The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Part 52

[Lewis, April 13, 1805]

Sat.u.r.day April 13th Being disappointed in my observations of yesterday for Longitude, I was unwilling to remain at the entrance of the river another day for that purpose, and therefore determined to set out early this morning; which we did accordingly; the wind was in our favour after 9 A.M. and continued favourable untill three 3 P.M. we therefore hoisted both the sails in the White Perogue, consisting of a small squar sail, and spritsail, which carried her at a pretty good gate, untill about 2 in the afternoon when a suddon squall of wind struck us and turned the perogue so much on the side as to allarm Sharbono who was steering at the time, in this state of alarm he threw the perogue with her side to the wind, when the spritsail gibing was as near overseting the perogue as it was possible to have missed. the wind however abating for an instant I ordered Drewyer to the helm and the sails to be taken in, which was instant executed and the perogue being steered before the wind was agin placed in a state of security. this accedent was very near costing us dearly. beleiving this vessell to be the most steady and safe, we had embarked on board of it our instruments, Papers, medicine and the most valuable part of the merchandize which we had still in reserve as presents for the Indians. we had also embarked on board ourselves, with three men who could not swim and the squaw with the young child, all of whom, had the perogue overset, would most probably have perished, as the waves were high, and the perogue upwards of 200 yards from the nearest sh.o.r.e; however we fortunately escaped and pursued our journey under the square sail, which shortly after the accident I directed to be again hoisted. our party caught three beaver last evening; and the French hunters 7. as there was much appearance of beaver just above the entrance of the little Missouri these hunters concluded to remain some days; we therefore left them without the expectation of seeing them again.--just above the entrance of the Little Missouri the great Missouri is upwards of a mile in width, tho immediately at the entrance of the former it is not more than 200 yards wide and so shallow that the canoes pa.s.sed it with seting poles. at the distance of nine miles pa.s.sed the mouth of a creek on the Stard. side which we called onion creek from the quant.i.ty of wild onions which grow in the plains on it's borders. Capt. Clark who was on sh.o.r.e informed me that this creek was 16 yards wide a mile & a half above it's entrance, discharges more water than creeks of it's size usually do in this open country, and that there was not a stick of timber of any discription to be seen on it's borders, or the level plain country through which it pa.s.ses. at the distance of 10 miles further we pa.s.sed the mouth of a large creek; discharging itself in the center of a deep bend. of this creek and the neighbouring country, Capt Clark who was on sh.o.r.e gave me the following discription "This creek I took to be a small river from it's size, and the quant.i.ty of water which it discharged. I ascended it 11/2 miles, and found it the discharge of a pond or small lake, which had the appearance of having formerly been the bed of the Missouri.

several small streems discharge themselves into this lake. the country on both sides consists of beautifull level and elivated plains; a.s.scending as they recede from the Missouri; there were a great number of Swan and gees in this lake and near it's borders I saw the remains of 43 temperary Indian lodges, which I presume were those of the a.s.sinniboins who are now in the neighbourhood of the British establishments on the a.s.sinniboin river-" This lake and it's discharge we call Boos Egg from the circ.u.mstance of Capt Clark shooting a goose while on her nest in the top of a lofty cotton wood tree, from which we afterwards took one egg. the wild gees frequently build their nests in this manner, at least we have already found several in trees, nor have we as yet seen any on the ground, or sand bars where I had supposed from previous information that they most commonly deposited their eggs.- saw some Bufhaloe and Elk at a distance today but killed none of them.

