University of Virginia Library

CHAP. VII.

Saturday 6th. The day was clear and pleasant.
This morning we heard that some of the Rickarees
had come up to the Mandan villages. Our interpreter
and some of the men were sent over to ascertain
the truth of the report; and we were detained all
day waiting their return.

Sunday 7th. The men returned and four of the
Rickarees with them. The commanding officers
held a conversation with these Indians; and they
concluded that some of them would go down in the
boat from their village to St. Louis. About 5 o'clock
in the afternoon we left fort Mandan in good spirits.
Thirty one men and a woman went up the river and
thirteen returned down it in the boat. We had two
periogues and six canoes, and proceeded about four
miles, and encamped opposite the first Mandan village,
on the North side.

Monday 8th. We set out early and had a clear
day. The wind blew hard from the N. W. At 12
the word was passed from a canoe in the rear that it
was sinking, when we halted in front and Captain
Clarke went back to see what was the matter. This
forenoon we passed two villages of the Grossventers,
or Big-bellys nation of Indians on the South side
and a small river on the same side called Cutteau or
Knife river. The canoe which had been in distress,
came up, and had received little damage except
wetting some powder on board. The woman that is
with us is a squaw of the Snake nation of Indians,
and wife to our interpreter. We expect she will be
of service to us, when passing through that nation.
In the afternoon we passed very high bluffs on the
South side; one of which had lately been a burning

volcano. The pumice stones lay very thick around
it, and there was a strong smell of sulphur.[1] We
came about fourteen miles and encamped on the
North side.

Tuesday 9th. We set out early, and had a fine
day; about 1 o'clock we passed a party of Grossventers
hunting: made about twenty-two miles and encamped
on the North side.

Wednesday 10th. We proceeded again early, and
had rapid water and a great many sand-bars; but a
fine pleasant day. Having proceeded about nineteen
miles we encamped on the North side.

Thursday 11th. We got under way early, had a
fine clear pleasant day, and went on very well. We
saw some Indians on the South side, but did not
speak with them. We came about twenty-one miles
and encamped on the North side.

Friday 12th. Another fine day. We set out early
as usual. About 8 we came to the mouth of the Little
Missouri, a handsome small river that comes in on
the South side where we halted and took breakfast.
The river is very properly called the Little Missouri,
for it exactly resembles the Missouri in colour, current
and taste.[2] It was thought adviseable to remain
here the remainder of the day, and air our loading.
Some hunters went out and killed a deer, and Captain

Clarke killed a hare, which was now changing
its colour from white to grey.

Saturday 13th. We had a pleasant day and a fair
wind; but our small canoes could not bear the sail.
Some of the party caught some beaver, and some
Frenchmen who were out trapping caught 7 of them.
We passed a large creek on the South side, called
Onion creek. We came 23 miles and encamped on
the North side, where we found a wild goose nest on
a tree about 60 feet high. One of the men climbed
the tree and found one egg in the nest.

Sunday 14th. We started early as usual, and had a
fine morning. As we were setting out a black dog
came to us, and went along, supposed to have belonged
to a band of the Assiniboins, who had been encamped
near this place a few days ago. We passed
a hill resembling a large haystack, all but about 10
feet of the top which was as white as chalk. The
hills in general are much higher here than lower
down the river; but the bottoms much the same. In
the afternoon we passed a creek, called after our interpreter,
Sharbons creek. He had been, before, this
far up the Missouri, and no white man any further,
that we could discover. We made 16 miles and encamped
in a handsome bottom on the North side.

Monday 15th. We had a pleasant day and a fair
wind; set forward early as usual, and went on very
well. Passed a large creek on the North side, called
Coat-pen creek. We saw a number of buffaloe and
two bears on the bank of the river. After going 23
miles we encamped on the South side.

Tuesday 16th. We had a clear pleasant day; and
in the early part of it, a fair gentle wind. Captain
Clarke went out and killed a Cabre or Antelope, the
same kind of an animal, which we before called a
goat. The wind became flawy and the sailing bad.
After making 18 miles we encamped on the South
aide in a point of woods called the Grand point.

Wednesday 17th. We proceeded on early as usual
with a fair wind. The day was fine and we made
good way. Passed a beautiful plain and two large
creeks on the North side, and another creek on the
South. We saw a great many buffaloe and elk on
the banks. At 1 o'clock we halted for dinner, when
two men went out and in a few minutes killed 2 buffaloe.
We made 26 miles and encamped on the South
side, and found that some rain had fallen during the
day, where we encamped, though there was none
where we had been.

Thursday 18th. The men caught some beaver,
and killed a wild goose. The morning was fine and
we went on very well until 1 o'clock, when the wind
blew so hard down the river, we were obliged to lie
to for 3 hours, after which we continued our voyage.
This day Captain Clarke went by land and met us
in the afternoon on the bank with an elk and a deer.
We came about 14 miles and encamped in a good
harbour on the North side, on account of the wind,
which blew very hard all night accompanied with
some drops of rain.

