[Lewis, May 26, 1805]
Sunday May 26th 1805.
Set out at an early hour and proceeded princ.i.p.ally by the toe line, using the oars mearly to pa.s.s the river in order to take advantage of the sh.o.r.es. scarcely any bottoms to the river; the hills high and juting in on both sides, to the river in many places. the stone tumbleing from these clifts and brought down by the rivulets as mentioned yesterday became more troublesome today. the black rock has given place to a very soft sandstone which appears to be washed away fast by the river, above this and towards the summits of the hills a hard freestone of a brownish yellow colour shews itself in several stratas of unequal thicknesses frequently overlain or incrusted by a very thin strata of limestone which appears to be formed of concreted sh.e.l.ls. Capt. Clark walked on sh.o.r.e this morning and ascended to the summit of the river hills he informed me on his return that he had seen mountains on both sides of the river runing nearly parrallel with it and at no great distance; also an irregular range of mountains on lard.
about 50 mes. distant, the extremities of which boar W and N. W. from his station. he also saw in the course of his walk, some Elk, several herds of the Big horn, and the large hare; the latter is common to every part of this open country. scarcely any timber to be seen except the few scattering pine and spruce which crown the high hills, or in some instances grow along their sides. In the after part of the day I also walked out and ascended the river hills which I found sufficiently fortiegueing. on arriving to the summit one of the highest points in the neighbourhood I thought myself well repaid for any labour; as from this point I beheld the Rocky Mountains for the first time, I could only discover a few of the most elivated points above the horizon, the most remarkable of which by my pocket compa.s.s I found bore N. 65 W.
being a little to the N. of the N. W. extremity of the range of broken mountains seen this morning by Capt. C. these points of the Rocky Mountains were covered with snow and the sun shone on it in such manner as to give me the most plain and satisfactory view. while I viewed these mountains I felt a secret pleasure in finding myself so near the head of the heretofore conceived boundless Missouri; but when I reflected on the difficulties which this snowey barrier would most probably throw in my way to the Pacific, and the sufferings and hardships of myself and party in them, it in some measure counterballanced the joy I had felt in the first moments in which I gazed on them; but as I have always held it a crime to antic.i.p.ate evils I will believe it a good comfortable road untill I am compelled to beleive differently. saw a few Elk & bighorns at a distance on my return to the river I pa.s.sed a creek about 20 yds. wide near it"s entrance it had a handsome little stream of runing water; in this creek I saw several softsh.e.l.led Turtles which were the first that have been seen this season; this I believe proceeded reather from the season than from their non existence in the portion of the river from the Mandans. .h.i.ther. on the Stard. sh.o.r.e I killed a fat buffaloe which was very acceptable to us at this moment; the party came up to me late in the evening and encamped for the night on the Lard. side. it was after dark before we finished butchering the buffaloe, and on my return to camp I trod within five inches of a rattle snake but being in motion I pa.s.sed before he could probably put himself in a striking att.i.tude and fortunately escaped his bite, I struck about at random with my espontoon being directed in some measure by his nois untill I killed him. Our hunters had killed two of the Bighorned Anamals since I had left them. we also pa.s.sed another creek a few miles below Turtle Creek on the Stard. 30 yds in width which also had runing water bed rockey.- late this evening we pa.s.sed a very bad rappid which reached quite across the river, the party had considerable difficulty in ascending it altho they doubled their crews and used both the rope and the pole.
while they were pa.s.sing this rappid a female Elk and it"s fawn swam down throught the waves which ran very high, hence the name of Elk rappids which they instantly gave this place, these are the most considerable rappids which we have yet seen on the missouri and in short the only place where there has appeared to be a suddon decent.
