[Lewis:]
Friday June 7th 1805.—
It continued to rain almost without intermission last night
and as I expected we had a most disagreable and wrestless night.
our camp possessing no allurements, we left our watery beads
at an early hour and continued our rout down the river. it
still continues to rain the wind hard from N. E. and could. the
grownd remarkably slipry, insomuch that we were unable to
walk on the sides of the bluffs where we had passed as we ascended
the river. notwithstanding the rain that has now fallen
the earth of these bluffs is not wet to a greater debth than 2
inches; in it's present state it is precisely like walking over
frozan grownd which is thawed to small debth and slips equally
as bad. this clay not only appears to require more water to
saturate it as I before observed than any earth I ever observed
but when saturated it appears on the other hand to yeald it's
moisture with equal difficulty. In passing along the face of
one of these bluffs today I sliped at a narrow pass of about
30 yards in length and but for a quick and fortunate recovery
by means of my espontoon I should been precipitated into
the river down a craggy pricipice of about ninety feet. I had
scarcely reached a place on which I could stand with tolerable
safety even with the assistance of my espontoon before I heard
a voice behind me cry out god god Capt. what shall I do on
turning about I found it was Windsor who had sliped and
fallen ab[o]ut the center of this narrow pass and was lying
prostrate on his belley, with his wright hand arm and leg over
the precipice while he was holding on with the left arm and
foot as well as he could which appeared to be with much difficulty.
I discovered his danger and the trepedation which he
was in gave me still further concern for I expected every instant
to see him loose his strength and slip off; altho' much
allarmed at his situation I disguised my feelings and spoke
very calmly to him and assured him that he was in no kind of
danger, to take the knife out of his belt behind him with his
wright hand and dig a hole with it in the face of the bank to
receive his wright foot which he did and then raised himself
to his knees; I then directed him to take off his mockersons
and to come forward on his hands and knees holding the knife
in one hand and the gun in the other this he happily effected
and escaped. those who were some little distance b[e]hind.
returned by my orders and waded the river at the foot of the
bluff where the water was breast deep. it was useless we knew
to attempt the plains on this part of the river in consequence
of the numerous steep ravines which intersected and which
were quite as bad as the river bluffs. we therefore continued
our rout down the river sometimes in the mud and water of
the bottom lands, at others in the river to our breasts and when
the water became so deep that we could not wade we cut footsteps
in the face of the steep bluffs with our knives and proceded.
we continued our disagreeable march th[r]ough the rain
mud and water untill late in the evening having traveled only
about 18 Miles, and encamped in an old Indian stick lodge
which afforded us a dry and comfortable shelter. during the
day we had killed six deer some of them in very good order
altho' none of them had yet entirely discarded their winter
coats. we had reserved and brought with us a good supply
of the best peices; we roasted and eat a hearty supper of our
venison not having taisted a mo[r]sel before during the day;
I now laid myself down on some willow boughs to a comfortable
nights rest, and felt indeed as if I was fully repaid for the
toil and pain of the day, so much will a good shelter, a dry
bed, and comfortable supper revive the sperits of the w[e]aryed,
wet and hungry traveler.
