[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