we found a number of carcases of the Buffaloe lying along sh.o.r.e, which had been drowned by falling through the ice in winter and lodged on sh.o.r.e by the high water when the river broke up about the first of this month. we saw also many tracks of the white bear of enormous size, along the river sh.o.r.e and about the carcases of the Buffaloe, on which I presume they feed. we have not as yet seen one of these anamals, tho their tracks are so abundant and recent. the men as well as ourselves are anxious to meet with some of these bear. the Indians give a very formidable account of the strengh and ferocity of this anamal, which they never dare to attack but in parties of six eight or ten persons; and are even then frequently defeated with the loss of one or more of their party. the savages attack this anamal with their bows and arrows and the indifferent guns with which the traders furnish them, with these they shoot with such uncertainty and at so short a distance, that they frequently mis their aim & fall a sacrefice to the bear. two Minetaries were killed during the last winter in an attack on a white bear. this anamall is said more frequently to attack a man on meeting with him, than to flee from him. When the Indians are about to go in quest of the white bear, previous to their departure, they paint themselves and perform all those superst.i.tious rights commonly observed when they are about to make war uppon a neighbouring nation. Oserved more bald eagles on this part of the Missouri than we have previously seen saw the small hawk, frequently called the sparrow hawk, which is common to most parts of the U States. great quant.i.ties of gees are seen feeding in the praries. saw a large flock of white brant or gees with black wings pa.s.s up the river; there were a number of gray brant with them; from their flight I presume they proceed much further still to the N. W.--we have never been enabled yet to shoot one of these birds, and cannot therefore determine whether the gray brant found with the white are their brude of the last year or whether they are the same with the grey brant common to the Mississippi and lower part of the Missouri.--we killed 2 Antelopes today which we found swiming from the S. to the N. side of the river; they were very poor.--We encamped this evening on the Stard. sh.o.r.e in a beautiful) plain, elivated about 30 feet above the river.

[Clark, April 13, 1805]

13th of April Satt.u.r.day 1805 Set out this morning at 6 oClock, the Missouri above the mouth of Little Missouri widens to nearly a mile containing a number of Sand bars this width &c. of the River Continues Generally as high as the Rochejhone River.

Cought 3 beaver this morning, at 9 miles pa.s.sd. the mouth of a Creek on the S. S. on the banks of which there is an imence quant.i.ty of wild onions or garlick, I was up this Creek 1/2 a m. and could not See one Stick of timber of any kind on its borders, this creek is 16 yds wide 1/2 a mile up it and discharges more water than is common for Creeks of its Size. at about 10 miles higher we pa.s.s a Creek about 30 yards wide in a deep bend to the N W. This creek I took to be a Small river from its Size & the quant.i.ty of water which it discharged, I ascended it 11/2 mes and found it the discharge of a pond or Small Lake which has appearance of haveing been once the bead of the river, Some Small Streams discharge themselves into this Lake. the Countery on both Side is butifull elevated plains a.s.sending in Some parts to a great distance near the aforesaid Lake (which we call Goose egg L from a Circ.u.mstance of my Shooting a goose on her neast on Some Sticks in the top of a high Cotton wood tree in which there was one egg) We Saw 8 buffalow at a distance, We also Saw Several herds of Elk at a distance which were verry wild, I Saw near the Lake the remains of 43 lodges, which has latterly been abandond I Suppose them to have been Ossinniboins and now near the british establishments on the Ossinniboin River tradeing. we camped on the S. S. in a butifull Plain. I observe more bald Eagles on this part of the Missouri than usial also a Small Hawk Killed 2 Antelopes in the river to day emence numbers of Geese to be seen pared &c. a Gange of brant pa.s.s one half of the gange white with black wings or the large feathers of the 1 s & 2d joint the remds. of the comn.

color. a voice much like that of a goos & finer &c.

[Lewis, April 14, 1805]

Sunday April 14th 1805.

One of the hunters saw an Otter last evening and shot at it, but missed it. a dog came to us this morning, which we supposed to have been lost by the Indians who were recently encamped near the lake that we pa.s.sed yesterday. the mineral appearances of salts, coal and sulpher, together with birnt hills & pumicestone still continue.--while we remained at the entrance of the little Missouri, we saw several pieces of pumice stone floating down that stream, a considerable quanty of which had lodged against a point of drift wood a little above it's entrance.

