Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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a fine Morning, finding that we Could purchase no more horse than we had for our goods &c. (and those not a Sufficint number for each of our Party to have one which is our wish) I Gave my Fuzee to one of the men & Sold his musket for a horse which Completed us to 29 total horses, we Purchased pack Cords Made Saddles & Set out on our rout down the [EC: Lemhi ] river by land guided by my old guide one other who joined him, the old gude's 3 Sons followed him before we Set out our hunters killed three Deer proceded on 12 miles and encamped on the river South Side— at the time we Set out from the Indian Camps the greater Part of the Band Set out over to the waters of the Missouri. we had great attention paid to the horses, as they were nearly all Sore Backs and Several pore, & young Those horses are indifferent, maney Sore backs and others not acustomed to pack, and as we Cannot put large loads on them are Compelled to purchase as maney as we Can to take our Small propotin of baggage of the Parties. (& Eate if necessary) Proceeded on 12 miles to day [1]
Friday 30th August 1805. a fine morning. we got up all our horses. bought 3 more. have now got 30 in all. we got our loads ready. the guide [2] who has engaged with us to go on to the ocean tells us that their is 2 ways to go, but the one bearing South of the Ri: is plains and a desert country without game or water. but the road to the North of the River is rough and mountaineous but Sd. he could take us in 10 days to a large fork of the River [3] which came in on the South Side where the River would be navigable or in about 15 days we could go to where the tide came up and Salt water. So we concluded to go that road. apart of the natives went from this village over to the head of the Missouri after the buffalow. about one oClock P. m. our hunter came in had killed three Deer we loaded all but 2 of our horses and Set out and proceeded on down the River bottom crossed Several this Spring runs and Sever[al] old Camps. went about 10 miles and Camped on a Smooth bottom near the River considerable of cotton and alder [4] wood along the Shores.
Friday 30th. We remained here all day, and in the evening the whole of the corps came down within a mile of our camp, and remained there all night, being a good place for grass.
Friday 30th August 1805. a clear pleasant morning. we got all our horses up and bought 3 more which makes 30 in all which we now have. we got our loads ready. the guide which we engaged to go with us tells us that we could go a road which would be Smooth & leads to the Southward but we would be 2 days without water and no game on that road. but he could Show us a hilley rough roud over the mountains to the north of the River which would take us in 15 days to Salt water, or in 10 days to a large fork of the River, where it would be navagable. So we concluded to go that roud a part of these natives Set out with their horses to go over on the Missourie after the buffalow. about one oClock P. M. we got ready and Set out with all our horses except 2 loaded with baggage. our hunter killed three Deer this fornoon. we proceeded on down this little River bottom crossed Several Spring runs passed Several old camps or lodges. Came about 10 miles and Camped on the bottom near the River.
Friday August 30th A Clear pleasant morning, and our Men were employed in getting up our horses— Captain Lewis bought 3 more horses from the Natives, and we now have 30 horses to carry our baggage &ca.— We got all the loads for the horses ready.— The Indian guide, which our officers had engaged to go with us, from the Indians we are among; informed us, that we could go a Road which would be smooth & which went to the Southward, but that we should be two days, without water, & that there was no game to be met with on that Route,— but that he would show us a hilly rough road, which went over the mountains, to the North of the Columbia River, which would take us in 15 days to Salt water, or in 10 days to a large fork of the Columbia River; which would be navigable for Canoes.— Our Officers concluded to take the last mentioned Road— A party of the Snake Indians that we were with, set out with their Horses to go over on the Mesouri after Buffalo, about 1 o'Clock P. M. we set out, having all our horses (excepting 2) loaded with our baggage &ca. Our hunters came to us, & brought 3 deer which they had killed with them. We proceeded on down this little River bottom, & crossed several spring runs, and passed by several old Indian Camps or lodges.— We came about 10 Miles & encamped in a bottom, which lay near the River—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.