University of Virginia Library

CHAP. IX.

Wednesday 12th. The morning was fine; we
set out from the mouth of Maria's river, and went
on very well. In the forenoon we passed 12 islands.
At 1 o'clock the weather became cloudy and threatened
rain; at 2 there was a light shower, and the
day became clear. We passed three islands this afternoon
and some handsome bluffs on both sides of
the river. We went 18 miles and encamped in a
small bottom on the north side, where we killed 2
elk and some deer.

Thursday 13th. We set out early in a fine morning.
Some dew fell last night. We passed a large
creek on the south side, called Snow creek. The
water of the river is very clear and the current very
rapid. We passed a number of islands covered with
timber; but there is none to be seen on the hills on
either side. We went 14 miles and encamped on
the south side.

Friday 14th. We embarked early, and the morning
was pleasant. About 7 o'clock A. M. we passed
a place where Captain Lewis and his men had killed
two bears, and had left a note directing us where to
find them. About 2 one of Captain Lewis's men met
us, and informed us that the falls were about 20
miles above; and that Captain Lewis and the other
three men, were gone on to examine what the
distance was above the falls, before we could take the
water again. We went 10 miles and encamped on
a small bottom on the south side.

Saturday 15th. We proceeded on as usual, but had
the most rapid water, I ever saw any craft taken
through. At noon we stopped at the mouth of a

creek on the South side called Strawberry creek,
a handsome rapid stream, but not large. On a point
above, there is a great quantity of strawberry, gooseberry
and choak-cherry bushes: and there appears
to be a good deal of small cotton-wood on the banks
of this creek. In the afternoon we passed red bluffs
on both sides of the river, and at night came to a large
rapid which we did not venture to pass so late; and
therefore encamped below on the north side, after
going 12 miles.

Sunday 16th. In the morning all hands were engaged
in taking the canoes over the rapid about a
mile in length, which having accomplished they returned
and took up the periogue, where we halted
to examine another great rapid close ahead. One
man had been sent on last night to Captain Lowis, to
find out what discoveries he had made. We remained
here some time, and a few of the men went out
to hunt. About noon Captain Lewis and the party
with him joined us, and the hunters came in. Captain
Lewis had been up the falls 15 miles above the
first shoot or pitch, and found the falls continue all
that distance, in which there were 5 different shoots
40 or 50 feet perpendicular each, and very rapid water
between them. As we found the south side the
best to carry our canoes up, we crossed over and unloaded
our craft. We then had to take the empty
canoes to the side we had left, and to tow them up
by a line about a mile, in order to get them up to
the mouth of a small river on the south side, as a
more convenient place to take them up the bank.
This business was attended with great difficulty as
well as danger, but we succeeded in getting them all
over safe.

Monday 17th. Part of the men were employed in
taking the canoes up the small river about a mile and
an half; and some engaged in making small waggons
to haul the canoes and loading above the falls.

Captain Clarke and 4 men went to view and survey
our road to the place where we were to embark above
the falls. Opposite the mouth of the small river, a
beautiful sulphur spring rises out of the bank, of as
strong sulphur water as I have ever seen. On the
bottoms of this small river and also on the Missouri
is a great quantity of flax growing, and at this time
in bloom. Two men went out this morning to hunt
for elk, in order to get their skins for covering to the
iron frame of a boat, which we had with us. In the
evening the men got the canoes to a proper place to
take them upon land.

Tuesday 18th. The periogue was hauled out of the
water and laid safe; and some men went to dig a
place for depositing more of our baggage. About 12
the two hunters came in, and could find no elk, but
killed 10 deer. In the evening we completed our
waggons, which were made altogether of wood, and
of a very ordinary quality; but it is expected they
will answer the purpose.

Wednesday 19th. A fine day, but the wind very
high. Three hunters set out for Medicine river, a
large river above the falls, which comes in on the
north side, to hunt for elk. We finished the burying
place, so that we will be ready to start as soon as
Capt. Clarke returns. All our people are making
mockasons to go through the prairie.

Thursday 20th. A cloudy morning: four hunters
went out to kill some fat buffaloe. About 4 o'clock
one of them came in for men to carry the meat to
camp; as they had 14 down ready to butcher. We
went out about a mile and an half, and brought in a
load, leaving three men to dress the rest. Captain
Clarke and his party returned, having found a tolerable
good road except where some draughts crossed
it. They had left their blankets and provision at
the place where they expect we will again embark.

Friday 21st. This morning was also fine, but
there was a high wind. The remainder of the meat
was brought in, and one of the men killed 2 deer.

Saturday 22nd. All hands, except two and the intorpreter
and his wife, set out through the prairie
with one canoe on a waggon loaded heavy with baggage.
We went on slowly as our axletrees were
weak; and about 12 o'clock one of them broke;
when we had to halt and put in a new one. This
accident happened at a draught where there was
some willow, and we put in an axletree of that;
which I believe is the best this country affords for
the purpose. It was late in the evening before we
got to the intended place of embarkation on the
river.