Capt. Clark walked on sh.o.r.e this morning, and on his return informed me that he had pa.s.sed through the timbered bottoms on the N. side of the river, and had extended his walk several miles back on the hills; in the bottom lands he had met with several uninhabited Indian lodges built with the boughs of the Elm, and in the plains he met with the remains of two large encampments of a recent date, which from the appearance of some hoops of small kegs, seen near them we concluded that they must have been the camps of the a.s.sinniboins, as no other nation who visit this part of the missouri ever indulge themselves with spirituous liquor. of this article the a.s.sinniboins are pationately fond, and we are informed that it forms their princ.i.p.al inducement to furnish the British establishments on the a.s.sinniboin river with the dryed and pounded meat and grease which they do. they also supply those establishments with a small quant.i.ty of fur, consisting princ.i.p.ally of the large and small wolves and the small fox skins. these they barter for small kegs of ruin which they generally transport to their camps at a distance from the establishments, where they revel with their friends and relations as long as they possess the means of intoxication, their women and children are equally indulged on those occations and are all seen drunk together. so far is a state of intoxication from being a cause of reproach among them, that with the men, it is a matter of exultation that their skill and industry as hunters has enabled them to get drunk frequently. in their customs, habits, and dispositions these people very much resemble the Siouxs from whom they have descended. The princ.i.p.al inducement with the British fur companies, for continuing their establishments on the a.s.sinniboin river, is the Buffaloe meat and grease they procure from the a.s.sinniboins, and Christanoes, by means of which, they are enabled to supply provision to their engages on their return from rainy Lake to the English river and the Athabaskey country where they winter; without such resource those voyagers would frequently be straitened for provision, as the country through which they pa.s.s is but scantily supplyed with game, and the rappidity with which they are compelled to travel in order to reach their winter stations, would leave therm but little leasure to surch for food while on their voyage.

The a.s.sinniboins have so recently left this neighbourhood, that the game is scarce and very shy. the river continues wide, and not more rapid than the Ohio in an averge state of it's current. the bottoms are wide and low, the moister parts containing some timber; the upland is extreemly broken, chonsisting of high gaulded n.o.bs as far as the eye can reach on ether side, and entirely dest.i.tute of timber. on these hills many aromatic herbs are seen; resembling in taste, smel and appearance, the sage, hysop, wormwood, southernwood and two other herbs which are strangers to me; the one resembling the camphor in taste and smell, rising to the hight of 2 or 3 feet; the other about the same size, has a long, narrow, smooth, soft leaf of an agreeable smel and flavor; of this last the Atelope is very fond; they feed on it, and perfume the hair of their foreheads and necks with it by rubing against it. the dwarf cedar and juniper is also found in great abundance on the sides of these hills. where the land is level, it is uniformly fertile consisting of a dark loam intermixed with a proportion of fine sand. it is generally covered with a short gra.s.s resembling very much the blue gra.s.s.--the miniral appearances still continue; considerable quant.i.ties of bitumenous water, about the colour of strong lye trickles down the sides of the hills; this water partakes of the taste of glauber salts and slightly of allumn.--while the party halted to take dinner today Capt Clark killed a buffaloe bull; it was meagre, and we therefore took the marrow bones and a small proportion of the meat only. near the place we dined on the Lard. side, there was a large village of burrowing squirrels. I have remarked that these anamals generally celect a South Easterly exposure for their residence, tho they are sometimes found in the level plains.--pa.s.sed an Island, above which two small creeks fall in on Lard side; the upper creek largest, which we called Sharbono's Creek after our interpreter who encamped several weeks on it with a hunting party of Indians. this was the highest point to which any whiteman had ever ascended; except two Frenchmen who having lost their way had straggled a few miles further, tho to what place precisely I could not learn.--I walked on sh.o.r.e above this creek and killed an Elk, which was so poor that it was unfit for uce; I therefore left it, and joined the party at their encampment on the Stard sh.o.r.e a little after dark. on my arrival Capt Clark informed me that he had seen two white bear pa.s.s over the hills shortly after I fired, and that they appeared to run nearly from the place where I shot. the lard. sh.o.r.e on which I walked was very broken, and the hills in many places had the appearance of having sliped down in ma.s.ses of several acres of land in surface.--we saw many gees feeding on the tender gra.s.s in the praries and several of their nests in the trees; we have not in a single instance found the nest of this bird on or near the ground. we saw a number of Magpies their nests and eggs. their nests are built in trees and composed of small sticks leaves and gra.s.s, open at top, and much in the stile of the large blackbird comm to the U States. the egg is of a bluish brown colour, freckled with redish brown spots. one of the party killed a large hooting owl. I observed no difference between this burd and those of the same family common to the U States, except that this appeared to be more booted and more thickly clad with feathers.-

