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This morning I had the boat removed to an open situation, scaffold her off the ground, turned her keel to the sun and kindled fires under her to dry her more expediciously. I then set a couple of men to pounding of charcoal to form a composition with some beeswax which we have and buffaloe tallow now my only hope and resource for paying my boat; I sincerely hope it may answer yet I fear it will not. the boat in every other rispect completely answers my most sanguine expectation; she is not yet dry and eight men can carry her with the greatest ease; she is strong and will carry at least 8,000 lbs. with her suit of hands; her form is as complete as I could wish it. the stitches begin to gape very much since she has began to dry; I am now convinced this would not have been the case had the skins been sewed with a sharp point only and the leather not cut by the edges of a sharp nedle. about 8 A M. a large herd of buffaloe came near our camp and Capt. Clark with a party of the hunters indeavoured to get a shoot at them but the wind proved unfavourable and they ran off; the hunters pursued and killed three of them; we had most of the meat brought in and set a party to drying it. their skins were all brought in and streached to dry for the purpose of covering the baggage. 2 Wolves and three Antelopes also killed today. we permitted three other men to visit the falls today; these were the last of the party who had not as yet indulged themselves with this grand and interesting seen. the buffaloe again appear in great numbers about our camp and seem to be moving down the river. it is somewhat remarkable that altho' you may see ten or a douzen herds of buffaloe distinctly scattered and many miles distant yet if they are undisturbed by pursuit, they will all be traveling in one direction. the men who were permitted to visit the falls today returned in the evening and reported that the buffaloe were very numerous in that quarter; and as the country is more broken near the river in that quarter we conclude to dispatch a couple of canoes tomorrow with some hunters to kill as many as will answer our purposes.—
The plains in this part of the country are not so fertile as below the entrance [NB: Qu] of the Cockkle or missel shell river and from thence down the Missouri there is also much more stone on the sides of the hills and on the broken lands than below.—
A fine morning and but little wind, worm and Sultrey at 8 oClock— I Saw a large gangue of Buffalow and prosued them with Several men the wind was unfavourable and we Could not get near them, the party Scattered & Killed 3 buffalow and brought into [camp] their Skins and Some meat, Killed 2 wolves & 3 Antilopes for their Skins, Capt. Lewis much engaged in Completeing the Leather boat. Three men went to See the Falls, Saw great numbers of Buffalow on both Sides of the river. great numbers of young black birds
July 5th Friday 1805. a clear pleasant morning. 3 men Set out to go down to See the falls &C. a gang of buffalow Seen on the hills Some distance from Camp. Capt Clark and 12 men went out to attempt to kill Some of them but we could not git near them before they Smelled us and ran off Capt. Clark and Some of the men then returned to Camp the rest went after another gangue towards the South Mountain. towards evening they all came in had killed 3 buffalow 4 miles from this. they brought in Some meat and Skins. the 3 men returned fr[om] the falls & had killed Several buffalow might have killed hundreds if they had wished where they were pened under high clifts of rocks at the falls. they went So close among them as to reach them with the muzzle of their guns, &.C. they brought home Several tongues & Some brains, but had not time to take care of their meat & Skins &C—
Friday 5th. A fine morning. All the men, except five of us who were engaged at the boat, went to hunt; at night they came in and had killed several buffaloe and some cabres or antelopes.
July 5th Friday 1805. a clear pleasant morning. 3 [1] men Set out to go down to See the falls &c. about 9 oClock 12 of the party with Capt. Clark wen[t] in the plains after a gang of buffalow Seen on a hill Some distance off. the Situation of the plain where the gang of buffalow was Such that we could not git near enofe without being discovered by them. in attempting it Scared them all off. then a part of the men went after another gang, the remainder returned to Camp. towards evening the hunters all came in had killed 3 buffalow 4 miles back in the plains. brought in Some meat and Skins. the 3 men returned from the falls. had killed Several buffalow and might have killed hundreds if they chuse where they were pened in under high clifts of rocks. they went among them So as might have reached them with the muzzel of their guns, &c.
Friday July 5th A Clear pleasant morning, Three of our party set out, to go down to see the falls &ca About 9 o'Clock P. M. 12 of our party went with Captain Clarke 〈went〉 out to the Plains after a Gang of Buffalo, which they had seen on a hill some distance off; the situation of the plain where the gang of buffalo was such, that we could not get near them, without being discover'd by those animals; we attempted to advance near them, but they got scared and went off.— part of those Men went after another Gang & the remainder returned to Camp. towards Evening the hunters all returned to Camp.— They had killed 3 Buffalo 4 Miles back in the plains, and brought in some of the Meat & the Skins; the three Men also returned from the falls of the River, they had killed several buffalo, and mentioned that they might have killed hundreds of them, if they chose to do it; they said that the Buffalo were penn'd in, under high clifts of Rocks, & they went among those Buffalo, and were so near, as to touch them with the Muzzel of their Guns.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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