[Clark:]
12th April Friday
1805
a fine morning Set out verry early. the murcury stood
56° above 0. proceeded on to the mouth of the
Little Missouri
river and formed a camp in a butifull elivated plain on
the
lower side for the purpose of takeing Some observations to fix
the Latitude & Longitude of this river. this river falls in on the
L. Side and is 134 yards wide and 2 feet 6 Inches deep at
the mouth,
it takes its rise in the N W extremity of the black
mountains, and [runs]
through a broken countrey in its whole
course washing the N W base of the
Turtle Mountain which
is Situated about 6 Leagues S W of its mouth, one of
our
men Baptiest who came down this river in a canoe informs me
that
it is not navagable, he was 45 days descending.
One of out men Shot a
beaver swimming below the mouth
of this river.
I walked out on the
lower Side of this river and found the
countrey hilley the soil composed
of black mole & a small perportion
of
sand containing great quantity of Small peable some
limestone, black
flint, & sand Stone
I killed a Hare changeing its colour some parts
retaining
its long white fur & other parts assumeing the short grey, I
saw the Magpie in pars, flocks of Grouse. the old field lark &
crows, & observed the leaf of the wild chery half grown,
many
flowers are to be seen in the plains, remains of Minetarra
& Ossinneboin hunting camps are to
be seen on each side
of the two Missouris
The wind blew verry hard
from the S. all the after part of
the day, at 3 oClock PM. it became
violent & blowey accompanied
with
thunder and a little rain. We examined our
canoes &c found Several men
which had already commenced
cutting our bags of corn & parched meal,
the water of the
little Missouri is of the same texture colour &
quallity of that
of the Big Missouri the after part of the day so cloudy
that
we lost the evening observation.
Course & Distance of the 12th.
N. 80°. W. 4 1/2 miles to the mouth of the Little Missouri River on
the S.S.
