University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Tuesday June 4th 1805.

This morning early Capt. C. departed, and at the same time
I passed the wright hand fork opposite to our camp below a
small Island; from hence I steered N. 30. W. 4 1/2 to a commanding
eminence; here I took the following bearings of the
mountains which were in view. The North Mountains appear
to change their direction from that of being parallel with the
Missouri turning to the North and terminating abruptly;
their termineation bearing N. 48°. E distant by estimate 30
Mls. The South Mountains appear to turn to the S. also
terminating abrubtly, their extremity bearing S. 8. W. distant
25 Mls. The Barn Mountain, a lofty mountain so called from
it's resemblance to the roof of a large Barn, is a separate
Mountain and appears reather to the wright of and retreating
from the extremity of the S. Mts.; this boar S 38. W. distant
35. Ms. The north fork which I am now ascending lies to my
left and appears to make a considerable bend to the N. W.
on it's Western border a range of hills about 10 mls. long
appear to lye parallel with the river and from hence bear N.
60°. W. to the N. of this range of hills an Elivated point of
the river bluff on it's Lard. side boar N. 72°. W. distant 12 Mls.
to this last object I now directed my course through a high
level dry open plain. the whole country in fact appears to be
one continued plain to the foot of the mountains or as far as
the eye can reach; the soil appears dark rich and fertile yet
the grass is by no means as high nor dose it look so luxurient
as I should have expected, it is short just sufficient to conceal

the ground. great abundance of prickly pears which are
extreemly troublesome; as the thorns very readily perce the
foot through the Mockerson; they are so numerous that it
requires one half of the traveler's attention to avoid them, In
these plains I observed great numbers of the brown Curloos, a
small species of curloo or plover of a brown colour about the
size of the common snipe and not unlike it in form with a long
celindric curved and pointed beak; it's wings are proportionately
long and the tail short; in the act of liteing this bird
lets itself down by an extention of it's wings without motion
holding their points very much together above it's back in this
rispect differing ascentially from any bird I ever observed. a
number of sparrows also of three distinct species I observed.
also a small bird which in action resembles the lark, it is about
the size of a large sparrow of a dark brown colour with some
white fathers in the tail; this bird or that which I take to
be the male rises into the air about 60 feet and supporting
itself in the air with a brisk motion of the wings sings very
sweetly, has several shrill soft notes reather of the plaintive
order which it frequently repeats and varies, after remaining
stationary about a minute in his aireal station he descends
obliquely occasionly pausing and accomnying his decension
with a note something like twit twit twit; on the ground he
is silent[18] . thirty or forty of these birds will be stationed in the
air at a time in view. these larks as I shall call them add
much to the gayety and cheerfullness of the scene. All those
birds are now seting and laying their eggs in the plains; their
little nests are to be seen in great abundance as we pass. there
are meriads of small grasshoppers in these plains which no
doubt furnish the principal aliment of this numerous progeny
of the feathered creation. after walking about eight miles I
grew thi[r]sty and there being no water in the plains I changed
my direction and boar obliquely in towards the river, on my
arrival at which about 3 Mls. below the point of observation,
we discovered two deer at feed at some distance near the river:
I here halted the party and sent Drewyer to kill one of them
for breakfast; this excellent hunter so[o]n exceded his orders
by killing of them both; they proved to be two Mule Bucks
in fine order; we soon kindled a fire cooked and made a
hearty meal. it was not yet twelve when we arrived at the
river and I was anxious to take the Meridian Altd. of the sun
but the clouds prevented my obtaining the observation. after
refreshing ourselves we proceded up the river to the extremity
of the first course, from whence the river boar on it's general
course N. 15°. W. 2. M. to a bluff point on Stard. here
Drewyer killed four other deer of the common kind; we skined
them and hung up a part of the meat and the skins as we did
also of the first, and took as much of the meat as we thought
would answer for our suppers and proceeded. N. 30. W. 2 M.
to the entrance of a large creek on Lard. side the part of the
river we have passed is from 40 to 60 yds. wide, is deep, has
falling banks, the courant strong, the water terbid and in short
has every appearance of the missouri b[e]low except as to
size. it's bottoms narrow but well timbered. Salts coal and
other mineral appearances as usual; the bluffs principally of
dark brown, yellow and some white clay; some freestone also
appears in places. The river now boar N. 20°. E. 12. Mls. to a
bluff on Lard. At the commencement of this course we
ascended the hills which are about 200 feet high, and passed
through the plains about 3 M. but finding the dry ravenes so
steep and numerous we determined to return to the river and
travel through it's bottoms and along the foot and sides of the
bluffs, accordingly we again reached the river about 4 Miles
from the commencement of the last course and encamped a
small distance above on the Stard. side in a bend among the
willow bushes which defended us from the wind. which blew
hard from the N. W. it rained this evening and wet us to
the skin; the air was extremely could. just before we encamped
Drewyer fired at a large brown bar across the river
and wounded him badly but it was too late to pursue him. I
killed a braro and a beaver, also at the place of our encampment,
a very fine Mule deer. we saw a great number of
Buffaloe, Elk, wolves and foxes today. the river bottoms
form one emence garden of roses, now in full bloe.