The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates August 3, 1805 - August 4, 1805
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: August 3, 1805 - August 4, 1805
August 3, 1805
Saturday, 3. Captain Lewis continued his course along the
river through the valley, which continued much as it was
yesterday, except that it now widens to nearly twelve miles;
the plains too are more broken and have some scattered pine
near the mountains, where they rise higher than hitherto.
In the level parts of the plains and the river bottoms there
is no timber except small cottonwood near the margin, and
an undergrowth of narrow-leafed willow, small honeysuckle,
rosebushes, currants, serviceberry, and gooseberry, and
a little of a small species of birch; it is a finely indented
oval of a small size and a deep green color; the stem is
simple, ascending and branching, and seldom rises higher
than ten or twelve feet. The mountains continue high on
each side of the valley, but their only covering is a small
species of pitch-pine with a short leaf, growing on the
lower and middle regions, while for some distance below
the snowy tops there is neither timber nor herbage of any
kind.
About
eleven o'clock Drewyer killed a doe on which they breakfasted,
and after resting two hours continued till night, when they
reached the river near a low ground more extensive than
usual. From the appearance of the timber Captain Lewis supposed
that the river forked above him, and therefore encamped
with an intention of examining it more particularly in the
morning. He had now made twenty-three miles, the latter
part of which were for eight miles through a high plain
covered with prickly pears and bearded grass, which rendered
the walking very inconvenient: but even this was better
than the river bottoms we crossed in the evening, which,
though apparently level, were formed into deep holes as
if they had been rooted up by hogs, and the holes were so
covered with thick grass that they were in danger of falling
at every step. Some parts of these low grounds, however,
contain turf or peat of an excellent quality for many feet
deep apparently, as well as the mineral salts which we have
already mentioned on the Missouri. They saw many deer, antelopes,
ducks, geese, some beaver, and great traces of their work,
and the small birds and curlews as usual. The only fish
which they observed in this part of the river is the trout
and a species of white fish, with a remarkably long small
mouth, which one of our men recognize as the fish called
in the eastern states the bottlenose.
On setting out with the canoes we found the river as usual
much crowded with islands, the current more rapid as well
as shallower, so that in many places they were obliged to
man the canoes double, and drag them over the stone and
gravel of the channel. Soon after we set off captain Clarke
who was walking on shore observed a fresh track which he
knew to be that of an Indian from the large toes being turned
inwards, and on following it found that it led to the point
of a hill from which our camp of last night could be seen.
This circumstance strengthened the belief that some Indian
had strayed thither, and had run off alarmed at the sight
of us. At two and a quarter miles, is a small creek in a
bend towards the right, which runs down from the mountains
at a little distance; we called it Panther creek from an
animal of that kind killed by Reuben Fields at its mouth.
It is precisely the same animal common to the western parts
of the United States, and measured seven and a half feet
from the nose to the extremity of the tail. Six and three
quarter miles beyond this stream is another on the left
formed by the drains which convey the melted snows from
a mountain near it, under which the river passes, leaving
the low grounds on the right side, and making several bends
in its course. On this stream are many large beaver dams.
One mile above it is a small run on the left, and after
leaving which begins a very bad rapid, where the bed of
the river is formed of solid rock: this we passed in the
course of a mile, and encamped on the lower point of an
island. Our journey had been only thirteen miles, but the
badness of the river made it very laborious, as the men
were compelled to be in the water during the greater part
of the day. We saw only deer, antelopes, and the common
birds of the country.
August 4, 1805
This morning Captain Lewis proceeded early, and after
going southeast by east for four miles, reaching a bold
running creek, twelve yards wide, with clear cold water,
furnished apparently by four drains from the snowy mountains
on the left; after passing this creek he changed his direction
to southeast, and leaving the valley in which he had traveled
for the last two days, entered another which bore east.
At the distance of three miles on this course he passed
a handsome little river, about thirty yards wide, which
winds through the valley: the current is not rapid nor the
water very clear, but it affords a considerable quantity
of water, and appears as if it might be navigable for some
miles. The banks are low, and the bed formed of stone and
gravel. He now changed his route to southwest, and passing
a high plain which separates the valleys, returned to the
more southern or that which he had left: in passing this
he found a river about forty-five yards wide, the water
of which has a whitish blue tinge, with a gentle current,
and a gravelly bottom. This he waded and found it waist
deep.
He
then continued down it, till at the distance of three quarters
of a mile he saw the entrance of the small river he had
just passed; as he went on two miles lower down, he found
the mouth of the creek he had seen in the morning. Proceeding
further on three miles, he arrived at the junction of this
river, with another which rises from the southwest, runs
through the south valley about twelve miles before it forms
its junction, where it is fifty yards wide: we now found
that our camp of last night was about a mile and a half
above the entrance of this large river, on the right side.
This is a bold, rapid, clear stream, but its bed is so much
obstructed by gravelly bars, and subdivided by islands,
that the navigation must be very insecure, if not impracticable.
The other or middle stream, has about two thirds its quantity
of water, and is more gentle, and may be safely navigated.
As far as it could be observed, its course was about southwest,
but the opening of the valley induced him to believe that
farther above it turned more towards the west. Its water
is more turbid and warmer than that of the other branch,
whence it may be presumed to have its sources at a greater
distance in the mountains, and to pass through a more open
country. Under this impression he left a note recommending
to captain Clarke the middle fork, and then continued his
course along the right side of the other, or more rapid
branch.
After
traveling twenty-three miles he near a place where the river
leaves the valley and enters the mountain. Here he encamped
for the night. The country he passed is like that of the
rest of this valley, though there is more timber in this
part on the rapid fork than there has been on the river
in the same extent since we entered it; for on some parts
of the valley the Indians seem to have destroyed a great
proportion of the little timber there was, by setting fire
to the bottoms. He saw some antelopes, deer, cranes, geese
and ducks of the two species common to this country, though
the summer duck has ceased to appear, nor does it seem to
be an inhabitant of this part of the river.
We proceeded soon after sunrise: the first five miles we
passed four bends on the left, and several bayous on both
sides. At eight o'clock we stopped to breakfast, and found
the note Captain Lewis had written on the 2d instant. During
the next four miles, we passed three small bends of the
river to the right, two small islands, and two bayous on
the same side. Here we reached a bluff on the left; our
next course was six miles to our encampment. In this course
we met six circular bends on the right, and several small
bayous, and halted for the night in a low ground of cottonwood
on the right. Our days journey, though only fifteen miles
in length, was very fatiguing. The river is still rapid
and the water though clear is very much obstructed by shoals
or ripples at every two or three hundred yards: at all these
places we are obliged to drag the canoes over the stones
as there is not a sufficient depth of water to float them,
and in the other parts the current obliges us to have recourse
to the cord. But as the brushwood on the banks will not
permit us to walk on shore, we are under the necessity of
wading through the river as we drag the boats. This soon
makes our feet tender, and sometimes occasions severe falls
over the slippery stones; and the men by being constantly
wet are becoming more feeble. In the course of the day the
hunters killed two deer, some geese and ducks, and the party
saw antelopes, cranes, beaver and otter.
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