[Clark:]
May 26th. Sunday 1805
We set out early and proceeded as yesterday wind from
the S.W. the river enclosed with very high hills on either
side. I took one man and walked out this morning, and
ascended the high countrey to view the mountains which I
thought I saw yesterday, from the first sumit of the hill I
could plainly see the Mountains on either side which I saw
yesterday and at no great distance from me, those on the
Stard. Side is an errigular range, the two extremeties of which
bore West and N. West from me. those Mountains on the
Lard. Side appeared to be several detached Knobs or Mountains
riseing from a level open countrey, at different distances from
me, from South West to South East, on one the most
S. Westerly of those Mountains there appeared to be snow.
I crossed a Deep holler and assended a part of the plain
elivated much higher than where I first viewed the above
Mountains; from this point I beheld the Rocky Mountains
for the first time with certainty, I could only discover a fiew
of the most elivated points above the horizon, the most remarkable
of which by my pocket compas I found bore S. 60
W. those points of the rocky Mountain were covered with
Snow and the Sun Shown on it in such a manner as to give me
a most plain and satisfactory view. whilst I viewed those
mountains I felt a secret pleasure in finding myself so near the
head of the heretofore conceived boundless Missouri; but
when I reflected on the difficulties which this snowey barrier
would most probably throw in my way to the Pacific Ocean,
and the sufferings and hardships of my self and party in them,
it in some measure counterballanced the joy I had felt in the
first moments in which I gazed on them; but as I have always
held it little Short of criminality to anticipate evils I will allow
it to be a good comfortable road untill I am compelled to
beleive otherwise. The high country in which we are at
present and have been passing for some days I take to be a
continuation of what the Indians as well as the French Engages
call the
Black Hills. This tract of country so called consists
of a collection of high broken and irregular hills and short
chains of Mountains, sometimes 100 miles in width and again
becoming much narrower, but always much higher than the
country on either side; they commence about the head of the
Kanzas river and to the west of that river near the Arkansaw
river, from whence they take their cource a little to the west
of N. W. approaching the Rocky Mountains obliquely passing
the river Platte near the forks, and intersepting the River
Rochejhone near the big bend of that river, and passing the
Missouri at this place, and probably continueing to swell the
country as far North as the Saskashawon river, tho' they are
lower here than they are discribed to the South, and may
therefore termonate before they reach the Saskashawan. the
Black hills in their course northerly appear to approach more
nearly the Rocky Mountains. I saw a great number of white
brant, also the common brown brant, Geese of the common
size & kind and a small Species of geese, which differs considerably
from the common or Canadian Goose; their necks,
head and backs are considerably thicker, shorter and larger
than the other in propotion to its size they are also more
than a third smaller, and their note more like that of the brant
or young goose which has not perfectly acquired his note; in
all other respect they are the same in colour habits and the
number of feathers in the tail, they frequently also ascoiate
with the large Geese when in flocks, but never saw them pared
off with the larger or common goose. The white Brant
ascoiates in very large flocks, they do not appear to be mated
or pared off as if they intended to raise their young in this
quarter, I therefore doubt whether they reside here dureing
the summer for that purpose. this bird is larger than the
common brown brant or 2/3 of the common goose. it is not
so long by Six inches from point to point of the wings when
extended as the other; the back head and neck are also larger
and stronger; their beak, legs and feet are of a redish flesh
coloured white. the eye of a moderate size, the puple of a
deep sea green encercled with a ring of yellowish brown. it
has 16 feathers of equal length in the tail their note differs
but little from the common brant. they are of a pure white
except the large feathers of the 1
st. and 2
nd. joint of the wings
which are jut black.
The country which borders the river is high broken and
rocky, Generally imbeded with a soft sand stone. higher up
the hill the stone is of a brownish yellow hard and gritty
those stones wash down from the hills into the river and cause
the shore to be rocky &c. which we find troublesom to assend
there is scerce any bottom beteewn and the Hills & river and
but a fiew trees to be seen on either side except scattering pine
on the sides of the emence hills, we passed 2 creeks on the
Stard Side both of them had running water in one of those
Creek Capt Lewis tells me he saw [a] soft shell Turtle Capt.
Lewis in his walk killed a fat Buffalow which we were in want
of our hunters killed 2 Mountain rams or big horns in the
evening late we passed a rapid, which extended quite across the
river we assended it by the assistance of a cord & poles on
the Lard. Side the Cliffs jut over, the opposit side is a small
leavel bottom, we camped a little above in a small Grove of
Cotton trees on the Lard. Side in the rapid we saw a Dow
Elk & hir faun, which gave rise to the name of Elk & faun
Riffle. We had a few drops of rain at Dark. The Salts coal
& Burnt hills & Pumieston Still continue, game scerce. This
Countrey may with propriety I think be termed the Deserts
of America, as I do not conceive any part can ever be settled,
as it is deficent in water, Timber & too steep to be tilled. We
pass old Indian lodges in the woody points everry day & 2 at
our camp &
c.
Course & Distance 26th. of May 1805
|
mile |
|
| S. 45°. W. |
1. |
to the point of a plain on the Stard. side opposit to a
Bluff. L.S. |
| N. 70°. W. |
1/4 |
allong the Stard. point opsd. a Bluff |
| N. 45°. W. |
1/4 |
allong the Stard. point opsd. a Bluff |
| N. 10°. W. |
1/4 |
allong the Stard. point opsd. a Bluff |
| N. 20°. E. |
1/4 |
allong the Stard Point opsd. a high hill |
| N. 35°. E. |
2 |
to a fiew trees on a point to Lard. Side |
| N. 10°. W. |
3/4 |
to a point in a bend to the Stard Side |
| N. 75°. W. |
1/2 |
to a point of timber on the Stard. |
| N. 66°. W. |
1 |
to a point of timber on the Lard Side |
| N. 18°. W. |
1 |
to graveley point on the Stard. Side |
| N. 12°. E. |
1 |
to the mouth of a creek Stard. Side Windsors Creek |
| West |
3/4 |
to some trees on the Lard point |
| S 80°. W |
1 1/2 |
to the upper point of some timber in a bend to the
Lard. Side |
| N 80°. W |
1/2 |
to a open point on the Lard Side |
| West |
2 |
to the mouth of a creek in a bend to the Stard. Side
no timber on either side of the river, pine scattered
on the hills &c. |
| S. 24°. W. |
2 |
to a clift in a bend to the Lard. Side |
| West |
2 |
to a point on the Lard Side (no timber) |
| S. 60°. W. |
1/2 |
to a Bluff point Lard. opposit the upper point of a
small sand Island |
| S 45°. W. |
4 |
to the point of a small plain Lard. passing a high bluff
on either side |
| S. 70°. W. |
1 |
to the point of a high bluff in Lard bend at which
place is a verry considerable riffle which we call
Elk & faun riffle |
| N. 80°. W. |
1/4 |
to the upper part of the timber in a small grove on
Lard where we encamped |
| miles |
22 3/4 |
|