opposite to these rappids there is a high bluff and a little above on Lard. a small cottonwood bottom in which we found sufficient timber for our fires and encampment. here I rejoined the party after dark. The appearances of coal in the face of the bluffs, also of birnt hills, pumice stone salt and quarts continue as yesterday. This is truly a desert barren country and I feel myself still more convinced of it"s being a continuation of the black hills. we have continued every day to pa.s.s more or less old stick lodges of the Indians in the timbered points, there are two even in this little bottom where we lye.-
[Clark, May 26, 1805]
May 26th Sunday 1805 We Set out early and proceeded as yesterday wind from the S. W. the river enclosed with very high hills on either Side. I took one man and walked out this morning, and ascended the high countrey to view the mountains which I thought I Saw yesterday, from the first Sumit of the hill I could plainly See the Mountains on either Side which I Saw yesterday and at no great distance from me, those on the Stard Side is an errigular range, the two extremities of which bore West and N. West from me. those Mountains on the Lard. Side appeared to be Several detached k.n.o.bs or mountains riseing from a leven open Countrey, at different distances from me, from South West to South East, on one the most S. Westerly of those Mountains there appeared to be Snow. I crossed a Deep holler and a.s.sended a part of the plain elevated much higher than where I first viewed the above mountains; from this point I beheld the Rocky Mountains for the first time with Certainty, I could only discover a fiew of the most elivated points above the horizon. the most remarkable of which by my pocket Compas I found bore S. 60 W.
those points of the rocky Mountain were Covered with Snow and the Sun Shown on it in Such a manner as to give me a most plain and Satisfactory view. whilst I viewed those mountains I felt a Secret pleasure in finding myself So near the head of the heretofore Conceived boundless Missouri; but when I reflected on the difficulties which this Snowey barrier would most probably throw in my way to the Pacific Ocean, and the Sufferings and hardships of my Self and party in them, it in Some measure Counter ballanced the joy I had felt in the first moments in which I gazed on them; but as I have always held it little Short of Criminality to antic.i.p.ate evils I will allow it to be a good Comfortable road untill I am Compelled to believe otherwise The high Country in which we are at present and have been pa.s.sing for Some days I take to be a continuation of what the Indians as well as the French Engages call the Black hills. This tract of Country So Called Consists of a Collection of high broken and irregular hills and Short Chains of Mountains, sometimes 100 miles in width and again becoming much narrower, but always much higher than the Country on either Side; they commence about the head of the Kanzas river and to the west of that river near the Arkansaw river, from whence they take their Cource a little to the west of N. W. approaching the Rocky Mountains obliquely pa.s.sing the river Platt near the forks, and intersepting the River Rochejhone near the big bend of that river, and pa.s.sing the Missouri at this place-, and probably Continueing to Swell the Country as far North as the Saskashawan river. tho they are lower here than they are discribed to the South and may therefore termonate before they reach the Saskashawan. the Black hills in their Course northerly appear to approach more nearly the Rocky Mountains. I Saw a great number of white brant, also the common brown brant, Geese of the common Size & kind and a Small Species of geese, which differs considerably from the Common or Canadian Goose; their necks, head and backs are considerably thicker, Shorter and larger than the other in propotion to its Size they are also more than a third Smaller, and their note more like that of the brant or young goose which has not perfectly acquired his note, in all other respect they are the Same in Colour habits and the number of feathers in the tail, they frequently also ascocate with the large Geese when in flocks, but never Saw them pared off with the larger or common goose. The white Brant ascocates in very large flocks, they do not appear to be mated or pared off as if they intended to raise their young in this quarter, I therefore doubt whether they reside here dureing the Summer for that purpose. this bird is larger than the Common brown brant or 2/3 of the common goose. it is not So long by Six inches from point to point of the wings when extended as the other; the back head and neck are also larger and Stronger; their beak, legs and feet are of a redish flesh coloured white. the eye of a moderate Size, the puple of a deep Sea green encircled with a ring of yellowish brown.
it has 16 feathers of equal length in the tail their note differs but little from the Common brant. they are of a pure white except the large feathers of the 1st and 2d joint of the wings which are jut black.
