University of Virginia Library

Wednesday July 31st. 1805.

This morning I waited at my camp very impatiently for the
arrival of Capt. Clark and party; I observed by my watch t[h]at
it was 7. A. M. and they had not come in sight. I now became
very uneasy and determined to wait until 8 and if they did not
arrive by that time to proceed on up the river taking it as a
fact that they had passed my camp some miles last evening.
just as I set out to pursue my plan I discovered Charbono
walking up shore some distance below me and waited untill
[he] arrived I now learnt that the canoes were behind, they
arrived shortly after. their detention had been caused by the
rapidity of the water and the circuitous rout of the river. they
halted and breakfasted after which we all set out again and I
continued my walk on the Stard. shore the river now becomes
more collected the islands tho' numerous ar generally small.
the river continues rapid and is from 90 to 120 yds. wide has a
considerable quantity of timber in it's bottoms. towards evening
the bottoms became much narrower and the timber much
more scant. high hills set in close on the Lard. and the plain
high waivy or reather broken on the Stard. and approach the river
closely for a sho[r]t distance vally above 1 1/2 M. wd. About
one mile above Capt. Clark's encampment of the last evening

the principall entrance of a considerable river discharges itself
into Jefferson's river. this stream is a little upwards of 30 yds.
wide disc[h]arges a large quantity of very clear water it's bed
like that of Jefferson's river is pebble and gravel. it takes it's
rise in the snowclad mountains between Jefferson's and Madison's
Rivers to the S.W. and discharges itself into the former
by seven mouths it has some timber in it's bottoms and vas[t]
numbers of beaver and Otter. this stream we call River Philosophy.
the rock of the clifts this evening is a hard black
grannite like that of the clifts of most parts of the river below
the limestone clifts at the 3 forks of the Missouri. this evening
just before we encamped Drewyer discovered a brown bear
enter a small cops of bushes on the Lard. side; we surrounded
the place an[d] surched the brush but he had escaped in some
manner unperceived but how we could not discover. nothing
killed today and our fresh meat is out. when we have a plenty
of fresh meat I find it impossible to make the men take any care
of it, or use it with the least frugallity. tho' I expect that
necessity will shortly teach them this art. the mountiains on
both sides of the river at no great distance are very lofty. we
have a lame crew just now, two with tumers or bad boils on
various parts of them, one with a bad stone bruise, one with his
arm accedently dislocated but fortunately well replaced, and a
fifth has streigned his back by sliping and falling backwards on
the gunwall of the canoe. the latter is Sergt. Gass. it gives
him great pain to work in the canoe in his present situation,
but he thinks he can walk with convenience, I therefore
scelected him as one of the party to accompany me to-morrow,
being determined to go in quest of the Snake Indians. I also
directed Drewyer and Charbono to hold themselves in readiness.
Charbono thinks that his ankle is sufficiently recovered
to stand the march but I entertain my doubts of the fact; he is
very anxious to accompany me and I therefore indulge him.
There is some pine on the hills on both sides of the river
opposite to our encampment which is on the Lard. side upon a
small island just above a run. the bull rush & Cat-tail flag
grow in great abundance in the moist parts of the bottoms the
dryer situations are covered with fine grass, tanzy, thistles,
onions and flax. the bottom land fertile and of a black rich
loam. the uplands poor sterile and of a light yellow clay with
a mixture of small smooth pebble and gravel, p[r]oducing
prickley pears, sedge and the bearded grass in great abundance;
this grass is now so dry that it would birn like tinder.
we saw on bighorn today a few antelopes and deer.

Courses and distances of July 31st. 1805.

                                                           

West	1/8	to a bayou in a Stard. bend.
South	1	to a bayou on the Lard. side at the principal entrence of River Philosophy which is 30 yds. wide and discharges itself from hence downwards on Lard. side by five other mouths, and one above.
West	3/4	to the entrance of a bayou in a Stard. bend passing 2 small Islands one on each side.
South	1/2	to a Lard. bend opposite 2 Islands.
S. 45°. W.	1/2	to a point on Lard. side passing a bayou Lard. Sd.
West	1/2	to a tree in a Stard. bend
South	1/8	in the Stard. bend.
S. 60°. E.	1/4	to a prarie above some willows on the Lard. side
S. 25°. W.	1/4	to the lower point of an Island.
East	1/8	to the upper entrance of Philosophy River, Lad.
South 20 W	1 1/4	to a Stard. bend passing 2 small Islands.
S. 25°. E.	1/4	to a Lard. bend
S. 45°. W.	1/8	to a Stard. bend.
South	1/4	to a Lard. bend.
S. 20°. W.	3/4	in the Lard. bend to a point opposite to an Isld.
West	1/2	to a small bayou in a Lard. bend
S. 60°. W. I.	1.	to the head of an Island
S. 45°. W.	1 1/4	to a clift of the mountain on Lard. side; passing an Island on Stard.
S. 80°. W.	1/2	to the clift of a high hill on Stard. here the clifts put in close on both sides leaving narrow bottoms.
S. 45°. W.	3/4	to a low bluff above a Lard. clift in a Lard. bend.
N. 45°. W.	1.	to a point of rock on the Stard. side, here the hills receede from the river bottoms 1 1/2 Ml. wide.
S. 80°. W.	1/4	to a Lard. bend, an Isld. on Lard. side.
N. 80°. W.	1.	to a Stard. bend passing an Isld.
S. 60°. W.	3/4	to a small island in the Stard. bend.
South	1/8	to a tree in a Lard. bend.
S. 70°. W.	3/4	to a Stard. bend passing an Island.
S. 20°. W.	1 3/4	to the foot of a mountain on a Lard. bend
N. 70°. W.	3/4	to a Stard. bend.
S. 70°. W.	1/2	to some bushes in a Lard. bend, passing the entrance of a small run on Lard. just above which we encamped on a small Isld. near the Lard. side.[1]
Miles	17 5/8