University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Tuesday July 23rd. 1805.

Set out early as usual; Capt. Clark left us with his little party
of 4 men and continued his rout on the Stard. side of the river.
about 10'OCk. A.M. we came up with Drewyer who had seperated
from us yesterday evening and lay out all night not being
able to find where we had encamped. he had killed 5 deer
which we took on board and continued our rout. the river
is still divided by a great number of islands, it[s] channels
sometimes seperating to the distance of 3 miles; the current
very rapid with a number of riffles; the bed gravel and smooth
stones; the banks low and of rich loam in the bottoms; some
low bluffs of yellow and red clay with a hard red slate stone
intermixed. the bottoms are wide and but scantily timbered;
the underbrush very thick consisting of the narrow & broad
leafed willow rose and Currant bushes principally. high plains
succeed the river bottoms and extend back on either side to
the base of the mountains which are from 8 to 12 miles assunder,
high, rocky, some small pine and Cedar on them and
ly parallel with the river. passed a large creek on Lard. side

20 yds. wide which after meandering through a beautifull and
extensive bottom for several miles nearly parallel with the
river discharges itself opposite to a large cluster of islands
which from their number I called the 10 islands and the creek
Whitehous's Creek, after Josph. Whitehouse one of the party.[25]
saw a great abundance of the common thistle; also a number
of the wild onions of which we collected a further supply.
there is a species of garlic also which grows on the high lands
with a flat leaf now green and in blos. but is strong tough and
disagreeable. found some seed of the wild flax ripe which I
preserved; this plant grows in great abundance in these bottoms.
I halted rearther early for dinner today than usual in
order to dry some articles which had gotten wet in several of
the canoes. I ordered the canoes to hoist their small flags in
order that should the indians see us they might discover that
we were not Indians, nor their enemies. we made great uce
of our seting poles and cords the uce of both which the river
and banks favored. most of our small sockets were lost, and
the stones were so smooth that the points of their poles sliped
in such manner that it increased the labour of navigating the
canoes very considerably, I recollected a parsel of giggs which
I had brought on, and made the men each atatch one of these
to the lower ends of their poles with strong wire, which answered
the desired purpose. we saw Antelopes Crain gees
ducks beaver and Otter. we took up four deer which Capt.
Clark & party had killed and left near the river. he pursued
his rout untill late in the evening and encamped on the bank
of the river 25 Ms. above our encampment of the last evening;
he followed an old indian road which lyes along the river on
the stard. side. Capt. [Clark] saw a number of Antelopes, and
one herd of Elk. also much sign of the indians but all of
ancient date. I saw the bull rush and Cattail flag today.

Courses and distances of July 23rd. 1805.

                         

S. 20°. E.	2.	to a point of the Stard. bluff. passing several islds.
N. 60°. E.	1 1/2	to a lard. bend. passing a large island on Stard.
S. 30°. E.	1 1/2	to a stard. bend passing the upper point of the island at 1/2 a mile and two other small ones on it's lower end. a large creek falls in on Lard. behind 20 yds. wide call it Whitehouse's Creek.
S. 70°. E.	1 3/4	to a Lard. bend passing several outlets to the river on Stard. and through an assemblage of islands
S. 5°. E.	1 1/2	to the lower point of an island. the river 300 yds. wide at this place.
S. 20°. E.	2.	to the center of a Lard. bend passing the upper pt. of the island on Stard. at 1 1/4 M. and a small isld. on Lard. near the extremity of this course.
S. 10°. W.	1 1/2	to the center of a Stard. bend
S. 80°. E.	1	to a point in the Stard. bend.
N. 85°. E.	3.	to a tree in a Lard. bend passing two small islds.
S. 20°. W.	3.	to a Stard. bend passing over a large island; called it broad Island.
N. 70°. E.	1 1/2	to a point of high timber on Stard. side.
S. 20°. W.	2.	to some dead timber in the center of a Stard bend just
Miles	22 1/4	above which we encamped on an island on Lard. opposite to a large isld. on Stard.[26]

I saw a black snake today about two feet long the belly of
which was as black as any other part or as jet itself. it had 128
scuta on the belley 63 on the tail.[27]