University of Virginia Library

Chapter X

FROM MARIA'S RIVER TO THE GREAT FALLS
OF THE MISSOURI.

X. Lewis's Journal, June 8–20, 1805
Clark's Journal, June 8–20

[Lewis:]

Saturday June 8th. 1805.—

IT continue to rain moderately all last night this morning
was cloudy untill about ten OClock when it cleared
off and became a fine day. we breakfasted and set out
about sunrise and continued our rout down the river bottoms
through the mud and water as yesterday, tho' the road was
somewhat better than yesterday and we were not so often compelled
to wade in the river. we passed some dangerous and
difficult bluffs. The river bottoms affording all the timber
which is to be seen in the country they are filled with innumerable
little birds that resort thither either for shelter or to
build their nests. when sun began to shine today these birds
appeared to be very gay and sung most inchantingly; I
observed among them the brown thrush, Robbin, turtle dove
linnit goaldfinch, the large and small blackbird, wren and
several other birds of less note. some of the inhabitants of
the praries also take reffuge in these woods at night or from a
storm. The whole of my party to a man except myself were
fully pe[r]suaided that this river was the Missouri, but being
fully of opinion that it was neither the main stream, nor that
which it would be advisable for us to take, I determined to
give it a name and in honour of Miss Maria W—d.[1] called
it Maria's River. it is true that the hue of the waters of this
turbulent and troubled stream but illy comport with the pure
celestial virtues and amiable qualifications of that lovely fair

one; but on the other hand it is a noble river; one destined
to become in my opinion an object of contention between the
two great powers of America and Great Britin with rispect
to the adjustment of the Northwestwardly boundary of the
former; and that it will become one of the most interesting
branc[h]es of the Missouri in a commercial point of view, I
have but little doubt, as it abounds with anamals of the fur
kind, and most probably furnishes a safe and direct communication
to that productive country of valuable furs exclusively
enjoyed at present by the subjects of his Britanic Majesty;
in adition to which it passes through a rich fertile and one of
the most beatifully picteresque countries that I ever beheld,
through the wide expance of which, innumerable herds of
living anamals are seen, it's borders garnished with one continued
garden of roses, while it's lofty and open forrests are
the habitation of miriads of the feathered tribes who salute the
ear of the passing traveler with their wild and simple, yet
s[w]eet and cheerfull melody. I arrived at camp about 5
OClock in the evening much fatiegued, where I found Capt.
Clark and the ballance of the party waiting our return with
same anxiety for our safety having been absent near two days
longer than we had engaged to return. on our way to camp
we had killed 4 deer and two Antelopes; the skins of which
as well as those we killed while on the rout we brought with
us. Maria's river may be stated generally from sixty to a
hundred yards wide, with a strong and steady current and
possessing 5 feet [of] water in the most sholly parts.

As the incidents which occurred Capt. C. during his rout
will be more fully and satisfactoryley expressed by himself
I here insert a copy of his journal during the days we wer[e]
seperated.[2]

I now gave myself this evening to rest from my labours,
took a drink of grog and gave the men who had accompanyed
me each a dram. Capt. Clark ploted the courses of the two
rivers as far as we had ascended them. I now began more

than ever to suspect the varacity of Mr. Fidler or the correctness
of his instruments. for I see that Arrasmith[3] in his late
map of N. America has laid down a remarkable mountain in
the chain of the Rocky mountains called the tooth nearly as
far South as Latitude 45°., and this is said to be from the
discoveries of Mr. Fidler.[4] we are now within a hundred miles
of the Rocky Mountains, and I find from my observation of
the 3rd. Inst that the latitude of this place is 47°. 24′ 12″.8. the
river must therefore turn much to the South between this and
the rocky Mountain to have permitted Mr. Fidler to have
passed along the Eastern border of these mountains as far S.
as nearly 45°. without even seeing it. but from hence as far as
Capt. C. had ascended the S. fork or Missouri being the distance
of 55 (45 miles in straight line) Miles it's course is
S. 29°. W. and it still appeared to bear considerably to the W.
of South as far as he could see it. I think therefore that we
shall find that the Missouri enters the rocky mountains to the
North of 45°. we did take the liberty of placing his discoveries
or at least the Southern extremity of them about a degree
further N. in the sket[c]h which we sent on to the government
this spring mearly from the Indian information of the bearing
from Fort Mandan of the entrance of the Missouri into the
Rocky Mountains, and I reather suspect that actual observation
will take him at least one other degree further North.
The general Course of Maria's river from hence to the extremity
of the last course taken by Sergt. pryor is N. 69°. W. 59 Mls.

[Clark:]

June 8th.. Saturday 1805

rained moderately all the last night & some this morning
untill 10 oClock, I am some what uneasy for Capt. Lewis &

party as days has now passed the time he was to have returned,
I had all the arms put in order and permited several men to
hunt, aired and dried our stores &c. The rivers at this point
has fallen 6 Inches since our arrival, at 10 oClock cleared
away and became fair. the wind all the morning from the
S. W. & hard. The water of the South fork is of a redish
brown colour this morning the other river of a whitish colour
as usual. The mountains to the South covered with Snow.
wind shifted to the N E in the evening. about 5 oClock
Capt. Lewis arrived with the party much fatigued, and inform'd
me that he had assended the river about 60 miles by Land
and that the river had a bold current of about 80 or 100 yards
wide the bottoms of Gravel & mud, and may be estimated
at 5 feet water in sholest parts

The courses which Capt. Lewis went to examine the N. fork of the.
Missouri the 4th. of June 1805

                               

N. 30°. W.	4 1/2	to a hite on the Stard Side from the top of this hite the N. Mountains appear to turn to the N. & terminate, they bear N. 48°. E about 30 miles, the countrey is a leavel plain. The South mountains bear S, and appear to terminate, bearing S. 80°. W. 35 ms. The barn mountain S. 38°. W. 40, the river on the left appears to be turning to the N. W.
N. 70°. W.	12	to the N.E. of a high hill
N. 15°. W.	2	to the river bluff
N. 30°. W.	2	to the mouth of a large Creek on Lard Side a chain of high hills which run paralal to the river on the S. Side cease
N. 20°. E.	12	to the river Bluffs camped. a Dry creek falls in at the end of the course on the Stard Side from the N E.
		June 5th
N. 50°. W.	4,	up the river
North	2	The Tower Mountain bore N. 52, W. about 60 miles a high single Mtn.
S. 60°. W.	1 1/2	allong the river
S. 10°. W.	3	allong the river
N. 50°. W.	1 1/2	allong the river.
West	10	to the river bluff across a Plain river haveing made a considerable bend to the South. Centr. of bend 5 ms.
N. 80°. W.	2	miles on the river
S. 70°. W	6	to a high hill on S.S. & 1/2 miles N from the river in a plain
S. 80°. W.	15 m.	with the genl. course of the river the countrey is a leavele open Plain, near the river steep reveins, the bottoms narrow but well timbered, bluff from 1/4 to 3/4 asunder. the countrey as far as could be seen is a leavel plain.
	77 1/2

Some rain in the evening. the left hand fork rose a little.

[Lewis:]

Sunday June 9th. 1805.

We determined to deposite at this place the large red perogue
all the heavy baggage which we could possibly do without
and some provision, salt, tools powder and Lead &c with
a view to lighten our vessels and at the same time to strengthen
their crews by means of the seven hands who have been heretofore
employd. in navigating the red perogue; accordingly we
set some hands to diging a hole or cellar for the reception of
our stores. these holes in the ground or deposits are called
by the engages cashes (cachés);[5] . on enquiry I found that
Cruzatte was well acquainted [with] this business and therefore
left the management of it intirely to him. today we examined
our maps, and compared the information derived as
well from them as [from] the Indians and fully settled in our
minds the propryety of addopting the South fork for the Missouri,
as that which it would be most expedient for us to take.
The information of Mr. Fidler incorrect as it is strongly argued
the necessity of taking the South fork, for if he has been along
the Eastern side of the rocky mountains as far as even Latd.
47°., which I think fully as far south as he ever was in that
direction, and saw only small rivulets making down from those
mountains the presumption is very strong that those little
streams do not penetrate the rocky Mountains to such distance

as would afford rational grownds for a conjecture that
they had their sources near any navigable branch of the Columbia,
and if he has seen those rivulets as far south as 47°.
they are most probably the waters of some No[r]thern branch
of the Missouri or South fork probably the river called by the
Indians Medicine River; we therefore cannot hope by going
Northwardly of this place being already in Latitude 47°. 24" to
find a stream between this place and the Saskashawan which
dose penetrate the Rocky mountains, and which agreeably to
the information of the Indians with rispect to the Missouri,
dose possess a navigable curent some distance in those mountains.
The Indian information also argued strongly in favour
of the South fork. they informed us that the water of the
Missouri was nearly transparent at the great falls, this is the
case with the water of the South fork; that the falls lay a little
to the South of sunset from them; this is also probable as we
are only a few minutes North of Fort Mandan and the South
fork bears considerably South from hence to the Mountains;
that the falls are below the rocky mountains and near the
No[r]thern termineation of one range of those Mountains. a
range of mountains which apear behind the S. Mountains and
which appear to terminate S. W. from this place and on this
side of the unbroken chain of the Rocky Mountains gives us
hope that this part of their information is also correct, and
there is sufficient distance between this and the mountains for
many and I fear for us much too many falls. another impression
on my mind is that if the Indians had passed any stream
as large as the South fork on their way to the Missouri that
they would not have omitted mentioning it; and the South
fork from it's size and complexion of it's waters must enter
the Ry. Mountains and in my opinion penetrates them to a
great distance, or els whence such an immence body of water
as it discharges; it cannot procede from the dry plains to the
N.W. of the Yellow Stone river on the East side of the Rocky
Mountains for those numerous large dry channels which we
witnessed on that side as we ascended the Missouri forbid such
a conjecture; and that it should take it's sourses to the N. W.
under those mountains the travels of Mr. Fidler fo[r]bid us to
believe. Those ideas as they occurred to me I indevoured to
impress on the minds of the party all of whom except Capt. C.
being still firm in the belief that the N. Fork was the Missouri
and that which we ought to take; they said very cheerfully
that they were ready to follow us any wher[e] we thought
proper to direct but that they still thought that the other was
the river and that they were affraid that the South fork would
soon termineate in the mountains and leave us at a great distance
from the Columbia. Cruzatte who had been an old
Missouri navigator and who from his integrity knowledge and
skill as a waterman had acquired the confidence of every individual
of the party declared it as his opinion that the N.
fork was the true genuine Missouri and could be no other.
finding them so determined in this beleif, and wishing that if
we were in an error to be able to detect it and rectify it as soon
as possible it was agreed between Capt. C. and myself that one
of us should set out with a small party by land up the South
fork and continue our rout up it untill we found the falls or
reached the snowy Mountains by which means we should be
enabled to determine this question prety accurately. this expedition
I prefered undertaking as Capt. C. [is the] best waterman
&c. and determined to set out the day after tomorrow; I
wished to make some further observations at this place, and as
we had determined to leave our blacksmith's bellows and tools
here it was necessary to repare some of our arms, and particularly
my Airgun the main spring of which was broken,
before we left this place. these and some other preperations
will necessarily detain us two perhaps three days. I felt myself
very unwell this morning and took a portion of salts from
which I feel much releif this evening. The cash being completed
I walked to it and examined it's construction. it is in
a high plain about 40 yards distant from a steep bluff of the
South branch on it's no[r]thern side; the situation a dry one
which is always necessary. a place being fixed on for a cash,
a circle ab[o]ut 20 inches in diameter is first discribed, the terf
or sod of this circle is carefully removed, being taken out as
entire as possible in order that it may be replaced in the same
situation when the chash is filled and secured. this circular
hole is then sunk perpendicularly to the debth of one foot, if
the ground be not firm somewhat deeper. they then begin
to work it out wider as they proceed downwards untill they
get it about six or seven feet deep giving it nearly the shape
of the kettle or lower part of a large still. it's bottom is also
somewhat sunk in the center. the dementions of the cash is
in proportion to the quantity of articles intended to be deposited.
as the earth is dug it is handed up in a vessel and
carefully laid on a skin or cloth and then carryed to some place
where it can be thrown in such manner as to conseal it usually
into some runing stream wher it is washed away and leaves no
traces which might lead to the discovery of the cash. before
the goods are deposited they must be well dryed; a parsel of
small dry sticks are then collected and with then [them] a
floor is maid of three or four inches thick which is then covered
with some dry hay or a raw hide well dryed; on this the articles
are deposited, taking care to keep them from touching the
walls by putting other dry sticks between as you stoe away
the merchandize, when nearly full the goods are covered with
a skin and earth thrown in and well ramed untill with the addition
of the turf furst removed the whole is on a level with
the serface of the ground. in this manner dryed skins or
merchandize will keep perfectly sound for several years. the
traders of the Missouri particularly those engaged in the trade
with the Siouxs are obliged to have frequent recourse to this
method in order to avoyd being robed. most of the men are
busily engaged dressing skins for cloathing. In the evening
Cruzatte gave us some music on the violin and the men
passed the evening in dancing singing &c and were extreemly
cheerfull.

