July 15, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
We arrose very early this morning, assigned the canoes their loads and had it put on
board. we now found our vessels eight in number all heavily laden,
notwithstanding our several deposits; tho' it is true we have now a considerable stock of
dryed meat and grease. we find it extreemly difficult to keep the baggage of
many of our men within reasonable bounds; they will be adding bulky articles of but little
use or value to them. At 10 A.M. we once more saw ourselves fairly under way much to
my joy and I beleive that of every individual who compose the party. I walked on
shore and killed 2 Elk near one of which the party halted and dined. we took
the skins marrow bones and a part of the flesh of these Elk. in order to
lighten the burthen of the canoes I continued my walk all the evening and took our only
invalledes Potts an LaPage with me. we passed the river near where we dined
and just above the entrance of a beautifull river 80 yards wide which falls in on the
Lard. side which in honour of Mr. Robert Smith the Secretary of the Navy we called Smith's
River. this stream meanders through a most lovely valley to the S.E. for about 25
miles when it enters the Rocky mountains and is concealed from our view. many
herds of buffaloe were feeding in this valley. we again crossed the river to
the Stard. side and passed through a plain and struck the river at a Northwardly bend
where there was timber here we waited untill the canoes arrived by which time
it was so late that we concluded to encamp for the night. [A few miles southwest
of Ulm, MT.] here Drewyer wo[u]nded a deer which ran into
the river my dog pursued caught it drowned it and brought it to shore at
our camp. we have now passed Fort Mountain on our right it appears to be about ten miles
distant. this mountain has a singular appearance it is situated in
a level plain, it's sides stand nearly at right angles with each other and are each about
a mile in extent. these are formed of a yellow clay only without the mixture
of rock or stone of any size and rise perpendicularly to the hight of 300 feet.
the top appears to be a level plain and from the eminence on which I was
yesterday I could see that it was covered with a similar cost of grass with the plain on
which it stands. the surface appears also to possess a tolerable fertile mole [mold]
of 2 feet thick, and is to all appearance inaccessible. from it's figure we
gave it the name of fort mountain. [Today's Square Butte, south of the town of
Fort Shaw. The summit of Square Butte is about 1000 feet above the adjacent plains.]
those mounds before mentioned near the falls have much the same appearance
but are none of them as large as this one. the prickly pear is now in full
blume and forms one of the beauties as well as the greatest pests of the plains.
the sunflower is also in blume and is abundant. [Common Sunflower, Helianthus
annuus.] this plant is common to every part of the Missouri from
it's entrance to this place. the lambsquarter, wild coucumber, sand rush and narrow dock
are also common here. [Lambsquarter, Chenopodium album; Mock-Cucumber, Echinocystis
lobata; Mexican Dock, Rumex salicifolius also referenced as R. mexicanus.]
Drewyer killed another deer and an Otter today. we find it inconvenient
to take all the short meanders of the river which has now become cooked and much narrower
than below, we therefore take it's general course and lay down the small bends by the eye
on our daily traverse or chart. the river is from 100 to 150 yds. wide.
more timber on the river than below the falls for a great distance.
one the banks of the river there are many large banks of sand much elivated
above the plains on which they ly and appear as if they had been collected in the course
of time from the river by the almost incessant S.W. winds; they always appear on the sides
of the river opposite to those winds.--
The couses and distance from the White bear islands to the camp at which we made the
canoes as taken by Sergt. Ordway.--
| S. 10o E. |
1 1/2 |
to a point of low trees on the Lard. side
passing a willow island on Lard. side |
| S. 36o E. |
1 |
to a point of wood on the Stard. side |
| South |
1 |
to a clift of rocks in a bend on Lard. side |
| S. 45o W. |
1 1/2 |
to some trees in a bend, passing a timbered
islad on the Stard. side. |
| South |
1 1/4 |
to a point of low timber on Stard. side |
| S. 24 W. |
1 |
to a bunch of bushes on the Lard. side |
| West |
2 |
to a grove of trees in a Lard. bend |
| N. 26o W. |
2 |
to apoint of wood on the Lard. side |
| North |
1 |
Along the Lard. point |
| N. 20o W. |
1 1/2 |
to a small Creek Lard. side |
| S. 45o W. |
3/4 |
to the lower point of a timbered Isd. S.S. |
| S. 10o E. |
1 1/2 |
opposite the island on the Lard. side |
| S. 16o W. |
3/4 |
to a point above the Island Lar. side. |
| South |
1 1/2 |
to a point of low timber on the Stard. side
opposite to a bluff on Lard. side |
| West |
1/2 |
to a tree in a Lard. bend. |
| North |
1/2 |
to a point of timbered land on Lard. side |
| N. 12o W. |
1 |
to a point on Lard. side |
| West |
1 1/2 |
to a point on the Stard. side. |
| N. 16o W. |
1/2 |
to a point of timber on Lard. side. |
| N. 60o W. |
1/2 |
along the lard. point, passing a large sand bar
on Lard. side. |
| S. 54o W. |
1/2 |
to a point of woodland Stard. side where we
buildt two canoes.-- |
| Miles |
23 1/4 |
|
| Courses and distances July
15th 1805. |
| S. 45o W. |
1/4 |
to the upper part of the timber Stard. side |
| S. 60o E. |
3/4 |
