 had killed 16 buffalow and a fiew Deer
but Saw no Elk. had dryed considerable of fat buffalow meat
at their Camp on the Medicine River. in the evening Capt.
Clark and party came in from the upper Camp & I with them
& informed us that they had Some difficulty with their truck
waggons as they broke Sundry times. Capt. Clark Surveyed
& measured the remainder of the portage, and looked out the
best way for the truck waggons & baggage to Go, and made
the distance to the upper camp to where we take water again
to be 18 miles a Strait course. they put up mile half mile ¼
mile & a half quarty mile Stakes as well as Several flags as
guides for the portage or carrying place &c. Capt. Lewis &
3 men Stayed at the upper Camp, to prepare the Iron boat
&c. &c.

Monday 24th.. June 1805.

a fair morning. we halled out the last canoe, & turned hir
up to dry. all the party present Set our eairly with a waggon
& baggage &c. for the upper Camp. we had Some difficulty
in gitting the loading up on the high plains to where the
canoes were left last night, though after a little fatigue we got
all the loading which we intended carrying at this load in 2
Canoes & proceeded on to a creek called willow creek 7 miles
from the lower Camp & halted to refresh ourselves. made a
tongue to one of the truck waggons, & proceeded on. the
wind blew Steady from the S. East. we hoisted a Sail in the

largest canoe which helped us much as 4 men halling at
the chord with a harness. passed through high Smoth delightful
plains. Saw a nomber of antelopes & buffalow. towards
evening when we were within about 3 miles of the upper
Camp, their came up of a Sudden a violent thunder Shower
& rained a mazeing hard, for about 15 or 20 minutes, in which
time the water Stood on the ground over our mockasons.
our water being all gone and all the men thursty drunk harty
out of the puddles. at dusk we arived at the upper camp, and
unloaded found Some of the baggage wet by the raining in
the canoes &c. we found Shannon here. he had been incamped
up the medison River. he had killed 3 buffalow 8
Deer & several antelopes but no Elk.

Tuesday 25th.. June 1805.

a cloudy morning. we Set out with the 2 truck waggons,
and returned back to the lower camp for another load. took
up 2 canoes on the high plains. the day proved pleasant and
warm the party much fatigued halling the truck waggons &
the baggage. Saw large gangs of buffalow and antelopes
to day. the evening clear and pleasant. we got our loads
ready to Start from this for the upper Camp. mended our
mockasons &c. below the falls the plains are inferior in point
of Soil to those below, more Stones on the Sides of the hills,
Grass but a fiew inches high and but a fiew flowers in the
plains. Great quantities of choke cherries, good berrys, red &
yallow berrys & red and purple currents on the Edges of the
water. we catch great quantities of Trout, and a kind of a
mullet flat backs &c. a Soft fish resembling a Shad, and fiew
cat fish &c. Sergt. pryor Sick. the party all of us amused
ourselves with dancing untill 10 oC. all in cheerfulness and
good humor. we all harnised up our back loads of the baggage
to make an eairly Steart in the morning.

June 26th.. Wednesday 1805.

Some rain last night. this morning verry cloudy. the
part Set out eairly with out loads to the canoes consisting of
pearched meal pork powder lead axes tools Bisquit and portable
Soup &c. we proceeded on with the 2 canoes & Some

baggage. verry hot Sun beat down on us as the day proved
fair. we halted at willow creek and made up a fiew dumplings
& broiled a little fat buffalow meat & we Saw great numbers
of buffalow on the plains in every direction. the plain[s]
appear to be black with them. Some antelope and Deer. the
wolves pleanty. I took sick this evening I expect by drinking
too much water when I was hot. I got bled &c.

June 27th.. Thursday 1805.

a fair warm morning. I feel Some better but not able to go
back to the lower Camp So I remained with Capt. Lewis.
Sergt. Ordway and three men went down by the River to See
the falls and Spring &c about 4 oClock we had a hard
Shower of rain which made the portage so Slipperry we did
not expect they would Start from the lower Camp tomorrow
with a load of baggage as usal.

June 28th.. Friday 1805.

a fair morning the wind from the South. I remained with
Capt. Lewis assisting with the Iron boat &c.

June 29th.. Saturday 1805.

a little rain verry eairly this morning. after clear and
pleasant. in the afternoon their arose a storm of hard wind
and rain and amazeing large hail at our Camp we measured &
weighed Some of them, and Capt. Lewis made a bowl of Ice
punch of one of them they were 7 Inches in Surcumference
and weighed 3 ounc[e]s. as luck would have it we were all
That Stay at this camp Safe in a Shelter but we feel concerned
about the men on the road.

June 30th.. Sunday 1805.

a fair morning. I remained Still at the upper Camp assisting
with the Iron boat Sowing Skins together &c. &c. the
hunters kill Some buffalow and 3 white bear. one verry
large the fore feet of which measured 9 inches across, & the
head t[w]o feet 11 ¼ Inches long and 7 Inches wide a bear
[came] nearly catching Joseph Fields chased him in to the
water bear about the Camp everry night, and Seen on the
Islands in the day time. we look for Capt. Clark & party.

