[Lewis:]
Tuesday April 16th. 1805.
Set out very early this morning. Capt. Clark walked on
shore this morning, and killed an Antelope, rejoined us at 1/2
after eight A.M. he informed me that he had seen many
Buffaloe Elk and deer in
his absence, and that he had met
with a great number of old hornets nests
in the woody bottoms
through which he had passed. the hills of the river
still continue
extreemly broken for a few
miles back, when it becomes
a fine level country of open fertile lands.
immediately on the
river there are many fine leavel extensive and
extreemly fertile
high plains and meadows. I think the quantity of
timbered
land on the river is increasing. the mineral appearances still
continue. I met with several stones today that had the appearance
of wood first carbonated and then
petrefyed by the
water of the river, which I have discovered has that
effect on
many vegitable substances when exposed to it's influence for
a length of time. I believe it to be the stratas of coal seen in
those hills which causes the fire and birnt appearances frequently
met with in this quarter. where those
birnt appearances
are to be seen in the
face of the river bluffs, the coal is
seldom seen, and when you meet with
it in the neighbourhood
of the stratas of birnt earth, the coal appears to
be presisely at
the same hight, and is nearly of the same thickness,
togeter
with the sand and a sulphurious substance which ususually
accompanys it. there was a remarkable large beaver caught
by one of
the party last night. these anamals are now very
abundant. I have met with
several trees which have been
felled by them 20 Inches in diameter. bark
is their only food;
and they appear to prefer that of the Cotton wood and
willow;
as we have never met with
any other species of timber on the
Missouri which had the appearance of
being cut by them. we
passed three small creeks on the Star
d. side. they take their
rise in the river hills at no
great distance. we saw a great
number of geese today, both in the plains
and on the river I
have observed but few ducks, those we have met with are
the
Mallard and blue winged Teal.
Courses and distances of 16th.
April.
| S. 80°. W. |
to a point of woodland on
the Stard. side |
3. |
| N.
36. W. |
to a point of woodland on the Lard.
side. |
2 1/2 |
| S. 60. W. |
to a
point of wood on the Stad. side, opposite to a bluff
which commences I mile below on the Lard.
side |
3 1/2 |
| N. 25. W. |
to a
point of woodland on the Lard. side |
2
1/2 |
| S. 70. W. |
to a point of woodland on
the Lard. side, passing a
point of wood and large sand
bar on the Stard.
side |
6. |
| S. 65. W. |
along the
Lard point of woods to our encampment of
this
evening |
1/2 |
|
|
Miles
18. |
Note. The distances we
are obliged to pass around the sand bars is
much greater than those here
stated from point to point.
