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.
I feel my Self verry unwell, all the canoes in the water, we Load and Set out, after fixing all our Poles &c. &c. The after noon Cloudy proced on passd maney bad rapids, one Canoe that in which I went in front Sprung a Leak in passing the 3rd rapid—
Set out at 3 oClock P M & proceeded on
| N. 80° W. | 1 | mile, passed a bad rappid |
| S W. | 1 ½ | mile to the L. Side bend |
| West | ½ | mile to R. Sd. passd. a rapid |
| S W. | 1 | mile to a Left hand bend |
| N. 70 W. | 1 ½ | miles passed a rapid R. G. |
| S 60 W | 1 ½ | miles do. bad to L. S. |
| West | 3 | miles passd. a rapid ½ a Creek on the 〈right〉 left at 2 miles to a right hand bend |
| S. 10° E | 1 ½ | mile to a Left B. passed a rapid |
| N. 60 E | 1 ½ | m. to a R. bend passed a rapid |
| South | 1 | To a bend on the Left Side Passed a bad rapid |
| West | 1 | in the left hand bend |
| N W. | ½ | a mile to a bad rapid |
| S. 70° W | 1 ½ | miles to a bend on the right |
| S W. | 2 | miles to a bend on the left at the mo. of a run opposit to which we camped. from water Encamped on a pool right, narrows above for 6 miles all way |
| 20 |
〈N W 1 mile to a bend to right〉
I continu verry unwell but obliged to attend every thing all the Canoes put into the water and loaded, fixed our Canoes as well as possible and Set out as we were about to Set out we missd. both of the Chiefs [2] who promised to accompany us; I also missed my Pipe Tomahawk which Could not be found.
The after part of the day Cloudy proceded on passed 10 rapids which wer danjerous the Canoe in which I was Struck a rock and Sprung a leak in the 3rd rapid, we proceeded on 20 [WC: 19] miles and Encamped on a Stard point oppost a run. [3] passed a Creek Small on the Lard. Side at 9 miles, [4] 〈a run at〉 a Short distanc from the river at 2 feet 4 Inches N. of a dead toped pine Treee had burid 2 Lead Canisters of Powder
Had the Canoes unloaded examined and mended a Small leake which we discovered in a thin place in her Side passed Several 〈old〉 Camps of Indians to day
our Course and distance Shall be given after I get to the forks. &c.— which the Indians Say is the last of the bad water untill we get to the great falls 10 day below, where the white people live &c. The Lodges are of Sticks set in a 〈conocal〉 form of roof of a house & covered with mats and Straw
Monday 7th Oct. 1805. a clear morning. we put the other three canoes in to the River. got them in readiness and loaded them about 3 oClock P. m. we Set out on our journay to descend the River. proceeded on over Several Sholes and rapids where we halled the canoes over Sholes. Some part of the River is deep and current gentle &c. the hills and clifts make near the River on each side. Saw old Indian Camps on Lard. Side Came 21 miles and Camped on the Stard. Side.—
Monday 7th Oct. 1805. a fair morning. we put the other three canoes in to the River and got them in readiness and loaded them. about 3 oClock P. m. we Set out on our way to descend the River. [5] the 2 Indians [6] we came over the mount. with us continues on with us, and a chief & one more Indian who agreed to go down with us has gone by land Some distance down and then Intends comming on board. we proceeded on over a nomber of bad rapids where the canoes run fast and obledged us to git out in the cold water and hale them off. Some places the water is deep & current gentle for Some distance, but the Shole rapids are common & rockey. the River hills make close to the River on each Side. Some clifts of rocks, a fiew Scattering pine trees on the hills, but they are mostly barron broken, & covred over with grass. Some Small cotton wood along the Shores. Some of the rapids which are deep enofe to run clear are So bad that we take water over the canoes by the waves. Strike Some large rocks & Slide of without Injury—. Came 21 miles and Camped on Stard. Side the officers canoe leaks So that they changes their Baggag in an other canoe for fear of gitting the Instruments &c. wet. the Evening cloudy. one man taken Sick with the collick. we passed Some old Indian Camps this afternoon & a Small canoe on Shore—
Monday October 7th This morning we had clear pleasant weather, all our party that were able were employed in getting the other three new Canoes into the River, which they effected. they got every thing in readiness on board of them and got them loaded. About 3 oClock P. M. we set out on our way to descend the River, & the 2 Indians of the Snake Nation, that came to Pilot us across the Mountains, agreed to continue with us. We also had a chief & one Indian from the last Town we came through who also agreed to accompany us.— These two last Indians, set off down the River by land to go some distance, & intend to join our party again. We then proceeded on our Voyage, and crossed a number of bad rapids, where our Canoes got fast, & obliged us to get out in the Water (that was cold) and hawl them off. we found the Water in some places deep, & the current running gentle for some distance. The Rapids were very frequent & Shoal, the bottom of the River rockey, and the hills making close in to the River on both sides of it. There is some Clifts of rocks, lying along the Shore & a few scattering pine trees, growing on some of the hills 〈but they〉 which are mostly broken & covered with grass. We saw some few cotton wood Trees, growing on each side of the River along the Shore, We also found, that in some of the Rapids where we had plenty of water for our Canoes to pass, that the Waves ran so high that our Canoes took in a great deal of water, & we struck several Rocks, in passing over them, but the Rapidity of the stream forced us over them.—
We came about 27 Miles this day, and encamped on the North side of the River. The Canoe that our Officers went in, leaked so bad, that they were forced to unload it, & put their baggage into another Canoe, for fear of getting their Mathematical Instruments & baggage wet. We passed this afternoon some old Indian Camps & saw a Canoe lying on the Shore. The Evening proved cloudy. One of our party was taken ill, this evening of a Cholic occasioned by being so much in the water.
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.