Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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Capt Lewis had a bad nights rest and is not very well this morning. we Set out early and proceded on very well, Saw a number of Buffalow bulls on the banks in different places. passd the 3 rivers of the Seioux pass [1] at 9 A. M. a Short distance below on the S W Side Sent out Reubin & Joseph Feild to hunt for the Mule deer or the antilope neither of which we have either the Skins or Scellitens of, [2] we derected those two men to proceed on down to the places we encamped the 16th & 17th of Septr. 1804 and which place the party had called pleasant Camp from the great abundance of Game Such as Buffalow Elk, antilopes, Blacktail or mule deer, fallow deer, common deer wolves barking Squirels, Turkies and a variety of other animals, aded to which there was a great abundance of the most delicious plumbs and grapes. this Situation which is a Short distance above the enterance of Corvus Creek we are deturmined to delay one day for the purpose of prcureing the sceletins of the Mule deer & antilope, and Some barking Squirels. a fiew miles below the place the 2 Fields were Set on Shore we Set Drewyer and Labeech on Shore with the Same directions which had been given to the 2 field's at 12 oClock we Landed on the S W. Side at the Same Spot which we had encamped on the 16th and 17th of September 1804, and formed a Camp, [3] Sent out Serjt. Pryor, Shields, Go. Gibson, Willard and Collins to hunt in the plains up Corvus Creek for the Antilope and Mule deer Sent out Bratten and Frazier to kill the barking Squirel, [4] and Gave directions to all of them to kill the Magpye [5] if they Should See any of them Several of the men and the Squaws of the enterpreter Jessomme and the Mandan Chief went to Some plumb bushes in the bottom and geathered more plumbs than the party Could eate in 2 days, those blumbs are of 3 Speces, [6] the most of them large and well flavored. our Situation is pleasent a high bottom thinly timbered and covered with low grass without misquitors. at 3 P. M Drewyer and Labeech arived, the latter haveing killd. a Deer of the Common Speceis only. in the evening late all the hunters returned without any Speces of animal we were in want of, they killed 4 Common deer and two buffalow a part of the best of the meat of those animals they brought in. we precured two of the barking Squirels only. as we Could not precere any Mule deer or antelope we concluded to Send the hunters on a head early in the morning and delay untill 10 A. M to give them time to hunt. I derected Shannon & Collins to go on the opposit Side, and Labeech and Willard to proceed down on this Side at Some distance from the river and join the party at the round Island [7] &c. and R. Field to proceed on Slowly in the Small Canoe to that place and take in any thing which the hunters might kill. Made 32 miles to day
The hunters informed me that they Saw great numbers of Buffalow in the plains. I Saw Several herds of those animals on either Side to day at a distance.
Thursday 28th August 1806. a fair morning. we Set out as usal and procd. on about 11 oClock A. M. we arived at pleasant Camp where we Camped about 20 of Sept 1804. we Camped here to hunt. Several hunters went out. [8] we gathered an emence Site of plumbs which are now ripe and good. Several of the men went at dressing deer and goat skins to make themselves cloaths &C. &C. in the evening our hunters returnd had killed 2 buffaloe three deer one porcupine and Several bearking Squerrells the Musquetoes troublesome &C.
Thursday 28th. We had another pleasant day; embarked early, and proceeded on till about 11 o'clock, when we arrived at Pleasant camp, and halted. We left this camp on the 18th September, 1804. The Commanding Officers wishing to procure and taken down with them the skeltons of some mule deer, and cabre; and knowing that there were but few of those animals lower down the river, continued here the remainder of the day, and sent out six or eight hunters; who returned at night without finding any of the wished for animals, but killed some fat buffaloe and common deer.
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.