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Lewis & Clark Expedition

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July 29, 1804
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July 29, 1804

[Clark]

 
1st course the 29th July [1]
North      ¾ of a mile on L. S Isld (1)
N. 80° W      ½ ms. to a Pt. on L. S opsd. Bowyer Rivr (2)
〈N. 85 W   2 ms. to a wood〉 in a bend L. S. High Land
〈North      ¾〉 to pt. on S. S.
    The 4 courses of the 29th to come in here
N. 11° E.   3 ½ miles to an object in the bend Stard. Shore. (4)
N. 70° W.   2 ½ miles to a point of timber on the L. S. below a
Clean High Prarie
〈S. 8   1〉 proceeded on ½ a mile & camped on the S. S.—
  12  

July 29 Sunday    We Sent one frenchman le Liberty [2] & the Indian to the Camp to envite the party to meet us at the next bend of High Land on the L. S.    a Dark morning    wind from the W. N. W.    rained all last night— Set out at 5 oClock &, proceeded on    passed the Island, opposit this Island on the S. S. the Creek called Indian Knob Creek which mouths Several miles on a Direct line below, is within 20 feet of the Missouri & about 5 feet higher

Cought three large Cat fish to day verry fat    one of them nearly white those Cat are So plenty that they may be Cought in any part of this River but fiew fish of any other Kind.—

(4) at the commencement of this course passed much fallen timber apparently the ravages of a dreadful haricane which had passed obliquely across the river from N. W. to S. E. about twelve months since.    many trees were broken off near the ground the trunks of which were sound and four feet in diameter. [3]

Willard lost his gun in Bowyers R.    R. Fields Dive & brought it up [4]

All the Wood Land on this part of the Missouries Appear to be Confined to the Points & Islands

Boyers River is provably [probably] 25 yds. Wide, Willard near loseing his Gun in this river, two men Sick & Sevral with Boils, a Cold Day    Wind from the N W.    Som rain the fore part of the Day. [5]

[Clark]

July 29th Sunday 1804
 

Sent a french man la Liberty with the Indian to Otteaze Camp to invite the Indians to meet us on the river above—    a Dark rainey morning    wind from the W. N. W.—    rained all the last night—    Set out at 5 oClock    opposit the (1) Island, 〈in〉 the bend to the right or S. S. is within 20 feet of Indian Knob Creek, the water of this Creek is 5 feet higher than that of the River.    passed the Isld.    we Stoped to Dine under Some high Trees near the high land on the L. S.    in a fiew minits Cought three verry large Catfish (3) one nearly white, Those fish are in great plenty on the Sides of the river and verry fat, a quart of Oile Came out of the Surpolous fat of one of these fish    (4) above this high land & on the S. S. passed much falling timber apparently the ravages of a Dreadfull harican which had passed obliquely across the river from N. W. to S E about twelve months Since, many trees were broken off near the ground the trunks of which were Sound and four feet in diameter, (2) about ¾ of a Me. above the Island on the S. S. a Creek coms in Called Boyers R. this Creek is 25 yards wide,    one man in attempting to Cross this Creek on a log let his gun fall in, R. Fields Dived & brought it up    proceeded on to a Point on the S. S. and Camped. [6]

Course Distanc & Refrs. July 29th
North ¾ of a Mile on the L. S. an Island on the right
of the Course (1)
N. 80° W.      ½ me. to a pt. on the L. Side    passed Bowyers
Creek S S (2)
N. 85° W.   2 ms. to a wood in a bend on the L. S. below a
Hill
North      ¾ me. on the S. S. (3)
N. 11° E.   3 ½ Ms. to a tree in the bend S. S.    passed a
Harican (4)
N. 70° W.   2 to a point of wood on the S. S.    Camped
S. S.
  10  

[Ordway]

 

Sunday July 29th 1804. Rain all last night. Cloudy morning.    we Set out Eairly. Jo. Barter [7] a Frenchman who could Speak the Zoteau language went with the Indian, in order to Git as many of them together as possable & bring them to the River above this 〈where〉 place So that we may See & treat with them &C.—    we proceded on along a large bottom prarie on N. S.    passed a Small Creek on N. S. called Boyer Creek, about noon we came to high land on the S. S. where we Stoped to Dine & jerk our meat which Drewyer brought to us. Willard Sent back to last nights Camp for his Tommahawk, which he left    we Delayed about 2 hours, Caught Several of the largest cat fish we have ever caught in this River.—    (one Swallowed a hook bit of the line, caught the Same G. hook)    the Missouri is much more crooked since we passed the Great River Platte than before but not So Rapid in general; & more praries, the Timber Scarser &C—    The Timber mostly Cottonwood except on the hills: which is oak Black Walnut hickery Elm Bass wood [8] &C—    Willard lost his rifle in a 〈Small〉 large Creek Called Boyer [9] N. S.    came back for help to find it.    the white pearogue went back with him & got out his Rifle, which was sunk deep in the mud, we proceded on along a round bend & prarie on N. S. We Camped on the North Side in a thin Grove of cottonwood.—

