August 11, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
We set out very early this morning, but the track which we had pursued last evening
soon disappeared. I therefore resolved to proceed to the narrow pass on the creek about 10
miles West in hopes that I should again find the Indian road at the place, accordingly I
passed the river which was about 12 yards wide and bared in several places entirely across
by beaver dams and proceeded through the level plain directly to the pass. I now
sent Drewyer to keep near the creek to my right and Shields to my left, with orders to
surch for the road which if they found they were to notify me by placing a hat in the
muzzle of their gun. I kept McNeal with me; after having marched in this order for
about five miles I discovered an Indian on horse back about two miles distant coming down
the plain towards us. with my glass I discovered from his dress that he was of a different
nation from any that we had yet seen, and was satisfyed of his being a Sosone; his arms
were a bow and quivere of arrows, and was mounted on an eligant horse without a saddle,
and a small string which was attatched to the under jaw of the horse which answered as a
bridle. I was overjoyed at the sight of this stranger and had no doubt of obtaining a
friendly introduction to his nation provided I could get near enough to him to convince
him of our being whitemen. I therefore proceeded towards him at my usual pace. when I had
arrived within about a mile he mad[e] a halt which I did also and
unloosing my blanket from my pack, I mad[e] him the signal of friendship
known to the Indians of the Rocky mountains and those of the Missouri, which is by holding
the mantle or robe in your hands at two corners and then th[r]owing [it]
up in the air higher than the head bringing it to the earth as if in the act of spreading
it, thus repeating three times. this signal of the robe or skin for ther gests to
set on when they are visited. this signal had not the desired effect, he still
kept his position and seemed to view Drewyer an[d] Shields who were now
comiming in sight on either hand with an air of suspicion, I wold willingly have them halt
but they were too far distant to hear me and I feared to make any signal to them least it
should increase the suspicion in the mind of the Indian of our having some unfriendly
design upon him. I therefore haistened to take out of my sack some b[e]ads
a looking glas and a few trinkets which I had brought with me for this purpose and leaving
my gun and pouch with McNeal advanced unarmed towards him. he remained in the same
stedfast poisture untill I arrived in about 200 paces of him when he turn[ed]
his ho[r]se about and began to move off slowly from me; I now called to
him in as loud a voice as I could command repeating the word tab-ba-bone, which
in their language signifyes white-man. [Some say it meant
"alien" or "stranger", others that it had no meaning in Shoshone. Yet,
others say that Lewis intended to say Ti-yo-bo-nin, meaning "I'm a white man!
See!". Another interpretation of Tab-ba-bone is "look at the sun,"
explaining why the man kept looking over his shoulder.] but l[o]oking
over his sholder he still kept his eye on Drewyer and Sheilds who wer still advancing
neither of them haveing segacity enough to recollect the impropriety of advancing when
they saw me thus in parley with the Indian. I now made a signal to these men to halt,
Drewyer obeyed but Shields who afterwards told me that he did not obse[r]ve
the signal still kept on the Indian halted again and turned his hor[s]e
about as if to wait for me, and I beleive he would have remained untill I came up whith
him had it not been for Shields who still pressed forward. whe[n] I
arrived within about 150 paces I again repepeated the word tab-ba-bone and held up the
trinkits in my hands and striped up my shirt sleve to give him an opportunity of seeing
the colour of my skin and advanced leasure[ly] towards him but he did not remain untill I
got nearer than about 100 paces when he suddonly turned his ho[r]se
about, gave him the whip leaped the creek and disapeared in the willow brush in an instant
and with him vanished all my hopes of obtaining horses for the preasent. I now felt quite
as much mortification and disappointment as I had pleasure and expectation at the first
sight of this indian. I fe[l]t soarly chargrined at the conduct of the
men particularly Sheilds to whom I principally attributed this failure in obtaining an
introduction to the natives. I now called the men to me and could not forbare abraiding
them a little for their want of attention and imprudence on this occasion. they had
neglected to bring my spye-glass which in haist I had droped in the plain with the blanket
where I made the signal before mentioned. I sent Drewyer and Shields back to surche
it, they soon found it and rejoined me. we now set out on the track of the horse
hoping by that means to be lead to an indian camp, the trail of inhabitants of which
should they abscond we should probably be enabled to pursue to the body of the nation to
which they would most probably fly for safety. this rout led us across a large
Island framed by mearly an equal division of the creek in this bottom; after passing to
the open ground on the N. side of the creek we observed that the track made out toward the
high hills about 3 m. distant in that direction. I thought it probble that their camp
might probably be among those hills & that they would reconnoiter us from the tops of
them, and that if we advanced haistily towards them that they would become allarmed and