to a bend on the Lard. side |
| S. 20o W. |
1/2 |
along the lard. side in the bend |
| N. 70o W. |
1 1/2 |
to a point on the Stard. side passing an Isld. |
| South |
3/4 |
to a lard. bend passing the entrance of Fort
Mountain creek at the commencement of this course no water at present
10 yds. |
| S. 30o W. |
2 1/4 |
to bend on the Stard. side oposit an
Island passing a Stard. and Lard. point. |
| West |
1 1/2 |
to the lower point of the woodland at the
entrance of Smith's river, which is 80 yds. wide and falls in on Lard. in a bend |
| N. 45o W. |
1 3/4 |
to a Stard bend. |
| South |
3 |
to the head of an Island in the Lard. bend
passing over the Lard. point. |
| N. 45o W. |
1 1/4 |
to a stard. bend. |
| West |
1/2 |
in the stard. bend. |
| South |
3/4 |
in the Stard. bend. |
| S. 45o E. |
3/4 |
in the Stard. bend. |
| East |
1 |
in the Stard. bend passing an island Lard side |
| S. 45o E. |
3/4 |
on the Lard. side. |
| West |
2 1/2 |
to a wood in the Stard. bend. where we encamped
for the evening.-- |
| Miles |
19 3/4 |
|
July 15, 1805
William Clark
rained all the last night I was wet all <day> night this morning wind
hard from the S.W. we Set out at 10 oClock and proceeded on verry well
passed a river on the Lard Side about 80 yards wide which we Call after the
Secy of the Navey Smiths River the river verry Crooked bottoms extensive rich
and Passes thro' a butifull vally between 2 mts. Conts. high grass, our Canoes being So
Small <we> Several of the men Capt. Lewis & my Self Compelled to walked on Shore
& Cross the bends to keep up with the Canoes-- a round mountain on our
<left> right abt. 10 miles appears inaxcessable we Call fort mountain. The
Prickley pear in bloom but fiew other flowers. Sun flowr are common, also lambs
quarter & Nettles. Capt Lew Killed 2 Elk & the hunters killed 2 Deer & a
Ortter, we Camped on the Stard Side at which place I saw many beaver, the timber on the
edge of the river more Common than below the falls-- as I am compelled to walk
on Shore find it verry dificuelt to take the Courses of the river, as it is verry Crooked
more so than below
July 15, 1805
John Ordway
rained the greater part of last night. a clear morning. the
wind high from the N.W. we loaded the 8 Canoes and could hardly find room in
them for all our baggage about 10 oClock a.M. we Set out with the 8
canoes and all our baggage and proceeded on verry well. passed a large creek
or Small river on the S. Side. [Smith River, named by the expedition in honor of
Robert Smith, Jefferson's secretary of the navy.] passed Several
Islands covered with cotton timber. fine pleasant bottoms & plains on each
Side of the river. the current verry gentle & river Smoth Since we left
the falls. our officers and a hunter [George Drouillard.] who
walked on Shore killed two Elk and 2 Deer also an otter. we Came about 26
miles by water to day and Camped on the N.S. of the River.--
July 15, 1805
Patrick Gass
After a night of heavy rain, we had a pleasant morning, and loaded the canoes.
About 11 o'clock we set out from this place, which we had called Canoe camp; had fine
still water, and passed some handsome small bottoms on both sides of the river. We
also passed a handsome river [Smith River, named by the expedition for Robert
Smith, Jefferson's secretary of the navy.] on the south side about 100 yards
wide, which seemed to have its source in a large mountain on the same side. [Smith
River takes its source in the Little Belt Mountains.] The snow appears to
have melted from all the mountains in view. The country around is composed of dry plains,
with short grass. We passed two small creeks, one on each side of the river; made 26
miles, and encamped on the north side.
July 15, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
rained the greater part of last night. a clear morning, wind high from the
N.W. we loaded the 8 canoes. had Some difficulty to git all the
baggage on board. about 10 oClock A.M. we Set out and proceeded on verry well.
passed a large Creek of Small River on S.S. [Smith River, named by
the expedition for Robert Smith, secretary of the navy, under Thomas Jefferson.]
passed Several Islands covered with cotton timber willow & Grass
fine bottoms on each Side. beaver pleanty. the current verry
gentle Since we came above the falls, can Scarsely desern it move as yet. we
or Capt. Lewis & Clark & a hunter [George Drouillard] who walked
on Shore to day killed 2 Elk and 2 Deer & one otter. we came about 26
miles by water to day, and Camped on the N. Side.-- [ A few miles southwest of
Ulm, MT.]
July 15, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
It rained the greater part of last night, and this morning was clear, but the wind
blowing hard from the North West, We loaded the 8 large Canoes, and had some difficulty to
get all the baggage and Provisions on board,--About 10 oClock A.M. we set out, and
proceeded on our Voyage, and passed a large Creek or small River lying on he South side of
the River, and several Islands covered with Cotton Trees, Willow and Grass, and fine
bottoms lying on both sides of the River, The beaver very plenty, the current of the River
running very gentle, since we have come above the falls scarcely descernable in moving and
the water very Clear,-- Captains Lewis & Clark, and one of the hunters walked on
the shore, since we set out this day, they returned to us in the Evening, & had killed
2 Elk, 2 deer and One Otter.-- We came only 6 Miles this day & encamped on the
North side of the River.
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