Point of observation No. 27. June 9th. 1805.

At our camp on the point of land formed by the junction of the
Missouri and Maria's rivers made the following observations.

   

Magnetic Azimuth of ☉ with Circumferentr.	Time by Chronometer	: Altitude of ☉'8.
		: U. L. with Sextant.

     

		h. m. s.
N. 70°. E	A.M.	8. 30. 44.	58°. 12′ 45″
N. 71°. E.	"	8. 37. 35.	69. 29′ 45.

Took Equal Altitudes of ☉ with Sextant.

       

	h m s		h m s
A.M.	8. 42. 56.	P.M.	5. 50. 43	Alt1. by Sextant at the tim[e] of observation 62°. 18′ 15″
	" 42. 32.		" 52. 15
	" 46. 9.		" 53. 52

   

	h m s
Chronometer too fast on mean time	1. 19. 45.7.

Observed Magnetic azimuth of the Sun.

   

Azimuth by Circumferentr.	Time by Chronometer	: Altitude by Sextant
		: of ☉ L. L.

     

		h m s
S. 77°. W.	P.M.	6. 12. 15.	55°. 6′. 15″.
S. 78°. W.	"	6. 17. 4.	53°. 29′. 45.

       

Observed Meridian Altitude of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observation	54°. 54′. .″
Latitude deduced from this observation.	47°. 28′. 46″.2
Observed time and distance of D's Western limb from, a. Aquilæ*.
East: with Sextant.

         

	Time	Distance		Time	Distance
	h m s			h m s
P.M.	11. 9. 26	58°. 55′. 00″	P.M.	11. 18. 30	58° 51′ 15″
	" 13. 33	" 54. 15.		" 22. 5.	" 50. 00.
	" 16. 00.	". 52. 30.		" 24. 20.	". 49. 30.

The Standing error of the Sextant is 8′. 45″.—or Sub. That of the
Octant by the back observation 2°. 40′. + or addetive by the direct
observation with the same instumt 2°. + only.
Observed time and distance of D's. Western limb from Spica. .*.
West with Sextant.

         

	Time	Distance		Time	Distance
	h m s			h m s
P.M.	11. 29. 31.	35°. 55′. 00″	P.M.	11. 39. 9.	35°. 57′ 00″
	" 33. 56.	". 55. 30		" 41. 4.	". 57. 45.
	" 36. 6.	" 56. 00		". 44. 14	". 59.—

Observed Magnetic Azimuth of Pole Star.

     

		h m s
Time by Chromometer astronomical	P.M.	12. 58. 12.
Azimuth by Circumferentor		N. 15°. W.

[Clark:]

June 9th Sunday

a fair morning the wind hard from the S W. the river
dureing the night fell I Inch, we conclude to burry a few
of our heavy articles, Some Powder & Lead provisions &
a few Tools, in case of accident and leave one perogue at this
place, and as soon as those things are accomplished to assend
the South fork, which appears to be more in our course than
the N. fork the Genl. Course of the South fork for 35 miles
is S. 29°. W. that of the N fork is N. 69°. W. for 59 miles,
and as we are North of Fort Mandan it is probable the most
Southerley fork is the best for us. Capt. Lewis a little unwell
to day & take salts &c. send out 7 men to make a cache or
hole to burry the stores, air our cloathes &c. &c. finish'd the
cache or seller &c. the men all engaged dressing Skins for
their clothes, in the evening the party amused themselves
danceing and Singing Songes in the most social manner. had
a meridian altitude which gave 47°. 24′. 29″ took some Luner
observations which gave for Longitude [blank space in MS.]
variation 15° 1/2 East

[Lewis:]

Monday June 10th. 1805.

The day being fair and fine we dryed all our baggage and
merchandize. Shields renewed the main-spring of my air-gun
we have been much indebted to the ingenuity of this man on
many occasions; without having served any regular apprenticeship
to any trade, he makes his own tools principally and
works extreemly well in either wood or metal, and in this
way has been extreemly servicable to us, as well as being a
good hunter and an excellent waterman. in order to guard
against accedents we thou[gh]t it well to conceal some ammunicion
here and accordingly buryed a tin cannester of 4 lbs. of
powder and an adequate quantity of lead near our tent; a
cannester of 6 lbs. lead and an ax in a thicket up the S. Fork
three hundred yards distant from the point. we concluded
that we still could spare more amunition for this deposit
Capt. Clark was therefore to make a further deposit in the
morning, in addition to one Keg of 20 lbs. and an adequate

proportion of lead which had been laid by to be buryed in
the large Cash. we now scelected the articles to be deposited
in this cash which consisted of 2 best falling axes, one auger,
a set of plains [planes], some files, blacksmiths bellowses and
hammers Stake tongs &c. 1 Keg of flour, 2 Kegs of parched
meal, 2 Kegs of Pork, 1 Keg of salt, some chissels, a cooper's
Howel, some tin cups, 2 Musquets, 3 brown bear skins,
beaver skins, horns of the bighorned anamal, a part of the
men's robes clothing and all their superfluous baggage of every
discription, and beaver traps. we drew up the red perogue
into the middle of a small Island at the entrance of Maria's
river, and secured and made her fast to the trees to prevent
the high floods from carrying her off. put my brand on
several trees standing near her, and covered her with brush
to shelter her from the effects of the sun. At 3 P.M. we
had a hard wind from the S. W. which continued about an
hour attended with thunder and rain. as soon as the shower
had passed over we drew out our canoes, corked, repared and
loaded them. I still feel myself somewhat unwell with the
disentary, but determined to set out in the morning up the
South fork or Missouri leaving Capt. Clark to compleat the deposit
and follow me by water with the party; accordingly
gave orders to Drewyer, Joseph Fields, Gibson and Goodrich
to hold themselves in readiness to accompany me in the morning.
Sah-câh-gâh, we â, our Indian woman is very sick this
evening; Capt. C. blead her. the night was cloudy with some
rain.

     

Observed Meridian Altitude of ☉'s. L. L with Octant by the Back observation	54°. 32′.
Latitude deduced from this observation	47°. 22′ 52″. 8.
Mean Latitude of the Entrance of Maria's river as deduced from three observations of ☉ Altd.	47° 25′ 17″ .2 North.

I saw a small bird today which I do not recollect ever
having seen before, it is about the size of the blue thrush or
catbird, and it's contour not unlike that bird. the beak is
convex, moderately curved, black, smoth, and large in proportion

to its size. the legs were black, it had four toes of
the same colour on ea[c]h foot, and the nails appeared long
and somewhat in form like the tallons of the haulk [hawk],
the eye black and proportionably large. a bluish brown
colour occupyed the head, neck, and back, the belly was
white; the tail was reather long in proportion and appeared
to be composed of feathers of equal length of which a part
of those in the center were white the others black. the wings
were long and were also varigated with white and black. on
each side of the head from the beak back to the neck a small
black stripe extended imbrasing the eye. it appeared to be
very busy in catching insects which I presume is it's usual
food; I found the nest of this little bird, the female which
differed but little in size or plumage from the male was seting
on four eggs of a pale blue colour with small black freckles
or dots.[6] the bee martin or Kingbird is common to this
country; tho' there are no bees in this country, nor have we
met with a honey bee since we passed the entrance of the
Osage River. (Kanzas river.)

[Clark:]

June 10th. Monday 1805

a fine day dry all our articles arrange our baggage burry
some Powder & lead in the point, some Lead a canister of
Powder & an ax in a thicket in the point at some distance,
and in the large cache or hole we buried on the up land near
the S. fork 1 mile up S.S. we drew up our large Perogue
into the middle of a small Island in the North fork and covered
her with bushes after makeing her fast to the trees,
branded several trees to prevent the Indians injureing her,
at 3 oClock we had hard wind from the S.W. thunder
and rain for about an hour after which we repaired & corked
the canoes & loadded them. Sahcahgagweâ our Indian woman
verry sick I blead her, we deturmined to assend the South
fork, and one of us, Capt. Lewis or my self to go by land as
far as the Snow mountains S. 20°. W. and examine the river
& countrey course &c to be certain of our assending the proper

river, Capt Lewis inclines to go by land on this expedition,
according selects 4 men George Drewyer, Gibson, Jo. Fields
& S. Gutrich to accompany him & deturmine to set out in the
morning. The after noon or night cloudy some rain, river
riseing a little.

