University of Virginia Library

Sunday 27th. July 1806

I marked my name with red paint on a cotton tree near my
camp, and Set out at an early hour and proceeded on very well
the river is much wider from 4 to 600 yards much divided by
Islands and sand bars, passed a large dry Creek at [15] Miles
(call Elk creek) and halted at the enterance of River 50 yards
wide on the Lard. Side (I call R. Labeech) killed 4 Buffalow and
saved as much of their flesh as we could carry took brackfast.[51]
The Buffalow and Elk is estonishingly noumerous on
the banks of the river on each side, particularly the Elk which
lay on almost every point in large gangs and are so jintle that
we frequently pass within 20 or 30 paces of them without their
being the least alarms the buffalow are Generally at a greater
distance from the river, and keep a continueing bellowing in
every direction, much more beaver Sign than above the big-horn,
I saw several of those animals on the bank to day.
the antilopes are scerce as also the bighorns and the deer by no
means so plenty as they were near the Rocky Mountains.
when we pass the Big horn I take my leave of the View of the
tremendious chain of Rocky Mountains white with Snow in
View of which I have been since the 1st of May last.

about sunset I shot a very large fat buck elk from the Canoe
near which I encamped, and was near being bit by a rattle
snake. Shields killed a Deer & a antilope to day for the skins
which the party is in want of for Clothes. this river below the
big horn river resembles the Missouri in almost every perticular
except that it's islands are more noumerous & current more
rapid, it's banks are generally low and falling in the bottoms
on the Stard. Side low and extencive and covered with timber
near the river such as Cotton wood willow of the different
species rose bushes and Grapevines together with the red berry
or Buffalow Grees bushes & a species of shoemake with dark
brown bark, of[f] those bottoms the Country rises gradually
to about 100 feet and has some pine. back is leavel plains.

on the Lard Side the river runs under the clifts and Bluffs of
high which is from 70 to 150 feet in hight and near the river
is some scattering low pine back the plains become leavel and
extencive. the clifts are composed of a light gritty stone which
is not very hard, and the yound stone (round stones) which
is mixed with the Sand and forms bars is much smaller than
they appeared from above the bighorn, and may here be termed
Gravel, the colour of the water is a yellowish white and less
muddy than the Missouri below the mouth of this river.

Course Distance & Remarks July 27th. 1806
from the Big Horn

                                                         

N.45°. E. to a Brook in a Stard. Bend. passed an Island at 2 Miles and one near the Stard Side at 6 Miles	6
N.45°. W. to a Lard Bend passing the point of a high clift on the Stard. at 2 Miles. passed 2 islands	3.
N.25°. E. to a high point on the Stard. Side	1 1/2
N.60°. E. to the lower pan of a Bluff on the Stard. Side, passed a large [Elk] Creek on the Lard. Side back of an Isld.	4 1/2
N.20°. E. to the upper point of an island near the Stard. side. passed 3 islands. a low bottom on each side passed a river 50 yds wide on the Lard Side which contains but little water nearly dry [Windsers River][52]	4.
N.15°.E. to a black Bluff in the Lard. Bend. passed the entrance of a river 50 yds wide but little water at 3 miles on the Lard Side passed an Island close to the Stard. shore, and a gravelly bar below	5.
N.66°. E. to a bluff in the Lard. Bend. a low bottom of wood on the Stard. Side. passing a Clift of 60 feet in hight on the Lard. and 2 dry Brooks on the same side	4
East to a point of the Lard Bluff, bottom low on Stard	3.
N.65°. E. to the head of an island in the middle of the river. passed 2 islands and 3 bars	5.
East to the lower point of a wood on the Stard. Side passed 1 large and 4 small islands, an exten[s]ive bottoms on both Sides	5.
N.45°. E. to a Tree in the Larboard Bend	2
N.15°. E. to the enterance of a large Creek 60 yards wide on the Stard Side containing but little water [Labiechs R.]	2
N.60°. E. to a wood in the lard Bend, passed 2 Small islands	3 1/2
S.80°. E. to the island on the Stard. Side	1 1/2
North to the Lard. main Shore	1/2
S.18°. E. to the Lard. Side of the island	1/2
N.30°. E. to the enterance of a large brook in the Lard bend above a low clift [white Creek]	1.
S.45°. E. to the lower point of the island. Low bluff on Lard.	1.
S.76°. E. to a point of wood on the Stard. side, passed an island. low white clifts on the Lard Side	4.
S.82.°. E. to the lower point of an island near the Stard. side. passed one near the Lard. at 3 miles	5.
N.62°. E. to a point on the Stard. side opposit to a low bluff passed the Lard Island	2 1/2
S.45°. W. to the enterance of a brook 20 Yds wide in the Stard. Bend an Island near the Lard. high lands border the Larboard Shore	2
N.80°. E. to a Stard. point opposit a conic Mound on the top of which is a rock resembling a house & chimney	2 1/2
S.75°. E. to the point of an island, passed the upper pt. of one on each Side at 2 1/2 Miles. passed a brook on Sd Side 20 Yds wide	3 1/2
N.65°. E. to a point of the Lard Side opsd. a low bottom .	1/2
N.45°. E. to the lower point of an Island. passed 2 islands	3 1/2
S.60°. E. to the upper part of a large island	1 1/2
North to a point of the Island and Camped on the island	2.
Miles	80 1/2