The country which borders the river is high broken and rocky, generally imbeded with a Soft Sand Stone higher up the hill the Stone is of a brownish yellow hard and gritty those Stones wash down from the hills into the river and cause the Sh.o.r.e to be rocky &c. which we find troublesom to a.s.send there is Scerce any bottom between the Hills & river and but a fiew trees to be Seen on either Side except Scattering pine on the Sides of the emence hills; we pa.s.sed 2 Creeks on the Stard Side both of them had running water in one of those Creek Capt Lewis tells me he saw Soft Sh.e.l.l Turtle Capt Lewis in his walk killed a fat Buffalow which we were in want of our hunters killed 2 Mountain rams or bighorns in the evening late we pa.s.sed a rapid which extended quite across the river we a.s.sended it by the a.s.sistance of a Cord & poles on the Lard. Side the Cliffs jut over, the opposit Side is a Small leavel bottom, we Camped a little above in a Small grove of Cotton trees on the Lard. Side in the rapid we saw a Dow Elk & her faun, which gave rise to the name of Elk & faun Riffle we had a few drops of rain at Dark.--the Salts Coal & Burnt hills & Pumicston Still Continue, game Scerce this Countrey may with propriety I think be termed the Deserts of America, as I do not Conceive any part can ever be Settled, as it is deficent in water, Timber & too Steep to be tilled. We pa.s.s old Indian lodges in the woody points everry day & 2 at our camp &c
[Lewis, May 26, 1805]
May 26, 1805.
One of the party killed a bighorned, the head and horns of which weighed 27 lbs. a hare was also killed which weighed 81/2 lbs. the hare are now of a plale lead brown colour-
[Lewis, May 27, 1805]
Monday May 27th 1805.
The wind blew so hard this morning that we did not sent out untill 10 A.M. we employed the chord most of the day; the river becomes more rappid and is intercepted by shoals and a greater number of rocky points at the mouths of the little gulies than we experienced yesterday. the bluffs are very high steep rugged, containing considerable quant.i.ties of stone and border the river closely on both sides; once perhaps in the course of several miles there will be a few acres of tolerably level land in which two or thre impoverished cottonwood trees will be seen. great quant.i.ties of stone also lye in the river and garnish it"s borders, which appears to have tumbled from the bluffs where the rains had washed away the sand and clay in which they were imbeded. the bluffs are composed of irregular tho horizontal stratas of yellow and brown or black clay, brown and yellowish white sand, of soft yellowish white sand stone and a hard dark brown free stone, also of large round kidneyformed and irregular seperate ma.s.ses of a hard black Iron stone, which is imbeded in the Clay and sand. some little pine spruce and dwarf cedar on the hills. some coal or carbonated wood still makes it"s appearance in these bluffs, pumicestone and birnt hills it"s concommutants also are seen. the salts and quarts are seen but not in such abundance. the country more broken and barren than yesterday if possible. about midday it was very warm to this the high bluffs and narrow channel of the river no doubt contributed greatly. we pa.s.sed a small untimbered Island this morning on the Lard. side of the river just above our encampment of last evening. saw a few small herds of the Bighorned anamals and two Elk only, of the last we killed one, the river is generally about 200 yds.
wide, very rappid and has a perceptable fall or declination through it"s whole course.
This evening we encamped, for the benefit of wood, near two dead toped cottonwood trees on the Lard. side; the dead limbs which had fallen from these trees furnished us with a scanty supply only, and more was not to be obtained in the neighbourhood.-
[Clark, May 27, 1805]
May 27th Monday 1805.
The wind blew hard from the S W. which detained us untill about 10 oClock, at which time we Set out and proceeded on, pa.s.sed a Small nacked Island on the Lard Side imediately above the timber in which we Camped The river is verry Shoaley and the bad places are verry numerous, i e at the mouth of every Drean the rocks which is a hard dark gritey Stone is thrown out Some distance in the river which Cause a Considerable riffle on that Side, the hills approach the river verry Close on either Side, river narrow & no timber except Some Scattering pine on the hills & hill Sides, the Salts, Coal, burn hills & Pumice Stone &c. Continue, the hills are Generally Bluffs of various Coloured earth most commonly black with different quallities stone intermixed Some Stratums of Soft Sand Stone, Some hard, Some a dark brown & yellow hard grit, those Stones are loosened by the earths washing from them into the river and ultimately role down into the river, which appears to be Crowded with them. This day is verry worm--we only Saw a fiew Small herds of the big horn animals on the hills, and two Elk one of which We killed, we Camped at 2 dead top trees on the Lard Side. The river is Genly about 200 yards wide and Current very Swift to day and has a verry perceptiable fall in all its Course--it rises a little.