[Lewis:]

Tuesday June 11th. 1805.

This morning I felt much better, but somewhat w[e]akened
by my disorder. at 8 A.M. I swung my pack, and set forward
with my little party. proceeded to the point where Rose
(Tansey) River a branch [of] Maria's River approaches the
Missouri so nearly. from this hight we discovered a herd of
Elk on the Missouri just above us to which we desended and
soon killed four of them. we butchered them and hung up
the meat and skins in view of the river in order that the party
might get them. I determined to take dinner here, but before
the meal was prepared I was taken with such violent pain in
the intestens that I was unable to partake of the feast of
marrowbones. my pain still increased and towards evening
was attended with a high fever; finding myself unable to
march, I determined to prepare a camp of some willow boughs
and remain all night. having brought no medecine with me I
resolved to try an experiment with some simples; and the
Choke cherry which grew abundantly in the bottom first
struck my attention; I directed a parsel of the small twigs to
be geathered striped of their leaves, cut into pieces of about 2
Inches in length and boiled in water untill a strong black
decoction of an astringent bitter tast was produced; at sunset
I took a point [pint] of this decoction and ab[o]ut an hour
after repeated the d[o]ze by 10 in the evening I was entirely
releived from pain and in fact every symptom of the disorder
forsook me; my fever abated, a gentle perspiration was produced
and I had a comfortable and refreshing nights rest.
Goodrich who is remarkably fond of fishing caught several
douzen fish of two different species—one about 9 inches long
of white colour round and in form and fins resembles the white
chub common to the Potomac; this fish has a smaller head

than the Chubb and the mouth is beset both above and below
with a rim of fine sharp teeth; the eye moderately large, the
puple dark and the iris which is narrow is of a yellowish
brown colour, they bite at meat or grasshoppers. this is a
soft fish, not very good, tho' the flesh is of a fine white colour.
the other species is precisely the form and about the size of
the well known fish called the Hickary Shad or old wife,
with the exception of the teeth, a rim of which garnish the
outer edge of both the upper and lower jaw; the tonge and
pallet are also beset with long sharp teeth bending inwards,
the eye of this fish is very large, and the iris of a silvery
coulour and wide. of the 1st. species we had caught some few
before our arrival at the entrance of Maria's river, but of the
last we had seen none untill we reached that place and took
them in Missouri above it's junction with that river.[7] the
latter kind are much the best, and do not inhabit muddy
water; the white cat continue as high as the entrance of
Maria's R, but those we have caught above Mandans never
excede 6 lbs. I beleive that there are but few in this part of
the Missouri. saw an abundance of game today even in our
short march of 9. Miles.

[Clark:]

June 11th. Tuesday 1805

a fair morning wind from the S W. hard we burry 1 keg
in the cach & 2 canisters of Powder in 2 seperate places all
with Lead; & in the cach 2 axes, auger, Plains, 1 keg flour,
2 kegs Pork, 2 Kegs Parched meal 1 keg salt, files, chisel,
2 Musquits, some tin cups, Howel, 3 bear skins, Beaver Skins,
Horns, & parts of the mens robes & clothes. Beaver Traps
and blacksmith's tools. Capt. Lewis set out at 8 oClock we
delayed to repair some guns out of order & complete our
deposit, which took us the day the evening fair and fine
wind from the N.W. after night it became cold & the wind
blew hard, the Indian woman verry sick, I blead her which
appeared to be of great service to her, both rivers riseing fast

[Lewis:]

Wednesday June 12th. 1805.

This morning I felt myself quite revived, took another portion
of my decoction and set out at sunrise. I now boar out
from the river in order to avoid the steep ravines of the river
which usually make out in the plain to the distance of one or
two miles; after gaining the leavel plain my cou[r]se was a
litt[l]e to the West of S. W. having traveled about 12 miles
by 9 in the morning, the sun became warm, and I boar a little
to the south in order to gain the river as well to obtain water
to allay my thirst as to kill something for breakfast; for the
plain through which we had been passing possesses no water
and is so level that we cannot approach the buffaloe within
shot before they discover us and take to flight. We arrived at
the river about 10 A. M. having traveled about 15. M. at
this place there is a handsom open bottom with some cottonwood
timber, here we met with two large bear, and killed them
boath at the first fire, a circumstance which I beleive has never
happend. with the party in killing the brown bear before. we
dressed the bear, breakfasted on a part of one of them and
hung the meat and skins on the trees out of the reach of the
wolves. I left a note on a stick near the river for Capt. Clark,
informing him of my progress &c. after refreshing ourselves
about 2 hours we again ascended the bluffs and gained the
high plain; saw a great number of burrowing squirrels in the
plains today. also wolves Antelopes mule deer and immence
herds of buffaloe. we passed a ridge of land considerably
higher than the adjacent plain on either side, from this hight
we had a most beatifull and picturesk view of the Roeky
mountains which wer perfectly covered with Snow and reaching
from S.E. to the N. of N.W. they appear to be formed
of several ranges each succeeding range rising higher than the
preceding one untill the most distant appear to loose their
snowey tops in the clouds; this was an august spectacle and
still rendered more formidable by the recollection that we had
them to pass. we traveled about twelve miles when we agin
struck the Missoury at a handsome little bottom of Cottonwood
timber and altho' the sun had not yet set I felt myself
somewhat w[e]ary being weakened I presume by late disorder;

and therefore determined to remain here during the
ballance of the day and night, having marched about 27 Miles
today. on our way in the evening we had killed a buffaloe,
an Antelope and three mule deer, and taken a sufficient quantity
of the best of the flesh of these anamals for three meals,
which we had brought with us. This evening I ate very
heartily and after pening the transactions of the day amused
myself catching those white fish mentioned yesterday; they
are here in great abundance I caught upwards of a douzen
in a few minutes; they bit most freely at the melt [milt] of a
deer which goodrich had brought with him for the purpose
of fishing.

The narrow leafed cottonwood grows here in common with
the other species of the same tree with a broad leaf or that
which has constituted the major part of the timber of the Missouri
from it's junction with the Mississippi to this place.
The narrow-leafed cottonwood differs only from the other in
the shape of it's leaf and greater thickness of it's bark. the
leaf is a long oval acutely pointed, about 2 1/2 or 3 Inches long
and from 3/4 to an inch in width; it is thick, sometimes
slightly grooved or channeled; margin slightly serrate; the
upper disk of a common green while the under disk is of a
whitish green; the leaf is smoth. the beaver appear to be
extremely fond of this tree and even seem to scelect it from
among the other species of Cottonwood, probably from it's
affording a deeper and softer bark than the other species. saw
some sign of the Otter as well as beaver near our camp, also a
great number of tracks of the brown bear; these fellows leave
a formidable impression in the mud or sand I measured one
this evening which was eleven inches long exclusive of the
tallons and seven and 1/4 in width.

[Clark:]

June 12th. 1805 Wednesday

last night was clear and cold, this morning fair we set out
at 8 oClock & proceeded on verry well wind from the S.W.
The enterpreters wife verry sick so much so that I move her
into the back part of our covered part of the Perogue which is

cool, her own situation being a verry hot one in the bottom of
the Perogue exposed to the Sun. Saw emence No. of swallows
in the 1st. bluff on the Lard. Side, water verry swift, the bluff
are blackish clay & coal for about 80 feet, the earth above
that for 30 or 40 feet is a brownish yellow, a number of bars
of corse gravil and stones of different shape & size &c. Saw a
number of rattle snakes to day one of the men cought one by
the head in catchig hold of a bush on which his head lay
reclined three canoes were in great danger to day one diped
water, another very near turning over &c. at 2 oClock P M
a fiew drops of rain I walked thro' a point and killed a Buck
Elk & Deer, and we camped on the Stard Side, the Interpreters
woman verry sick one man have a fellon riseing on his
hand one other with the Tooth ake has taken cold in the
Jaw &c.

Course & distance the 12th.. of June 1805

                                 

	mile
S. 30°. W.	1	to a point on the Lard shore passd. 3 Islands
South	1	to a Lard point of an Island
S. 60°. E.	2	to a tree on the Lard Side, passd. 2 Small Islands
N. 50°. E	1	to an object in the Lard bend opsd. an Island
S. 50°. E	1 1/2	to a tree on the Lard. Side pasd. the Isld.
S. 10° W.	1	to a point on the Stard. Side
S. 40°. W.	1/2	to a point of wood on the Stard Side Passd. 2 Islands one small
S. 80°. W	1/2	to a bluff point on Stard. Side passd. a Isld.
West	1/2	to the lower point of a small Island
S. 30°. E.	1 1/2	to a high black bluff in a bend Lard. Side
S. 50°. W.	1 1/2	to a tree under a hill Lard. Side passed four Islands two on each side
West	3	to the grog spring at the Stard. Side at which place the Little river which falls into the North fork is 100 yards distant
N. 45°. E	1 3/4	to a low bluff on the Stard Side passd. a point on Std. & one of the Lard Side
East	1	to a Bluff on the Lard Side
West	1/4	to a low Bluff at the upper part of a wood on the Stard Side, opposit a Island. here we camped at a large Indian encampment about 12 months past
	miles 18

[Lewis:]

Thursday June 13th. 1805.

