University of Virginia Library

Monday August 5th. 1805.

As Charbono complained of being unable to march far today
I ordered him and Sergt. Gass to pass the rappid river near our
camp and proceed at their leasure through the level bottom to
a point of high timber about seven miles distant on the middle
fork which was in view; I gave them my pack that of Drewyer
and the meat which we had, directing them to remain at
that place untill we joined them. I took Drewyer with me

and continued my rout up the stard. side of the river about 4
miles and then waded it; found it so rapid and shallow that it
was impossible to navigate it. continued up it on the Lard. side
about 1 1/2 miles further when the mountains put in close on
both sides and arrose to great hight, partially covered with
snow. from hence the course of the river was to the East of
North. I took the advantage of a high projecting spur of the
mountain which with some difficulty we ascended to it's summit
in about half an hour. from this eminance I had a pleasing
view of the valley through which I had passed many miles
below and the continuation of the middle fork through the
valley equally wide above me to the distance of about 20 miles
when that also appeared to enter the mountains and disappeared
to my view; however the mountains which termineate the
valley in this direction appeared much lower than those up
either of the other forks. on the rapid fork they appeared
still to rise the one range towering above another as far as
I could perceive them. the middle fork as I suspected dose
bear considerably to the West of South and the gap formed by
it in the mountains after the valley terminates is in the same
direction. under these circumstances I did not hesitate in
beleiving the middle fork the most proper for us to ascend.
about South from me, the middle fork approached within about
5 miles. I resolved to pass across the plains to it and return
to Gass and Charbono, accordingly we set out and decended
the mountain among some steep and difficult precipices of
rocks. here Drewyer missed his step and had a very dangerous
fall, he sprained one of his fingers and hirt his leg very
much. in fifteen or 20 minutes he was able to proceed and we
continued our rout to the river where we had desighned to
interscept it. I quenched my thirst and rested a few minutes
examined the river and found it still very navigable. an old
indian road very large and plain leads up this fork, but I could
see no tracks except those of horses which appeared to have
passed early in the spring. as the river mad[e] a great bend to
the South East we again ascended the high plain and steered
our course as streight as we could to the point where I had
directed Gass and Sharbono to remain. we passed the plain
regained the bottom and struck the river about 3 miles above
them; by this time it was perfectly dark & we hooped but could
hear no tidings of them. we had struck the river at the point
of timber to which I had directed them, but [they] having mistaken
a point of woods lower down, had halted short of the
place. we continued our rout after dark down the bottom
through thick brush of the pulppy leafed thorn and prickly
pears for about 2 hours when we arrived at their camp. they
had a small quantity of meat left which Drewyer and myself eat
it being the first we had taisted today. we had traveled about
25 miles. I soon laid down and slept very soundly untill
morning. I saw no deer today nor any game except a few
Antelopes which were very shy. the soil of the plains is a
light yellow clay very meager and intermixed with a large proportion
of gravel, producing nothing except the twisted or
bearded grass, sedge and prickly pears. the dryer parts of the
bottoms are also much more indifferent in point of soil to those
below and are covered with the southernwood pulpy leafed
thorn and prickley pears with but little grass. the moist parts
are fertile and covered with fine grass and sand rushes.

This morning Capt. Clark set out at sunrise and dispatched
Joseph & Reubin Fields to hunt. they killed two deer on one
of which the party breakfasted. the river today they found
streighter and more rapid even than yesterday, and the labour
and difficulty of the navigation was proportionably increased,
they therefore proceeded but slowly and with great pain as the
men had become very languid from working in the water and
many of their feet swolen and so painfull that they could
scarcely walk. at 4. P. M. they arrived at the confluence of
the two rivers where I had left the note. this note had unfortunately
been placed on a green pole which the beaver had cut
and carried off together with the note; the possibility of such
an occurrence never on[c]e occurred to me when I placed it on
the green pole. this accedent deprived Capt. Clark of any information
with ri[s]pect to the country and supposing that the
rapid fork was most in the direction which it was proper we
should pursue, or West, he took that stream and asscended it
with much difficulty about a mile and encamped on an island

that had been lately overflown and was yet damp; they were
therefore compelled to make beds of brush to keep themselves
out of the mud. in ascending this stream for about a quarter
of a mile it scattered in such a maner that they were obliged to
cut a passage through the willow brush which leant over the
little channels and united their tops. Capt. Clarks ankle is
extreemly painfull to him this evening; the tumor has not yet
mature, he has a slight fever. The men were so much fortiegued
today that they wished much that nevigation was at an
end that they might go by land.

Courses and distances traveled by Capt. Clark and party August
5th 1805.

                                     

S. 45°. E.	1/2	to a Lard. bend passing a bayou on Lard. side
S. 15°. W.	1/2	to a Stard. bend passing an island.
South–	1	to a Lard. bend passing a small Island, and a bayoue on the Stard. side.
S. 45°. W.	1/4	to a Stard. bend passing an island.
S. 30°. W.	2.	to a low clift at the mouth of bayou on Stard. side passing three bad rappids in this course
S. 60°. E.	1/2	to a Lard. bend passing an Island Stard. side.
S. 30°. W.	1/2	to a bluff in a Stard. bend
South	1/4	in the Stard. bend passing a bad rapid.
S. 45°. E.	1/4	to a Lard. bend.
South	1/2	to a bluff in a Stard. bend.
South 45°. E.	1/2	to a Lard. bend.
S. 15°. W.	1/4	to a Stard. bend under a bluff.
East	1/2	to a Lard. bend passing a bayou on Stard. side.
S. 5°. W.	1/4	to a bayou in a Lard. bend.
S. 45°. W.	1/2	to a Stard. bend passing an island.
West	1/4	to a bayou in a Stard. bend.
S. 45°. E.	1/4	to a Lard. bend passing an island
South	1/2	to the forks. these forks are nearly of the same size tho' the N.W. fork possesses the most water at this time and is infinitely the most rapid. ascended the last one mile on a course of S 30 W. and encamped on an Island.
Miles.	9. 1/4