[Lewis, May 28, 1805]
Tuesday May 28th 1805.
This morning we set forward at an early hour; the weather dark and cloudy, the are smokey, had a few drops of rain; we employed the chord generally to which we also gave the a.s.sistance of the pole at the riffles and rocky points; these are as numerous and many of them much worse than those we pa.s.sed yesterday; arround those points the water drives with great force, and we are obliged in many instaces to steer our vessels through the appertures formed by the points of large sharp rocks which reach a few inches above the surface of the water, here sould our chord give way the bough is instantly drivin outwards by the stream and the vessel thrown with her side on the rocks where she must inevitably overset or perhaps be dashed to peices; our ropes are but slender, all of them except one being made of Elk"s skin and much woarn, frequently wet and exposed to the heat of the weather are weak and rotten; they have given way several times in the course of the day but happily at such places that the vessel had room to wheel free of the rocks and therefore escaped injury; with every precaution we can take it is with much labour and infinite risk that we are enabled to get around these points. found a new indian lodge pole today which had been brought down by the stream, it was woarn at one end as if draged by dogs or horses; a football also, and several other articles were found, which have been recently brought down by the courant; these are strong evedences of Indians being on the river above us, and probably at no great distance; the football is such as I have seen among the Minetaries and therefore think it most probable that they are a band of the Minetaries of Fort de Prarie. the river country &c continued much as yesterday untill late in the evening when we arrived at the entrance of a large Creek discharges itself on the Stard. side, is 35 Yd. wide and contains runing water; here the hills recede from the river on both sides, the bottoms extensive particularly on the Stard. side where the hills are comparitively low and open into three large vallies which extend for a considerable distance in a Northwardly direction; here also the river spreads to more than 3 times it"s former width and is filled with a number of small and handsome Islands covered with cottonwood some timber also in the bottoms, the land again fertile.
These appearances were quite reviving after the drairy country through which we had been pa.s.sing. Capt. C. walked on sh.o.r.e in the early part of the day and killed a big horned anamal; he saw a great number of them as well as ourselves in the broken country. at 10 A.M. a few drops of rain again fell and were attended with distant thunder which is the first we have heated since we left the Mandans.--This evening we encamped on Stard. opposite to the entrance of a small Creek. I beleive the bighorn have their young at a very early season, say early in March for they appear now to be half grown. One of the party saw a very large bear today but being some distance from the river and no timber to conceal him he did not think proper to fire on him.
[Clark, May 28, 1805]
May 28th Tuesday 1805 a Cloudy morning Some fiew drops of rain and verry Smokey wind from the S. W. we Set out at an early hour, the Shoaley places are verry numerous and Some bad to get around we have to make use of the Cord & Poles, and our tow. ropes are all except one of Elkskin, & Stretch and Sometimes brake which indanger the Perogues or Canoe, as it imedeately turns and if any rock Should chance to be below, the rapidity of the current would turn her over, She Should chance to Strike the rock we observe great Caution at those places.
I walked on Sh.o.r.e found the Countrey ruged and as described yesterday, I Saw great numbers of the Big horned animals, one of which I killed their fauns are nearly half grown--one of the Party Saw a verry large bear, picked up on the Sh.o.r.e a pole which had been made use of by the Nativs for lodge poles, & haul"d by dogs it is new and is a Certain Sign of the Indians being on the river above a foot ball and Several other articles are also found to Substantiate this oppinion-. at 1 oClock we had a few drops of rain and Some thunder whic is the first thunder we have had Sinc we Set out from Fort Mandan; at 10 miles the the hills begin to widen & the river Spreds & is crouded with Islands the bottoms Contain Some Scattering Cotton wood the Islands also Contain timber--pa.s.sed a Creek of running water on the Stard Side about 35 yards wide and camped imedeately opposit to a Small Creek on the Lard. Side we call Bull Creek from the Circ.u.mstance of a Buffalow Bull swiming from the opposit Side and comeing out of the river imedeately across one of the Perogues without Sinking or injureing any thing in the Perogue, and pa.s.sing with great violence thro our Camp in the night makeing 3 angles without hurting a man, altho they lay in every direction, and it was very dark The Creek below 35 yards wide I call Thompsons Creek after a valuable member of our party--this Creek contains a Greater preportion of running water than Common.