This morning we set out about sunrise after taking breakfast
off our venison and fish. we again ascended the hills of
the river and gained the level country. the country through
which we passed for the first six miles tho' more roling than
that we had passed yesterday might still with propryety be
deemed a level country; our course as yesterday was generally
S.W. the river from the place we left it appeared to make a
considerable bend to the South. from the extremity of this
roling country I overlooked a most beatifull and level plain
of great extent or at least 50 or sixty miles; in this there were
infinitely more buffaloe than I had ever before witnessed at a
view. nearly in the direction I had been travling or S.W.
two curious mountains presented themselves of square figures,
the sides rising perpendicularly to the hight of 250 feet and
appeared to be formed of yellow clay; their tops appeared to
be level plains; these inaccessible hights appeared like the
remparts of immence fortifications; I have no doubt but with
very little assistance from art they might be rendered impregnable.[8]
fearing that the river boar to the South and that I
might pass the falls if they existed between this an[d] the
snowey mountains I altered my course nea[r]ly to the South
leaving those insulated hills to my wright and proceeded
through the plain; I sent Feels on my right and Drewyer
and Gibson on my left with orders to kill some meat and join
me at the river where I should halt for dinner. I had proceded
on this course about two miles with Goodrich at some
distance behind me whin my ears saluted with the agreeable
sound of fall of water and advancing a little further I
saw the spray arrise above the plain like a collumn of smoke
which would frequently dispear again in an instant caused I
presume by the wind which blew pretty hard from the S.W.
I did not however loose my direction to this point which soon
began to make a roaring too tremendious to be mistaken for
any cause short of the great falls of the Missouri. here I
arrived about 12 OClock having traveled by estimate about
15. Miles. I hurryed down the hill which was about 200

feet high and difficult of access, to gaze on this sublimely
grand specticle. I took my position on the top of some rocks
about 20 feet high opposite the center of the falls. this chain
of rocks appear once to have formed a part of those over which
the waters tumbled, but in the course of time has been seperated
from it to the distance of 150 yards lying prarrallel to it
and a butment against which the water after falling over the
precipice beats with great fury; this barrier extends on the
right to the perpendicular clift which forms that board [border]
of the river, but to the distance of 120 yards next to the clift
it is but a few feet above the level of the water, and here
the water in very high tides appears to pass in a channel of
40 yds. next to the higher part of the ledg of rocks; on the
left it extends within 80 or ninty yards of the lard. Clift which
is also perpendicular; between this abrupt extremity of the
ledge of rocks and the perpendicular bluff the whole body of
water passes with incredible swiftness. immediately at the
cascade the river is about 300 yds. wide; about ninty or a
hundred yards of this next the Lard. bluff is a smoth even sheet
of water falling over a precipice of at least eighty feet, the
remaining part of about 200 yards on my right formes the
grandest sight I ever beheld, the hight of the fall is the same
of the other but the irregular and somewhat projecting rocks
below receives the water in it's passage down and brakes it
into a perfect white foam which assumes a thousand forms in
a moment sometimes flying up in jets of sparkling foam to the
hight of fifteen or twenty feet and are scarcely formed before
large roling bodies of the same beaten and foaming water is
thrown over and conceals them. In short the rocks seem to
be most happily fixed to present a sheet of the whitest beaten
froath for 200 yards in length and about 80 feet perpendicular.
the water after decending strikes against the butment before
mentioned or that on which I stand and seems to reverberate
and being met by the more impetuous courant they roll and
swell into half formed billows of great hight which rise and
again disappear in an instant. this butment of rock defends
a handsome little bottom of about three acres which is deversified
and agreeably shaded with some cottonwood trees; in the
lower extremity of the bottom there is a very thick grove of
the same kind of trees which are small, in this wood there are
several Indian lodges formed of sticks. a few small cedar
grow near the ledge of rocks where I rest. below the point
of these rocks at a small distance the river is divided by a
large rock which rises several feet above the water, and extends
downwards with the stream for about 20 yards. about a mile
before the water arrives at the pitch it decends very rappidly,
and is confined on the Lard. side by a perpendicular clift of
about 100 feet, on Stard. side it is also perpendicular for about
three hundred yards above the pitch where it is then broken
by the discharge of a small ravine, down which the buffaloe
have a large beaten road to the water, (Qu.) for it is but in very
few places that these anamals can obtain water near this place
owing to the steep and inaccessible banks. I see several
skelletons of the buffaloe lying in the edge of the water near
the Stard. bluff which I presume have been swept down by the
current and precipitated over this tremendious fall. about 300
yards below me there is another butment of solid rock with a
perpendicular face and abo[u]t 60 feet high which projects
from the Stard. side at right angles to the distance of 134 yds.
and terminates the lower part nearly of the bottom before mentioned;
there being a passage arround the end of this butment
between it and the river of about 20 yards; here the river
again assumes it's usual width soon spreading to near 300
yards but still continues it's rappidity. from the reflection of
the sun on the sprey or mist which arrises from these falls
there is a beatifull rainbow produced which adds not a little to
the beauty of this majestically grand senery. after wrighting
this imperfect discription I again viewed the falls and was so
much disgusted with the imperfect idea which it conveyed of
the scene that I determined to draw my pen across it and begin
agin, but then reflected that I could not perhaps succeed better
than pening the first impressions of the mind; I wished for
the pencil of Salvator Rosa [a Titian] or the pen of Thompson,[9]
that I might be enabled to give to the enlightened world
some just idea of this truly magnifficent and sublimely grand
object, which has from the commencement of time been concealed
from the view of civilized man; but this was fruitless
and vain. I most sincerely regreted that I had not brought a
crimee [camera] obscura with me by the assistance of which
even I could have hoped to have done better but alas this was
also out of my reach; I therefore with the assistance of my
pen only indeavoured to trace some of the stronger features of
this seen by the assistance of which and my recollection aided
by some able pencil I hope still to give to the world some faint
idea of an object which at this moment fills me with such pleasure
and astonishment; and which of it's kind I will venture to
ascert is second to but one in the known world. I retired to
the shade of a tree where I determined to fix my camp for the
present and dispatch a man in the morning to inform Capt. C.
and the party of my success in finding the falls and settle in
their minds all further doubts as to the Missouri. the hunters
now arrived loaded with excellent buffaloe meat and informed
me that they had killed three very fat cows about 3/4 of a mile
from hence. I directed them after they had refreshed themselves
to go back and butcher them and bring another load of
meat each to our camp determining to employ those who remained
with me in drying meat for the party against their
arrival. in about 2 hours or at 4 OClock P.M. they set out
on this duty, and I walked down the river about three miles
to discover if possible some place to which the canoes might
arrive or at which they might be drawn on shore in order to
be taken by land above the falls; but returned without effecting
either of these objects; the river was one continued sene
of rappids and cascades which I readily perceived could not be
encountered with our canoes, and the Clifts still retained their
perpendicular structure and were from 150 to 200 feet high;
in short the river appears here to have woarn a channel in the
process of time through a solid rock. on my return I found
the party at camp; they had butchered the buffaloe and
brought in some more meat as I had directed. Goodrich had
caught half a douzen very fine trout and a number of both
species of the white fish. these trout (caught in the falls) are
from sixteen to twenty three inches in length, precisely resemble
our mountain or speckled trout in form and the position of
their fins, but the specks on these are of a deep black instead
of the red or goald colour of those common to the U'. States.
these are furnished long sharp teeth on the pallet and tongue
and have generally a small dash of red on each side behind the
front ventral fins; the flesh is of a pale yellowish red, or when
in good order, of a rose red.[10]

I am induced to believe that the Brown, the white and the
Grizly bear of this country are the same species only differing
in colour from age or more probably from the same natural
cause that many other anamals of the same family differ in
colour. one of those which we killed yesterday was of a creem-coloured
white while the other in company with it was of the
common bey or r[e]dish brown, which seems to be the most
usual colour of them. the white one appeared from it's tallons
and teath to be the youngest; it was smaller than the other,
and although a monstrous beast we supposed that it had not
yet attained it's growth and that it was a little upwards of two
years old. the young cubs which we have killed have always
been of a brownish white, but none of them as white as that
we killed yesterday. one other that we killed sometime since
which I mentioned sunk under some driftwood and was lost,
had a white stripe or list of about eleven inches wide entirely
arround his body just behind the shoalders, and was much
darker than these bear usually are. the grizly bear we have
never yet seen. I have seen their tallons in possession of the
Indians and from their form I am preswaded if there is any
difference between this species and the brown or white bear it
is very inconsiderable. There is no such anamal as a black
bear in this open country or of that species generally denominated
the black bear

My fare is really sumptuous this evening; buffaloe's humps,
tongues and marrowbones, fine trout parched meal pepper and
salt, and a good appetite; the last is not considered the least
of the luxuries.

[Clark:]

June 13th Thursday 1805

a fair morning, some dew this morning the Indian woman
verry sick I gave her a doste of salts. we set out early, at a
mile & 1/2 passed a small rapid stream on the Lard Side which
heads in a mountain to the S. E 12 or 15 miles, which at this time
is covered with Snow, we call this stream Snow river,[11] as it is
the conveyance of the melted snow from that mountain at
present. numbers of Gees & Goslings, the gees cannot fly at
this season. goose berries are ripe and in great abundance, the
yellow current is also common, not yet ripe killed a buffalow
& camped on the Lard Side near an old Indian fortified camp
one man sick & 3 with swellings, the Indian woman verry
sick. Killed a goat & fraser 2 Buffalow

Course and distance June 13th. 1805

                             

	miles
S. 45°. W	1 1/2	to the mouth of Snow river on the Lard. Side opsd. an Island passed 2 Islands
S. 60°. W.	1 1/2	to the lower point of an Timber on the Stard. Side passed the Island
South	1/4	on the Stard. Side to the point opposit a black slate bluff.
S 45°. W.	3/4	to the upper part of a wood Stard Side
S. 20°. W	1 1/4	to a black bluff on the Lard Side
S. 30°. W	1	to the lower point of an Island
West	1 3/4	to a Bush on the Side of a bluff in the Stard. bend passed 2 Islds. & a Lard point
S. 60°. E	3/4	to a hollow in the bluff in Lard bend passed 2 small Islands
South	1/4	to a Lodge on a small Island
S. 80°. W.	1	to the lower point of an Island
S. 40°. W.	1/4	to a stoney bluff Stard. Side, at the head of the Island a rapid across R
South	1 1/4	to a tree on a small Island in the Lard. bend under a high hill passed 2 Islands
S. 70°. W.	1 1/2	to the Lower point of an Island passed 2 small Islands. Camped on the Lard Shore
	13

The river verry rapid maney sholes great nos of large stones,
passed some bluffs or low cliffts of slate to day

[Lewis:]

Friday June 14th. 1805.

