24th August Friday 1804.—
Some rain last
night, a Continuation this morning, we Set
out at the useal time and
proceeded on the Course of last night,
to the (I) Commencement of a blue
Clay Bluff of 180 or 190
feet high on the L. S. Those Bluffs appear to
have been
laterly on fire, and at this time is too hot for a man to bear
his hand in the earth at any Debth[25]
, Great appearance
of
Coal, an emence quantity of
Cobalt or a Cristolised Substance
which answers its
description is on the face of the Bluff. Great
quantities of a kind of
berry resembling a current except double
the Size and Grows on a bush like
a Privey, and the Size of a
Damsen deliciously flavoured and makes
delitefull Tarts, this
froot is now ripe
[26]
I took my Servent
and a french boy and
Walked on Shore, Killed Two Buck Elks and a fawn, and
intersepted the Boat, and had all the Meat butchered and in
by Sun
Set at which time it began to rain and rained hard,
Cap. Lewis & My
self walk out & got verry wet, a Cloudy
rainey night In my absence the
Boat Passed a Small (2) River
Called by the Indians White Stone River this
river is about
30 yards wide and runs thro: a Plain or Prarie in its whole
Course In a northerley derection from the Mouth of this
Creek in an
emence Plain a high Hill is Situated, and appears
of a Conic form, and by
the different nations of Indians in this
quarter is Suppose to be the
residence of Deavels. that they
are in human form with remarkable large
heads, and about
18 Inches high, that they are very watchfull and are
arm'd
with Sharp arrows with which they Can Kill at a great distance;
they are Said to kill all persons who are So hardy as to attempt
to
approach the hill; they State that tradition informs them
that many
Indians have Suffered by those little people, and
among others three
Mahar Men fell a sacrefise to their murceless
fury not many Years Sence. So Much do
the Maha,
Soues, Ottoes and other neighbouring nations believe this fable,
that no Consideration is Suffecient to induce them to approach
the
hill.
Course Distance & ref. 24 Augt.
| S. 48°. W. |
2
1/4 |
Mls. to the Commencement of a Blue Clay
Bluff of
180 or 190 feet high on the L.
S. |
| West |
1 3/4 |
Mls. under the Bluff passd two Small runs
from the
Bluff, those Bluffs have been latterly on fire & is
yet
verry hot. (1) |
| North |
2 |
M ls. to a point on L. S. |
| N. 10°
E. |
1/4 |
Mls. to an object in the
bend on S. S. an extensive
Sand bar on the L.
S. |
| N. 45°. W. |
1 1/2 |
Mls. to the lower point of a small Willow
Island. |
| West |
1 1/4 |
Ml. to the upper point of a Sand bar Connected with
the
Island [passed the Creek.
(2)] |
| S. 40. W. |
2 1/2 |
Mls. to a Willow pt. on the S.
S. |
|
11
1/2 |
|