[Lewis, May 29, 1805]
Wednesday May 29th 1905.
Last night we were all allarmed by a large buffaloe Bull, which swam over from the opposite sh.o.r.e and coming along side of the white perogue, climbed over it to land, he then alarmed ran up the bank in full speed directly towards the fires, and was within 18 inches of the heads of some of the men who lay sleeping before the centinel could allarm him or make him change his course, still more alarmed, he now took his direction immediately towards our lodge, pa.s.sing between 4 fires and within a few inches of the heads of one range of the men as they yet lay sleeping, when he came near the tent, my dog saved us by causing him to change his course a second time, which he did by turning a little to the right, and was quickly out of sight, leaving us by this time all in an uproar with our guns in or hands, enquiring of each other the case of the alarm, which after a few moments was explained by the centinel; we were happy to find no one hirt. The next morning we found that the buffaloe in pa.s.sing the perogue had trodden on a rifle, which belonged to Capt. Clark"s black man, who had negligently left her in the perogue, the rifle was much bent, he had also broken the spindle, pivit, and shattered the stock of one of the bluntderbushes on board, with this damage I felt well content, happey indeed, that we had sustaned no further injury. it appears that the white perogue, which contains our most valuable stores, is attended by some evil gennii.
This morning we set out at an early hour and proceded as usual by the Chord. at the distance of 21/2 miles pa.s.sed a handsome river which discharged itself on the Lard. side, I walked on sh.o.r.e and acended this river about a mile and a half in order to examine it. I found this river about 100 yds. wide from bank to bank, the water occupying about 75 yard. the bed was formed of gravel and mud with some sand; it appeared to contain much more water as the Muscle-Sh.e.l.l river, was more rappid but equally navigable; there were no large stone or rocks in it"s bed to obstruct the navigation; the banks were low yet appeared seldom to overflow; the water of this River is Clear than any we have met with great abundance of the Argalia or Bighorned animals in the high country through which this river pa.s.ses Cap. C who a.s.sended this R. much higher than I did has thought proper to call it Judieths River.
The bottoms of this stream as far as I could see were wider and contained more timber than the Missouri; here I saw some box alder intermixed with the Cottonwood willow rose bushes and honeysuckle with some red willow const.i.tute the undergrowth. on the Missouri just above the entrance of the Big Horn River I counted the remains of the fires of 126 Indian lodges which appeared to be of very recent date perhaps 12 or 15 days. Capt. Clark also saw a large encampent just above the entrance of this river on the Stard. side of reather older date, probably they were the same Indians. The Indian woman with us exmined the mockersons which we found at these encampments and informed us that they were not of her nation the Snake Indians, but she beleived they were some of the Indians who inhabit the country on this side of Rocky Mountains and North of the Missoury and I think it most probable that they were the Minetaries of Fort de Prarie. At the distance of six 1/2 ms. from our encampment of last night we pa.s.sed a very bad rappid to which we gave the name of the Ash rappid from a few trees of that wood growing near them; this is the first ash I have seen for a great distance. at this place the hills again approach the river closely on both sides, and the same seen which we had on the 27th and 28th in the morning again presents itself, and the rocky points and riffles reather more numerous and worse; there was but little timber; salts coal &c still appear. today we pa.s.sed on the Stard. side the remains of a vast many mangled carcases of Buffalow which had been driven over a precipice of 120 feet by the Indians and perished; the water appeared to have washed away a part of this immence pile of slaughter and still their remained the fragments of at least a hundred carcases they created a most horrid stench. in this manner the Indians of the Missouri distroy vast herds of buffaloe at a stroke; for this purpose one of the most active and fleet young men is scelected and disguised in a robe of buffaloe skin, having also the skin of the buffaloe"s head with the years and horns fastened on his head in form of a cap, thus caparisoned he places himself at a convenient distance between a herd of buffaloe and a precipice proper for the purpose, which happens in many places on this river for miles together; the other indians now surround the herd on the back and flanks and at a signal agreed on all shew themselves at the same time moving forward towards the buffaloe; the disguised indian or decoy has taken care to place himself sufficiently nigh the buffaloe to be noticed by them when they take to flight and runing before them they follow him in full speede to the precepice, the cattle behind driving those in front over and seeing them go do not look or hesitate about following untill the whole are precipitated down the precepice forming one common ma.s.s of dead an mangled carcases; the decoy in the mean time has taken care to secure himself in some cranney or crivice of the clift which he had previously prepared for that purpose. the part of the decoy I am informed is extreamly dangerous, if they are not very fleet runers the buffaloe tread them under foot and crush them to death, and sometimes drive them over the precepice also, where they perish in common with the buffaloe.--we saw a great many wolves in the neighbourhood of these mangled carcases they were fat and extreemly gentle, Capt. C. who was on sh.o.r.e killed one of them with his espontoon. just above this place we came too for dinner opposite the entrance of a bold runing river 40 yds. wide which falls in on Lard. side. this stream we called slaughter river. it"s bottoms are but narrow and contain scarcely any timber. our situation was a narrow bottom on the Stard. possessing some cottonwood.