This morning at sunrise I dispatched Joseph Fields with a
letter to Capt. Clark and ordered him to keep sufficiently near
the river to observe it's situation in order that he might be
enabled to give Capt. Clark an idea of the point at which it
would be best to halt to make our portage. I set one man
about preparing a s[c]affold and collecting wood to dry the
meat Sent the others to bring in the ballance of the buffaloe
meat, or at least the part which the wolves had left us, for
those fellows are ever at hand, and ready to partake with us
the moment we kill a buffaloe; and there is no means of puting
the meat out of their reach in those plains; the two men
shortly after returned with the meat and informed me that the
wolves had devoured the greater part of the meat. about ten
O'Clock this morning while the men were engaged with the
meat I took my Gun and espontoon and thought I would walk
a few miles and see where the rappids termineated above, and
return to dinner. accordingly I set out and proceeded up the
river about S.W. after passing one continued rappid and three
small cascades of ab[o]ut for or five feet each at the distance of
about five miles I arrived at a fall of about 19 feet; the river is
here about 400 yds. wide. this pitch which I called the crooked
falls occupys about threefourths of the width of the river, commencing
on the South side, extends obliquly upwards about
150 yds then forming an accute angle extends downwards nearly
to the commencement of four small Islands lying near the N.
shore; among these Islands and between them and the lower
extremity of the perpendicular pitch being a distance of 100
yards or upwards, the water glides down the side of a sloping
rock with a volocity almost equal to that of it's perpendicular
decent. just above this rappid the river makes a suddon bend
to the right or Northwardly. I should have returned from
hence but hearing a tremendious roaring above me I continued
my rout across the point of a hill a few hundred yards further
and was again presented by one of the most beatifull objects
in nature, a cascade of about fifty feet perpendicular streching
at rightangles across the river from side to side to the distance
of at least a quarter of a mile. here the river pitches over a

shelving rock, with an edge as regular and as streight as if
formed by art, without a nich or brake in it; the water decends
in one even and uninterupted sheet to the bottom wher dashing
against the rocky bottom [it] rises into foaming billows of
great hight and rappidly glides away, hising flashing and sparkling
as it departs the sprey rises from one extremity to the
other to 50f. I now thought that if a skillfull painter had been
asked to make a beautifull cascade that he would most probably
have p[r]esented the precise immage of this one; nor could
I for some time determine on which of those two great cataracts
to bestoe the palm, on this or that which I had discovered
yesterday; at length I determined between these two great
rivals for glory that this was pleasingly beautifull, while the other
was sublimely grand. I had scarcely infixed my eyes from this
pleasing object before I discovered another fall above at the
distance of half a mile; thus invited I did not once think of
returning but hurried thither to amuse myself with this newly
discovered object. I found this to be a cascade of about 14
feet possessing a perpendicular pitch of about 6 feet. this was
tolerably regular streching across the river from bank to bank
where it was about a quarter of a mile wide; in any other neighbourhood
but this, such a cascade would probably by extoled
for it's bea[u]ty and magnifficence, but here I passed so it by with
but little attention; determining as I had proceded so far to
continue my rout to the head of the rappids if it should even
detain me all night. at every rappid cateract and cascade I
discovered that the bluffs grew lower or that the bed of the
river rose nearer to a level with the plains. still pursuing the
river with it's course about S.W. passing a continued sene of
rappids and small cascades, at the distance of 2 1/2 miles I arrived
at another cataract of 26 feet. this is not immediately perpendicular,
a rock about 1/3 of it's decent seems to protrude to a
small distance and receives the water in it's passage downwards
and gives a curve to the water tho' it falls mostly with a regular
and smoth sheet. the river is near six hundred yards wide at
this place, a beatifull level plain on the S. side only a few feet
above the level of the pitch, on the N. side where I am the
country is more broken and immediately behind me near the
river a high hill. below this fall at a little distance a beatifull
little Island well timbered is situated about the middle of the
river. in this Island on a Cottonwood tree an Eagle has placed
her nest; a more inaccessable spot I beleive she could not have
found; for neither man nor beast dare pass those gulphs which
seperate her little domain from the shores. the water is also
broken in such manner as it decends over this pitch that the
mist or sprey rises to a considerable hight. this fall is certainly
much the greatest I ever behald except those two which I have
mentioned below. it is incomparably a g[r]eater cataract and
a more noble interesting object than the celibrated falls of
Potomac or Soolkiln [Schuylkill] &c. just above this is another
cascade of about 5 feet, above which the water as far as I
could see began to abate of it's volosity, and I therefore determined
to ascend the hill behind me which promised a fine prospect
of the adjacent country, nor was I disappointed on my
arrival at it's summit. from hence I overlooked a most beatifull
and extensive plain reaching from the river to the base of
the Snowclad mountains to the S. and S. West; I also observed
the missoury streching it's meandering course to the South
through this plain to a great distance filled to it's even and
grassey brim; another large river flowed in on it's Western
side about four miles above me and extended itself th[r]ough
a level and fertile valley of 3 miles in width a great distance to
the N. W. rendered more conspicuous by the timber which garnished
it's borders. in these plains and more particularly in
the valley just below me immence herds of buffaloe are feeding.
the missouri just above this hill makes a bend to the South
where it lies a smoth even and unruffled sheet of water of
nearly a mile in width bearing on it's watry bosome vast flocks
of geese which feed at pleasure in the delightfull pasture on
either border. the young geese are now completely feathered
except the wings which both in the young and old are yet deficient.
after feasting my eyes on this ravishing prospect and
resting myself a few minutes I determined to procede as far as
the river which I saw discharge itself on the West side of the
Missouri convinced that it was the river which the Indians call
medecine river and which they informed us fell into the Missouri
just above the falls. I decended the hill and directed my
course to the bend of the Missouri near which there was a
herd of at least a thousand buffaloe; here I thought it would
be well to kill a buffaloe and leave him untill my return from
the river and if I then found that I had not time to get back
to camp this evening to remain all night here there being a few
sticks of drift wood lying along shore which would answer for
my fire, and a few s[c]attering cottonwood trees a few hundred
yards below which would afford me at least the semblance of a
shelter. under this impression I scelected a fat buffaloe and
shot him very well, through the lungs; while I was gazeing attentively
on the poor anamal discharging blood in streams from
his mouth and nostrils, expecting him to fall every instant, and
having entirely forgotten to reload my rifle, a large white, or
reather brown bear, had perceived and crept on me within 20
steps before I discovered him; in the first moment I drew up
my gun to shoot, but at the same instant recolected that she
was not loaded and that he was too near for me to hope to
perform this opperation before he reached me, as he was then
briskly advancing on me; it was an open level plain, not a
bush within miles nor a tree within less than three hundred
yards of me; the river bank was sloping and not more than
three feet above the level of the water; in short there was no
place by means of which I could conceal myself from this monster
untill I could charge my rifle; in this situation I thought
of retreating in a brisk walk as fast as he was advancing untill
I could reach a tree about 300 yards below me, but I had no
sooner terned myself about but he pitched at me, open mouthed
and full speed, I ran about 80 yards and found he gained on
me fast, I then run into the water the idea struk me to get
into the water to such debth that I could stand and he would
be obliged to swim, and that I could in that situation defend
myself with my espontoon; accordingly I ran haistily into the
water about waist deep, and faced about and presented the point
of my espontoon, at this instant he arrived at the edge of the
water within about 20 feet of me; the moment I put myself in
this attitude of defence he sudonly wheeled about as if frightened,
declined the combat on such unequal grounds, and retreated
with quite as great precipitation as he had just before
pursued me. as soon as I saw him run of[f] in that manner
I returned to the shore and charged my gun, which I had still
retained in my hand throughout this curious adventure. I saw
him run through the level open plain about three miles, till he
disappeared in the woods on medecine river; during the whole
of this distance he ran at full speed, sometimes appearing to
look behind him as if he expected pursuit. I now began to reflect
on this novil occurrence and indeavoured to account for this
sudden retreat of the bear. I at first thought that perhaps he had
not smelt me bofore he arrived at the waters edge so near me,
but I then reflected that he had pursued me for about 80 or 90
yards before I took [to] the water and on examination saw the
grownd toarn with his tallons immediately on the imp[r]ession
of my steps; and the cause of his allarm still remains with me
misterious and unaccountable. so it was and I felt myself not
a little gratifyed that he had declined the combat. my gun remined
not to be thwarted in my design of visiting medecine
river, but determined never again to suffer my peice to be
longer empty than the time she necessarily required to charge
her. I passed through the plain nearly in the direction which
the bear had run to medecine river,[12] found it a handsome stream,
about 200 yds. wide with a gentle current, apparently deep, it's
waters clear, and banks which were formed principally of dark-brown
and blue clay were about the hight of those of the
Missouri or from 3 to 5 feet; yet they had not the appearance
of ever being overflown, a circumstance, which I did not expect
so immediately in the neighbourhood of the mountains,
from whence I should have supposed, that sudden and immence
torrants would issue at certain seasons of the year; but the
reverse is absolutely the case. I am therefore compelled to
beleive that the snowey mountains yeald their warters slowly,
being partially effected every day by the influence of the sun
only, and never suddonly melted down by haisty showers of
rain.

having examined Medecine river I now determined to return,

having by my estimate about 12 miles to walk. I looked at
my watch and found it was half after six P.M. in returning
through the level bottom of Medecine river and about 200
yards distant from the Missouri, my direction led me directly
to an anamal that I at first supposed was a wolf; but on nearer
approach or about sixty paces distant I discovered that it was
not, it's colour was a brownish yellow; it was standing near
it's burrow, and when I approached it thus nearly, it couched
itself down like a cat looking immediately at me as if it
designed to spring on me. I took aim at it and fired, it
instantly disappeared in it's burrow; I loaded my gun and
ex[a]mined the place which was dusty and saw the track from
which I am still further convinced that it was of the tiger
kind[13] . whether I struck it or not I could not determine, but
I am almost confident that I did; my gun is true and I had a
steady rest by means of my espontoon, which I have found
very serviceable to me in this way in the open plains. It now
seemed to me that all the beasts of the neighbourhood had
made a league to distroy me, or that some fortune was disposed
to amuse herself at my expence, for I had not proceded
more than three hundred yards from the burrow of this tyger
cat, before three bull buffaloe, which wer feeding with a large
herd about half a mile from me on my left, seperated from the
herd and ran full speed towards me, I thought at least to
give them some amusement and altered my direction to meet
them; when they arrived within a hundred yards they mad[e]
a halt, took a good view of me and retreated with precipitation.
I then continued my rout homewards passed the buffaloe
which I had killed, but did not think it prudent to remain all
night at this place which really from the succession of curious
adventures wore the impression on my mind of inchantment;
at sometimes for a moment I thought it might be a dream, but
the prickley pears which pierced my feet very severely once in
a while, particularly after it grew dark, convinced me that I
was really awake, and that it was necessary to make the best
of my way to camp. it was sometime after dark before I
returned to the party; I found them extremely uneasy for my
safety; they had formed a thousand conjectures, all of which
equally forboding my death, which they had so far settled
among them, that they had already agreed on the rout which
each should take in the morning to surch for me. I felt
myself much fortiegued, but eat a hearty supper and took a
good night's rest. the weather being warm I had left my
leather over shirt and had woarn only a yellow flannin one.

