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a cool clear morning a Stiff breeze ahead we Set out at the usial hour and proceeded on very well. I derected Shields Collins Shannon and the two fieldses to proceed on in the two small Canoes to the Ponia Island [1] and hunt on that Island untill we came on, they Set out before day light— The Skirt of timber in the bend above the Chyenne is not very Considerable the timber is Scattered from 4 to 16 miles on the S W Side of the river, and the thickest part is at the distance of 6 & 10 miles from the Chyenne, a narrow bottom of Small Cotton trees 〈& willow〉 is also on the N E pt. at the distance of from 4 to 4½ miles above the Chyenne imediately at the enterance of that river I observe but fiew large trees Some Small Growth and willows on the lower Side bottom on the Missouri about ½ a mile and extends up the Chyen 1 mile about a quarter of a mile above is a 2d bottom of Cotton timber, in the point above the Chyenne there is a considerable bottom of about 2 miles on that river and a large timbered bottom a Short distance above. at 8 A. M. we Came to at the mouth of the Chyenne [2] to delay untill 12 to make a meridian observation and derected 3 hunters to proced up this river and hunt its bottoms untill twelve at which hou we Shall proceed on. the hunters returned with 2 deer the Chyenne discharges but little water which is much the colour of the missouri tho not So muddy I observe a very eligable Situation on the bank of the Chyenne on it's lower Side about 100 paces from it's enterance. this Situation is above the high floods and has a perfect Command of each river we obtained a Meridian altitude with the Sextt. and artificial Horizon 112° 50' 00"— after which we proceeded on passed the pania Island and came up with Shields and Collins they had killed two deer only at 3 P M we passed the place where we Saw the last encampement of Troubleson Tetons below the old ponia village [3] on the S W Side. a very large timbered bottom on the N. E. Side imedialely below the Pania Island. Latd. of Chyenne is [blank] North. at Sunset we landed about the Center of a large bottom on the N E Side a little below the enterance of No timber Creek and below our Encampment of 29th of Septr. 1804. [4] dreyer killed a deer after we encamped. a little above our encampmt. the ricaras had formerly a large village on each Side which was destroyed by the Seioux. there is the remains of 5 other villages on the S W. Side below the Chyenne river and one on Le ho catts Isld. [5] all those villages have been broken up by the Seioux. This day proved a fine Still day and the men played their oars and we made 48 miles to day. The 2 fields and Shannon did not join this evening which caused me to encamp earlier than usial for them. we Saw no game on the plains today. the Tetons have been on the river not long Since—.
Monday 25th August 1806. a clear pleasant morning. 5 of our hunters Sent on a head to hunt to an Isld. we procd. on about 9 A. M. we halted at the Mouth of Chyenne river N. Side and our officers conclude to delay untill 12 and take an observation the hunters went out and killed two deer. Set off again at 12 and procd on Soon overtook the other hunters who had killed a fat buck & 2 does. we procd on untill evening and Camped on N. S.
Monday 25th. The morning was again pleasant, and we proceeded on early, having sent forward two small canoes with five men [6] to hunt. When we had gone twelve miles, we came to the mouth of the Chien river, where we halted staid till noon, for the purpose of taking an observation. Some of the men went out to hunt, and while we remained here, killed three small deer. At half past 12 o'clock we proceeded on again, and in a short time overtook our canoes with the hunters, that had gone on ahead, and killed three deer. In the evening we encamped in a handsome bottom, and a hunter killed another deer. [7]
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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