Tuesday June 25th 1805.
This morning early I sent the party back to the lower camp;
dispatched Frazier down with the canoe for Drewyer and the
meat he had collected, and Joseph Fields up the Missouri to
hunt Elk. at eight OCIK. sent Gass and Shields over to the
large Island for bark and timber. about noon Fields returned
and informed me that he had seen two white bear near the
river a few miles above and in attempting to get a shoot [at]
them had stumbled uppon a third which immediately made at
him being only a few steps distant; that in runing in order to
escape from the bear he had leaped down a steep bank of the
river on a stony bar where he fell cut his hand bruised his
knees and bent his gun, that fortunately for him the bank hid
him from the bear when he fell and that by that means he
had escaped. this man has been truly unfortunate with these
bear, this is the second time that he has narrowly escaped from
them. about 2 P.M. Shields and Gass returned with but a
small quantity of both bark and timber and informed me that
it was all they could find on the Island; they had killed two
Elk the skins of which and a part of the flesh they brought
with them. in the evening Drewyer and Frazier arrived with
about 800 lb.s of excellent dryed meat and about 100 lbs. of
tallow. The river is about 800 yds. wide opposite to us above
these islands, and has a very gentle current the bottoms are
ha[n]dsome level and extensive on both sides; the bank on
this side is not more than 2 feet (Qu) above the level of the
water; it is a pretty little grove in which our camp is situated.
there is a species of wild rye which is now heading it rises to
the hight of 18 or 20 inches, the beard is remarkably fine and
soft it is a very handsome grass the culm is jointed and is in
every rispect the wild rye in minuture. great quantities of
mint also are here it resemble[s] the pepper mint very much
in taste and appearance. the young black-birds which are
almost innumerable in these islands just begin to fly. see a
number of water tarripens.[2]
I have made an unsuccessfull
attempt to catch fish, and do not think there are any in this
part of the river. The party that returned this evening to the
lower camp reached it in time to take one canoe on the plain
and prepare their baggage for an early start in the morning
after which such as were able to shake a foot amused themselves
in dancing on the green to the music of the violin which
Cruzatte plays extreemly well. Cap
t. C. somewhat unwell
today. he made Charbono kook for the party against their
return. it is worthy of remark that the winds are sometimes
so strong in these plains that the men informed me that they
hoisted a sail in the canoe and it had driven her along on the
truck wheels. this is really sailing on dry land.
