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
Cap
t. 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. Cap
t. 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.
Cap
t. 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.
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