[Clark:]

June 14th.. Friday 1805

a fine morning the Indian woman complaining all night
& excessively bad this morning. her case is somewhat dangerous.
two men with the Tooth ake 2 with Tumers, & one
man with a Tumor & a slight fever passed the camp Capt.
Lewis made the 1st.. night at which place he had left part of two
bear their skins &c. three men with Tumers went on shore
and stayed out all night one of them killed 2 buffalow, a
part of which we made use of for brackfast, the current
excesevely rapid more so as we assend we find great dificuelty
in getting the Perogue & canoes up in safety, canoes
take in water frequently, at 4 oClock this evening Jo: Fields
returned from Capt. Lewis with a letter for me, Capt Lewis
dates his letter from the Great falls of the Missouri, which
Fields informs me is about 20 miles in advance & about 10
miles above the place I left the river the time I was up last
week Capt L informs the [me] that those falls, in part answer
the discription given of them by the Indians, much higher
the Eagles nest which they describe is there, from those
signs he is convinced of this being the river the Indians call
the Missouri, he intends examineing the river above untill
my arrival at a point from which we can make a portage,
which he is apprehensive will be at least 5 miles & both
above & below there is several small pitches, & swift troubled
water we made only 10 miles to day and camped on the Lard
Side, much hard slate in the clifts & but a small quantity of
timber.

Course & Distance June 14th.

                           

	miles
S. 35°. W.	2	to a small Island in the Lard bend passing Sundery bad places
S. 55°. W.	1	to a tree on the Lard Side opsd. a bluff passed a Island near Std. Side
N. 70°. W.	1	to the Lard point passing an Island
West	1	to a tree in the bend Stard. Side
South	1/4	to a clift on the Lard Side at a rapid
West	1	to the pt. on the Lard Side
S. 45°. W.	1/4	to the upper pt. of a small Isld. in a Stard. bend opposit a large Island
S. 10°. W.	1 1/4	to naked point on the Stard. Side
S. 70°. W.	1/4	to my old camp of the 4th. inst: on the Stard Side opsd. a large graveley Bar.
South	1 1/2	to the upper point of an Island
S. 56°. W.	1/2	on the Stard Side to a bluff
S. 60°. W.	1/4	to a wood on the Lard point & Camped.
miles	10 1/4

[Lewis:]

Saturday June 15th.. 1805.

This morning the men again were sent to bring in some
more meat which Drewyer had killed yesterday, and continued
the opperation of drying it. I amused myself in fishing, and
sleeping away the fortiegues of yesterday. I caught a number
of very fine trout which I made goodrich dry; goodrich also
caught about two douzen and several small cat of a yellow
colour which would weigh about 4 lbs. the tail was seperated
with a deep angular nitch like that of the white cat of the
missouri from which indeed they differed only in colour.
when I awoke from my sleep today I found a large rattlesnake
coiled on the leaning trunk of a tree under the shade of which
I had been lying at the distance of about ten feet from him.
I killed the snake and found that he had 176 scuta on the
abdomen and 17 half formed scuta on the tale; it was of the
same kinde which I had frequently seen before; they do not
differ in their colours from the rattle-snake common to the
middle attlantic states, but considerably in the form and figures

of those colours. This evening after dark Joseph Fields returned
and informed me that Capt Clark had arrived with the
party at the foot of a rappid about 5 miles below which he did
not think proper to ascend and would wait my arrival there.
I had discovered from my journey yesterday that a portage on
this side of the river will be attended by much difficulty in
consequence of several deep ravenes which intersect the plains
(Qu.) nearly at right angles with the river to a considerable
distance, while the South side appears to be a deligh[t] full
smoth unbroken plain; the bearings of the river also make it
p[r]obable that the portage will be shorter on that side than
on this. I directed Fields to return early in the morning to
Capt. C. and request him to send up a party of men for the
dryed meat which we had made. I finde a very heavy due on
the grass about my camp every morning which no doubt procedes
from the mist of the falls, as it takes place no where in
the plains nor on the river except here.

[Clark:]

June the 15th.. Satturday 1805

a fair morning and worm, we set out at the usial time and
proceeded on with great dificuelty as the river is more rapid
we can hear the falls this morning verry distinctly. our Indian
woman sick & low spirited I gave her the bark & apply it
exteranely to her region which revived her much. the current
excessively rapid and dificuelt to assend great numbers of
dangerous places, and the fatigue which we have to encounter
is incretiatable the men in the water from morning untill
night hauling the cord & boats walking on sharp rocks and
round sliperery stones which alternately cut their feet & throw
them down, notwith standing all this dificuelty they go with
great chearfulness, aded to those dificuelties the rattle snakes
[are] inumerable & require great caution to prevent being
bitten. we passed a small river on the Lard Side about 30
yards wide verry rapid which heads in the mountains to the
S.E. I sent up this river 5 miles, it has some timber in its
bottoms and a fall of 15 feet at one place, above this river
the bluffs are of red earth mixed with stratums of black stone,

below this little [river], we pass a white clay which mixes with
water like flour in every respect, the Indian woman much
wors this evening, she will not take any medison, her husband
petetions to return &c., river more rapid late in the
evening we arrived at a rapid which appeared so bad that I
did not think it prudent to attempt passing of it this evening
as it was now late, we saw great numbers of Gees Ducks,
crows Blackbirds &c. Geese & Ducks with their young. after
Landing I detached Joseph Fields to Capt Lewis to let him
know where I was &c. river rises a little this evening we
could not get a sufficency of wood for our use

Course & Distance June 15th.

                       

	miles
South	1 1/2	to a point on the Stard Side
S. 28°. W.	2 1/4	to a rock resembling a tour [tower] in the Stard. bend
S. 10°. E.	1 3/4	to the Stard. point passing a rapid
S. 60°. W.	3/4	to a tree in the Std. bend rocks & rapids all the dist
South	3/4	to some bushes on a Lard point passed a large Creek at 1/2 a mile on the Lard Side which we called Shield's Creek[14]
S. 10°. E.	1 1/2	to the Stard point
S. 50°. W.	1	to a point on the Lard. Side
South	1 1/4	to the Stard point opposit an Island opposit a Bluff
S. 10°. W.	1 1/4	to the point (a few trees) Lard. Side at a rapid, passed red bluffs & camped on the Stard. Side
S. 10°. W.	3/4	to the foot of a rapid at which place we comm[enc]ed the portage, formed a camp & unloaded on the Lard Side
	12 3/4

[Lewis:]

Sunday June 16th. 1805.

J. Fields set out early on his return to the lower camp, at
noon the men arrived and shortly after I set out with them
to rejoin the party, we took with us the dryed meat consisting
of about 600 lbs. and several douzen of dryed trout. about
2 P.M. I reached the camp found the Indian woman extreemly
ill and much reduced by her indisposition. this gave me some
concern as well for the poor object herself, then with a young

child in her arms, as from the consideration of her being our
only dependence for a friendly negociation with the Snake
Indians on whom we depend for horses to assist us in our
portage from the Missouri to the columbia river. I now informed
Capt. C. of my discoveries with rispect to the most
proper side for our portage, and of it's great length, which I
could not estimate at less than 16 miles. Capt. C. had already
sent two men this morning to examine the country on the S.
side of the river; he now passed over with the party to that
side and fixed a camp about a mile b[e]low the entrance of a
Creek where there was a sufficient quantity of wood for fuel,
an article which can be obtained but in few places in this
neighbourhood. after discharging the loads four of the canoes
were sent back to me, which by means of strong ropes we
hawled above the rappid and passed over to the south side
from whence the water not being rappid we can readily convey
them into the creek by means of which we hope to get them
on the high plain with more ease. one of the small canoes
was left below this rappid in order to pass and repass the river
for the purpose of hunting as well as to procure the water of
the Sulpher spring, the virtues of which I now resolved to try
on the Indian woman. this spring is situated about 200 yards
from the Missouri on the N.E. side nearly opposite to the
entrance of a large creek; it discharges itself into the Missouri
over a precepice of rock about 25 feet, forming a pretty little
[blank space in MS.][15] the water is as transparent as possible
strongly impreganted with sulpher, and I suspect Iron also, as
the colour of the hills and bluffs in the neighbourhood indicate
the existence of that metal. the water to all appearance is
precisely similar to that of Bowyer's Sulpher spring in Virginia.
Capt. Clark determined to set out in the morning to
examine (the country) and survey the portage, and discover
the best rout. as the distance was too great to think of transporting
the canoes and baggage on the men's shoulders, we
scelected six men, and ordered them to look out some timber
this evening, and early in the morning to set about making a
parsel of truck wheels in order to convey our canoes and baggage
over the portage. we determined to leave the white
perogue at this place, and substitute the Iron boat, and also
to make a further deposit of a part of our stores. in the evening
the men who had been sent out to examine the country
[returned] and made a very unfavourable report. they informed
us that the creek just above us and two deep ravenes
still higher up cut the plain between the river and mountain
in such a manner, that in their opinions a portage for the
canoes on this side was impracticable. g[o]od or bad we
must make the portage. notwithstanding this report I am
still convinced from the view I had of the country the day
before yesterday that a good portage may be had on this side
at least much better than on the other, and much nearer also.
I found that two dozes of barks and opium which I had given
her since my arrival had produced an alteration in her pulse
for the better; they were now much fuller and more regular.
I caused her to drink the mineral water altogether. w[h]en
I first came down I found that her pulse were scarcely perceptible,
very quick frequently irregular and attended with
strong nervous symptoms, that of the twitching of the fingers
and leaders of the arm; now the pulse had become regular
much fuller and a gentle perspiration had taken place; the
nervous symptoms have also in a great measure abated, and
she feels herself much freer from pain. she complains principally
of the lower region of the abdomen, I therefore continued
the cataplasms of barks and laudnumn which had been previously
used by my friend Capt. Clark. I beleive her disorder
originated principally from an obstruction of the mensis in
consequence of taking could. I determined to remain at this
camp in order to make some celestial observations, restore the
sick woman, and have all matters in a state of readiness to
commence the portage immediately on the return of Capt.
Clark, who now furnished me with the dayly occurrences
which had taken place with himself and party since our seperation
which I here enter in his own words.[16]

[Clark:]

June 16th. of Sunday 1805

Some rain last night a cloudy morning wind hard from
the S.W. we set out passed the rapid by double manning the
Perogue & canoes and halted at 1/4 of a mile to examine the
rapids above, which I found to be an continued cascade for as far
as could be seen which was about 2 miles, I walked up on
the Lard Side as high as a large Creek, which falls in on the
Lard. Side one mile above & opposit a large Sulpher Spring
which falls over the rocks on the Std. Side the wind rored
from the S.W. hard & some rain, at about 2 oClock Capt
Lewis joined me from the falls 5 miles distant, & infd that the
Lard Side was the best portage I despatched 2 men this
morning on the Lard Side to examine the Portage. the
Indian woman verry bad, & will take no medisin what ever,
untill her husband finding her out of her sences, easyly provailed
on her to take medison, if she dies it will be the fault
of her husband as I am now convinced. we crossed the river
[the] after part of the day and formed a camp from which we
intended to make the first portage, Capt. Lewis stayed on the
Std Side to direct the canoes over the first riffle 4 of them
passed this evening the others unloaded & part of the Perogue
Loading taken out. I deturmined to examine & survey the
Portage find a leavel rout if possible. The 2 men despatched
to examine the Portage gave an unfavourable account of the
Countrey, reporting that the Creek & 2 deep reveens cut the
Prarie in such a manner between the river and mountain as to
render a portage in their oppinion for the Canoes impossible.
we selected 6 men to make wheels & to draw the canoes on as
the distance was probably too far for to be carried on the mens
sholders

[Lewis:]

Monday June 17th. 1805.

