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The wind blew violently last night and was attended by a slight shower of rain; the morning was fair and we set out at an early hour. imployed the chord as usual the greater part of the day. the courant was strong tho' regular, and the banks afforded us good toeing. the wind was hard and against us yet we proceded with infinitely more ease than the two precedeing days. The river bluffs still continue to get lower and the plains leveler and more extensive; the timber on the river increases in quantity; the country in all other rispects much as discribed yesterday. I think we are now completely above the black hills [NB: see note of May 29] [1] we had a small shower of rain today but it lasted only a few minutes and was very moderate. Game becomeing more abundant this morning and I thought it best now to loose no time or suffer an opportunity to escape in providing the necessary quantity of Elk's skins to cover my leather boat which I now expect I shall be obliged to use shortly. Accordingly I walked on shore most of the day with some of the hunters for that purpose and killed 6 Elk 2 buffale 2 Mule deer and a bear. these anamals were all in good order we therefore took as much of the meat as our canoes and perogues could conveniently carry. the bear was very near catching Drewyer; it also pursued Charbono who fired his gun in the air as he ran but fortunately eluded the vigilence of the bear by secreting himself very securely in the bushes untill Drewyer finally killed it by a shot in the head; the [NB: only] shot indeed that will conquer the farocity of those tremendious anamals.— in the course of the day we passed 9 Islands all of them small and most of them containing some timber.—
we came too on the Lard. side in a handsome bottom of small cottonwood timber opposite to the entrance of a very considerable river; [2] but it being too late to examine these rivers minutely to night we determined to remain here untill the morning, and as the evening was favourable to make some obsevations.—
| N. 85° W. | ¾ | to a few trees on a Lard. point. |
| S. 60° W. | ¼ | Along the Lard. point opposite to a bluff. |
| S. 40° W. | ¼ | to some trees in a Stard bend. |
| S. 20° E. | 1 | to some willows on the Lard. side |
| S. 30° E. | 1 | to a bush on a Stard. point opposite to a low bluff |
| South | ¼ | Along the Stard. point. |
| S 45° W. | ½ | to a tree in a Lard. bend |
| West | 2 | to a point on Lard. side opposite to a bluff |
| S. 68° W. | ¼ | Along the Lard. shore oppst. an Island. |
| S. 35° W. | ¼ | Along the Lard. shore |
| S. 25° W. | 1 | to the point of a timbered bottom on Lard. |
| South | 2 ¾ | to a point on Stard. oppst. a dark bluff, passing three Islands; small.— |
| S. 60° W. | 1 | Along the Stad. side passing two small Islands on Lard. |
| N. 80° W. | 1 ¾ | to a Lard. point opposite to a bluff. |
| S. 10° W. | 1 ½ | to the Lower point of an Island near a Stard. point. |
| S. 65° W. | 2 | to a point of timber on the Lard. side opposite a bluff the Island and also another small one near the Stard. side. |
| S. 20° W. | ½ | to the head of an island |
| South | ½ | to a point of timber on the Stard. side. |
| S. 72° W. | ¼ [4] | to a point between two large rivers one of which is 362 Yds. and the 2cd or right hand fork [EC: Maria's ] is 200 Yd. wide. encamped on the Lard. shore opposite the junction of those rivers.— |
| Miles | 18 |
June 2cd
Point of observation No. 25.
On the Lard. side, one mile from the commencement of the 12th course of this day, observed Meridian altd. of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observation 57° 52'
Latitude deduced from this observation [blank]
Point of Observation No. 26.
At our encampment of this evening on the Lard. side of the Missouri. Observed time and distance of ☽'s Western limb from Spica ♍, ★, East, with Sextant.
