Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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Some little rain, purchased two fine horses & took a Vocabiliary of the language litened our loads & packed up, rained contd. untill 〈2〉 12 oClock we Set out at 2 oClock at the Same time all the Indians Set out on Ther way to meet the Snake Indians at the 3 forks of the Missouri. Crossed a Small river [2] from the right we call [blank] [NB: This was the main river or Clarks ] Soon after Setting out, also a Small Creek [3] from the North all three forks Comeing together below our Camp at which place the Mountains Close on each Side of the river, We proceeded on N 30 W. Crossed a Mountain and Struck the river Several miles down, at which place the Indians had Encamped two days before, we Proceeded on Down the River which is 30 yds. wide Shallow & Stoney. Crossing it Several times & Encamped in a Small bottom on the right side. [4] rained this evening nothing to eate but berries, our flour out, and but little Corn, the hunters killed 2 pheasents only— all our horses purchased of the 〈flat heads〉 oote lash Shutes we Secured well for fear of their leaveing of us, and watched them all night for fear of their leaving us or the Indians prosuing & Steeling them.
Friday 6th Sept. 1805. a clear cold morning. we packed up our baggage the natives got up their horses also and Struck their Lodges in order to Set out for the Missourie. we have now got 40 good pack horses and three Colts. four hunters were furnished horses without loads in order to hunt constant. about 1 oClock we Set out again on our journey. the natives Set out at the Same time for the Missourie we proceeded on soon crossed a large creek [5] in this valley then Soon took the mountains. one of the hunters left us. we went over a Mountain about 7 miles and descended down the Mountain on a creek and Camped. [6] eat a little parched corn. light Sprinkling of rain, through the course of this day—
Friday 6th. A cloudy morning. We exchanged some of our horses, that were fatigued, with the natives; about 12 o'clock some rain fell; and we prepared to move on. At 1 we started, when the Indians also set out. We proceeded over a mountain to a creek, and went down the creek, [7] our course being northwest; found the country mountainous and poor; and the game scarce. Having travelled about 7 miles we encamped. Four hunters had been out to day, but killed nothing; we therefore supped upon a small quantity of corn we had yet left.
Friday 6th Sept. 1805. a clear cold morning. we began to pack up our baggage and look up our horses &c. bought a nomber of lash chords and other Small articles from the natives at 10 oClock A. m. the natives all got up their horses and Struck their lodges in order to move over on the head of the Missourie after the buffalow. they make a large Show as they are numerous and have abundance of horses. we take these Savages to be the Welch Indians [8] if their be any Such from the Language. So Capt. Lewis took down the Names of everry thing in their Language, in order that it may be found out whether they are or whether they Sprang or origenated first from the welch or not. about noon we got ready to Set out. we have now 40 good pack horses, and three Colts. we loadd. the horses Several men had to take 2 horses &c. 4 hunters were furnished horses without loads to hunt constant. about 1 oClock P. m. we Set out. the natives Set out at the Same time to go over on the missourie. we proceeded on our journey. crossed a large creek went over a mountain about 7 miles came down on the Same creek and Camped nothing to eat but a little pearched corn. on[e] hunter Stayed out all night. light Sprinklings of rain through the course of the day.
Friday Septemr— 6th A clear cold morning, and we began to pack up our baggage & collect our horses in order to get ready to proceed on our Journey, we purchased a number of Cords & other small articles from the Indians, for some small articles of merchandise. About 10 o'Clock A. M. the Indians collected their horses, & struck their lodges, in order to move over on the head waters of the Mesouri River after Buffalo. they made a large show & were numerous and had abundance of horses. We all suppose these Indians to be the Welch nation of Indians, if there be any such a Nation; & from their language we believe them to be the same. Captain Lewis took down the names of almost every thing in their language in order to find whether they are the same,— or if possible to find out from their language & if there is any thing similiarity between it, & the Antient Welch language, & [illegible, crossed out] whether they originated from the Welch.— About noon we got ready to set out on our Journey, & we have 40 good pack horses which our officers had purchased 〈from〉 & exchanged with these Indians.
They had also purchased 3 Colts; that in case we should be without provisions, that we might have something for to subsist on.— We loaded our horses, & our hunters were also furnish'd with horses without loads, to hunt on.— About 1 oClock P. M we set out. The natives set out at the same time, to go over on the Mesouri River to hunt buffalo, after taking an affectionate leave of us.— We proceeded on our Journey, and crossed a large Creek, and went over a Mountain about 7 Miles across.— We asscended this Mountain, and came to the same Creek that we crossed this day, & encamped.— We had nothing to eat except a little parched Corn Meal, but our party are all contented. One of our hunters did not return to us this night
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.