Capt. Clark set out early this morning with five me[n] to
examine the country and survey the river and portage as had
been concerted last evening. I set six men at work to p[r]epare
four sets of truck wheels with couplings, toungs and
bodies, that they might either be used without the bodies for

transporting our canoes, or with them in transporting our baggage
I found that the Elk skins I had prepared for my boat
were insufficient to compleat her, some of them having become
dammaged by the weather and being frequently wet; to make
up this deficiency I sent out two hunters this morning to hunt
Elk; the ballance of the party I employed first in unloading
the white perogue, which we intend leaving at this place, and
bring the whole of our baggage together and arranging it in
proper order near our camp. this duty being compleated I
employed them in taking five of the small canoes up the creek
which we now call portage creek[17] about 1 3/4 miles; here I had
them taken out and lyed in the sun to dry. from this place
ther is a gradual ascent to the top of the high plain to which
we can now take them with ease; the bluffs of this creek below
and those of the river above it's entrance are so steep that it
would be almost impracticable to have gotten them on the
plain. we found much difficulty in geting the canoes up this
creek to the distance we were compelled to take them, in consequence
of the rappids and rocks which obstruct the channel
of the creek. one of the canoes overset and was very near
injuring 2 men essentially. just above the canoes the creek
has a perpendicular fall of 5 feet and the cliffts again become
very steep and high. we were fortunate enough to find one
cottonwood tree just below the entrance of portage creek that
was large enough to make our carrage wheels about 22 Inchis
in diameter; fortunate I say because I do not beleive that we
could find another of the same size perfectly sound within 20
miles of us. the cottonwood which we are obliged to employ
in the other parts of the work is extreemly illy calculated for it
being soft and brittle. we have made two axeltrees of the
mast of the white perogue, which I hope will answer tolerably
well tho' it is reather small. The Indian woman much better
today; I have still continued the same course of medecine;
she is free from pain clear of fever, her pulse regular, and eats
as heartily as I am willing to permit her of broiled buffaloe
well seasoned with pepper and salt and rich soope of the same
meat; I think therefore that there is every rational hope of her
recovery. saw a vast number of buffaloe feeding in every
direction arround us in the plains, others coming down in large
herds to water at the river; the fragments of many carcases of
these poor anamals daily pass down the river, thus mangled I
p[r]esume in decending those immence cataracts above us. as
the buffaloe generally go in large herds to water and the passages
to the river about the falls are narrow and steep the
hi[n]der part of the herd press those in front out of their
debth and the water insta[n]tly takes them over the cataracts
where they are instantly crushed to death without the possibility
of escaping. in this manner I have seen ten or a douzen
disappear in a few minutes. their mangled carcases ly along
the shores below the falls in considerable quantities and afford
fine amusement for the bear wolves and birds of prey; this
may be one reason and I think not a bad one either that the
bear are so tenatious of their right of soil in this neighbourhood.

[Clark:]

June 17th.. Monday 1805.

a fine morning wind as usial Capt. Lewis with the party
unloaded the Perogue & he determined to keep the party
employed in getting the loading to the creek about 1 mile over
a low hill in my absence on the Portage.

I set out with 5 men at 8 oClock, and proseeded on up the
creek some distance to examine that & if possable assend that
sufficently high, that a streight cours to the mouth of medison
river would head the 2 reveens, the creek I found confined
rapid and shallow [g]eneralley[18] passed through an open roleing
Prarie, so as to head the two riveens after heading two
we steared our course so as to strike the river below the great
pitch on our course to the river crossed a Deep riveen near
its mouth with steep clifts this riveen had running water
which was very fine, the river at this place is narrow & confined
in perpendicular clifts of 170 feet from the tops of
those clifts the countrey rises with a steep assent for about 250

feet more we proceeded up the river passing a succession of
rapids & cascades to the Falls, which we had herd for several
miles makeing a dedly sound I beheld those cateracts with
astonishment the whole of the water of this great river confined
in a channel of 280 yards and pitching over a rock of 97
feet 3/4 of an [inch], from the foot of the falls arrises a continued
mist which is extended for 150 Yds down & to near the
top of the clifts on L. Sd. the river below is confined [in] a
narrow Chanl. of 93 yards leaveing a small bottom of timber
on the Stard Side which is defended by a rock, rangeing cross
wise the river a little below the Shoot [chute], a short distance
below this cateract a large rock divides the stream. I in
desending the clifts to take the hite of the fall was near slipping
into the water, at which place I must have been sucked
under in an instant, and with dificuelty and great risque I
assended again, and decended the clift lower down (but few
places can be decended to the river) and took the hite with as
much accurecy as possible with a Sperit Leavels &c. dined at
a fine spring 200 yards below the pitch near which place
4 cotton willow trees grew. on one of them I marked my
name the date, and hight of the falls, we then proceeded on
up the river passing a continued cascade & rapid to a fall of
19 feet at 4 small Islands, this fall is diaguanally across the
river from the Lard Side, forming an angle of 3/4 of the width
from the Lard from which side it pitchs for 2/3 of that distance;
on the Stard. Side is a rapid decline, below this Shoot a Deep
reveen falls in in [which] we camped for the night which was
cold (The mountains in every derection has snow on them)
The plain to our left is leavel We saw one Bear & inumerable
numbers of Buffalow, I saw 2 herds of those animals
watering imedeately above a considerable rapid, they decended
by a narrow pass &c the bottom small, the river forced
those forwd. into the water some of which was taken down in
an instant, and seen no more others made shore with dificuelty.
I beheld 40 or 50 of those swiming at the same time
those animals in this way are lost and accounts for the number
of buffalow carcases below the rapids.

[Lewis:]

Tuesday June 18th. 1805.

This morning I employed all hands in drawing the perogue
on shore in a thick bunch of willow bushes some little distance
below our camp; fastened her securely, drove out the plugs
of the gage holes of her bottom and covered her with bushes
and driftwood to shelter her from the sun. I now scelected a
place for a cash and set t[h]ree men at work to complete it,
and employed all others except those about the waggons, in
overhawling airing and repacking our indian goods ammunicion,
provision and stores of every discription which required
inspection. examined the frame of my Iron boat and found
all the parts complete except one screw, which the ingenuity
of Sheilds can readily replace, a resource which we have very
frequent occasion for. about 12 O'Clk. the hunters returned;
they had killed 10 deer but no Elk. I begin to fear that we
shall have some difficulty in procuring skins for the boat. I
wo[u]ld prefer those of the Elk because I beleive them more
durable and strong than those of the Buffaloe, and that they
will not shrink so much in drying. we saw a herd of buffaloe
come down to water at the sulpher spring this evening, I dispatched
some hunters to kill some of them, and a man also for
a cask of mineral water. the hunters soon killed two of them
in fine order and returned with a good quantity of the flesh,
having left the remainder in a situation that it will not spoil
provided the wolves do not visit it. The waggons are completed
this evening, and appear as if they would answer the
purpose very well if the ax[l]etrees prove sufficiently strong.
the wind blew violently this evening, as they frequently do in
this open country where there is not a tree to brake or oppose
their force. The Indian woman is recovering fast she set up
the greater part of the day and walked out for the fi[r]st time
since she arrived here; she eats hartily and is free from fever
or pain. I continue same course of medecine and regimen
except that I added one doze of 15 drops of the oil of vitriol
today about noon.

There is a species of goosberry which grows very common
about here in open situations among the rocks on the sides of
the clifts. they are now ripe of a pale red colour, about the

size of a common goosberry, and like it is an ovate pericarp
of soft pulp invelloping a number of smal whitish coloured
seeds; the pulp is a yello[w]ish slimy muselaginous substance
of a sweetish and pinelike tast, not agreeable to me. the surface
of the berry is covered with a glutinous adhesive matter,
and the frut altho' ripe retains it's withered corollar. this
shrub seldom rises more than two feet high and is much
branched; the leaves resemble those of the common goosberry
only not so large; it has no thorns. the berry is supported by
seperate peduncles or footstalks of half an inch in length.[19]
immence quantities of small grasshoppers of a brown colour in
the plains, they no doubt contribute much to keep the grass
as low as we find it which is not generally more than three
inches, the grass is a narrow leaf, soft, and affords a fine
pasture for the Buffaloe.

[Clark:]

June 18th.. Tuesday 1805

we set out early and arrived at the second great cateract a[t]
about 200 yds above the last of 19 feet pitch. this is one of
the grandest views in nature and by far exceeds any thing I ever
saw, the Missouri falling over a shelveing rock for 47 feet 8
Inches with a cascade &c. of 14 feet 7 Inches above the shoot
for a 1/4 mile I decended the clift below this cateract with ease
measured the hight of the purpendicular fall of 47 feet 8 Inches
at which place the river is 473 yards wide as also the hight of
the cascade &c. a continual mist quite across this fall after
which we proceeded on up the river a little more than a mile
to the largest fountain or spring I ever saw, and doubt if it is
not the largest in America known, this water boils up from
under the rocks near the edge of the river and falls imediately
into the river 8 feet, and keeps its colour for 1/2 a mile which
is emencely clear and of a bluish cast, proceeded on up the
river passed a succession of rapids to the next great fall of 26
feet 5 Inches river 580 yards wide this fall is not intirely perpenducular
a short bench gives a curve to the water as it falls
a butifull small Island at the foot of this fall near the center of

the channel covered with trees, the Missouri at this fall is
[blank space in MS.] yards wide, a considerable mist rises at
this fall ocasionally, from this pitch to the head of the rapids
is one mile & has a fall of 20 feet, this is also a handsom
Scenery a fall in an open leavel plain, after takeing the hight
& measureing the river proceeded on, saw a gange of Buffalow
swiming the river above the falls, several of which was drawn
in to the rapids and with dificuelty made shore half drowned,
we killed one of those Cows & took a[s] much meat as we
wished. emence herds of those animals in every direction,
passed 2 groves in the Point just above the rapids & dined in
one opposit the mouth of Medison River, which falls in on the
Stard. Side and is 137 yards wide at its mouth the Missouri
above is 300 yards wide, as the river [Missouri] appears to
bear S Easterley I assended about 4 miles high to a creek
which appeared to head in South mountains[20] passed a Island
of [omission in MS.] and a little timber in an Easterly bend
at 1 mile, passed some timber in a point at 2 mile at or near
the lower point of a large Island on which we shot at a large
white bear passed a small Island in the middle and one close
on the Lard Shore at 3 miles behind the head of which we
camped those 3 Islands are all opposit, soon after we camped
two ganges of Buffalow crossed one above & the other below
we killed 7 of them & a calf and saved as much of the best
of the meet as we could this evening, one man A. Willard
going for a load of meat at 170 yards distance on an Island was
attact by a white bear and verry near being caught, prosued
within 40 yards of camp where I was with one man I collected
3 others of the party and prosued the bear (who had
prosued my track from a buffalow I had killed on the Island
at about 300 yards distance and chance[d] to meet Willard) for
fear of his attacking one man Colter at the lower point of the
Island, before we had got down the bear had allarmed the
man and prosued him into the water, at our approach he retreated,
and we relieved the man in the water, I saw the bear
but the bushes was so thick that I could not shoot him and it
was nearly dark, the wind from the S W & cool killed a
beaver & an elk for their skins this evening.

