July 10, 1806
Clark set out with horses and canoes. His party made good progress with the canoes being able to keep pace with the horses. In a single day they passed six of the camps they’d occupied on the way up the river. In contrast, Lewis’s party were slowed by muddy ground from the constant rain that they were encountering. Lewis came across a large herd of buffalo and his hunters killed eleven for the meat and to use their hides for canoe coverings and shelters.

July 11, 1806
Clark and his party were battered by strong cold winds which hampered their progress, however that evening they reached the point where, on 7th August, they’d left a canoe and found it in good condition. They also found a bayonet that had been left behind.

July 12, 1806
Meriwether Lewis sent out some men to search for some of the horses that had disappeared. They managed to retrieve 10 of them. They then used their canoes to transport their baggage and meat across the river before swimming the horses across.

July 13, 1806
Lewis arrived at another of their caches and found that water had damaged many of the items as the river had risen so high. He managed to dry out some of the items but many of the medicines had been destroyed by an open phial of laudanum.

Meanwhile Clark divided his party and sent 10 of the men to carry on down the river while he took the horses and continued on land. Sacagawea, who had acted as a guide for this part of the journey, recommended crossing through a more southerly gap in the mountains. Following the suggested route Clark’s group continued their journey.

July 16, 1806
Lewis arrived at the great falls (now known as Rainbow Falls in Montana) which he estimated to have a drop of 47 feet.

July 17, 1806
Lewis's party arrived in Blackfeet Indian territory. Knowing them to be dangerous, Lewis began taking precautions to avoid contact with them. On the same day, Clark passed an Indian fort made of bark and logs. Sacagawea explained that the Indians used it to defend themselves when they were under attack from other Indians.

Next Journal Summary