Friday 19th. A cloudy morning, with high wind.
We did not set out until the next day. While we
lay here, I went out to the hills, which I found very
high, much washed by the rain, and without grass.
I saw a part of a log quite petrified, and of which
good whetstones—or hones could be made. I also
saw where a bill had been on fire, and pumice stone
around it. There is a great quantity of hyssop in
the vallies. We killed an elk and some wild geese,
and caught some beaver.

Saturday 20th. We set out again and had a cold
disagreeable morning; rapid water and a strong
wind. Some of the canoes took in a good deal of
water; and we made but 6 miles, when we were
obliged again to lie too, on account of the wind, and
to dry our loading. While we lay here we killed

three elk and got a number of Geese eggs out of their
nests, which are generally built on trees.

Sunday 21st. We proceeded on early; and had a
fine clear morning, but cold: there was a sharp frost.
We saw a great number of elk, buffaloe and deer on
both sides of the river. About 12 the wind again
rose and was disagreeable, but we continued our voyage.
Two of our hunters went out this afternoon
and caught three young buffaloe calves. We passed
a small river called White Clay river on the North
side and having gone 15 miles encamped on the
South side.

Monday 22nd. Before day light we continued our
voyage; passed a beautiful bottom on the North side,
covered with game of different kinds. The wind
was unfavourable to day, and the river here is very
crooked. We came about 14 miles, then encamped
on the South side and caught some beaver.

Tuesday 23rd. We set out early and had a fine
day; but the wind was ahead and we were obliged to
lie too about three hours. We went 15 miles and
encamped on the North side. Captain Clarke killed
3 blacktailed deer and a buffaloe calf.

Wednesday 24th. This was a clear day, but the
wind blew so hard down the river we could not proceed.
While we lay here some of the men went to
see some water at a distance which appeared like a
river or small lake. In the afternoon they returned,
and had found it only the water of the Missouri,
which had run up a bottom. One of the men caught
six young wolves and brought them in, and the other
men killed some elk and deer.

Thursday 25th. We set out as usual and had a fine
day; but about 11 were obliged to halt again the
wind was so strong ahead. Captain Lewis and four
men see off by land from this place to go to the river
Jaune, or Yellow Stone river, which it is believed is
not very distant. I remarked, as a singular circumstance,

that there is no dew in this Country, and very
little rain. Can it be owing to the want of timber ?
At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, we renewed our voyage;
and having this day advanced about 13 miles,
encamped on the South side.

Friday 26th. A fine day. We set out early, and
having proceeded 10 miles came at 12 o'clock to the
mouth of the Jaune and halted: Captain Lewis and
his party had not arrived. I went up the point about
9 miles, where there are the most beautiful rich
plains, I ever beheld. I saw a large pond or lake—
Captain Clarke while I was absent measured both
rivers; and found the breadth of the Missouri to be
337 yards of water, and 190 of a sand beach; total
527 yards. That of the Yellow Stone river 297 yards
of water and 561 of sand; total 858 yards. The
mouth of this river is 1888 miles from the mouth of
the Missouri; 278 from Fort Mandan and 186 from
the mouth of Little Missouri.

The river Jaune is shallow, and Missouri deep and
rapid. In the evening Captain Lewis with his party
joined us; and had brought with them a buffaloe
calf, which followed them 7 or 8 miles. We killed a
number of calves, and found they made very good
veal. There are a great many signs of beaver in this
part of the country. We encamped on the point all
night

Saturday 27th. About 9 o'clock in the forenoon we
renewed our voyage. The day was fine, but on account
of a strong wind we were obliged at 1 to halt,
till 4, when we again went on; and having this day
made 8 miles, encamped on the North side.

Sunday 28th. We set out early, had a fine day and
went on very well. About 9 we halted for breakfast
under very high bluffs on the North side. About 15
miles above the Yellow Stone river, the banks on the
Missouri are not so high as below it, and the sand
bars are more in the middle of the river. We came

24 miles and encamped on the North side in a handsome
bottom. The bottoms here are not so large,
and have less timber on them than those below the
Jaune.

Monday 29th. We again set out early, had a clear
morning and went on at a good rate. This forenoon
we passed some of the highest bluffs I had ever seen;
and on the top of the highest we saw some Mountain
sheep, which the natives say are common about the
Rocky mountains. These were the first we had seen,
and we attempted to kill some of them but did not
succeed. Captain Lewis, and one of the men, travelled
some distance by land and killed a white bear.—
The natives call them white, but they are more of a
brown grey. They are longer than the common
black bear, and have much larger feet and talons.
We went 25 miles and encamped on the bank of a
small river, which comes in on the North side about
70 yards wide.

Tuesday 30th. We embarked at sunrise; had a
fine morning and went on very well. We passed
through a handsome Country, with a rich soil, and
the prairies rising beautifully on both sides of the
river. We went 24 miles and encamped on the
North side. Captain Lewis killed a large elk here.