soon after we landed it began to blow & rain, and as there was no appearance of even wood enough to make our fires for some distance above we determined to remain here untill the next morning, and accordingly fixed our camp and gave each man a small dram.
notwithstanding the allowance of sperits we issued did not exceed 1/2 pn. man several of them were considerably effected by it; such is the effects of abstaining for some time from the uce of sperituous liquors; they were all very merry.--The hunters killed an Elk this evening, and Capt. C. killed two beaver.
[Clark, May 29, 1805]
May 29th Wednesday 1805 In the last night we were alarmed by a Buffalow which Swam from the opposit Sh.o.r.e landed opposit the Perogue in which Capt Lewis & my Self were in he Crossed the perogue, and went with great force up to the fire where Several men were Sleeping and was 18 inches of their heads, when one man Sitting up allarmed him and he turned his course along the range of men as they lay, pa.s.sing between 4 fires and within a fiew Inches of Some of the mens heads as they lay imediately in a direction to our lodge about which Several men were lying. our Dog flew out & he changed his course & pa.s.sed without doeing more damage than bend a rifle & brakeing hir Stock and injureying one of the blunder busts in the perogue as he pa.s.sed through--We Set out this morning at the usial hour & proceeded on at 21/2 miles pa.s.sed the mouth of a river ____ yards wide, discharging a great quant.i.ty of water, and Containing more wood in its bottoms than the Missouri--this river Capt Lewis walked up for a Short distance & he Saw an old encampment of Indians (I also saw large encampment on the Stard Side at the mouth of a Small Creek of about 100 Lodges which appeared to be 5 or 6 weeks past, the Indian woman examined the mockersons &c. and told us they were the Indians which resided below the rocky mountains & to the North of this river,that her nation make their mockersons differently) at 61/2 miles pa.s.sed a considerable rapid at which place the hills approach near the river on both Sides, leaveing a narrow bottom on the Stard. Side, (ash rapid) and continue Close all day but little timber, I walked on the bank in the evening and saw the remains of a number of buffalow, which had been drove down a Clift of rocks I think from appearances that upwards of 100 of those animals must have perished here, Great numbers of wolves were about this place & verry jentle I killed one of them with my Spear. The hills above ash rapid Contains more rock and Coal, and the more rapid points. we Came too for Dinner opposit the enterence of a Small river which falls in on the Lard Side and is about ____ yards wide, has a bold running Stream, Soon after we Came too it began to rain & blow hard, and as we were in a good harbor & Small point of woods on the Stard Side, and no timber for some distance above, induced us to conclude to Stay all night. we gave the men a dram, altho verry Small it was Sufficent to effect Several men. one of our hunters killed an elk this evening--I killed 2 beaver on the Side of the bank a table Spoon full of water exposed to the air in a Saucer would avaperate in 36 hours when the mercury did not Stand higher than the temperate point in the heat of the day.
[Lewis, May 30, 1805]
Thursday May 30th 1805.