[Clark, April 14, 1805]

14th of April Sunday 1805.

a fine morning, a dog came to us this morning we Suppose him to be left by the Inds. who had their camps near the Lake we pa.s.sd. yesterday not long Sence, I observed Several Single Lodges built of Stiks of cotten timber in different parts of the bottoms. in my walk of this day which was through the wooded bottoms and on the hills for several miles back from the river on the S. S. I Saw the remains of two Indian incampments with wide beeten tracks leading to them. those were no doubt the Camps of the Ossinnaboin Indians (a Strong evidence is hoops of Small Kegs were found in the incampments) no other nation on the river above the Sioux make use of Spiritious licquer, the Ossinniboins is said to be pasionately fond of Licquer, and is the princ.i.p.al inducement to their putting themselves to the trouble of Catching the fiew wolves and foxes which they furnish, and recive their liquor always in small Kegs. The Ossinniboins make use of the Same kind of Lodges which the Sioux and other Indians on this river make use of--Those lodges or tents are made of a number of dressed buffalow Skins Sowed together with Sinues & deckerated with the tales, & Porcupine quils, when open it forms a half circle with a part about 4 Inches wide projecting about 8 or 9 Inches from the center of the Streight Side for the purpose of attaching it to a pole to it the hight they wish to raise the tent, when they errect this tent four poles of equal length are tied near one end, those poles are elevated and 8 10 or 12 other poles are anexed forming a Circle at the ground and lodging in the forks of the four attached poles, the tents are then raised, by attach the projecting part to a pole and inc.u.mpa.s.sing the poles with the tent by bringing the two ends together and attached with a Cord, or laied as high as is necessary, leaveing the lower part open for about 4 feet for to pa.s.s in & out, and the top is generally left open to admit the Smoke to pa.s.s--The Borders of the river has been So much hunted by those Indians who must have left it about 8 or 10 days past and I prosume are now in the neighbourhood of British establishments on the Osinniboin; the game is Scerce and verry wild. The River Continues wide and the current jentle not more rapid than the Current of the Ohio in middle State--The bottoms are wide and low and the moist parts of them Contain Som wood such as cotton Elm & Small ash, willow rose bushes &c. &c. &. next to the hills Great quant.i.ty of wild Isoop, the hills are high broken in every direction, and the mineral appearance of Salts Continue to appear in a greater perportion, also Sulpher, Coal & bitumous water in a Smaller quant.i.ty, I have observed but five burnt hills, about the little Missouri, and I have not Seen any pumey stone above that River I Saw Buffalow on the L.

S. Crossed and dureing the time of dinner killed a Bull, which was pore, we made use of the best of it, I Saw a village of Burrowing dogs on the L. S. pa.s.sed a Island above which two Small Creeks falls in on the L. S. the upper of which is the largest and we call Shabonas Creek after our interpreter who incamped several weeks on this Creek and is the highest point on the Missouri to which a white man has been previous to this time. Capt. Lewis walked out above this creek and killed an Elk which he found So meager that it was not fit for use, and joined the boat at Dusk at our Camp on the S. S. opposit a high hill Several parts of which had Sliped down. on the Side of those hills we Saw two white bear running from the report of Capt. Lewis Shot, those animals a.s.sended those Steep hills with Supprising ease & verlocity.

they were too far to discover their prosise Colour & Size--Saw Several gees nests on trees, also the nests & egs of the Magpies, a large grey owl killed, booted & with ears &c.

[Lewis, April 15, 1805]

Monday April 15th 1805.

Set out at an early hour this morning. I walked on sh.o.r.e, and Capt.

