University of Virginia Library

Friday June 21st. 1805.

THIS morning I employed the greater part of the men
in transporting a part of the bagage over portage
creek to the top of the high plain about three miles in
advance on the portage. I also had one canoe carryed on truck
wheles to the same place and put the baggage in it, in order to
make an early start in the morning, as the rout of our portage
is not yet entirely settled, and it would be inconvenient to
remain in the open plain all night at a distance from water,
which would probably be the case if we did not set out early as
the latter part of the rout is destitute of water for about 8
miles. having determined to go to the upper part of the portage
tomorrow, in order to prepare my boat and receive and
take care of the stores as they were transported, I caused the
Iron frame of the boat and the necessary tools my private
baggage and Instruments to be taken as a part of this load,
also the baggage of Joseph Fields, Serg.t Gass and John sheilds,
whom I had scelected to assist me in constructing the leather
boat. Th[r]ee men were employed today in shaving the Elk
skins which had ben collected for the boat. the ballance of
the party were employed in cuting the meat we had killed
yesterday into thin fletches and drying it, and in bring[ing] in
the ballance of what had been left over the river with three
men last evening. I readily preceive several difficulties in
preparing the leather boat which are the want of convenient
and proper timber, bark, skins, and above all that of pitch to
pay her seams, a deficiency that I really know not how to surmount

The Great Falls and Portage of the Missouri River,
from Clark's note-book.

unless it be by means of tallow and pounded charcoal
which mixture has answered a very good purpose on our
wooden canoes heretofore. I have seen for the first time on
the Missouri at these falls, a species of fishing ducks with
white wings, brown and white body and the head and part of
the neck adjoining of a brick red, and the beak narrow; which
I take to be the same common to James river, the Potomac
and Susquehanna.[1] immence numbers of buffaloe comeing to
the river as usual. the men who remained over the river last
night killed several mule deer, and Willard who was with me
killed a young Elk. The wind blew violently all day. The
growth of the neighbourhood what little there is consists of the
broad and narrow leafed cottonwood, box alder, the large or
sweet willow, the narrow and broad leafed willow. the sweet
willow has not been common to the Missouri below this or the
entrance of Maria's river; here [it] attains to the same size
and in appearance much the same as in the Atlantic States.
the undergrowth consists of rosebushes, goosberry and current
bushes, honeysuckle small, and the red wood, the inner bark
of which the engages are fond of smoking mixed with tobacco.