(Wolf) ... we scracely see a gang of buffaloe without observing a parsel of those faithfull shepherds on their skirts in readiness to take care of the mamed wounded. ...

Capt. Clark and Drewyer killed the largest brown bear this evening which we have yet seen. it was a most tremendious looking anamal, and extreemly hard to kill notwithstanding he had five balls through his lungs and five others in various parts he swam more than half the distance across the river to a sandbar, & it was at least twenty minutes before he died; he did not attempt to attack, but fled and made the most tremendous roaring from the moment he was shot. We had no means of weighing this monster; ... this bear differs from the common black bear in several respects; it's tallons are much longer and more flont, it's tale shorter, it's hair which is of a redish or bey brown, is longer thicker and finer than that of the black bear; his liver lungs and heart are much larger even in proportion with his size; the heart particularly was as large as that of a large Ox. his maw was also ten times the size of black bear, and was filled with flesh and fish.

The party killed two Elk and a Buffaloe today, and my dog caught a goat, ...

May 05, 1805
William Clark

... Killed the bear, which was verry large and a turrible looking animal, which we found verry hard to kill we Shot ten Balls into him before we killed him, & 5 of those Balls through his lights This animal is the largest of the carnivorous kind I ever saw ...

May 05, 1805
John Ordway

Clear and pleasant.   we Set of eairly    proceeded on.    one hunter who [s]tay on the S. Shore all night came to us at breakfast time.   had killed two buffaloe Calfs which we took on board.    we proceeded on.   passed bottoms of timber on each Side.    passed a large handsom plains on the N.S. where we saw a great nomber of buffaloe and white geese. [Snow Goose, Chen caerulescens.]    we halted for to dine about 2 o.C. on the S.S. at a bottom of timber where we Saw buffaloe and Goats    our officers gave the party a half a Gill of ardent Spirits.  Jo. Fields who was taken Sick yesterday is some worse to day.    jest as I went Set off with the canoe the bank fell in & all most filled it.   we directely took out the Sand & bailed out the water and proceeded on towards evening Capt. Clark and Several more the party killed a verry large bair which the natives and the french tradors call white but all of the kind that we have seen is of a light brown only owing to the climate as we suppose.   we shot him as he was Swimming the River.    the place where he dyed was Shallow or perhaps he would have Sunk to the bottom.   with the assistance of Several men was got on board a perogue and took him to the Shore on N.S. and dressed it after taking the measure of him.   he was verry old   the tushes most wore out as well as his claws.   the measure of the brown bair is as follows    round the head is 3 feet 5 Inches.   do the neck 3 feet 11 Inches   do the breast 5 feet 10 1/2 Inches.   do the middle of the arm 1 foot 11 Inches.    the length from the nose to the extremity of the hind toe is 8 feet 7-1/2 Inches.   the length of tallons better than four feet [inches].   we found a Cat fish in him which he had Eat.   we Camped [Southeast of Wolf Point.] and rendered out about 6 gallons of the greese of the brown bair.    he was judged to weigh about 4 hundred after [being] dressed.   one of the prty went out and killed an Elk and Saw another brown bair.   we Came 16 miles to day before we killed thre brown bair.   we Sailed considerable in the course of the day with an East wind.

May 05, 1805
Patrick Gass

The morning was fine with some white frost.  During this day the country appeared beautiful on both sides of the river.  We went sixteen miles and encamped on the North Side.  The sick man has become better.  Here we killed a very large brown bear, which measured three feet five inches round the head; three feet eleven inches around the neck; round the breast five feet 10 1/2 inches the length eight feet 7 1/2 inches; round the middle of the fore leg 23 inches; and his talons four inches and three eights of an inch.

May 05, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse

Clear and pleasant.   we Set off eairly.   one of the hunters lay on the S.S. last night, joined us at breakfast time   had killed two bufflaoe Calfs.   we proceeded on.  Saw buffaloe Elk Deer & goats on each side of the River.   passed bottoms and plains on each side.   at 12 oC. we Saw 4 bair on a Sand beach on S.S.   passed a handsom large plain on the N.S.    we halted to dine on the South Side at a bottom of timber.   our officers Gave out to the party a half a Gill of ardent Spirits.   we Saw buffaloe and flocks of Goats.  Jo. Fields verry Sick. [See Lewis's entry for May 4.]   we proceeded on.   towards evening, we killed a verry large bair in the River.   the Natives call it white but it is of a light brown coulour    the measuer of the brown bair is as follows, round the head is three-feet 5 Inches, do the neck 3 feet 11 Inches, do the breast 5 feet 10 1/2 Inches.   also round the middle of the arm one foot 11 inches.   the length of tallons 4 feet 3/4 Inches.   his teeth or tusk or tuskes were allmost worn out.   the toe nales were worn Short.   when we got him to Shore we halted for the night on the N.S. dressed the  sd. brown bair found a fish in him, which he had caught & eat.   we rendred out about 6 Gallons of Greese and did not render only a part of it    he was not fat but reckened to be about 600 weight as he was killed.  one of the hunters went out and killed an elk & Saw another bair nearly of the Same discription.  Came 16 miles this day.

May 05, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse

We had a Clear and pleasant weather, We set out Early this morning, and proceeded on our Voyage; we stoped at 8 o'Clock in Order to break fast on the South side of the River, where we were join'd by one of our hunters who had laid out on that shore all night, he had killed two buffalo calves which were brought to us--  At 9 oClock A.M we set out again and proceeded on; and saw Buffalo, Elk, & deer in gangs in the Priaries, & Goats in large flocks on the Hills on both sides of the River, and some bottom lands, likewise lying on both sides of the River, At 12 o'Clock A.M. we saw 4 Bear on a Sand beach which lay on the South side of the River, and passed some handsome plains lying on the North side, At one o'Clock P.M the party halted to dine, in a bottom of Timber'd land lying on the South shore, here our Officers gave each Man of the party, half a Gill of Ardent Spirits, at this place we saw flocks of Goats & Gangs of buffalo in abundance on both sides of the River.--  One of our party named <Shield> John Fields, was taken very Sick at this place.--  At 3 oClock P.M. we got under way, and proceeded on 'till towards Evening, and saw a very large bear in the River.--

The men who belonged to the party, that was on board the foremost Pettyauger, shot at; and killed this bear; and got him near the shore on the North side of the River, he was one of those called by the Natives, the white bear, altho' his Colour was a light brown.--   As he was by far the largest of the kind, we had seen, Our officers on their arrival; had his dimensions taken which were as follows.--  Round the head three feet 5 Inches, Round the neck, Three feet 11 Inches; Round the breast five feet 10 1/2 Inches, Round the middle of the Arm (or fore foot) One foot 11 Inches, The length of this animal from the Nose to the extremity of his hind Claws 8 ft. 7 1/2 Inches   His Talons 5 Inches, his Tushes were all nearly worn off, and his Nails on the fore feet, worn short, The Offercers order'd the Pettyaugers to put too at this place and we encamp'd in Order to Skin and cut up this bear & get it on the Shore, it nearly took our whole party to hawl him up <which lay> on the North side of the River, in a bottom covered with Timber,--  We dressed this huge animal & found in him a large fish which was fresh & which we supposed he had caught & eat at the time our Men shot him, We got from part of the fat taken out of this Bear, Six Gallons of oil, when melted, he was not so vary fat, but at the nearest calculation weigh'd Six hundred pounds Nett weight--   One of our hunters went out a hunting, and killed an Elk, which was brought to our Camp, he mention'd that he had seen on his Route, another Bear, of the same kind, as the One we had killed, and full as large.--  The distance that we come this day was 16 Miles.--