University of Virginia Library

[Clark, first draft:]

October 12th. 1805 Saturday.

a fair cool morning wind from E after purchaseing all the
dried fish those people Would spear, from their hole in which
they were buried we Set out at 7 oClock and proceeded on

                         

S W.	3	miles passed 4 Islands at 1 ½ miles 3 nearly opposit a bad rapid on the Lard. Side of those Islands, and swift water around them to a Lard. point passed a Stard point
West	3	miles to a Lard Bend passed a small rapid & Island on the Lard. also an Indian cabin.
N. W.	2	miles to a Stard. Bend the bottoms are narrow from the points, the bends & high lands have clifts of ruged rock to the river, & bottoms
S. 70°. W.	2	miles to a bend at a rapid on the Stard. Isd opsd. passed a rapid on the Std. Side of a stoney Island, opsd. to which on the Std. Side below the rapid a small creek falls in. saw an Indian on the high land at a distance no timber in view
South	2	miles to a pt. in Lard. bend here the Plains become low on both sides river about 400 yards wide
S. 30°. W.	2 ½	miles to the mouth of a creek enter[ing] in a Lard. bend opsd. a small Island on the Lard Side
S. 85° W	2 ½	to the Stard bend at a swift place about half the distance of this course Cp L took meridian altitude on Ld Side 72° 30′ 0″
S. 10°. W.	1 ½	to a Lard Bend, (low open country)
S. 88. W.	3 ½	to a Stard. Bend wind S W. and hard. plain country rise gradually on each side passed Islands and rapid an Indian house on the Stard. some Indians at it &c.
S. 60°. W.	6	miles to a Stard. bend passed an Island at 4 miles & one at 5 miles, swift water, and sholey
S. 30°. W.	1	mile to a Lard bend passed a rapid the upper pt. of a small stoney Isd.
West	1	mile to a Stard. bend opsd. a small Island close under the Lard shore passed a run on the Std side, here we came too to view a falls or very bad rapid imediately below. (Camped) which the Inds. informed us was very bad, we found it bad. Sent our small canoe over.
	30

October 12th. Saturday 1805

A fair Cool morning wind from the East after purchaseing
every Sp[e]cies of the provisions those Indians could spare we
set out and proceeded on at three miles passed 4 Islands,
Swift water and a bad rapid opposit to those Islands on the
Lard. side at 14-½ miles passed the mouth of a large Creek
on the Lard side opposit a Small Island here the Countrey
assends with a gentle assent to the high plains, and the River
is 400 yards wide about 1 mile below the Creek on the Same
Side took Meridian altitude which gave 72° 30′ 00″ Latitude
produced ° ′ ″ [blank spaces in MS.] North in the
afternoon the wind shifted to the S. W. and blew hard we
passed today [blank space in MS.] rapids several of them very
bad and came to at the head of one (at 30 miles) on the Stard.
Side to view it before we attemptd. to d[e]send through it[5]
The Indians had told us [it] was very bad we found [it] long
and dangerous about 2 miles in length, and maney turns necessary
to Stear Clare of the rocks, which appeared to be in every
direction The Indians went through & our small canoe followed
them, as it was late we deturmined to camp above
untill the morning we passed several stoney Islands today
Country as yesterday open plains, no timber of any kind,

a fiew Hackberry bushes & willows[6] excepted, and but few
drift trees to be found, So that fire wood is verry Scerce The
hills or assents from the water is faced with a dark ruged
Stone. The wind blew hard this evening.