Clark continued with the party it being an invariable rule with us not to be both absent from our vessels at the same time. I pa.s.sed through the bottoms of the river on the Stard. side. they were partially covered with timber & were extensive, level and beatifull. in my walk which was about 6 miles I pa.s.sed a small rivulet of clear water making down from the hills, which on tasting, I discovered to be in a small degree brackish. it possessed less of the glauber salt, or alumn, than those little streams from the hills usually do.--in a little pond of water fromed by this rivulet where it entered the bottom, I heard the frogs crying for the first time this season; their note was the same with that of the small frogs which are common to the lagoons and swamps of the U States.--I saw great quant.i.ties of gees feeding in the bottoms, of which I shot one. saw some deer and Elk, but they were remarkably shy. I also met with great numbers of Grouse or prarie hens as they are called by the English traders of the N. W. these birds appeared to be mating; the note of the male is kuck, kuck, kuck, coo, coo, coo. the first part of the note both male and female use when flying. the male also dubbs something like the pheasant, but by no means as loud. after breakfast Capt. Clark walked on the Std. sh.o.r.e, and on his return in the evening gave me the following account of his ramble. "I ascended to the high country, about 9 miles distant from the Missouri. the country consists of beatifull, level and fertile plains, dest.i.tute of timber I saw many little dranes, which took their rise in the river hills, from whence as far as I could see they run to the N.

E." these streams we suppose to be the waters of Mous river a branch of the a.s.sinniboin which the Indians informed us approaches the Missouri very nearly, about this point. "I pa.s.sed," continued he, "a Creek about 20 yards wide," which falls into the Missouri; the bottoms of this creek are wide level and extreemly fertile, but almost entirely dest.i.tute of timber. the water of this creek as well as all those creeks and rivulets which we have pa.s.sed since we left Fort Mandan was so strongly impregnated with salts and other miniral substances that I was incapable of drinking it. I saw the remains of several camps of the a.s.sinniboins; near one of which, in a small ravene, there was a park which they had formed of timber and brush, for the purpose of taking the Cabrie or Antelope. it was constructed in the following manner. a strong pound was first made of timbers, on one side of which there was a small apparture, sufficiently large to admit an Antelope; from each side of this apparture, a curtain was extended to a considerable distance, widening as they receded from the pound.--we pa.s.sed a rock this evening standing in the middle of the river, and the bed of the river was formed princ.i.p.ally of gravel. we encamped this evening on a sand point on Lard. side. a little above our encampment the river was confined to a channel of 80 yards in width.-

[Clark, April 15, 1805]

15th of April Monday 1805 Set out at an early hour, Captn Lewis walked on Sh.o.r.e and Killed a goose, pa.s.sed a Island in a bend to the L. S. the wind hard from the S.

E. after brackfast I walked on Sh.o.r.e and a.s.sended to the high Countrey on the S. S. and off from the Missouri about three miles the countrey is butifull open fertile plain the dreans take theer rise near the Clifts of the river and run from the river in a N E derection as far as I could See, this is the part of the River which Mouse river the waters of Lake Winnipec approaches within a fiew miles of Missouri, and I believe those dreans lead into that river. we pa.s.sed a creek about 20 yds. wide on the S. S. the bottoms of this Creek is extensive & fertile, the water of this as also, all the Streams which head a fiew miles in the hills discharge water which is black & unfit for use (and can Safely Say that I have not Seen one drop of water fit for use above fort Mandan except Knife and the little Missouris Rivers and the Missouri, the other Streams being So much impregnated with mineral as to be verry disagreeble in its present State.) I saw the remains of Several Camps of ossinniboins, near one of those camps & at no great distance from the mouth of the aforesid Creek, in a hollow, I saw a large Strong pen made for the purpose of Catching the antelope, with wings projecting from it widining from the pen

Saw Several gangs of Buffalow and Some elk at a distance, a black bear Seen from the Perogues to day--pa.s.sed a rock in the Middle of the river, Some Smaller rocks from that to the L. Sh.o.r.e, the dog that came to us yesterday morning continues to follow us, we camped on a Sand point to the L. S.

[Lewis, April 16, 1805]

Tuesday April 16th 1805.

