The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates July 12, 1804 - July 20, 1804
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: July 12, 1804 - July 20, 1804
July 12, 1804
Thursday 12th. We remained here to day for the purpose of
refreshing the party, and making lunar observations. The
Nemahaw empties itself into the Missouri from the south,
and is eighty yards wide at the confluence, which is in
lat. 39° 55' 56". Capt. Clarke ascended it in the perioque
about two miles to the mouth of a small creek on the lower
side. On going ashore he found in the level plain several
artificial mounds or graves, and on the adjoining hills
others of a larger size. This appearance indicates sufficiently
the former population of this country; the mounds being
certainly intended as tombs; the Indians of the Missouri
still preserving the custom of interring the dead on high
ground.
From
the top of the highest mound a delightful prospect presented
itself—the level and extensive meadows watered by the Nemahaw,
and enlivened by the few trees and shrubs skirting the borders
of the river and its tributary streams—the lowland of the
Missouri covered with undulating grass, nearly five feet
high, gradually rising into a second plain, where rich weeds
and flowers are interspersed with copses of the Osage plum;
further back are seen small groves of trees; an abundance
of grapes; the wild cherry of the Missouri, resembling our
own, but larger, and growing on a small bush; and the chokecherry,
which we observed for the first time. Some of the grapes
gathered to-day are nearly ripe. On the south of the Nemahaw,
and about a quarter of a mile from its mouth, is a cliff
of freestone, in which are various inscriptions and marks
made by the Indians. The sand island where we are encamped,
is covered with the two species of willow, broad and narrow
leaf.
July 13, 1804
July 13th. We proceeded at sunrise with a fair wind
from the south, and at two miles, passed the mouth of a
small river on the north, called Big Tarkio. A channel from
the bed of the Missouri once ran into this river, and formed
an island called St. Joseph's, but the channel is now filled
up, and the island is added to the northern shore. Further
on to the south, is situated an extensive plain, covered
with a grass resembling timothy in its general appearance,
except the seed which is like flaxseed, and also a number
of grapevines. At twelve miles, we passed an island on the
north, above which is a large sandbar covered with willows:
and at twenty and a half miles, stopped on a large sandbar,
in the middle of the river opposite a high handsome prairie,
which extends to the hills four or five miles distant, though
near [26]the bank the land is low, and subject to be overflowed.
This day was exceedingly fine and pleasant, a storm of wind
and rain from north-northeast, last night, having cooled
the air.
July 14, 1804
July 14. We had some hard showers of rain before
seven o'clock, when we set out. We had just reached the
end of the sand island, and seen the opposite banks falling
in, and so lined with timber that we could not approach
it without danger, when a sudden squall, from the northeast,
struck the boat on the starboard quarter, and would have
certainly dashed her to pieces on the sand island, if the
party had not leaped into the river, and with the aid of
the anchor and cable kept her off: the waves dashing over
her for the space of forty minutes; after which, the river
became almost instantaneously calm and smooth. The two pirogues
were ahead, in a situation nearly similar, but fortunately
no damage was done to the boats or the loading.
The
wind having shifted to the southeast, we came at the distance
of two miles, to an inland on the north, where we dined.
One mile above, on the same side of the river, is a small
factory, where a merchant of St. Louis traded with the Ottoes
and Pawnees two years ago. Near this is an extensive lowland,
part of which is overflowed occasionally, the rest is rich
and well timbered. The wind again changed to northwest by
north. At seven and a half miles, we reached lower point
of a large island, on the north side. A small distance above
this point, is a river, called by the Maha Indians, Nishnahbatona.
This is a considerable creek, nearly as large as the Mine
river, and runs parallel to the Missouri the greater part
of its course, being fifty yards wide at the mouth. In the
prairies or glades, we saw wild-timothy, lambsquarter, cuckleberries,
and on the edges of the river, summer-grapes, plums, and
gooseberries. We also saw to-day, for the first time, some
elk, at which some of the party shot, but at too great a
distance. We encamped on the north side of the island, a
little above Nishnahbatona, having made nine miles. The
river fell a little.
July 15, 1804
July 15. A thick fog prevented our leaving the encampment
before seven. At about four miles, we reached the extremity
of the large island, and crossing to the south, at the distance
of seven miles, arrived at the Little Nemaha, a small river
from the south, forty yards wide a little above its mouth,
but contracting, as do almost all the waters emptying into
the Missouri, at its confluence. At nine and three quarter
miles, we encamped on a woody point, on the south. Along
the southern bank, is a rich lowland covered with peavine,
and rich weeds, and watered by small streams rising in the
adjoining prairies. They too, are rich, and though with
abundance of grass, have no timber except what grows near
the water; interspersed through both are grapevines, plums
of two kinds, two species of wild-cherries, hazlenuts, and
gooseberries. On the south there is one unbroken plain;
on the north the river is skirted with some timber, behind
which the plain extends four or five miles to the hills,
which seem to have little wood.
