Tuesday May 21st. 1805.
A delightfull morning set out at an early hour and proceeded
on very well, imployed the chord principally; the
shores are abbrupt and bould and composed of a black and
yellow clay; see no extensive collection of pure sand, the bars
are composed [of] black mud and a small poportion of fine
sand; the courant still pretty strong. the Missouri in it's
course downward makes a suddon and extensive bend to
receive the Muscle shell river, the point of country thus
formed tho' high is still much lower than that surrounding it,
thus forming a valley of wavey country which extends itself
for a great distance in a Northerly direction; the soil is fertile,
produces a fine turf of low grass and some herbs, also
immence quantities of the Prickley pear, without a stick of
timber of any discription. the country on the South side is
high broken and crowned with some scrubby pines and dwarf
cedar; the leaf of this pine is much longer than the common
pitch or red pine of Virginia, the cone is also longer and slimer,
and the imbrications wider and thicker, and the whole frequently
covered with rosin. Mineral appearances as usual.
the growse or praire hen are now less abundant on the river
than they were below; perhaps they betake themselves to the
open plains at a distance from the river at this season.
The wind which was moderate all the fore part of the day
continued to encrease in the evening, and about dark veered
about to N.W. and blew a storm all night, in short we found
ourselves so invelloped with clouds of dust and sand that we
could neither cook, eat, nor sleep; and were finally compelled
to remove our lodge about eight oClock at night to the foot of
an adjacent hill where we were covered in some measure from
the wind by the hills. several loose articles blown over board
and lost. our first station was on a bar on Stard. opposite the
lower point of a small Island, which we now called windy Island.
the bends of the river are short and suddon, the points covered
with some cottonwood, larger willow, or broadleafed willow
with an abundance of the wild rose and some small honeysuckle
bushes constitute the undergrowth, the redwood is also
found in small quantities. Capt. C walked on shore today and
killed 2 Elk; the party killed several deer and a buffaloe Cow.
Courses and distances of May 21st. 1805.
| West. |
To a point of timber on the Stard. side |
1. |
| N. 15°. W. |
Along the Stard. point opposite to a hill. |
1/4 |
| N. 10°. E. |
To a point of timber on the Lard. side opposite to a
bluff on Star. side |
2. |
| N. 30°. W. |
To the point of a timbered bottom on the Stard. side
opposite to a bluff |
1 1/2 |
| N. 20°. E. |
To a point of timber on the Lard. side opposite to
a bluff |
1 1/4 |
| N. 35°. W. |
To a point of woodland Lard. side |
1/4 |
| N. 80°. W. |
To a point of woodland Stard. side |
1 1/4 |
| N. 45°. W. |
Along the Stard. shore opposite to a bluff. |
1/4 |
| N. 15°. E. |
To a point of woodland Lard. side |
1 1/4 |
| N. 70°. W. |
To a point of woodland Stard. side |
1. |
| N. 30°. W. |
Along the Stard. shore |
1/2 |
| N. 10° W. |
To the extremity of a willow bar on Lard. side |
1 1/4 |
| N. 60° W. |
To a point of woodland Lard. side |
1. |
| S. 70°. W. |
To the commencement of a bluff in a bend on the
Lard. side. |
2 1/4 |
| N. 75°. W. |
To a point of woodland Stard. side |
1. |
| N. 30°. W. |
To a tree in the center of a Stard. bend. |
2. |
| S. 80°. W. |
To the lower point of a timbered bottom on the
Stard. side, near which we encampd. |
2 |
|
Miles |
20. |
Point of Observation No. 22.
On the Lard. shore at the commencement of the 5th. course of this
day observed time, and distance of ☉'s and D's nearest limbs with
Sextant, ☉ East.
Mean of a set of 12 Observations.
|
Time |
Distance |
|
h m s |
° ′ ″ |
| A.M. |
9. 25. 35 |
91. 45. 19 |