July 1st.. Monday 1805.

pleasant and warm. we continued on with the Iron boat as
usal about 3 oClock Capt. Clark and party arived with the
last canoe and the most of the baggage. the remainder left only
out at the 6 mile Stake. they informed us that the wet
weather was what detained them and that they were out in
the hail Storm but as luck would have it, the hail was not So
big as they were here. Capt. Clark was at the falls at the time
had hunted a Shelter in a deep creek with out water when he
went in but before the Shower was over the creek rose So fast
that he and 3 more who were with him had Scarsely time to
git out before the water was ten feet deep. Capt. Clark lost
the large Compass a fusiee pouch & horn powder & ball, and
Some cloaths &c. the party who were halling Some of them
like to have lost their lives, being nearly naked and the most
of them without any hats on their heads or anything to cover
them and under went as much as any men could and live
through it.

July 2nd.. Tuesday 1805.

Some rain at day light this morning after which a fair morning.
the men who came in yesterday Set out with the truck
waggons to go back to the 6 mile Stake for the Boxes and
kegs which was left yesterday &c. we that Stayed at Camp
Set at gitting timber &c. for the Iron boat. Musquetoes verry
troublesome to day. about 2 oClock the party arived with
the last of the Baggage. they killed 3 buffalow and one
antelope. we put our fire arms in order and about 4 oClock
the 2 Captains and the most of the hunters went over on an
Island to hunt bear they killed one and Saved the Skin and
greece.

July 3rd.. Wednesday 1805.

a clear pleasant morning. Sergt. Gass and 2 men Set out to
go down and See the falls & large Spring &c. the men at
[camp] employed puting the leather on the Iron boat &c.
Some burning tar to put on it. we overhalled the Baggage
and found Some mice & killed a large curious rat with hair on

his tail. we fixed Scaffels to keep the Bags &c from the
ground and from the rats. a light Sprinkling of rain in the
afternoon. George Drewyer Capt. Lewis' hunter at the upper
Camp killed 2 large handsom otter and three beaver. in the
evening 2 men went out a Short distance from Camp and
killed a fat buffalow. Some men went for [the] meat. Sergt.
Gass and the man returned from the falls, had killed Six
buffalow and Saved only the brains and tongues. we got the
leather on the Iron boat, and took it apart. 8 Seprt.. Sections
(2 men burning a tar kill)

July 4th.. Thursday 1805.

a clear beautiful morning. the most of the men employed
putting the Sections of the Iron boat together &c. &c. one
of the hunters went on bear Island and killed an Elk and a
beaver. we finished putting the Iron boat together and
turned hir up to dry. towards evening our officers gave the
party the last of the ardent Spirits except a little reserved for
Sickness. we all amused ourselves dancing untill 10 oClock
in the evening, at which time we had a light Shower of rain.
the party all in good Spirits keeping up the 4th.. of July &c as
Independence.

July 5th.. Friday 1805.

a clear pleasant morning. 3 men Set out to go down to See
the falls &c. about 9 oClock 12 of the party with Capt. Clark
wen[t] in the plains after a gang of buffalow Seen on a hill
Some distance off. the Situation of the plain where the gang
of buffalow was [was] Such that we could not git near enofe
without being discovered by them. in attempting it Scared
them all off. then a part of the men went after another gang,
the remainder returned to Camp. towards evening the
hunters all came in had killed 3 buffalow 4 miles back in the
plains. brought in Some meat and Skins. the 3 men returned
from the falls. had killed Several buffalow and might
have killed hundreds if they chuse where they were pened in
under high clifts of rocks. they went among them So as
might have reached them with the muzzel of their guns &c.

July 6th.. Saturday 1805.

verry hard Showers of rain and hail through the course of
last night. hard Thunder. at day light a hard Shower of
rain and large hail one of the men gethered a Small kittle
full of the hail which kept the most part of the day. the
morning cloudy. 4 men Set out in 2 canoes in order to go
down to the head of the falls to kill buffalow for Skins to
cover our crafts & meat &c. Some men employed finishing
off the Iron boat others dressing Skins &c. the day proved
clear. light Showers in the afternoon. the hunters did not
return this evening.

July 7th.. Sunday 1805.

a clear pleasant morning. one man caught a beaver last
night. 2 hunters Set out across the river this morning to attempt
to kill 1 or 2 Elk for their Skins. we finished off
the Iron boat and put hir up in an open place to dry. the
day warm. I am employed makeing leather cloaths for the
party &c. Some Thunder and a light Shower of rain. about
4 oClock the hunters returned had killed Several buffalow,
one Elk and Several wolves &c. they brought in Some
Skins to cover the crafts with &c. the 2 hunters returned
from across the river had killed 4 Deer and one antelope &c.

