The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates July 16, 1805 - July 18, 1805
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: July 16, 1805 - July 18, 1805
July 16, 1805
Tuesday 16. There was a heavy dew last night. We soon passed
about forty little booths, formed of willow bushes as a
shelter against the sun. These seemed to have been deserted
about ten days, and as we supposed by the Snake Indians,
or Shoshones, whom we hope soon to meet, as they appeared
from the tracks to have a number of horses with them. At
three and three quarter miles we passed a creek or run in
a bend on the left side, and four miles further another
run or small rivulet on the right. After breakfasting on
a buffalo shot by one of the hunters, Captain Lewis resolved
to go on ahead of the party to the point where the river
enters the Rocky mountains and make the necessary observations
before our arrival. He therefore set out with Drewyer and
two of the sick men to whom he supposed the walk would be
useful: he traveled on the north side of the river through
a handsome level plain, which continued on the opposite
side also, and at the distance of eight miles passed a small
stream on which he observed a considerable quantity of the
aspen tree. A little before twelve o'clock he halted on
a bend to the north in a low ground well covered with timber,
about four and a half miles below the mountains, and obtained
a meridian altitude, by which he found the latitude was
N. 46° 46' 50" 2"'. His route then lay through a high waving
plain to a rapid where the Missouri first leaves the Rocky
mountains, and here he encamped for the night.
In the meantime we had proceeded after breakfast one mile
to a bend in the left, opposite to which was the frame of
a large lodge situated in the prairie, constructed like
that already mentioned above the Whitebear islands, but
only sixty feet in diameter: round it were the remains of
about eighty leathern lodges, all which seemed to have been
built during the last autumn; within the next fifteen and
a quarter miles we passed ten islands, on the last of which
we encamped near the right shore, having made twenty-three
miles. The next morning,
July
17, 1805
Wednesday 17,
we set out early, and at four miles distance joined Captain
Lewis at foot of the rapids, and after breakfast began the
passage of them: some of the articles most liable to be
injured by the water were carried round. We then double
manned the canoes, and with the aid of the towing-line got
them up without accident. For several miles below the rapids
the current of the Missouri becomes stronger as you approach,
and the spurs of the mountains advance towards the river,
which is deep and not more than seventy yards wide: at the
rapids the river is closely hemmed in on both sides by the
hills, and foams for half a mile over the rocks which obstruct
its channel. The low grounds are now not more than a few
yards in width, but they furnish room for an Indian road
which winds under the hills on the north side of the river.
The general range of these hills is from southeast to northwest,
and the cliffs themselves are about eight hundred feet above
the water, formed almost entirely of a hard black granite,
on which are scattered a few dwarf pine and cedar trees.
Immediately in the gap is a large rock four hundred feet
high, which on one side is washed by the Missouri, while
on its other sides a handsome little plain separates it
from the neighboring mountains. It may be ascended with
some difficulty nearly to its summit, and affords a beautiful
prospect of the plains below, in which we could observe
large herds of buffalo. After ascending the rapids for half
a mile we came to a small island at the head of them, which
we called Pine island from a large pine tree at the lower
end of it, which is the first we have seen near the river
for a great distance. A mile beyond Captain Lewis's camp
we had a meridian altitude which gave us the latitude of
46° 42' 14" 7"'. As the canoes were still heavily loaded
all those not employed in working them walked on shore.
The navigation is now very laborious.
The
river is deep but with little current and from seventy to
one hundred yards wide; the low grounds are very narrow,
with but little timber and that chiefly the aspen tree.
The cliffs are steep and hang over the river so much that
often we could not cross them, but were obliged to pass
and repass from one side of the river to the other in order
to make our way. In some places the banks are formed of
rocks, of dark black granite rising perpendicularly to a
great height, through which the river seems in the progress
of time to have worn its channel. On these mountains we
see more pine than usual, but it is still in small quantities.
Along the bottoms, which have a covering of high grass,
we observe the sunflower blooming in great abundance. The
Indians of the Missouri, and more especially those who do
not cultivate maize, make great use of the seed of this
plant for bread or in thickening their soup. They first
parch and then pound it between two stones until it is reduced
to a fine meal. Sometimes they add a portion of water, and
drink it thus diluted: at other times they add a sufficient
proportion of marrow grease to reduce it to the consistency
of common dough and eat it in that manner. This last composition
we preferred to all the rest, and thought it at that time
a very palatable dish. There is however little of the broad-leafed
cottonwood on this side of the falls, much the greater part
of what we see being of the narrow-leafed species.
There
are also great quantities of red, purple, yellow and black
currants. The currants are very pleasant to the taste, and
much preferable to those of our common garden. The bush
rises to the height of six or eight feet; the stem simple,
branching and erect. These shrubs associate in corps either
in upper or timbered lands near the water courses. The leaf
is peteolate, of a pale green, and in form resembles the
red currant so common in our gardens. The perianth of the
fruit is one leaved, five cleft, abbriviated and tubular.
The corolla is monopetallous, funnel-shaped, very long,
and of a fine orange color. There are five stamens and one
pistillum of the first, the filaments are capillar, inserted
in the corolla, equal and converging, the anther ovate and
incumbent. The germ of the second species is round, smooth,
inferior and pidicelled: the style long and thicker than
the stamens, simple, cylindrical, smooth and erect. It remains
with the corolla until the fruit is ripe, the stamen is
simple and obtuse, and the fruit much the size and shape
of our common garden currants, growing like them in clusters
supported by a compound footstalk. The peduncles are longer
in this species, and the berries are more scattered. The
fruit is not so acid as the common currant, and has a more
agreeable flavor.
