Part 58 (1/2)
[Lewis, May 20, 1805]
Monday May 20th 1805 Set out at an early hour as usual, the banks being favourable and water strong we employed the toe rope princ.i.p.ally; river narrow and croked; country much as that of yesterday; immence number of the p.r.i.c.kley pears in the plains and on the hills. At the distance of 21/4 miles pa.s.sed the entrance of a large Creek, affording but little water; this stream we named Blowing Fly Creek, from the immence quant.i.ties of those insects found in this neighbourhood, they infest our meat while roasting or boiling, and we are obliged to brush them off our provision as we eat. At 11 A.M. we arrived at the entrance of a handsome bold river which discharges itself into the Missouri on the Lard. side; this stream we take to be that called by the Minnetares the ____ or Musclesh.e.l.l River; if it be the same, of which I entertain but little doubt, it takes it's rise, by their information in the 1st Chain of the Rocky Mountains at no great distance from the Yellow stone river, from whence in it's course to this place it pa.s.ses through a high and broken country pretty well timbered, particularly on it's borders, and intersperced with handsome fertile plains and medows. but from the circ.u.mstance of the same Indians informing us that we should find a well timbered country in the neighbourhood of it's mouth, I am induced to beleive that the timbered country of which they speak is similar to that we have pa.s.sed for a day or two, or that in our view above, which consists of nothing more than a few scattering small scrubby pine and dwarf cedar on the summits of some of the highest hills nine tenths of the country being wholy dest.i.tute of timber of any kind, covered with a short gra.s.s, arromatic herbs and the p.r.i.c.kley pear; the river bottom however, so far as we have explored it or 8 m. are well stocked with Cottonwood timber of tollerable size, & lands of excellent quality. We halted at thentrance of the river on the point formed by it's junction with the Missouri determining to spend the day, make the necessary observations and send out some hunters to explore the country. The Muscle Sh.e.l.l river falls into the Missouri 2270 miles above it's mouth, and is 110 yards in width, it affords much more water than streams of it's width generally do below, it's courant is by no means rappid, and from appearances it might be navigated with canoes a considerable distance; it's bed is coa.r.s.e sand and gravel princ.i.p.ally with an occasion mixture of black mud; it's banks abbrupt and about 12 feet high yet never appear to overflow; the waters of this river is of a greenish yellow cast, much more transparent than the Missouri, which last is also much more transparent than below but still retains it's whiteish hue and a proportion of it's sedement. the Missouri opposite to this point is deep, gentle in it's courant, and 222 yards in width.
The hunters returned this evening and informed us that the country continued much the same in appearance as that we saw where we were or broken, and that about five miles abe the mouth of sh.e.l.l river a handsome river of about fifty yards in width discharged itself into the sh.e.l.l river on the Stard. or upper side; this stream we called Sah-ca-gar me-ah or bird woman's River, after our interpreter the Snake woman. s.h.i.+elds also found a bould spring or fountain issuing from the foot of the Lard. hills about 4 miles up the Missouri; a fountain in this plain country is a great novelty; I have not seen a bould fountain of pure water except one since I left the Mandans; there a number of small ones but all without exception are impregnated with the salts which abound in this country, and with which I believe the Missoury itself considerably impregnated but to us in the habit of useing it not perceptible; the exception I make is a very fine fountain under the bluffs on the Lard. side of the Missouri and at a distance from the river about five miles below the entrance of the yellowstone River. The sands of the Missouri are not so abundant as they have been for some time past, being confined to the points only; the bed of the river princ.i.p.ally mud and still too deep to use the seting pole. Capt. Clark walked out today and killed two deer and an Elk, the hunters killed 4 deer and elk and a buffaloe. I saw two large Owls with remarkable long feathers on the sides of the head which resembled ears; I take them to be the large hooting owl tho they are somewhat larger and their colours brighter than those common to the J States.-
[Clark, May 20, 1805]
May 20th Monday 1805 a fine morning wind from the N E. river falling a little We Set out at 7 oClock and proceeded on verry well as usial by the a.s.sistance of the Cord pa.s.sed Some verry Swift water, river narrow and Crooked, at 11 oClock arrived at the mouth of Sh.e.l.l river on the Lard Side and formed a Camp for the present. haveing pa.s.sed a large Creek about 4 miles below on the Ld Side which we call Blowing fly Creek from the emence quant.i.tes of those insects which geather on our meat in Such numbers that we are oblige to brush them off what we eate.