July 8th.. Monday 1805.

a clear pleasant morning. one man went across the river a
hunting. about 9 oClock A. M. Capt. Clark and all the men
that could be Spared from Camp Set out for to go down to
the falls a hunting. I remained in Camp makeing leather
cloathes &c. the rest of the men at Camp was employed in
makeing coal & tallow and Beese wax mixed and payed over
the leather on the Iron boat &c. in the afternoon the hunters
returned from the falls and plains. had killed Several buffalow,
1 antelope and a yallow fox, also 2 rattle Snakes &c. Capt.
Clark measured the width of the river at the great Spring &
middle falls &c. the hunter returned from over the river and
had killed one buck Deer and a buck antelope or goat kind
&c. Some Thunder and light Sprinkling of rain &c.

July 9th.. Tuesday 1805.

a beautiful morning. the Island near our Camp is covered
with black birds. the musquetoes verry troublesome. we put
the Iron boat in to the water corked Some of the canoes and
git in readiness to depart from this place. in the afternoon
we loaded the 6 canoes but did not load the Iron boat for She
leaked Some. Soon after we got the canoes loaded there came
up a Storm of wind & Thunder. the waves dashed over in
the canoes So that we had to unload again. our officers conclude
that the Iron boat will not answer our purpose as we
cannot git Tar nor pitch to pay the [bottom of] hir over the
hides. the coal Tallow & bease wax would not Stick to the
hides &c. the time being So far Spent they concluded to
burry hir at this place and go about 20 miles up the River and
make 2 canoes which would answer much better. So we Sunk
Sd. Iron boat in the River So that Shee may be taken apart the
better tomorrow. about 10 men got ready to go with Capt.
Clark to make the canoes, about 20 mls.. by water and only about
5 by land from this place.

July 10th.. Wednesday 1805.

a clear morning. we took the Iron boat out of the water,
and loaded 4 canoes one with baggage & tools for the men at
the upper Camp. we Set off eairly with the canoes for the
upper Camp Capt. Clark Set out at the Same time with abt.
10 men to go up by land to make the 2 canoes. we proceeded
on with the 4 canoes about 8 miles and the wind rose So high
that we we[re] obledged to lay by untill toward evening. the
wind then abated and we went on untill dark. then camped
for the night on N. S. within about 3 miles of the upper
Camp. we killed a large rattle Snake. we passed to day 2 or
3 Islands covered with cotton timber and choke cherrys.
abundance of cherry yallow currents and box elder timber
along the Shores. passed a village of bearking Squerrells &
killed one of them on N. S. the musquetoes & nats are
troublesome at our Camp this evening. high banks of Sand
along the N. Shore.

July 11th.. 1805 Thursday.

a clear morning, but high wind which obledged us to lay at
our Camp untill late in the afternoon except the baggage canoe
which went on. 2 of the men went up to the Camp and got
Some meat. towards evening the wind abated a little so that
we went on arived at the upper Camp about Sunset and unloaded.
the hunters had killed 2 fat buffalow and Several
Deer. I walked a Short distance in the plains to day when we
were waiting for the wind to abate, and trod on a verry large
rattle Snake. it bit my leggin on my legg I Shot it. it was
4 feet 2 Inches long, & 5 Inches & a half round. we took
Some fat meat on board and 4 of us Set out with the 8 empty
canoes to return to the lower Camp. we floated apart of the
night got about 8 miles the wind rose so that we halted untill
morning. Capt. Clark had got 2 fine trees cut for 2 canoes and
got them ready to dig out &c. &c.

July 12th.. Friday 1805.

a clear morning. the wind high from the N. W. we proceeded
on down the river. the wind So high that one canoe
filled the other 2 took in water, but with difficulty we got to
the lower Camp about noon. they while we were gone had
killed 2 buffalow. had also put the Irons of the Iron boat in
the ground and Some other articles, also. we Scaffelled up the
buffalow meat to dry &c. Several men had Set out this morning
for the upper Camp the wind continues verry high all
day.

July 13th.. Saturday 1805.

clear and calm. we loaded all the canoes eairly and Set out
with all our baggage for the upper Camp. Capt. Lewis a Sick
french man and the Intrepters wife went across by land. we
proceeded on with the canoes abt. 5 miles verry well then the
wind rose So high that obledged us to lay too untill towards
evening, when the wind abated and we went on about 7 mls..
further and Camped. the Musquitoes verry troublesome untill
9 oClock at night.

July 14th.. Sunday 1805.

we Set out eairly and proceeded on. the morning clear and
calm. passed Several Islands &c. and arived at the upper
Camp about noon. Capt. Clark & men had got the 2 canoes
ready to put in the water. we unloaded the canoes put one of
the niew canoes in the River about 4 oClock P. M. we had
a Small Shower of rain. verry warm the musquetoes troublesome.
we put the other niew canoe in the river, and make
ready to leave this place. we have considerable of fat buffalow
meat dryed. the weeds and grass in this bottom is as high as
a mans knees but the grass on the high land is not more than
3 Inches high.