[Floyd]

July 29th Sunday 1804
 

Sunday July 29th    we Set out after we Dspashed the Indian and one of ouer men [10] with him to bring the Rest of his party    the Reasen this man Gives of His being with So Small a party is that He Has not Got Horses to Go in the Large praries after the Buflows but Stayes about the Town and River to Hunte the Elke to Seporte 〈His〉 thare famileys    passed the mouth of Boyers River on the N. Side    it about 30 yards wide    the Land is Low Bottom Land    out from the River is High Hills    Campt on the North Side at a prarie

[Gass]

 

Sunday, 29th.    We embarked early, and continued our voyage. One of our Frenchmen [11] went with the Indian to bring more of them to meet us at some convenient landing place. At 12 one of our hunters came in with a deer and some elk meat. We renewed our voyage at 3, passed a bank, where there was a quantity of fallen timber, and encamped on the north side.

[Whitehouse]

 

Sunday 29    the Morning was Rany    the indian and LiBerty [12] went to the nation to Bring the rest of them to a treaty    the hunter Come to us at 12 CLock with Some EaLk meat and one deare    the Camp [13] was near the Same Praerie Land    Some groves of timBer weL wartered    I Cut my [illegible] on the 27    had to Lay By my ower    the Cout was one inch and half Long    WiLard Left his tommehake weare we Camped on the night of the 28 Instan [illegible words]    we Came to the Grean Prarie    it [is] very hansom    the hils Com in near the river    th[ere] Come in smale Creak on the West Sd of the river    Cald it Potts Creak about 20 yds at the Mouth. [14]    Roed 11½    Campd. on the E. S.—    Joseph fields Shot a Brareowe [15]    he is the form of a dog.    his colour is Gray his talents on the four feet is 1½ Inch long his picture never was Seen by any of the party before.

Sunday July 29th    This morning was rainey, we started at sunrise.    Captain Lewis sent the Zoto Indian that had come to us the day before; and a Canadian named Liberty; to the Zoto nation; to bring the Warriors and chiefs to Council Bluff, in order to hold a treaty with them, The Canadian Liberty never returned to us, this put the Captains much at a loss to know what had become of him, fearing the Indians had killed him.—

We rowed 11 Miles this day & encamp'd on the South side of the River

1. The courses and distances for this entry in the Field Notes (document 37) are divided in the original but are here brought together for ease of reading. Clark identified the match-up with asterisks. There are variations between the courses and distances here and those in Codex A. Lewis appears to have written the course that begins N. 11° E. (back)
2. The first mention, at least by this name, of this man, evidently a French engagé. Presumably one or both of the "La bartees" listed by Clark on July 4, 1804 refer to him. For the problems associated with his identity, see Appendix A. Because he was not a soldier, he did not desert, in the precise legal sense, but only quit the expedition. (back)
3. This paragraph appears to be in Lewis's hand. The "hurricane" was probably a tornado. (back)
4. July 29 was not Willard's day: he lost his rifle while returning to the previous camp to retrieve his forgotten tomahawk. Boyer River, or Creek, reaches the Missouri River in northwest Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Atlas map 13; MRC map 24; MRR maps 66, 67; Petersen, 270–71. (back)
5. These calculations are under the July 29 entry:
10   10
15   15
10   10
  1   12
36   47 ¾
32   32
688   80
(back)
6. Apparently in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, somewhat above the Washington-Douglas county line, Nebraska, on the opposite shore. Atlas map 13; MRC map 24; MRR map 66. (back)
7. La Liberté, who would abandon the expedition. See Appendix A, and Clark's entry for this day. (back)
8. Perhaps linden, basswood, Tilia americana L., called "lynn" the next day. (back)
9. Boyer River, or Creek, in northwest Pottawattamie County, Iowa. (back)
10. La Liberté, who would abandon the expedition. (back)
11. La Liberté, who took the opportunity to abandon the expedition; see Appendix A, and Clark's entry for this day. (back)
12. La Liberté, who asserted his own liberty by deserting the expedition; see Appendix A, and Clark's entry for this day. (back)
13. A nearly illegible word, but "Camp" is the most likely interpretation. An alternate reading would be "Cowes," but they would have to be buffalo, and no one else mentions them this day. (back)
14. No. 3 appears to stop writing here. No. 2 begins with the next sentence and continues until August 18. Pott's Creek is Boyer River, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. (back)
15. From the French blaireau, for the badger, Taxidea taxus, but the others indicate it was killed the next day. See Clark's entry for July 30. (back)
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