Set out very early this morning. Capt. Clark walked on Sh.o.r.e this morning, and killed an Antelope, rejoined us at 1/2 after eight A.M.- he informed me that he had seen many Buffaloe Elk and deer in his absence, and that he had met with a great number of old hornets nests in the woody bottoms through which he had pa.s.sed.--the hills of the river still continue extreemly broken for a few miles back, when it becomes a fine level country of open fertile lands immediately on the river there are many fine leavel extensive and extreemly fertile high plains and meadows. I think the quant.i.ty of timbered land on the river is increasing. the mineral appearances still continue. I met with several stones today that had the appearance of wood first carbonated and then petrefyed by the water of the river, which I have discovered has that effect on many vegitable substances when exposed to it's influence for a length of time. l believe it to be the stratas of Coal seen in those hills which causes the fire and birnt appearances frequently met with in this quarter. where those birnt appearances are to be seen in the face of the river bluffs, the coal is seldom seen, and when you meet with it in the neighbourhood of the stratas of birnt earth, the coal appears to be presisely at the same hight, and is nearly of the same thickness, togeter with the sand and a sulphurious substance which ususually accompanys it. there was a remarkable large beaver caught by one of the party last night. these anamals are now very abundant. I have met with several trees which have been felled by them 20 Inches in diameter. bark is their only food; and they appear to prefer that of the Cotton wood and willow; as we have never met with any other species of timber on the Missouri which had the appearance of being cut by them.--we pa.s.sed three small creeks on the Stard. side.

they take their rise in the river hills at no great distance. we saw a great number of geese today, both in the plains and on the river--I have observed but few ducks, those we have met with are the Mallard and blue winged Teal

[Clark, April 16, 1805]

16th of April Tuesday 1805 Wind hard from the S. E I walked on Sh.o.r.e and Killed an antilope which was verry meagre, Saw great numbers of Elk & some buffalow & Deer, a verry large Beaver Cought this morning. Some verry handsom high planes & extensive bottoms, the mineral appearances of Coal & Salt together with Some appearance of Burnt hils continue. a number of old hornets nests Seen in every bottom more perticularly in the one opposit to the place we camped this night--the wooded bottoms are more extensive to day than Common. pa.s.sed three Small Creeks on the S. S. to day which take their rise in the hills at no great distance, Great numbers of Gees in the river & in the Plains feeding on the Gra.s.s.

[Lewis, April 17, 1805]

Wednesday April 17th 1805.

A delightfull morning, set out at an erly hour. the country though which we pa.s.sed to (lay was much the same as that discribed of yesterday; there wase more appearance of birnt hills, furnis.h.i.+ng large quanties of lava and pumice stone, of the latter some pieces were seen floating down the river. Capt. Clark walked on sh.o.r.e this morning on the Stard. side, and did not join us untill half after six in the evening. he informed me that he had seen the remains of the a.s.sinniboin encampments in every point of woodland through which he had pa.s.sed. we saw immence quant.i.ties of game in every direction around us as we pa.s.sed up the river; consisting of herds of Buffaloe, Elk, and Antelopes with some deer and woolves. tho we continue to see many tracks of the bear we have seen but very few of them, and those are at a great distance generally runing from us; I thefore presume that they are extreemly wary and shy; the Indian account of them dose not corrispond with our experience so far. one black bear pa.s.sed near the perogues on the 16th and was seen by myself and the party but he so quickly disappeared that we did not shoot at him.--at the place we halted to dine on the Lard. side we met with a herd of buffaloe of which I killed the fatest as I concieved among them, however on examining it I found it so poar that I thought it unfit for uce and only took the tongue; the party killed another which was still more lean. just before we encamped this evening we saw some tracks of Indians who had pa.s.sed about 24 hours; they left four rafts of timber on the Stard. side, on which they had pa.s.sed. we supposed them to have been a party of the a.s.sinniboins who had been to war against the rocky mountain Indians, and then on their return. Capt. Clark saw a Curlou today. there were three beaver taken this morning by the party. the men prefer the flesh of this anamal, to that of any other which we have, or are able to procure at this moment. I eat very heartily of the beaver myself, and think it excellent; particularly the tale, and liver. we had a fair wind today which enabled us to sail the greater part of the distance we have travled, encamped on the Lard sh.o.r.e the extremity of the last course

[Clark, April 17, 1805]

17th of April Wednesday 1805 a fine morning wind from the S E. Genly to day handsom high extencive rich Plains on each Side, the mineral appearances continue with greater appearances of Coal, much greater appearance of the hills haveing been burnt, more Pumice Stone & Lava washed down to the bottoms and some Pumice Stone floating in the river, I walked on the S. S. Saw great numbs. of Buffalow feeding in the Plains at a distance Capt. Lewis killed 2 Buffalow buls which was near the water at the time of dineing, they were So pore as to be unfit for use. I Saw Several Small parties of antelopes large herds of Elk, Some white wolves, and in a pond (formed on the S. S. by the Missouries Changeing its bead) I Saw Swan Gees & different kinds of Ducks in great numbers also a Beaver house.

