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July 10, 1805
Wednesday 10. He accordingly passed over to the opposite
side of the river with his party, and proceeded on eight miles
by land, the distance by water being twenty-three and three
quarter miles. Here he found two cottonwood trees, but on cutting
them down, one proved to be hollow, split at the top in falling,
and both were much damaged at the bottom. He searched the neighborhood
but could find none which would suit better, and therefore was
obliged to make use of those which he had felled, shortening
them in order to avoid the cracks, and supplying the deficiency
by making them as wide as possible. They were equally at a loss
for wood of which they might make handles for their axes, the
eyes of which not being round they were obliged to split the
timber in such a manner that thirteen of the handles broke in
the course of the day, though made of the best wood they could
find for the purpose, which was the chokecherry.
The rest of the party took the frame of the boat to pieces,
deposited it in a cache or hole, with a draught of the country
from fort Mandan to this place, and also some other papers and
small articles of less importance. After this we amused ourselves
with fishing, and although we had thought on our arrival that
there were none in this part of the river, we caught some of
a species of white chub below the falls, but few in number,
and small in size.
Serjeant Ordway with four canoes and eight men had set sail
in the morning, with part of the baggage to the place where
captain Clarke had fixed his camp, but the wind was so high
that he only reached within three miles of that place, and encamped
for the night.
July 11, 1805
Thursday, July 11. In the morning one of the canoes joined
captain Clarke: the other three having on board more valuable
articles, which would have been injured by the water, went on
more cautiously, and did not reach the camp till the evening.
Captain Clarke then had the canoes unloaded and sent back, but
the high wind prevented their floating down nearer than about
eight miles above us. His party were busily engaged with the
canoes, and their hunters supplied them with three fat deer
and a buffalo, in addition to two deer and an antelope killed
yesterday. The few men who were with Captain Lewis were occupied
in hunting, but with not much success, having killed only one
buffalo. They heard about sunset two discharges of the tremendous
mountain artillery: they also saw several very large gray eagles,
much larger than those of the United States, and most probably
a distinct species, though the bald eagle of this country is
not quite so large as that of the United States. The men have
been much afflicted with painful whitlows, and one of them disabled
from working by this complaint in his hand.
July 12, 1805
Friday, 12. In consequence
of the wind the canoes did not reach the lower camp till late
in the afternoon, before which time Captain Lewis sent all the
men he could spare up the river to assist in building the boats,
and the day was too far advanced to reload and send them up
before morning. The mosquitoes are very troublesome, and they
have a companion not less so, a large black gnat which does
not sting, but attacks the eyes in swarms. The party with captain
Clarke are employed on the canoes: in the course of the work
sergeant Pryor dislocated his shoulder yesterday, but it was
replaced immediately, and though painful does not threaten much
injury. The hunters brought in three deer and two otter. This
last animal has been numerous since the water has become sufficiently
clear for them to take fish. The blue-crested fisher, or as
it is sometimes called, the kingfisher, is an inhabitant of
this part of the river; it is a bird rare on the Missouri: indeed
we had not seen more than three or four of them from its entrance
to Maria's river, and even those did not seem to reside on the
Missouri but on some of the clearer streams which empty into
it, as they were seen near the mouths of those streams.
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