The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates June 4, 1805 - June 7, 1805
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: June 4, 1805 - June 7, 1805
June 4, 1805
Tuesday, June 4. At the same hour this morning Captain Lewis
and captain Clarke set out to explore the two rivers: Captain
Lewis with six men crossed the north fork near the camp,
below a small island from which he took a course N. 30°
W. for four and a half miles to a commanding eminence. Here
we observed that the North mountain, changing its direction
parallel to the Missouri, turned towards the north and terminated
abruptly at the distance of about thirty miles, the point
of termination bearing N. 48° E. The South mountain too
diverges to the south, and terminates abruptly, its extremity
bearing S. 8° W. distant about twenty miles: to the right
of, and retreating from this extremity, is a separate mountain
at the distance of thirty-five miles in a direction S. 38°
W. which from its resemblance to the roof of a barn, we
called the Barn mountain. The north fork, which is now on
the left, makes a considerable bend to the northwest, and
on its western border a range of hills about ten miles long,
and bearing from this spot N. 60° W. runs parallel with
it: north of this range of hills is an elevated point of
the river bluff on its south side, bearing N. 72° W. about
twelve miles from us; towards this he directed his course
across a high, level, dry open plain; which in fact embraces
the whole country to the foot of the mountains.
The
soil is dark, rich, and fertile, yet the grass by no means
so luxuriant as might have been expected, for it is short
and scarcely more than sufficient to cover the ground. There
are vast quantities of prickly pears, and myriads of grasshoppers,
which afford food for a species of curlew which is in great
numbers in the plain. He then proceeded up the river to
the point of observation they had fixed on; from which he
went two miles N. 15° W. to a bluff point on the north side
of the river: thence his course was N. 30° W. for two miles
to the entrance of a large creek on the south. The part
of the river along which he passed is from forty to sixty
yards wide, the current strong, the water deep and turbid,
the banks falling in, the salts, coal and mineral appearances
are as usual, and in every respect, except as to size, this
river resembles the Missouri. The low grounds are narrow
but well supplied with wood: the bluffs are principally
of dark brown yellow, and some white clay with freestone
in some places. From this point the river bore N. 20° E.
to a bluff on the south, at the distance of twelve miles:
towards this he directed his course, ascending the hills
which are about two hundred feet high, and passing through
plains for three miles, till he found the dry ravines so
steep and numerous that he resolved to return to the river
and follow its banks. He reached it about four miles from
the beginning of his course, and encamped on the north in
a bend among some bushes which sheltered the party from
the wind: the air was very cold, the northwest wind high,
and the rain wet them to the skin. Besides the game just
mentioned, he observed buffalo, elk, wolves, foxes, and
we got a blaireau and a weasel, and wounded a large brown
bear, whom it was too late to pursue. Along the river are
immense quantities of roses which are now in full bloom,
and which make the low grounds a perfect garden.
Captain
Clarke on setting out with five men on the 4th, went seven
miles on a course S. 25° W. to a spring; thence he went
S. 20° W. for eight miles to the river where was an island,
from which he proceeded in a course N. 45° W. and approached
the river at the distance of three, five, and thirteen miles,
at which place they encamped in an old Indian lodge made
of sticks and bark. In crossing the plains they observed
several herds of buffalo, some mule deer, antelopes and
wolves. The river is rapid and closely hemmed in by high
bluffs, crowded with bars of gravel, with little timber
on the low grounds, and none on the highlands. Near the
camp this evening, a white bear attacked one of the men,
whose gun happening to be wet, would not go off; he instantly
made towards a tree, but was so closely pursued, that as
he ascended the tree he struck the bear with his foot. The
bear not being able to climb, waited till he should be forced
to come down; and as the rest of the party were separated
from him by a perpendicular cliff of rocks, which they could
not descend, it was not in their power to give him any assistance:
fortunately however at last the bear became frighted at
their cries and firing, and released the man. In the afternoon
it rained, and during the night there fell both rain and
snow, and in the morning.
June 5, 1805
Wednesday 5. The rain fell during the greater part
of the last night, and in the morning the weather was cloudy
and cold, with a high northwest wind: at sunrise he proceeded
up the river eight miles to the bluff on the left side,
towards which he had been directing his course yesterday.
Here he found the bed of a creek twenty-five yards wide
at the entrance, with some timber, but no water, notwithstanding
the rain: it is, indeed, astonishing to observe the vast
quantities of water absorbed by the soil of the plains,
which being opened in large crevices presents a fine rich
loam: at the mouth of this stream (which he called Lark
creek) the bluffs are very steep and approach the river
so that he ascended them, and crossing the plains reached
the river, which from the last point bore N. 50° W: four
miles from this place it extended north two miles. Here
he discovered a lofty mountain standing alone at the distance
of more than eighty miles in the direction of N. 30° W.
and which from its conical figure he called Tower mountain.