muscle Sh.e.l.l River falls in on Lard Side 2270 miles up Contains a greater perportion of water than Rivers of its Size below, I measured it and find it to be 110 yards wide, the water of a Greenish yellow Colour, and appers to be navagable for Small Craft, The Minetarras inform us that this river heads in the 1st of the rockey Mountains & pa.s.ses through a broken Countrey. its head at no great distance from the Yellow Stone River The Countrey about this river as described yesterday we took the Meredian alt.i.tude 59 50' 0” back observation and found the Latd. to be 47 0' 24”
The Missouri at the mouth of Sh.e.l.l River is 222 yards wide with a Smoth Current the Missouri water is not So muddey as below, but retains nearly its usial Cholour, and the Sands princ.i.p.ally Confined to the points I killed two Deer & an Elk, the hunters killed an Elk & Several deer mearly for their Skins to make Leagins,--Sent men out in every derection, the Countrey generally verry broken Some leavel plains up the Sh.e.l.l river The bottoms of the Sh.e.l.l river is well timbered as also a Small river which falls into that river on the upper Side 5 miles above its mouth. The hills on the Lard. Contain Scattering Pine & Cedar.
[Lewis, May 21, 1805]
Tuesday May 21st 1805 A delightfull morning set out at an early hour and proceeded on very well, imployed the chord princ.i.p.ally; the sh.o.r.es are abbrupt and bould and composed of a black and yellow clay; see no extensive collection of pure sand, the bars are composed black mud and a small poportion of fine sand; the courant still pretty strong. the Missouri in it's course downward makes a suddon and extensive bend to receive the Muscle sh.e.l.l river, the point of country thus formed tho high is still much lower than that surrounding it, thus forming a valley of wavey country which extends itself for a great distance in a Northerly direction; the soil is fertile, produces a fine turf of low gra.s.s and some herbs, also immence quant.i.ties of the p.r.i.c.kley pear, without a stick of timber of any discription. the country on the South side is high broken and crowned with some scrubby pines and dwarf cedar; the leaf of this pine is much longer than the common pitch or red pine of Virginia, the cone is also longer and slimer, and the imbrications wider and thicker, and the whole frequently covered with rosin. Mineral appearances as usual.
the growse or praire hen are now less abundant on the river than they were below; perhaps they betake themselves to the open plains at a distance from the river at this season.-
The wind which was moderate all the fore part of the day continued to encrease in the evening, and about dark veered about to N. W. and blew a storm all night, in short we found ourselves so invelloped with clouds of dust and sand that we could neither cook, eat, nor sleep; and were finally compelled to remove our lodge about eight oClock at night to the foot of an adjacent hill where we were covered in some measure from the wind by the hills. several loose articles blown over board and lost. our first station was on a bar on Stard. opposite the lower point of a small Island, which we now called windy Island. the bends of the river are short and suddon, the points covered with some cottonwood, larger willow, or broadleafed willow with an abundance of the wild rose and some small honeysuckle bushes const.i.tute the undergrowth, the redwood is also found in small quant.i.ties. Capt. C walked on sh.o.r.e today and killed 2 Elk; the party killed several deer and a buffaloe Cow.-
[Clark, May 21, 1805]
May 21st Tuesday 1805.