Pa.s.sed a Small Creek on the S. S. & Several runs of water on each Side, Saw the remains of Indian camps in every point of timbered land on the S. S. in the evining a thunder gust pa.s.sed from the S W, without rain, about Sunset Saw Some fresh Indians track and four rafts on the sh.o.r.e S. S. Those I prosume were Ossinniboins who had been on a war party against the Rockey Mountain Indians--Saw a Curlow, Some verry large beaver taken this morning. those animals are made use of as food and preferred by the party to any other at this Season

[Lewis, April 18, 1805]

Thursday April 18th 1805.

A fine morning, set out at an early hour. one Beaver caught this morning by two traps, having a foot in each; the traps belonged to different individuals, between whom, a contest ensued, which would have terminated, most probably, in a serious rencounter had not our timely arrival at the place prevented it. after breakfast this morning, Capt.

Clark walked on Stad. sh.o.r.e, while the party were a.s.sending by means of their toe lines, I walked with them on the bank; found a species of pea bearing a yellow flower, and now in blume; it seldom rises more than 6 inches high, the leaf & stalk resembles that of the common gardin pea, the root is pirenial. (See specimen of vegitables No. 3.) I also saw several pa.r.s.els of buffaloe's hair hanging on the rose bushes, which had been bleached by exposure to the weather and became perfectly white. it every appearance of the wool of the sheep, tho much finer and more silkey and soft. I am confident that an excellent cloth may be made of the wool of the Buffaloe. the Buffaloe I killed yesterday had cast his long hare, and the poll which remained was very thick, fine, and about 2 inches in length. I think this anamal would have furnished about five pounds of wool. we were detained today from one to five P.M.

in consequence of the wind which blew so violently from N. that it was with difficulty we could keep the canoes from filling with water altho they were along sh.o.r.e; I had them secured by placing the perogues on the out side of them in such manner as to break the waves off them. at 5 we proceed, and shortly after met with Capt. Clark, who had killed an Elk and a deer and was wating our arrival. we took the meat on board and continued our march untill nearly dark when we came too on the Stard side under a boald welltimbered bank which sheltered us from the wind which had abated but not yet ceased. here we encamped, it being the extremity of the last course of this day.-

[Clark, April 18, 1805]

18th of April Thursday 1805 Set out at an early hour one Beaver & a Musrat Cought this morning, the beaver cought in two traps, which like to have brought about a missunderstanding between two of the party &c. after brackfast I a.s.sended a hill and observed that the river made a great bend to the South, I concluded to walk thro the point about 2 miles and take Shabono, with me, he had taken a dost of Salts &c. his Squar followed on with his child, when I Struck the next bend of the river could See nothing of the Party, left this man & his wife & Child on the river bank and went out to hunt, Killed a young Buck Elk, & a Deer, the Elk was tolerable meat, the Deer verry pore, Butcherd the meat and Continued untill near Sunset before Capt Lewis and the party Came up, they were detained by the wind, which rose Soon after I left the boat from the N W. & blew verry hard untill verry late in the evening. we Camped on the S. S. in an excellent harbor, Soon after We came too, two men went up the river to Set their beaver traps they met with a Bear and being without their arms thought prodent to return &c. the wild Cheries are in bloom, Great appearance of Burnt hills Pumice Stone &c.

the Coal & Salt appearance Continued, the water in the Small runs much better than below,--Saw Several old Indian Camps, the game, Such as Buffalow Elk, antelopes & Deer verry plenty

[Lewis, April 19, 1805]

Friday April 19th 1805.