He
then proceeded on these two hills and afterwards in different
courses six miles, when he again changed for a western course
across a deep bend along the south side: in making this
passage over the plains he found them like those of yesterday,
level and beautiful, with great quantities of buffaloes,
and some wolves, foxes, and antelopes, and intersected near
the river by deep ravines. Here at the distance of from
one to nine miles from the river, he met the largest village
of barking squirrels which we had yet seen: for he passed
a skirt of their territory for seven miles. He also saw
near the hills a flock of the mountain cock or a large species
of heath hen with a long pointed tail, which the Indians
below had informed us were common among the Rock mountains.
Having finished his course of ten miles west across a bend,
he continued two miles N. 80° W. and from that point discovered
some lofty mountains to the northwest of Tower mountain
and bearing N. 65° W. at eighty or one hundred miles distance:
Here he encamped on the north side in a handsome low ground,
on which were several old stick lodges: there had been but
little timber on the river in the forepart of the day, but
now there is a greater quantity than usual. The river itself
is about eighty yards wide, from six to ten feet deep, and
has a strong steady current. The party had killed five elk,
and a mule-deer; and by way of experiment roasted the burrowing
squirrels, which they found to be well flavored and tender.
June 6, 1805
Thursday 6. Captain
Lewis was now convinced that this river pursued a direction
too far north for our route to the Pacific, and therefore
resolved to return; but waited till noon to take a meridian
altitude. The clouds, however, which had gathered during
the latter part of the night continued and prevented the
observation: part of the men were sent forward to a commanding
eminence, six miles S. 70° W; from which they saw at the
distance of about fifteen miles S. 80° W. a point of the
south bluff of the river, which thence bore northwardly.
In their absence two rafts had been prepared, and when they
returned about noon, the party embarked: but they soon found
that the rafts were so small and slender that the baggage
was wet, and therefore it was necessary to abandon them,
and go by land. They therefore crossed the plains, and at
the distance of twelve miles came to the river, through
a cold storm from the northeast, accompanied by showers
of rain. The abruptness of the cliffs compelled them, after
going a few miles, to leave the river and meet the storm
in the plains. Here they directed their course too far northward,
in consequence of which they did not meet the river till
late at night, after having traveled twenty-three miles
since noon, and halted at a little below the entrance of
Lark creek. They had the good fortune to kill two buffalo
which supplied them with supper, but spent a very uncomfortable
night without any shelter from the rain, which continued
till morning,
June 7, 1805
Friday 7, when at an early hour they continued down
the river. The route was extremely unpleasant, as the wind
was high from the N.E. accompanied with rain, which made
the ground so slippery that they were unable to walk over
the bluffs which they had passed on ascending the river.
The land is the most thirsty we have ever seen; notwithstanding
all the rain which has fallen, the earth is not wet for
more than two inches deep, and resembles thawed ground;
but if it requires more water to saturate it than the common
soils, on the other hand it yields its moisture with equal
difficulty. In passing along the side of one of these bluffs
at a narrow pass thirty yards in length, Captain Lewis slipped,
and but for a fortunate recovery, by means of his spontoon,
would then have been precipitated into the river over a
precipice of about ninety feet.
He
had just reached a spot where by the assistance of his spontoon
he could stand with tolerable safety, when he heard a voice
behind him cry out, good God captain what shall I do? he
turned instantly and found it was Windsor who had lost his
foothold about the middle of the narrow pass, and had slipped
down to the very verge of the precipice where he lay on
his belly, with his right arm and leg over the precipice,
while with the other leg and arm he was with difficulty
holding on to keep himself from being dashed to pieces below.
His dreadful situation was instantly perceived by Captain
Lewis, who stifling his alarm, calmly told him that he was
in no danger; that he should take his knife out of his belt
with the right hand, and dig a hole in the side of the bluff
to receive his right foot. With great presence of mind he
did this, and then raised himself on his knees; Captain
Lewis then told him to take off his moccasins and come forward
on his hands and knees, holding the knife in one hand and
his rifle in the other. He immediately crawled in this way
till he came to a secure spot. The men who had not attempted
this passage, were ordered to return and wade the river
at the foot of the bluff, where they found the water breast
high.
This
adventure taught them the danger of crossing the slippery
heights of the river; but as the plains were intersected
by deep ravines almost as difficult to pass, they continued
down the river, sometimes in the mud of the low grounds,
sometimes up to their arms in the water, and when it became
too deep to wade, they cut footholds with their knives in
the sides of the banks. In this way they traveled through
the rain, mud, and water, and having made only eighteen
miles during the whole day, encamped in an old Indian lodge
of sticks, which afforded them a dry shelter. Here they
cooked part of six deer they had killed in the course of
their walk, and having eaten the only morsel they had tasted
during the whole day slept comfortably on some willow boughs.
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