[Lewis:]

Wednesday June 19th 1805.

This morning I sent over several men for the meat which
was killed yesterday, a few hours after they returned with it,
the wolves had not discovered it. I also dispatched George
Drewyer Reubin Fields and George Shannon on the North side
of the Missouri with orders to proceed to the entrance of
Medecine river and indeavour to kill some Elk in that neighbourhood.
as there is more timber on that river than the
Missouri I expect that the Elk are more plenty. The cash
completed today. The wind blew violently the greater part
of the day. the Indian woman was much better this morning
she walked out and gathered a considerable quantity of the
white apples of which she eat so heartily in their raw state, together
with a considerable quantity of dryed fish without my
knowledge that she complained very much and her fever again
returned. I rebuked Sharbono severely for suffering her to
indulge herself with such food he being privy to it and having
been previously told what she must only eat. I now gave her
broken dozes of diluted nitre untill it produced perspiration
and at 10 P. M. 30 drops of laudnum which gave her a tolerable
nights rest. I amused myself in fishing several hours
today and caught a number of both species of the white fish,
but no trout nor Cat. I employed the men in making up our
baggage in proper packages for transportation; and waxed the
stoppers of my powder canesters anew. had the frame of my
Iron boat clensed of rust and well greased. in the evening the
men mended their mockersons and prepared themselves for
the portage. After dark my dog barked very much and seemed
extreemly uneasy which was unusual with him; I ordered the
sergt. of the guard to reconniter with two men, thinking it possible
that some Indians might be about to pay us a visit, or
perhaps a white bear; he returned soon after & reported that
he believed the dog had been baying a buffaloe bull which had
attempted to swim the river just above our camp but had been

beten down by the stream landed a little below our camp on
the same side & run off.

   

Observed Meridian Altitude of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observation	53°. 15′—″
Latitude deduced from this observation	47°. 8′ 59″ .5

[Clark:]

June 19th. Wednesday 1805

We went on the Island to hunt the white bear this morning
but could not find him, after plotting my courses &c. I deturmined
to dry the meat we killed and leave here, and proceed
up the river as far as it bent to the S.E. and examine a small
creek above our camp, I set out and found the creek only
contained back water for 1 mile up, assend near the Missouri
3 miles to the bend, from which place it turned Westerly,
from this bend I with 2 men went foward towards the camp
of the party to examine the best ground for the portage, the
little creek has verry extencive bottoms which spread out into
a varriety of leavel rich bottoms quite to the mountains to the
East, between those bottoms is hills low and stoney on their
declivity where it is steep. I returned to camp late and deturmined
that the best nearest and most eassy rout would be from
the lower part of the 3rd. or white bear Islands, the wind all
this day blew violently hard from the S W. off the snowey
mountains, cool, in my last rout I lost a part of my notes
which could not be found as the wind must have blown them
to a great distance. summer duck setting great numbers of
buffalow all about our camp.

[Lewis:]

Thursday June 20th. 1805.

This morning we had but little to do; waiting the return of
Capt. Clark; I am apprehensive from his stay that the portage
is longer than we had calculated on. I sent out 4 hunters this
morning on the opposite side of the river to kill buffaloe; the
country being more broken on that side and cut with ravenes
they can get within shoot of the buffaloe with more ease and
certainty than on this side of the river. my object is if possible

while we have now but little to do, to lay in a large stock
of dryed meat at this end of the portage to subsist the party
while engaged in the transportation of our baggage &c, to the
end, that they may not be taken from this duty when once
commenced in order to surch for the necessary subsistence.
The Indian woman is qu[i]te free from pain and fever this
morning and appears to be in a fair way for recovery, she has
been walking about and fishing. In the evening 2 of the
hunters returned and informed me that they had killed eleven
buffaloe eight of which were in very fine order, I sent off all
hands immediately to bring in the meat they soon returned
with about half of the best meat leaving three men to remain
all night in order to secure the ballance. the buffaloe are in
immence numbers, they have been constantly coming down in
large herds to water opposite to us for some hours sometimes
two or three herds wartering at the same instant, and scarcely
disappear before others supply their places. they appear to
make great use of the mineral water, whether this be owing to
it's being more convenient to them than the river or that they
actually prefer it I am at a loss to determine for they do not
use it invaryably, but sometimes pass at no great distance from
it and water at the river. brackish water or that of a dark
colour impregnated with mineral salts such as I have frequen[t]ly
mentioned on the Missouri is found in small quantities
in some of the steep ravenes on the N. side of the river
opposite to us and the falls. Capt. Clark and party returned
late this evening when he gave me the following relation of his
rout and the occurrences which had taken place with them
since their departure.[21]

Capt. Clark now furnished me with the field notes of the
survey which he had made of the Missouri and it's Cataracts
cascades &c. from the entrance of portage Creek to the South
Eastwardly bend of the Missouri above the White bear Islands,
which are as follows. [For this survey, see "Scientific Data,"
Vol. V.—ED.]

     

June 20th. 1805.	At our camp below the entrance of portage creek observed Meridian Altd. of ☉'s L. L. with
	Octant by the back Observtn.	53°. 10′
	Latitude deduced from this observation	47°. 7′. 10″ .3

[Clark:]

June 20th.. Thursday 1805

a cloudy morning a hard wind all night and this morning,
I direct stakes to be cut to stick up in the prarie to show the
way for the party to transport the baggage &c. &c. we set out
early on the portage, soon after we set out it began to rain
and continued a short time we proceeded on thro' a tolerable
leavel plain, and found the hollow of a Deep riveen to obstruct
our rout as it could not be passed with canos & baggage for
some distance above the place we struck it. I examined it for
some time and finding it late deturmined to strike the river &
take its Course & distance to camp which I accordingly did
the wind hard from the S. W. a fair after noon, the river on
both sides cut with raveens some of which is passes thro steep
clifts into the river, the countrey above the falls & up the
Medison river is leavel, with low banks, a chain of mountains
to the west some part of which particller those to the N W. &
S W are covered with snow and appear verry high. I saw a
rattle snake in an open plain 2 miles from any creek or woods.
When I arrived at camp found all well with great quantites
of meet, the canoes Capt Lewis had carried up the Creek 1 3/4
miles to a good place to assend the land & taken up. Not
haveing seen the Snake Indians or knowing in fact whither to
calculate on their friendship or hostillity, we have conceived
our party sufficiently small, and therefore have concluded not
to dispatch a canoe with a part of our men to St. Louis as we
have entended early in the Spring. we fear also that such a
measure might also discourage those who would in such case
remain, and might[t] possibly hazard the fate of the expedition.
We have never hinted to any one of the party that we had such
a scheem in contemplation, and all appear perfectly to have
made up their minds to Suceed in the expedition or perish in
the attempt. We all beleive that we are about to enter on the
most perilous and dificuelt part of our Voyage, yet I see no

one repineing; all appear ready to meet those dificuelties which
await us with resolution and becomeing fortitude

We had a heavy dew this morning. the clouds near those
mountains rise suddenly and discharge their contents partially
on the neighbouring Plains; the same cloud discharge hail
alone in one part, hail and rain in another and rain only in a
third all within the space of a fiew miles; and on the mountains
to the South & S. E. of us sometimes snow. at present
there is no snow on those mountains; that which covered
them a fiew days ago has all disappeared. the Mountains to
the N. W. and West of us are still entirely covered are white
and glitter with the reflection of the sun. I do not believe
that the clouds that pervale at this season of the year reach the
summits of those lofty mountains; and if they do the probability
is that they deposit snow only for there has been no
proceptable diminution of the snow which they contain since
we first saw them. I have thought it probable that these
mountains might have derived their appellation of Shineing
Mountains, from their glittering appearance when the sun
shines in certain directions on the snow which cover them.

Dureing the time of my being on the Plains and above the
falls I as also all my party repeatedly heard a nois which proceeded
from a Direction a little to the N. of West, a loud
[noise] and resembling precisely the discharge of a piece of
ordinance of 6 pounds at the distance of 5 or six miles. I was
informed of it several times by the men J: Fields particularly
before I paid any attention to it, thinking it was thunder most
probably which they had mistaken. at length walking in the
plains yesterday near the most extreem S. E bend of the River
above the falls I heard this nois very distinctly, it was perfectly
calm clear and not a cloud to be seen, I halted and listened
attentively about two hour[s] dureing which time I heard two
other discharges, and took the direction of the sound with my
pocket compass which was as nearly West from me as I could
estimate from the sound. I have no doubt but if I had
leasure I could find from whence it issued. I have thought it
probable that it might be caused by running water in some of
the caverns of those emence mountains, on the principal of the

The Great Falls and Portage of the Missouri River,
from Lewis's Note-book

blowing caverns; but in such case the sounds would be
periodical and regular, which is not the case with this, being
sometimes heard once only and at other times several discharges
in quick succession. it is heard also at different times
of the day and night. I am at a great loss to account for this
Phenomenon. I well recollect hereing the Minitarees say that
those Rocky mountains make a great noise, but they could not
tell me the cause, neither could they inform me of any remarkable
substance or situation in these mountains which would
autherise a conjecture of a probable cause of this noise. it is
probable that the large river just above those Great falls which
heads in the derection of the noise has taken it's name Medicine
river from this unaccountable rumbling sound, which like
all unacountable thing[s] with the Indians of the Missouri is
called Medicine.

The Ricaras inform us of the black mountains makeing a
simalar noise &c. &c. and maney other wonderfull tales of those
Rocky mountains and those great falls.

   

June 20th. at our Camp below the enterance of Portage River observed Meridian altitude of ☉s, L. L. with Octant by the back observation	53°. 10′. 0″.
Latitude deduced from the observation	47°. 7′. 10″ 3/10