| Time | Distance | ||
| h m s | |||
| P.M. | 10 58 53 | 53° 56' 45" | |
| 11 3 33 | " 55 30 | ||
| " 5 52 | " 54 30 | ||
| " 8 15 | " 52 30 | ||
| " 10 52 | " 52 30 | ||
| " 13 16 | " 50 45 | ||
| " 15 6 | " 49 15 | ||
| " 18 22 | " 48 |
| Time | Distance | ||
| h m s | |||
| P.M. | 11 30 43 | 53° 42' 45" | |
| " 33 46 | " 41 15 | ||
| " 36 2 | " 40 15 | ||
| " 38 35 | " 38 45 | ||
| " 41 28 | " 36 30 | ||
| " 43 16 | " 36 15 | ||
| " 45 12 | " 34 45 | ||
| " 47 | " 33 |
we had a hard wind and a little rain last night, this morning fair we Set out at an early hour, wind from the S W. Some little rain to day wind hard a head, the Countrey much like that of yesterday as discribed Capt Lewis walked on Shore, himself & the hunters killed 6 Elk & a Bear and 2 mule deer, and 2 buffalow which was all in good order a beaver also killed to day, passed 9 Islands to day the Current Swift but regular, we Camped on the Lard Side at the forks of the river the Currents & Sizes of them we Could not examine this evening a fair night we took Some Luner observations of moon & Stears
| miles | ||
| N 85° W | ¾ | to a fiew trees on the Lard point |
| S. 60° W | ¼ | on the Lard. point opposit a bluff |
| S. 40° W. | ½ | to Some trees in the Stard. bend |
| S. 20° E. | 1 | to some willows on the Lard. Side |
| S. 30° E | 1 | to a bush on the Stard. point opsd. a low bluff. |
| South | ¼ | on the Stard. point.— |
| S. 45° W. | ½ | to a tree in a bend on Lard. Side |
| West | 2 | to a point on the Lard. Side opposd. to a bluff |
| S. 68° W | ¼ | on the Lard. Side opsd. an Island |
| S. 35° W. | ¼ | on the Lard Side |
| S. 25° W. | 1 | to a point of a timbered bottom on the Lard Side |
| South | 2 ¾ | to a point on Stard. Side opsd. a dark bluff passed 3 Small Islands |
| S. 60° W. | 1 | m. on the Stard. Side passed 2 Isds. on Lard Side |
| N. 80° W. | 1 ¾ | to the Lard. point opsd. a bluff |
| S. 10° W. | 1 ½ | to the lower point of an Island near the Stard point. |
| S. 65° W. | 2 | to a point of timber on the Lard Side opsd. a bluff passed the Isd. and one near Stard. Side |
| S. 20° W. | ½ | to the head of an Island |
| South | ½ | to a point of timber on the Stard. Side |
| S. 72° W | ¼ | to a point between two large rivers one 362 yards & the other 〈half the width〉 200 |
| miles | 18 |
June 2nd Sunday 1805. we had a hard wind & a little rain last night. this morning fair. we Set out at an eairly hour. wind from S. W. Some little rain to day wind hard a head. the Country much like that of yesterday, as described. Capt. Lewis walked on Shore, himself and the hunters killed 6 Elk a bear and 2 mule Deer, and 2 buffalow, which was all in good order a beaver also killed this evening. passed 9 Islands to day. the current Swift but regular. we Camped [5] on the Larboard Side at the mouth or at the forks of the river. the current & Sizes of them we could not examine this evening. a fair night. the Captains took Some Lunr. observations, of moon & Stars—. Came 18 miles to day.
Sunday 2nd. We embarked early in a fine morning. The hills come close on the river, but are not so high nor so broken, as we found them a short distance lower down. This forenoon we passed two creeks, [6] one on each side, and several islands covered with cotton wood; but there is not a stick of timber to be seen any where upon the hills. Some of the hunters killed a brown bear in a small botton on the South side, and having come 18 miles, we encamped just above the bottom on the same side, at the mouth of a large river.
Sunday 2nd June 1805. a clear pleasant morning. we Set off as usal & proceeded on. about 9 oC. Some of the hunters killed a buffalow and an Elk. passed high bluffs on each Side, high plains, narrow bottoms and Islands. passed a creek [7] on the N. S. and one on the S. Side [8] about 12 oC. killed another Elk. about 1 oC. we halted to dine at a bottom of timber on the N. S. Some of the men killed another buffaloe. the wind high from the N. W. clouded up. the current is not So Swift yesterday & to day as it has been Some time past. we git along verry well with the towing lines. a Small Sprinkling of rain. about 2 oC. we proceeded on passed Several Islands of cotton wood bluffs & high land towards evening the hunters killed a yallow bear in a bottom of cotton wood on S. S. we Came 18 miles & Camped at a fork of the river. we could not determine which was the Missourie. the hunters killed 6 Elk in all to day. we Saw a high mountain [9] to the west of us. one hunter man Shot a large beaver this evening.
Sunday June 2nd A Clear pleasant morning, we set off early; and proceeded on our Voyage. About 9 o'Clock A. M. some of our hunters killed a buffalo, and an Elk, we proceeded on, and passed high bluffs lying on each side of the River, also high plains, narrow bottoms of land, & Islands, on both sides; and two Creeks, One on the North, and the other on the South side of the River, about 11 o'Clock A. M. one of our hunters killed another Elk, at 12 o'Clock A. M. we halted to dine on a bottom, lying on the North side of the River, Where one of our party killed a Buffalo, The wind blew hard from the North west at this place, and the Sky became Cloudy.—
The current of the Mesouris not running so swift, these two days past; as it had done for some time before; so that we made good head way, with towing the Crafts along,— about One o'Clock P M, we had some small sprinkling of rain— about 2 oClock P. M. we proceeded on, and passed several Islands, lying on both sides of the River; having Cotton wood on them.— and bluffs and high land.— towards evening, our hunters killed a Yellow Bear in a bottom, on the South side of the River, We encamped at a place where the Mesouri River forked, the officers being at a loss which fork was the Mesouri River, The Hunters that were out this day, returned to us, having killed 4 more Elk, and in the Evening one beaver,— We saw a high Mountain lying to our West. We came 18 Miles this day.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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