[Clark:]
22nd of April Monday 1805
a verry cold morning Some frost, we set out at an early
hour and proceeded on verry well untill
brackfast at which
time the wind began to blow verry hard ahead, and
continued
hard all day we proceeded
on with much dificuelty with the
assistance of the toe Ropes. Cap
t. Lewis & my self walked to
the River which is near
the Missouri four miles above its
mouth, this river is 60 yards wide and
contains a greater
perportion of water at this time than is common for
Rivers of
its size it appears navagable as fur as any of the party was,
and I am told to near its source in morrasses in the open
Plains, it
passes (as far as we can see which is 6 or 7 Leagus)
thro' a butifull
extinsive vallee, rich & fertile and at this time
covered with
Buffalow, Elk & antelopes, which may be Seen
also in any other
direction in this quarter, this river must
take its rise at no great
distance East of the Saskashawan, and
no doubt as far N. as Lat
d. 50°.
Some of the high plains on the broken rivers
[banks] of
the river contains great quantity of Pebble Stones of various
sizes, The Stratum of coal is much richer than below, the
appearances of Mineral & burnt hills still continue the river
rising a little, Saw an emence number of beaver feeding on
the
waters edge & swiming killed several, Capt. Lewis assended
a hill from the top of which he had a most
inchanting
prospect of the Countrey around & the meanderings of the
two rivers, which is remarkable crooked, a buffalow calf
which was
on the shore alone followed Cap Lewis some distance,
I observed a large drove of buffalow
prosued by
wolves cought one of their calves in my view, those animals
defend their young as long as they can keep up with the
drove
Course & Distance 22nd.. of
April
|
miles |
|
| N.
60°. W. |
2 1/2 |
to a point of wood land on the Ld.
Side |
| West |
1 |
along the wood
on the Ld. point |
| S. 70°.
W. |
1 |
to the lower point of a bluff in a bend to the
Starboard
Side |
| S. 20°.
W. |
2 |
to the upper part of the Said bluff on the
Starboard Side |
| S. 60°.
E |
1 |
to a wood in a bend to the Sd.
Side |
| S. 30°. E |
2 |
to a
willow point on the Sd. Side |
| N.
65°. E |
1 1/2 |
to an object in a bend to the L. S.
and
camped |
|
11 |
|