July 16, 1804
July 16. We continued our route between a large island
opposite to our last night's encampment, and an extensive
prairie on the south. About six miles, we came to another
large island, called Fairsun island, on the same side; above
which is a spot, where about twenty acres of the hill have
fallen into the river. Near this, is a cliff of sandstone
for two miles, which is much frequented by birds. At this
place the river is about one mile wide, but not deep; as
the timber, or sawyers, may be seen, scattered across the
whole of its bottom. At twenty miles distance, we saw on
the south, an island called by the French, l'Isle Chance,
or Bald island, opposite to a large prairie, which we called
Baldpated prairie, from a ridge of naked hills which bound
it, running parallel with the river as far as we could see,
and from three to six miles distance. To the south the hills
touch the river. We encamped a quarter of a mile beyond
this, in a point of woods on the north side. The river continues
to fall.
July 17, 1804
Tuesday, July 17. We remained here this day, in order
to make observations and correct the chronometer, which
ran down on Sunday. The latitude we found to be 40° 27'
5"4/10. The observation of the time proved our chronometer
too slow, by 6' 51"6/10. The highlands bear from our camp,
north 25° west, up the river. Captain Lewis rode up the
country, and saw the Nishnahbatona, about ten or twelve
miles from its mouth, at a place not more than three hundred
yards from the Missouri, and a little above our camp. It
then passes near the foot of the Baldhills, and is at least
six feet below the level of the Missouri. On its banks are
the oak, walnut, and mulberry. The common current of the
Missouri, taken with the log, is 50 fathoms in 40", at some
places, and even 20".
July 18, 1804
Wednesday, July 18. The morning was fair, and a gentle
wind from southeast by south, carried us along between the
prairie on the north, and Bald island to the south: opposite
the middle of which, the Nishnahbatona approaches the nearest
to the Missouri. The current here ran fifty fathoms in 41".
At thirteen and a half miles, we reached an island on the
north, near to which the banks overflow; while on the south,
the hills project over the river and form high cliffs. At
one point a part of the cliff, nearly three quarters of
a mile in length, and about two hundred feet in height,
has fallen into the river. It is composed chiefly of sandstone
intermixed with an iron ore of bad quality; near the bottom
is a soft slatestone with pebbles. We passed several bad
sandbars in the course of the day, and made eighteen miles,
and encamped on the south, opposite to the lower point of
the Oven islands. The country around is generally divided
into prairies, with little timber, except on low points,
islands, and near creeks, and that consisting of cottonwood,
mulberry, elm, and sycamore. The river falls fast. An Indian
dog came to the bank; he appeared to have been lost and
was nearly starved: we gave him some food, but he would
not follow us.
July 19, 1804
Thursday, July 19. The Oven islands are small, and
two in number; one near the south shore, the other in the
middle of the river. Opposite to them is the prairie, called
Terrien's Oven, from a trader of that name. At four and
a half miles, we reached some high cliffs of a yellow earth,
on the south, near which are two beautiful runs of water,
rising in the adjacent prairies, and one of them with a
deerlick, about two hundred yards from its mouth. In this
neighborhood we observed some iron ore in the bank. At two
and a half miles above the runs, a large portion of the
hill, for nearly three quarters of a mile, has fallen into
the river. We encamped on the western extremity of an island,
in the middle of the river, having made ten and three quarter
miles. The river falls a little. The sandbars which we passed
to-day, are more numerous, and the rolling sands more frequent
and dangerous, than any we have seen; these obstacles increasing
as we approach the river Platte. The Missouri here is wider
also than below, where the timber on the banks resists the
current; while here the prairies which approach, are more
easily washed and undermined. The hunters have brought for
the last few days, no quadruped, but deer: great quantities
of young geese are seen to-day: one of them brought calamus,
which he had gathered opposite our encampment, and a large
quantity of sweet-flag.
July 20, 1804
Friday, July 20. There was a heavy dew last night,
and this morning was foggy and cool. We passed at about
three miles distance, a small willow island to the north,
and a creek on the south, about twenty-five yards wide,
called by the French, L'eau qui Pleure, or the Weeping Water,
and emptying itself just above a cliff of brown clay. Thence
we made two and a half miles to another island; three miles
further to a third: six miles beyond which is a fourth island;
at the head of which we encamped on the southern shore;
in all eighteen miles. The party, who walked on the shore
to-day, found the plains to the south, rich, but much parched
[30]with frequent fires, and with no timber, except the
scattering trees about the sources of the runs, which are
numerous and fine. On the north, is a similar prairie country.
The river continues to fall. A large yellow wolf was this
day killed. For a month past the party have been troubled
with biles, and occasionally with the dysentery. These biles
were large tumors which broke out under the arms, on the
legs, and, generally, in the parts most exposed to action,
which sometimes became too painful to permit the men to
work. After remaining some days, they disappeared without
any assistance, except a poultice of the bark of the elm,
or of Indian meal. This disorder, which we ascribe to the
muddiness of the river water, has not affected the general
health of the party, which is quite as good, if not better,
than that of the same number of men in any other situation.
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