a butifull morning, wind from the West, river falling a little, we Set out at an early hour and proceed on in the usial way by the a.s.sistance of the Coard princ.i.p.ally, but little use of the Oares & less with the poles as the bottoms are muddey, we Se no great bodies of pure Sand the bars & points are rich mud mixed with fine Sand. I walked on Sh.o.r.e Stard. Side the river makes a great bend to the South to receve Sh.e.l.l River, the boint for many miles out in a Northerley direction is a rich uneaven valley Contain Some Short gra.s.s, and p.r.i.c.kley pears without timber The Countrey on the South Side of the Missouri is high, Soil and mineral appearance as usial, more Scattering pine & Cedar on the hills, the wind which blew moderatly all the forepart of the day increa.s.sd and about Dark s.h.i.+fted to the N W. and Stormed all night, Several loose articles were blown over board, our lodge & Camp which was on a Sand bar on the Std. Side & opposite to the lower point of an Island we were obliged to move under the hills, the dust & Sand blew in clouds. The bends of the river are Short and points Covered with Cotton wood under groth wild rose bushes I killed 2 Elk to day Several Deer Killd. & a Buffalow Cow.
[Lewis, May 22, 1805]
Wednesday May 22cd 1805.
The wind blew so violently this morning that we did not think it prudent to set out untill it had in some measure abated; this did not happen untill 10 A.M. when we proceeded princ.i.p.ally by the toe lines the bottoms somewhat wider than usual, the lands fertile or apparently so tho the short gra.s.s and the scantey proportion of it on the hills would indicate no great fertility. pa.s.sed Windy Island on Lard. at 1 M.
51/2 miles above pa.s.sed a large Island in a bend on Stard. side, and three miles further on the same side pa.s.sed the entrance of grows Creek 20 yds wide, affords but little water. this creek we named from seeing a number of the pointed tail praire hen near it's mouth, these are the fist we have seen in such numbers for some days. I walked on sh.o.r.e this morning the country is not so broken as yesterday tho still high and roling or wavy; the hills on Lard. side possess more pine than usual; some also on the Stard. hills. Salts and other mineral appearances as usual. the river continues about the same width or from 200 to 250 yds.
wide, fewer sandbars and the courant more gentle and regular; game not so abundant as below the Muscle Sh.e.l.l river. I killed a deer in the course of my walk today. Capt. C. also walked out this evening and took a view of the country from a conspicuous point and found it the same as has been discribed. we have caught but few fish since we left the Mandans, they do not bite freely, what we took were the white cat of 2 to 5 lbs. I presume that fish are scarce in this part of the river. We encamped earlyer this evening than usual in order render the oil of a bear which we killed. I do not believe that the Black bear common to the lower part of this river and the Atlantic States, exists in this quarter; we have neither seen one of them nor their tracks which would be easily distinguished by it's shortness of tallons when compared with the brown grizly or white bear. I believe that it is the same species or family of bears which a.s.sumes all those colours at different ages and seasons of the year.
[Clark, May 22, 1805]
May 22nd Wednesday 1805 The wind Continued to blow So violently hard we did not think it prudent to Set out untill it luled a little, about 10 oClock we Set out the morning Cold, pa.s.sed a Small Island in the bend to the Lard Side, & proceeded on at 5 miles higher pa.s.sed a Island in a bend to the Stard Side, and a Creek a Short distance above on the Stard Side 20 yds. w Capt Lewis walked out before dinner & Killed a Deer, I walked out after dinner and a.s.sended & but a few miles to view the Countrey, which I found roleing & of a verry rich Stickey Soil produceing but little vegitation of any kind except the p.r.i.c.kley-piar, but little gra.s.s & that verry low. a great deal of Scattering Pine on the Lard Side & Some fur on the Stard. Sd. The mineral productions as described in the proceeding days, game not So abundant as below, the river Continue about the Same width, fewer Sand bars & current more regular, river falls about an inch a day We camped on the Stard. Side, earlier than we intend on account of Saveing the oil of a bear which the party killed late this afternoon.
Maney of the Creeks which appear to have no water near ther mouths have Streams of running water higher up which rise & waste in the Sand or gravel. the water of those Creeks are So much impregnated with the Salt Substance that it cannot be Drank with pleasure.
[Lewis, May 23, 1805]
Thursday May 23rd 1805.
Set out early this morning, the frost was severe last night, the ice appeared along the edge of the water, water also freized on the oars.