University of Virginia Library

[Clark, first draft:]

Novr. 2d. Saturday 1805.

MERIDIAN altitude 59° –45′ –45″. Made a portage
of about 1 ½ miles with half of the Baggage, and run
the rapid with the canoes without much damage,
one struck a rock & split a little, and 3 others took in some
water 7 squars came over the portage loaded with Dried fish
& Bear-grass, Soon after 4 men came down in a canoe after
takeing brackfast, & after taking a meridian altitude we set out
Passed 2 bad rapids one at 2 & the other at 4 mile below the
Isd on Lard. and upper end of Strawberry Island on the Stard.
Side from the Creek end of last Course

   

S. 50°. W.	5	miles to a timbered bottom on the Lard. Side, passed the Lower point of Strawbery Isd. at 3 miles, a Isd. covd. with wood below on Stard. Side a remarkable high rock on Stard Side about 800 feet high & 400 yds round, the Beaten Rock. The mountains and bottoms thickly timbered with Pine Spruce Cotton and a kind of maple Passed 2 small wooded Islands on Std. side, below the lower Island on the Stard Side at 4 miles an Indian village of 9 Houses, The river wider and bottoms more extencive.
S. 47°. W.	12	miles to a Stard point of rocks of a high clift of black rocks. passed a Stard. Point at 4 miles. here the mountains are low on each side & thickly timbered with pine. river about 2 miles wide, passed a rock at 10 miles in the middle of the river this rock is 100 feet high & 80 feet Diameter, a deep bend to Stard. Side.

Labiech killed 14 Geese & a Brant Collins one Jos. Fields
& R[euben] 3 those gees are much smaller than common,
and have white under their rumps & around the tale, The
tide rises here a fiew 9[1] Inches, I cannot assertain the presise
hite it rises at the last rapid or at this place of camp. The
Indians we left at the portage passed us this evening one other
canoe come up

 

S. 58°. W.

4

miles to a Stard. point of a large bottom. Encamped on the Lard. Side river about 2 miles wide country thickly timbered we Encamped behind a large rock in the Lard. Bend A canoe with 7 Inds came down & encamped with us

November 2nd. Saturday 1805

Examined the rapid below us more pert[i]celarly[2] the
danger appearing too great to Hazzard our Canoes loaded,
dispatched all the men who could not Swim with loads to the
end of the portage below, I also walked to the end of the
portage with the carriers where I delayed untill everry articles
was brought over and canoes arrived Safe. here we brackfast
and took a Meridn. altitude 59° – 45′ – 45″. about the time
we were Setting out 7 Squars came over loaded with Dried
fish, and bear grass neetly buldled up, Soon after 4 Indian
men came down over the rapid in a large canoe. passed a
rapid at 2 miles & 1 at 4 miles opposit the lower point of a
high Island on the Lard. Side, and a little below 4 Houses on
the Stard. Bank, a Small creek on the Lard. Side opposit Strawberry
Island, which heads below the last rapid, opposit the
lower point of this Island passed three Islands covered with
tall timber opposit the Beaten rock, Those Islands are nearest
the Starboard Side; imediately below on the Stard. Side passed
a village of nine houses, which is Situated between 2 Small
creeks, and are of the Same construction of those above; here
the river widens to near a mile, and the bottoms are more
extensive and thickly timbered, as also the high mountains on

each Side, with Pine, Spruce pine, cotton wood, a Species of
ash, and alder. at 17 miles passed a rock near the middle of
the river, about 100 feet high and 80 feet Diameeter, proceed
on down a smoth gentle Stream of about 2 miles wide, in which
the tide has its effect as high as the Beaten rock or the Last
rapids at Strawberry Island, saw great numbers of waterfowl
of Different kinds, such as Swan, Geese, white & grey brants,
ducks of various kinds, Guls, & Pleaver. Labiesh killed 14
brant Joseph Fields 3 & Collins one. we encamped under a
high projecting rock on the Lard. Side, here the mountains
leave the river on each Side, which from the great Shute to this
place is high and rugid; thickly covered with timber principalley
of the Pine Species. The bottoms below appear extensive and
thickly covered with wood. river here about 2-½ miles wide.
Seven Indians in a canoe on their way down to trade with the
nativs below, encamp with us, those we left at the portage
passed us this evening and proceeded on down. The ebb tide
rose here about 9 Inches, the flood tide must rise here much
higher. we made 29 miles to day from the Great Shute.