University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Tuesday July 9th. 1805.

The morning was fair and ple[s]ant. the Islands seem
crouded with blackbirds; the young brude is now completely
feathered and flying in common with the others. we corked
the canoes and put them in the water and also launched the
boat; she lay like a perfect cork on the water. five men would
carry her with the greatest ease. I now directed seats to be
fixed in her and oars to be fitted. the men loaded the canoes
in readiness to depart. just at this moment a violent wind
commenced and blew so hard that we were obliged to unload
the canoes again; a part of the baggage in several of them got

wet before it could be taken out. the wind continued violent
untill late in the evening, by which time we discovered that a
greater part of the composition had seperated from the skins
and left the seams of the boat exposed to the water and she
leaked in such manner that she would not answer. I need not
add that this circumstance mortifyed me not a little; and to
prevent her leaking without pi[t]ch was impossible with us, and
to obtain this article was equally impossible, therefore the evil
was irraparable I now found that the section formed of the
buffaloe hides on which some hair had been left, answered
much the best purpose; this leaked but little and the parts
which were well covered with hair about 1/8th. of an inch in
length retained the composition perfectly and remained sound
and dry. from these circumstances I am preswaided, that had
I formed her with buffaloe skins singed not quite as close as I
had done those I employed, that she would have answered even
with this composition. but to make any further experiments in
our present situation seemed to me madness; the buffaloe had
principally d[e]serted us, and the season was now advancing
fast. I therefore relinquished all further hope of my favorite
boat and ordered her to be sunk in the water, that the skins
might become soft in order the better to take her in peices tomorrow
and deposited the iron fraim at this place as it could
probably be of no further service to us. had I only singed my
Elk skins in stead of shaving them I beleive the composition
would have remained and the boat have answered; at least untill
we could have reached the pine country which must be in
advance of us from the pine which is brought down by the
water and which is probably at no great distance where we
might have supplyed ourselves with the necessary pi[t]ch or
gum. but it was now too late to introduce a remidy and I bid
adieu to my boat, and her expected services. The next difficulty
which presented itself was how we should convey the
stores and baggage which we had purposed carrying in the
boat. both Capt. Clark and myself recollected having heard
the hunters (Capt. Clark had previousley sent them in quest of
timber for the purpose) mention that the bottoms of the river
some few miles above us were much better timbered than below

The Great Fall of the Missouri River,
sketch-map by Clark.

and that some of the trees were large. the idea therefore suggested
itself of building two other canoes sufficiently large to
carry the surplus baggage. on enquiry of the hunters it
seemed to be the general opinion that trees sufficiently large
for this purpose might be obtained in a bottom on the opposite
side about 8 miles distant by land and reather more than
double that distance by water; accordingly Capt. Clark determined
to set out early in the morning with ten of the best
workmen and proceede by land to that place while the others
would in the mean time be employed by myself in taking the
Boat in peices and depositing her, toge[the]r with the articles
which we had previously determined to deposit at this place,
and also in tra[n]sporting all the baggage up the river to that
point in the six small canoes. this plan being settled between
us orders were accordingly given to the party, and the ten men
who were to accompany Capt. Clark (had) ground and prepared
their axes and adds this evening in order to prepare for an
early departure in the morning. we have on this as well as on
many former occasions found a small grindstone which I
brought with me from Harper's ferry extreemly convenient to
us. if we find trees at the place mentioned sufficiently large
for our purposes it will be extreemly fortunate; for we have
not seen one for many miles below the entrance of musselshell
River to this place, which would have answered.

At our camp near the White bear Islands. July 3rd. 1805.

Observed Equal altitudes of the ☉ with Sextant.

       

	h m s		h m s
A.M.	8. 16. 22.	P.M.	6. 6. 48.	Altitude at the time of observation 54°. 49′. 45″.
	". 17. 45.		" 3. 55.
	". 19. 17.		" 5. 30.

     

	h m s
Chronometer too slow on Mean Time	[blank space in MS.]
Observed Magnetic Azimuth of the ☉.	July 9th.. 1805.

 

Azimuth by Circumferenter

time by the Chronometer

Altd. of ☉s. U.L. by Sextant.

     

		h m s
N. 73°. E.	A.M.	8. 40. 7	62°. 38′. 15″.	Variation of the Magnetic nedle.
N. 74°. E.		8. 44. 47.	63°. 10. 00

Equal Altitudes of the ☉ with Sextant.

           

	h m s
A.M.	8. 48. 15.	P. M. lost by the interferce. of Clouds	Altitude at the time of observation 65°. 22′. 15″.
	". 49. 48.
	". 51. 25.
	Observed Meridian Altd. of ☉'s. L. L. with octant back Obsn. 55°. 4′—″.
	Latitude deduced from this observation N. 47°. 3′. 56″. 1/10