Sunday 23rd. The morning was cloudy. When
I awoke this morning I found a material difference
between the river and country here and below the
falls. Here the river is wide and the current gentle.
There are three small islands at this place and some
timber on the banks, but not much, and what is there
is cotton-wood and willow. The banks are very low,
and the country rising in plains a considerable distance
on both sides of the river; and far off mountains
covered with snow on both sides and ahead.
Two of the men and myself remained with Captain
Lewis here to assist him in putting together his iron
boat, the rest went back for another load. The iron
boat-frame is to be covered with skins and requires
a quantity of thin shaved strips of wood for lining.
In the forenoon we put the frame together, which is
36 feet long, 4 1-2 wide, and 2 feet 2 inches deep. In
the afternoon Capt. Lewis and one of the men went
down to Medicine river, which is about two miles
distant; to see whether the three men sent there to
hunt had procured any elk skins. In the evening
they found one of the hunters, and encamped with
him all night.

Monday 24th. In the morning Capt. Lewis came
up to our camp. We found it very difficult to procure
stuff for the boat. The two men which Captain
Lewis had left in the morning came to our camp in
the afternoon, but had seen nothing of the other two
hunters. In the evening there was a very heavy
shower of rain; at night the weather cleared up, and
the men arrived with two more canoes. The two
hunters which Capt. Lewis could not find, had killed
some buffaloe below the mouth of the Medicine river,
where one remained, and the other had gone across
to the camp below the falls again, but had found no
elk.

Tuesday 25th. A cloudy morning. The men went
back for more canoes and baggage; and one went
down to the hunter's camp below Medicine river to
bring him up in a canoe. Another went up the river
to look for elk. When he had gone about three miles,
he was attacked by 3 brown bears, that were near
devouring him; but he made his escape by running
down a steep bank into the water. In this adventure
he fell, injured his gun, and hurt one of his hands;
therefore returned to camp. One of the men and
myself went over to an island to look for stuff for
the canoe, but could find nothing but bark, which
perhaps will answer. We killed two elk on the
island. There is in the bottoms a great quantity of
spear-mint and currant bushes. Also multitudes
of blackbirds. The musquitoes are very troublesome,
though the snow is on the mountains so near.
In the evening the two men came up the river with a
quantity of good meat and 100 pounds of tallow.

Wednesday 26th. A fine morning. Two hunters
went up the river, and myself and another went over
the river to collect bark; where a great gang of buffaloe
came near us, and we killed 7 of them. In the
evening the men returned over the plains with two
more canoes and baggage. One man fell very sick

and Captain Lewis had to bleed him with a penknife,
having no other instrument at this camp. Captain
Clarke measured the length of this portage accurately
and found it to be 18 miles. He also measured
the height of the falls, and found them in a
distance of 17 miles 362 feet 9 inches. The first
great pitch 98 feet, the second 19 feet, the third 47
feet 8 inches, the fourth 26 feet; and a number
of small pitches, amounting altogether to 362 feet
9 inches.

Thursday 27th. A fine day. The men went back
for the remaining canoe and baggage. The sick man
is become better. This morning some elk came
close to camp and we killed two of them. In the
afternoon a dreadful hail storm came on, which lasted
half an hour. Some of the lumps of ice that fell
weighed 3 ounces, and measured 7 inches in circumference.
The ground was covered with them, as
white as snow. It kept cloudy during the evening
and some rain fell. At night the two hunters that
went up the river returned. They had killed while
out 9 elk and 3 bears.

Friday 28th. A fine morning. There are but 6
persons now at this camp, but all busy about the boat;
some shaving skins, some sewing them together; and
some preparing the wood part.

Saturday 29th. We had a very hard gust of wind
and rain in the morning; but a fine forenoon after
it. Captain Lewis and a hunter went down the river
about 7 miles, to see a very large spring which rises
out of the bank of the Missouri on the south side.
In the afternoon there was another heavy shower
of rain, and after it a fine evening. Captain Lewis
came to camp, but drenched with rain.

Sunday 30th. A fine morning, and heavy dew,
which is very rare in this country. The men with
the canoe and baggage did not return, as we expected.

Monday 1st July 1805. A fine day. In the afternoon,
Captain Clarke and the men came with all
the baggage except some they had left six miles
back. The hail that fell on the 27th hurt some of
the men very badly. Captain Clarke, the interpreter,
and the squaw and child, had gone to see the
spring at the falls; and when the storm began, they
took shelter under a bank at the mouth of a run;
but in five minutes there was seven feet water in the
run; and they were very near being swept away.
They lost a gun, an umbrella and a Surveyor's compass,
and barely escaped with their lives.