The other species differs in no respect from the yellow
currant excepting in the color and flavor of the berries.
The serviceberry differs in some points from that of the
United States. The bushes are small, sometimes not more
than two feet high, and rarely exceed eight inches. They
are proportionably small in their stems, growing very thickly,
associated in clumps. The fruit is of the same form, but
for the most part larger and of a very dark purple. They
are now ripe and in great perfection. There are two species
of gooseberry here, but neither of them yet ripe: nor are
the chokecherry, though in great quantities. Besides there
are also at that place the box alder, red willow and a species
of sumach. In the evening we saw some mountain rams or big-horned
animals, but no other game of any sort. After leaving Pine
island we passed a small run on the left, which is formed
by a large spring rising at the distance of half a mile
under the mountain. One mile and a half above the island
is another, and two miles further a third island, the river
making small bends constantly to the north. From this last
island to a point of rocks on the south side the low grounds
become rather wider, and three quarters of a mile beyond
these rocks, in a bend on the north, we encamped opposite
to a very high cliff, having made during the day eleven
and a half miles.
July
18, 1805
Thursday 18. This
morning early before our departure we saw a large herd of
the big-horned animals, who were bounding among the rocks
in the opposite cliff with great agility. These inaccessible
spots secure them from all their enemies, and the only danger
is in wandering among these precipices, where we should
suppose it scarcely possible for any animal to stand; a
single false step would precipitate them at least five hundred
feet into the water. At one mile and a quarter we passed
another single cliff on the left; at the same distance beyond
which is the mouth of a large river emptying itself from
the north. It is a handsome, bold, and clear stream, eighty
yards wide, that is nearly as broad as the Missouri, with
a rapid current over a bed of small smooth stones of various
figures. The water is extremely transparent, the low grounds
are narrow, but possess as much wood as those of the Missouri;
and it has every appearance of being navigable, though to
what distance we cannot ascertain, as the country which
it waters, is broken and mountainous. In honor of the secretary
at war we called it Dearborn's river.
Being
now very anxious to meet with the Shoshones or Snake Indians,
for the purpose of obtaining the necessary information of
our route, as well as to procure horses, it was thought
best for one of us to go forward with a small party and
endeavor to discover them, before the daily discharge of
our guns, which is necessary for our subsistence, should
give them notice of our approach: if by an accident they
hear us, they will most probably retreat to the mountains,
mistaking us for their enemies who usually attack them on
this side. Accordingly captain Clarke set out with three
men, and followed the course of the river on the north side;
but the hills were so steep at first that he was not able
to go much faster than ourselves. In the evening however
he cut off many miles of the circuitous course of the river,
by crossing a mountain over which he found a wide Indian
road which in many places seems to have been cut or dug
down in the earth. He passed also two branches of a stream
which he called Ordway's creek, where he saw a number of
beaver-dams extending in close succession towards the mountains
as far as he could distinguish: on the cliffs were many
of the big-horned animals. After crossing this mountain
he encamped near a small stream of running water, having
traveled twenty miles.
On leaving Dearborn's river we passed at three and a half
miles a small creek, and at six beyond it an island on the
north side of the river, which makes within that distance
many small bends. At two and a half miles further is another
island: three quarters of a mile beyond this is a small
creek on the north side. At a mile and a half above the
creek is a much larger stream thirty yards wide, and discharging
itself with a bold current on the north side: the banks
are low, and the bed formed of stones altogether. To this
stream we gave the name of Ordway's creek, after Sergeant
John Ordway. At two miles beyond this the valley widens:
we passed several bends of the river, and encamped in the
centre of one on the south, having made twenty-one miles.
Here we found a small grove of the narrow-leafed cottonwood,
there being no longer any of the broad-leafed kind since
we entered the mountains. The water of these rivulets which
come down from the mountains is very cold, pure, and well
tasted. Along their banks as well as on the Missouri the
aspen is very common, but of a small kind.
The
river is somewhat wider than we found it yesterday; the
hills more distant from the river and not so high; there
are some pines on the mountains, but they are principally
confined to the upper regions of them: the low grounds are
still narrower and have little or no timber. The soil near
the river is good, and produces a luxuriant growth of grass
and weeds; among these productions the sunflower holds a
very distinguished place. For several days past we have
observed a species of flax in the low grounds, the leaf-stem
and pericarp of which resemble those of the flax commonly
cultivated in the United States: the stem rises to the height
of two and a half or three feet, and spring to the number
of eight or ten from the same root, with a strong thick
bark apparently well calculated for use: the root seems
to be perennial, and it is probable that the cutting of
the stems may not at all injure it, for although the seeds
are not yet ripe, there are young suckers shooting up from
the root, whence we may infer that the stems which are fully
grown and in the proper stage of vegetation to produce the
best flax, are not essential to the preservation or support
of the root, a circumstance which would render it a most
valuable plant.
To-day
we have met with a second species of flax smaller than the
first, as it seldom obtains a greater height than nine or
twelve inches: the leaf and stem resemble those of the species
just mentioned, except that the latter is rarely branched,
and bears a single monopetalous bell-shaped blue flower,
suspended with its limb downwards. We saw several herds
of the big-horn, but they were in the cliffs beyond our
reach. We killed an elk this morning and found part of a
deer which had been left for us by captain Clarke.
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