The rain which commenced last evening continued with little intermission untill 11this morning when we set out; the high wind which accompanied the rain rendered it impracticable to procede earlyer. more rain has now fallen than we have experienced since the 15th of September last. many circ.u.mstances indicate our near approach to a country whos climate differs considerably from that in which we have been for many months. the air of the open country is a.s.stonishingly dry as well as pure. I found by several experiments that a table spoon full of water exposed to the air in a saucer would avaporate in 36 hours when the murcury did not stand higher than the temperate point at the greatest heat of the day; my inkstand so frequently becoming dry put me on this experiment. I also observed the well seasoned case of my s.e.xtant shrunk considerably and the joints opened. The water of the river still continues to become clearer and notwithstanding the rain which has fallen it is still much clearer than it was a few days past.
this day we proceded with more labour and difficulty than we have yet experienced; in addition to the imbarrasments of the rappid courant, riffles, & rockey point which were as bad if not worse than yesterday, the banks and sides of the bluff were more steep than usual and were now rendered so slippery by the late rain that the men could scarcely walk. the chord is our only dependance for the courant is too rappid to be resisted with the oar and the river too deep in most places for the pole. the earth and stone also falling from these immence high bluffs render it dangerous to pa.s.s under them. the wind was also hard and against us. our chords broke several times today but happily without injury to the vessels. we had slight showers of rain through the course of the day, the air was could and rendered more disagreeable by the rain. one of the party ascended the river hills and reported on his return that there was snow intermixed with the rain which fell on the hights; he also informed us that the country was level a little back from the river on both sides. there is now no timber on the hills, an only a few scattering cottonwood, ash, box Alder and willows to be seen along the river. in the course of the day we pa.s.sed several old encampment of Indians, from the apparent dates of which we conceived that they were the several encampments of a band of about 100 lodges who were progressing slowly up the river; the most recent appeared to have been evacuated about 5 weeks since. these we supposed to be the Minetares or black foot Indians who inhabit the country watered by the Suskashawan and who resort to the establishment of Fort de Prarie, no part of the Missouri from the Minetaries to this place furnishes a perminent residence for any nation yet there is no part of it but what exhibits appearances of being occasionally visited by some nation on hunting excurtions. The Minnetares of the Missoury we know extend their excurtions on the S. side as high as the yellowstone river; the a.s.sinniboins still higher on the N. side most probably as high as about Porcupine river and from thence upwards most probably as far as the mountains by the Minetares of Fort de Prarie and the Black Foot Indians who inhabit the S. fork of the Suskashawan. I say the Missouri to the Rocky mountains for I am convinced that it penetrates those mountains for a considerable distance.--Two buffaloe killed this evening a little above our encampment.
[Clark, May 30, 1805]
May 30th Thursday 1805 The rain conmmenced yesterday evining, and continued moderately through the course of the night, more rain has now fallin than we have experienced Since the 15th of September last, the rain continued this morning, and the wind too high for us to proceed, untill about 11 oClock at which time we Set out, and proceeded on with great labour, we were obliged to make use of the Tow rope & the banks were So muddey & Slipery that the men could Scercely walk not with Standing we proceeded on as well as we could wind hard from the N W. in attempting to a.s.send a rapid our toe Cord broke & we turned without injurey, those rapids or Shoaley points are noumerous and dificuelt, one being at the mouth of every drean Some little rain at times all day one man a.s.sended the high Countrey and it was raining & Snowing on those hills, the day has proved to be raw and Cold. Back from the river is tollerably leavel, no timber of any kind on the hills, and only a fiew Scattering cotton willow & ash near the river, much hard rock; & rich earth, the Small portion of rain which has fallen causes the rich earth as deep as is wet to Slip into the river or bottoms &c.
we discover in Several places old encampments of large bands of Indians, a fiew weeks past and appear to be makeing up the river--Those Indians we believe to be the Blackfoot Inds. or Menetares who inhabit the heads of the Saskashowin & north of this place and trade a little in the Fort de Prarie establishments. we Camped in a grove of Cotton trees on the Stard Side, river rise 11/2 In.
[Lewis, May 31, 1805]
Friday May 31st 1805.