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The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates June 3, 1804 - June 8, 1804
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: June 3, 1804 - June 8, 1804
June
3, 1804
On the afternoon of June 3, we proceeded, and at three
miles distant, reached a creek called Cupboard creek,
from a rock of that appearance near its entrance. Two
miles further we encamped at Moreau creek, a stream
of twenty yards width, on the southern side. The next
morning, we passed at an early hour, Cedar island on
the north, so called from the abundance of the tree
of that name; near which is a small creek, named Nightingale
creek, from a bird of that species, who sang for us
during the night. Beyond Cedar island, are some others
of a smaller extent, and at seven miles distance a creek
fifteen or twenty yards wide, entering from the north,
and known by the name of Cedar creek. At seven and a
half miles further, we passed on the south side another
creek, which we called Mast creek, from the circumstance
of our mast being broken by running under a concealed
tree; a little above is another creek on the left, one
mile beyond which we encamped on the southern shore
under high projecting cliffs.
The French had reported
that lead ore was to be found in this place, but on
examining the hills, we could discern no appearance
of that mineral. Along the river on the south, is a
low land covered with rushes, and high nettles, and
near the mouths of the creeks, supplied with oak, ash,
and walnut timber. On the north the land is rich and
well situated. We made seventeen and a half miles this
day. The river is falling slowly.
June 4,
1804
We continued
our route the next morning early: a small creek called
Lead creek, on the south; another on the north, known
to the French by the name of Little Good Woman's creek,
and again Big Rock creek on the south were the only
streams we passed this morning. At eleven o'clock we
met a raft made of two canoes joined together, in which
two French traders were descending, from eighty leagues
up the river Kansas, where they had wintered, and caught
great quantities of beaver, but had lost much of their
game by fires from the prairies. They told us that the
Kansas nation is now hunting buffalo in the plains,
having passed the last winter in this river. Two miles
further, we reached on the south Little Manitou creek,
which takes its name from a strange figure resembling
the bust of a man, with the horns of a stag, painted
on a projecting rock, which may represent some spirit
or deity. Near this is a sandbar extending several miles,
which renders the navigation difficult, and a small
creek called Sand creek on the south, where we stopped
for dinner, and gathered wild cresses and tongue grass
from the sandbar. The rapidity of the currents added
to our having broken our mast, prevented our going more
than twelve and a half miles. The scouts and hunters
whom we always kept out, report that they have seen
fresh tracks of Indians.
The next morning
we left our camp, which was on the south side, opposite
to a large island in the middle of the river, and at
five miles reached a creek on the north side, of about
twenty yards wide, called Split Rock creek, from a fissure
in the point of a neighboring rock. Three miles beyond
this, on the south is Saline river, it is about thirty
yards wide, and has its name from the number of salt
licks, and springs, which render its water brackish;
the river is very rapid and the banks falling in. After
leaving Saline creek, we passed one large island and
several smaller ones, having made fourteen miles. The
water rose a foot during the last night.
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