University of Virginia Library

[Clark:]

13th of April Satturday 1805

Set out this morning at 6 oClock, the Missouri above the
mouth of Little Missouri widens to nearly a mile containing a
number of Sand bars this width &c. of the River continues
Generally as high as the Rochejhone River. Cought 3 beaver
this morning, at 9 miles passed the mouth of a Creek on the
S.S. on the banks of which there is an imense quantity of wild
onions or garlick, I was up this Creek 1/2 a m[ile] and could
not See one Stick of timber of any kind on its borders, this
creek is 16 yds wide 1/2 a mile up it and discharges more water
than is common for Creeks of its Size. at about 10 miles
higher we pass a creek about 30 yards wide in a deep bend to
the N W. This creek I took to be a Small river from its size
& the quantity of water which it discharged, I assended it
1 1/2 miles and found it the discharge of a pond or Small Lake
which has appearance of haveing been once the bead of the
river. Some small streams discharge themselves into this
Lake. the countery on both sides is butifull elevated plains
assending in Some parts to a great distance near the aforesaid
Lake (what we call Goose egg L from a circumstance of my
shooting a goose on her neast on some sticks in the top of a


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high cotton wood tree in which there was one egg) We saw
8 buffalow at a distance which were verry wild, I saw near
the Lake the remains of 43 lodges, which has latterly been
abandoned I suppose them to have been Ossinniboins and
now near the british establishments on the Ossinniboin River
tradeing. we camped on the S.S. in a butifull Plain. I observe
more bald Eagles on this part of the Missouri than usial
also a small Hawk Killed 2 Antelopes in the river to day.

Course distance &c. the 13th. of April 1805

           
N. 18°. W  7 1/2  miles to a point of wood on the L.S. passed a point
on the L.S. at 1 1/2 miles 
N. 10°. W.  miles to the upper point of a low bluff on the S.S.
passed a creek on the S.S.(I) 
N. 45°. W.  miles to a point of woodland on L.S. 
N. 28°. W.  miles to a point of woodland on S.S. the river makeing
a Deep bend to the N.W. 
S 35°. W.  miles to a point of wood on the S. S. passed a creek (2)
on the S.S. near the commencement of this course,
also two points on the L.S one at a mile & the
other 1/2 a mile further, also a large sand bar in the
middle of the river above the mouth of the creek 
23 1/2 

emence numbers of Geese to be seen pared &c. a Gange
of brant pass one half of the gange white with black wings or
the large feathers of the 1st. & 2d. joint the remdd of the
com[mo]n col[o]r. a voice much like that of a goos &
finer &c.