University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Saturday 20th. 1805

Set out early this morning as usual; currant strong, we therefore
employ the toe rope when ever the banks permit the use
of it; the water is reather deep for the seting pole in most
places. at 6 A.M. the hills retreated from the river and the
valley became wider than we have seen it since we entered
the mountains. some scattering timber on the river and in
the valley. consisting of the narrowleafed Cottonwood aspin
& pine. vas[t] numbers of the several species of currants
goosberries and service berries; of each of these I preserved
some seeds. I found a black currant which I thought preferable
in flavor to the yellow. this currant is really a charming
fruit and I am confident would be prefered at our markets to
any currant now cultivated in the U. States. we killed an Elk
this morning which was very acceptable to us. through the
valley which we entered early in the morning a large creek
flows from the mountains and discharges itself into the river
behind an island on Stard. side about 15 yds. wide this we
called Pott's Creek[15] after John Potts one of our party. about

10 A.M. we saw the smoke arrise as if the country had been
set on fire up the valley of this creek about 7 Mi. distant we
were at a loss to determine whether it had been set on fire by
the natives as a signall among themselves on discovering us,
as is their custom or whether it had been set on fire by Capt. C.
and party accedentally. the first however proved to be the
fact, they had unperceived by us discovered Capt. Clark's party
or mine, and had set the plain on fire to allarm the more distant
natives (heard a gun from Capt C's party & fled quite over
the mountains, thinking it their enemies Blackfoots.) and fled themselves
further into the interior of the mountains. this evening
we found the skin of an Elk and part of the flesh of the anamal
which Capt. C. had left near the river at the upper side of the
valley where he assended the mountain with a note informing
me of his transactions (progressions) and that he should pass the
mounts which lay just above us and wate our arrival at some
convenient place on the river. the other elk which Capt. C.
had killed we could not find. about 2. in the evening we had
passed through a range of low mountains and the country
bacame more open again, tho' still broken and untimbered and
the bottoms not very extensive. we encamped on the Lard. side
near a spring on a high bank[16] the prickly pears are so abundant
that we could scarcely find room to lye. just above our
camp the river is again closed in by the Mouts. on both sides.
I saw a black woodpecker (or crow) today about the size of the
lark woodpecker as black as a crow. I indevoured to get a
shoot at it but could not. it is a distinct species of woodpecker;
it has a long tail and flys a good deel like the jay bird.[17]

This morning Capt. Clark set out early and proceeded on
through a valley leaving the river about six miles to his left;
he fell in with an old Indian road which he pursued untill it

struck the river about 18 miles from his camp of the last evening
just above the entrance of a large creek which we call white
paint Creek. the party were so much fortiegued with their
march and their feet cut with the flint and perced with the
prickly pears untill they become so painfull that he proceeded
but little further before he determined to encamp on the river
and wait my arrival. Capt. C. saw a smoke today up the valley
of Pryor's creek which was no doubt caused by the natives
likewise. he left signals or signs (clothes paper, tape linen)
on his rout in order to inform the indians should they pursue
his trale that we were not their enemies, but white men and
their friends.

The Courses and distances July 20.th 1805.

                     

S. 40° W.	1/2	to a high rock in a Lard. bend in the gates. here the high and perpendicular rocks cease and the Valley widens sudonly to more than it's usual extent since we have entered the Mountains.
S. 55° W.	1	to the center of a Stard. bend at which place a large creek falls in behind some islands on the Stard. side. the Indians set the plains on fire up this Creek. call it Pott's Creek.
S. 64° E.	2 1/2	to the center of a Lard. bend, passing two islands
S. 15° E.	1/4	to the center of a Stard. bend. saw a number of the read head ducks; also several sand hill Crains.
East.	1 1/2	to the center of a Lard. bend, passing 2 small islands on Lard. side.
S. 12° E.	1 1/2	to the center of a Stard. bend passing a small Creek on Lard. side at 3/4 of a mile.
S. 50° E.	1 1/4	to the center of a Lard. bend
S. 20° E.	2 1/2	to the center of a Stard. bend
S. 65° E.	2.	to a point in a Stard. bend, passing 3 small islands near Lard. at 1 Mile.
N. 75° E.	2.	to the center of a Lard. bend passing an island near
Miles	15.	the extremity of the course and encamped on Lard. side at a spring.—

Point of Observati[on] No [34]

On the Stard. shore at the extremity of the third course of this day,
observed time and distance of ☉'5 and D'5. nearest limbs with Sextant
☉ East.

               

				Time	Distance
				h m s	° ′ ″
			A. M.	10. 22. 16	76. 38. –.
				". 24. 38	". 36. 45.
	Time.	Distance.		Time.	Distance.
	h m s	° ′ ″		h m s	° ′ ″
A. M.	10. 35. 38	76. 26. 30.	A. M.	10. 38. 13	76. 25. –.
	". 37. 3	". 25. 45.		". 39. 34	". 24. 45

Having lost my post Meridian Observations for Eql. Altitudes in consequence
of a cloud which obscured the sun for several minutes about
that time, I had recourse to two altitudes of the sun with Sextant.

Point of observations No. 35.

On Stard. shore five miles short of the encampment of this evening
observed 2 Altds. of ☉. L. L.

       

	Time	Altitudes.
	h m s	° ′ ″
P. M.	3. 10. 39	98. 48.15.
	4. 49. 34	66°. 17. 45.