The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates September 1, 1804 - September
3, 1804
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: September 1, 1804 - September 3, 1804
September 1,
1804
Saturday, September 1, 1804. We proceeded this morning under
a light southern breeze, and passed the Calumet bluffs;
these are composed of a yellowish red, and brownish clay
as hard as chalk, which it much resembles, and are one hundred
and seventy, or one hundred and eighty feet high. At this
place the hills on each side come to the verge of the river,
those on the south being higher than on the north. Opposite
the bluffs is a large island covered with timber; above
which the highlands form a cliff over the river on the north
side, called White Bear cliff; an animal of that kind being
killed in one of the holes in it, which are numerous and
apparently deep. At six miles we came to a large sand island
covered with cottonwood; the wind was high, and the weather
rainy and cloudy during the day. We made fifteen miles to
a place on the north side, at the lower point of a large
island called Bonhomme, or Goodman's island. The country
on both sides has the same character of prairies, with no
timber; with occasional lowlands covered with cottonwood,
elm and oak: our hunters had killed an elk and a beaver:
the catfish too are in great abundance.
September
2, 1804
September 2. It
rained last night, and this morning we had a high wind from
the N.W. We went three miles to the lower part of an ancient
fortification on the south side, and passed the head of
Bonhomme island, which is large and well timbered: after
this the wind became so violent, attended by a cold rain,
that we were compelled to land at four miles on the northern
side, under a high bluff of yellow clay, about one hundred
and ten feet in height. Our hunters supplied us with four
elk; and we had grapes and plums on the banks: we also saw
the beargrass and rue, on the side of the bluffs. At this
place there are highlands on both sides of the river which
become more level at some distance back, and contain but
few streams of water. On the southern bank, during this
day, the grounds have not been so elevated. Captain Clarke
crossed the river to examine the remains of the fortification
we had just passed.
This interesting object is on the south side of the Missouri,
opposite the upper extremity of Bonhomme island, and in
a low level plain, the hills being three miles from the
river. It begins by a wall composed of earth, rising immediately
from the bank of the river and running in a direct course
S. 76°, W. ninety six yards; the base of this wall or mound
is seventy-five feet, and its height about eight. It then
diverges in a course S. 84° W. and continues at the same
height and depth to the distance of fifty-three yards, the
angle being formed by a sloping descent; at the junction
of these two is an appearance of a hornwork of the same
height with the first angle: the same wall then pursues
a course N. 69° W. for three hundred yards: near its western
extremity is an opening or gateway at right angles to the
wall, and projecting inwards; this gateway is defended by
two nearly semicircular walls placed before it, lower than
the large walls; and from the gateway there seems to have
been a covered way communicating with the interval between
these two walls: westward of the gate, the wall becomes
much larger, being about one hundred and five feet at its
base, and twelve feet high: at the end of this high ground
the wall extends for fifty-six yards on a course N. 32°
W; it then turns N. 23° W. for seventy-three yards: these
two walls seems to have had a double or covered way; they
are from ten to fifteen feet eight inches in height, and
from seventy-five to one hundred and five feet in width
at the base; the descent inwards being steep, whilst outwards
it forms a sort of glacis. At the distance of seventy-three
yards, the wall ends abruptly at a large hollow place much
lower than the general level of the plain, and from which
is some indication of a covered way to the water. The space
between them is occupied by several mounds scattered promiscuously
through the gorge, in the centre of which is a deep round
hole.
From the extremity of the last wall, in a course N. 32°
W. is a distance of ninety-six yards over the low ground,
where the wall recommences and crosses the plain in a course
N. 81° W. for eighteen hundred and thirty yards to the bank
of the Missouri. In this course its height is about eight
feet, till it enters, at the distance of five hundred and
thirty-three yards, a deep circular pond of seventy-three
yards diameter; after which it is gradually lower, towards
the river: it touches the river at a muddy bar, which bears
every mark of being an encroachment of the water, for a
considerable distance; and a little above the junction,
is a small circular redoubt. Along the bank of the river,
and at eleven hundred yards distance, in a straight line
from this wall, is a second, about six feet high, and of
considerable width: it rises abruptly from the bank of the
Missouri, at a point where the river bends, and goes straight
forward, forming an acute angle with the last wall, till
it enters the river again, not far from the mounds just
described, towards which it is obviously tending. At the
bend the Missouri is five hundred yards wide; the ground
on the opposite side highlands, or low hills on the bank;
and where the river passes between this fort and Bonhomme
island, all the distance from the bend, it is constantly
washing the banks into the stream, a large sandbank being
already taken from the shore near the wall. During the whole
course of this wall, or glacis, it is covered with trees,
among which are many large cotton trees, two or three feet
in diameter. Immediately opposite the citadel, or the part
most strongly fortified, on Bonhomme island, is a small
work in a circular form, with a wall surrounding it, about
six feet in height. The young willows along the water, joined
to the general appearance of the two shores, induce a belief
that the bank of the island is encroaching, and the Missouri
indemnifies itself by washing away the base of the fortification.
The citadel contains about twenty acres, but the parts between
the long walls must embrace nearly five hundred acres.
These are the first remains of the kind which we have had
an opportunity of examining; but our French interpreters
assure us, that there are great numbers of them on the Platte,
the Kansas, the Jacques, &c. and some of our party say,
that they observed two of those fortresses on the upper
side of the Petit Arc creek, not far from its mouth; that
the wall was about six feet high, and the sides of the angles
one hundred yards in length.
September
3, 1804
September 3. The
morning was cold, and the wind from the northwest. We passed
at sunrise, three large sandbars, and at the distance of
ten miles reached a small creek, about twelve yards wide,
coming in from the north, above a white bluff: this creek
has obtained the name of Plum creek, from the number of
that fruit which are in the neighborhood, and of a delightful
quality. Five miles further, we encamped on the south near
the edge of a plain; the river is wide, and covered with
sandbars to-day: the banks are high and of a whitish color;
the timber scarce, but an abundance of grapes. Beaver houses
too have been observed in great numbers on the river, but
none of the animals themselves.
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