[Clark:]
July 9th. Monday 1804—
one man Sent back to the river we passed last night to Blase
[notch] a tree with a View to notify the
party on Shore of our
passing Set out and passed the head of the (1)
Island which
was Situated opposit to our Camp last night a Sand bar at the
head (2) opsd. this Island a Creek or Bayaue coms in
from a
large Pond on the Starboard Side, as our flanking party saw
great numbers of Pike in this Pond, I have laid it down with
that
name anex'd, at 8 oClock the wind Shifted from the
N. E. to S. W. and it
commenced raining. (3) at Six Miles
passed the mouth of Creek on the L. S.
called Monter's [Montain's]
Creek, about two mile above is some Cabins where
our Bowman &
Several frenchmen Campd. two years ago[66]
(4) passed
an Island on the S. S. in a Bend of the river opposit
some Clifts on the L. S. the Wind Shifted to the N W
opposit this
Island and on the L. Side, (Loup) or Wolf River
coms in, this river is about 60 yards wide and heads with the
waters of the Kansis, and is navagable for
Perogues "Some
distance up" Camped at a point on the L. S. opposit the
head of the Island, our party was incamped on the Opposit
Side,
their not answering our signals Caused us to Suspect
the persons Camped
opposit to us was a War party of Soux,
we fired the Bow piece to alarm the
party on Shore, alled
prepared to oppose if attacted
Course Distance & Refrs. July
9th 1804
| N. 60° W 1
1/2 |
Ms. to up. pt. of Isd. psd. a Creek S S (1)
(2) |
| S 20° W 3 1/2 |
Ms. to up. pt. S. S. psd.
pt. & Sand bar S. S. |
| N 82°
W 3 1/2 |
Ms. to pt. S. S.
psd. sand, & a Creek L. S.
(3) |
| N 68° W 5 1/2 |
Ms. to pt. L. S. pad.
Wolf R. L. S. opsd. Isd.
(5) |
| 14 |
|
July 10th.. Tuesday 1804
—
Set out early this Morning and crossd.
the river with a view
to See who the party was that Camped on the other
Side, we
soon discovered them to be our men, proceeded on passed a
Prarie on the L. S. at 4 Miles passed a creek L. S. called
(1) Pappie [Pape's Creek] after a man who
killed himself at its
mouth, this Creek is 15 yds wide (2) Dined on an
Isld. called
de Salamin [Solomon's Island]. Delayed 3 hours on this Island
to
recruit the men opposit on the L. S. is a butifull bottom
Plain of about
2000 acres (3) covered with wild rye & Potatoes
[ground apple pomme de terre],[67]
intermix't with
the grass,
We camped on the S. S. opposit a yellow Clay Clift, Capt.
Lewis killed to young Gees or Goslings this evening.
The
men of the party getting better, but much fatigued. The river
on
a stand. The bottom is verry extensive on the S. S. and
thickly
intersperced with Vines.
The High Land approaches near the river on the
L. S. and
well timbered next to the river, back of those hills the Plains
commence.
Course Distance & refrs. July 10th
| N. 80°. W. 3 1/4 |
Ms. to pt. S. S. passd. a
Sand bar |
| N 19° E. 2 |
Ms. to pt. L. S. psd. a
Creek (1) |
| North 3/4 |
Ml. to Low pt. of an Isld. (2) |
| S. 80° W.
3/4 |
Ml. to pt. on Left of
an Isd. opsd. Pra
(3) |
| N 50 W. 1 1/4 |
Ms.
to pt. on L. S. passed Sd.
bar |
| N 83 W. 2 |
Ms. to
a pt. on S. S. Isd.
(5) |
July 11th Wednesday 1804—
Set
out early passed a Willow Island (1) in a bend on the
S. S. back of this
Island a Creek coms in called by the
Indians Tar-ki-o I went on Shore above this Creek and
walked up
parrelel with the river at about half a mile distant,
the bottom I found
low & Subject to over flow, Still further
out, the under groth &
vines wer So thick that I could not
get thro: with ease after walking
about three or 4 miles I
observed a fresh horse track where he had been
feeding I
turned my course to the river and prosud the track and found
him on a Sand beach This horse Probably had been left by
Some party
of Otteaus hunters who wintered or hunted in this
quarter last fall or
Wintr. I joined the party on a large Sand
Island
imedeately opposit the mouth of Ne Ma how [Němǎhāw]
River, at which place
they had Camped, this Island is
Sand about half of it covered with Small
Willows of two different
kinds, one narrow
& the other a Broad Leaf. Several
hunters sent out to day on both
Sides of the river, Seven Deer
killed to day,
Drewyer killed six of them, made some Luner
observations this
evening.
Course Distance & refrs. July 11th..
| N. 30°
W 3 |
Ms. to the head of a Willow Isd. (1) in a bend to S. S. |
| West 2
3/4 |
Ms. to Lowr. pt. of a Sand Isld. on the S. S. psd. pt. S. S.
(2) |
| North 1/4 |
Ml. on
the N. Side of Isd. &
Camped. |
| 6
Miles |
|
July 12th Thursday
1804—
Concluded to Delay here to day with a view of takeing
equal
altitudes & makeing observations as well as refreshing our men
who are much fatigued. after an early Brackfast I with five
men in a
Perogue assended the River Ne-Ma-haw about three
[2] Miles to the Mouth of a Small creek on the
Lower Side,
here I got out of the Perogue, after going to Several Small
Mounds in a leavel plain, I assended a hill on the Lower Side,
on
this hill Several artificial Mounds were raised, from the
top of the
highest of those Mounds I had an extensive view
of the Serounding Plains,
which afforded one of the most pleasing
prospect I ever beheld, under me a Butifull River of
Clear Water of
about 80 yards wide Meandering thro: a leavel
and extensive meadow, as far
as I could See, the prospect
much enlivened by the flew Trees & Srubs
which is bordering
the bank of the river, and the Creeks & runs
falling into it,
The bottom land is covered with Grass of about 4 1/2 feet
high,
and appears as leavel as a smoth surfice, the 2d
bottom [the
upper land] is also covered with Grass
and rich weeds & flours,
interspersed with copses of the Osage Plumb,
on the riseing
lands, Small groves of trees are Seen, with a numbers of
Grapes
and a Wild Cherry resembling the common Wild Cherry, only
larger and grows on a small bush on the tops of those hills
in every
direction, I observed artifical Mounds (or as I may
more justly term
graves) which to me is a strong evidence
[indication] of this Country being once thickly Settled. (The
Indians of the Missouris Still keep up the Custom of Burrying
their
dead on high ground) after a ramble of about two miles
about I returned to
the perogue and decended down the river,
gathd. Som
grapes nearly ripe, on a Sandstone Bluff about 1/4
of a Mile from its mouth on the Lower Side I observed some
Indian
Marks, went to the rock which jucted over the water
and marked my name
& the day of the month & year. This
river heads near one of the
(see note) villages of the Pania
[Pawnee] on the
River Blue [Blue River], a branch of the
Kansas River. above this river about half a mile the Prarie
comes to the Missouri, after my return to Camp on
the Island
completed Som
observations. Tri[e]d a man (W. C.) for
Sleeping on his Post &
inspected the arms amunition &c. of
the party found all complete, Took
Some Luner Observations,
three Deer
killed to day.
Latd. 39° - 55′ - 56″ N.