Tuesday 2nd. A fine morning. The Surveyor's
compass, which had been lost was found to-day.
The men went out for the baggage which had
been left on the way, and got in with the whole of it,
and canoes safe.

In the evening, the most of the corps crossed over
to an island, to attack and rout its monarch, a large
brown bear, that held possession and seemed to defy
all that would attempt to besiege him there. Our
troops, however, stormed the place, gave no quarter,
and its commander fell. Our army returned the
same evening to camp without having suffered any
loss on their side.

Wednesday 3rd. A fine morning. I was so engaged
with the boat, that I had not visited the falls. I
therefore set out with one of the men to-day for that
purpose. I found the 2nd pitch the most beautiful,
though not the highest. About a mile below the upper
pitch, the largest and most beautiful spring rises
out of the bank of the Missouri on the south side
that I ever beheld. We had a light shower of rain.
During this excursion I saw more buffaloe than I had
seen in any day previous: we killed 7 of them before
we returned to camp. We also saw 25 wolves in one
gang or pack.

Thursday 4th. A fine day. A part of the men were

busily engaged at the boat, and others in dressing
skins for clothing, until about 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
when we drank the last of our spirits in celebrating
the day, and amused ourselves with dancing
till 9 o'clock at night, when a shower of rain fell
and we retired to rest.

Friday 5th. A fine morning. All the men, except
five of us who were engaged at the boat, went
to hunt; at night they came in and had killed several
buffaloe and some cabres or antelopes.

Saturday 6th. As many of the hands as could find
room to work were engaged at the boat; and four
went down the river to hunt buffaloe, in order to get
their skins to cover our craft. This was a beautiful
and pleasant day.

Sunday 7th. The morning was fine. The hunters
had remained out all night. In the evening some
few drops of rain fell; and the hunters came in;
but had not good luck, the buffaloe being mostly out
in the plains. At night we got our boat finished, all
but greasing; and she was laid out to dry.

Monday 8th. Again we had a fine morning, and
a number of the party went out to hunt. In the
evening they all came in, and had killed but three
buffaloe, a deer and a cabre; and caught a small
animal almost like a cat, of a light colour. Yesterday
one of the men caught a small squirrel, like a
ground squirrel, but of a more dun colour, and more
spotted. We finished the boat this evening, having
covered her with tallow and coal-dust. We called
her the Experiment, and expect she will answer our
purpose.

Tuesday 9th. A fine morning, and heavy dew. In
the forenoon we loaded our canoes, and put the Experiment
into the water. She rides very light but
leaks some. In the afternoon a storm of wind, with
some rain came on from the north west, and we had
again to unload some of our canoes, the waves ran so

high. After the storm we had a fine evening. The
tallow and coal were found not to answer the purpose;
for as soon as dry, it cracked and scaled off,
and the water came through the skins. Therefore
for want of tar or pitch we had, after all our labour,
to haul our new boat on shore, and leave it at this
place.

Wednesday 10th. A fine cool morning. Captain
Lewis and Captain Clarke thought it would be best
to make two canoes more, if we could get timber
large enough. So Captain Clarke and 10 men set
out in search of it. Some of the hunters having
seen large timber about 20 miles up the river, the
canoes were sent on loaded, and a party went by
land; the distance that way being only 6 or 7 miles.
If timber is found the canoes are to unload and return
for the remainder of the baggage. Captain Lewis,
myself and nine men staid to take the boat asunder
and bury her; and deposited her safely under ground.
Captain Lewis had an observation at 12 which gave
47. 3. 10. N. Latitude. In the afternoon I went out
to see if there were any buffaloe near, but found
none: they appear to have all left the river. On
the bank of a run where there are high rocks, I found
a great quantity of sweet gooseberries, all ripe.

Thursday 11th. We continued here waiting for
the return of the canoes until 2 o'clock; then four
of us went out and killed a buffaloe and brought in
part of the meat. The canoes did not come back
this evening.

Friday 12th. A fine morning. Myself and three
of the men went up the river to assist Captain
Clarke's party. In our way we passed a small bottom
on the north side of the river, in which there is
an old Indian lodge 216 feet in circumference.
Here we saw some wild pidgeons and turtle doves.
Having gone about 7 miles we found Captain
Clarke's party, who had cut down two trees and taken

off logs for canoes, one 25 and the other 30 feet
in length. The canoes had returned to our old camp,
where Captain Lewis was.

Saturday 13th. A fine day, but high wind. Captain
Lewis came up here, accompanied by the
squaw. He informed us that the canoes had started
with all the baggage from the former encampment,
which we had called White-bear camp. The musquitoes
are very troublesome. This evening the
canoes were finished except the putting in some
knees.

Sunday 14th. A fine morning. About 11 o'clock
the men came up with the canoes and baggage.
The distance by water was found to be 22 miles,
and by land only 6 miles. In the afternoon some
rain fell but we continued to work at the canoes, and
finished them ready for loading.