probably run off; I therefore halted in an elivated situation near the creek had a fire
kindled of willow brush cooked and took breakfast. during this leasure I prepared a
small assortment of trinkits consisting of some mockkerson awls a few strains of several
kinds of b[e]ads some paint a looking glass &c which I attatched to
the end of a pole and planted it near our fire in order that should the Indians return in
surch of us the[y] might from this token discover that we were friendly
and white persons. before we had finised our meal a heavy shower of rain came on
with some hail wich continued abot 20 minutes and wet us to the skin, after this shower we
pursued the track of the horse but as the rain had raised the grass which he had trodden
down it was with difficulty that we could follow it. we pursued it however about 4
miles it turning up the vally to the left under the foot of the hills. we pas
several places where the Indians appeared to have been diging roots today and saw the
fresh tracks of 8 or ten horses but they had been wandering about in such a confused
manner that we not only lost the track of the hose which we had been pursuing but could
make nothing of them. in the head of this valley we passed a large bog covered with
tall grass and moss in which were a great number of springs of cold pure water, we now
turned a little to the left along the foot of the high hills and arrived at a small branch
on which we encamped for the night, [Near the northwest end of Shoshone Cove. The
camp may have been near Printer Creek.] having traveled indifferent directions
about 20 Miles and about 10 from the camp of last evening on a direct line. after
meeting with the Indian today I fixed a small flag of the U'.S. to a pole which I made
McNeal carry. and planted in the ground where we halted or encamped.--
This morning Capt Clark dispatched several hunters a head; the morning being rainy and
wet did not set out untill after an early breakfast. he passed a large Island which
he called the 3000 mile Island [This Island has apparently disappeared due to the
river's change in course.] from the circumstance of it's being that distance from
the entrance of the Missouri by water. a considerable proportion of the bottom on
Lard. Side is a bog covered with tall grass and many parts would afford fine turf; the
bottom is about 8 Ms. wide and the plains which suceed it on either side extend about the
same distance to the base of the moutains. they passed a number of small Islands and
bayous on both sides which cut and intersect the bottoms in various directions.
found the river shallow and rapid, insomuch that the men wer compelled to be in the water
a considerable proportion of the day in drageing the canoes over the shoals and
riffles. they saw a number of geese ducks beaver & otter, also some deer and
antelopes. the men killed a beaver with a seting pole and tommahawked several Otter.
the hunters killed 3 deer and an Antelope. Capt. C. observed some bunches of privy
near the river. [The Privet is probably Philadelphus lewsii, Lewis's
syringa or Lewis's mock orange, which has small, opposite, deciduous leaves much like the
cultivated privet, and is known from the vicinity. This new species was collected by Lewis
on the return trip in 1806 and named for him.] there are but few trees in
this botom and those small narrow leafed Cottonwood. the principal growth is willow
with the narrow leaf and Currant bushes. they encamped this evening on the upper
point of a large Island near the Stard. shore.-- [Approximately half way between
Beaverhead Rock and present Dillon.]
Courses and distances traveled by Capt. Clark August 11th 1805.
S. 20o W. |
1 |
to the lower point of 3000 M. Island. distance by water being 3. M.
passing three small Islds. 6 bends on Stard. and 6 bayous on either side. |
S. 25o W. |
1 1/2 |
to the head of the Island, distance by water 3 1/2 M. passing 7 bends on
lard. opposite to the Island & two bayous on the same side. the Stard. Channel
passes near the Stard. bluff-- |
South |
2 1/2 |
to the upper point of a large Island, distance by water 7 1/2. themain
channel on the Lard. side passing 3 small, Islands, and several small bayous and 15 bends
on the Stard. side. |
Miles |
5 |
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August 11, 1805
William Clark
a Shower of rain this morning at Sun rise, Cloudy all the morning wind from the S W
passed a large Island which I call the 3000 mile Island as it is Situated that
distance from the mouth of the Missouri by water, a number of Small Bayoes running in
different directions thro the Bottom, which is about 5 miles wide, then rises to an
ellivated plain on each Side which extends as far. passed Several mall Islands
and a number of Bayoes on each Side and Encamped on the upper point of a large Island, our
hunters killed three Deer, one antilope, and Tomahawked Several Orter to day
killed one Beaver with a Setting pole. I observed Some bunches of Privey
on the banks
August 11, 1805
John Ordway
a wet rainy morning. Several men out hunting. we Set out after breakfast and proceeded
on about 3 miles come to a large prarie Island which three Thousand miles from wood
River or from the Mouth of the Missourie. So we call it 3000 mile Island. we went up
the L. Side of it and were oblidged to hall the canoes over Several Shole places. Saw a
nomber of geese and ducks in the little pond and on the prarie. one of the hunters
joined us at noon had killed three Deer and two other a Short distance a head.
the day warm the large flys troublesome. we proceeded on passed
Several muddy Sunken ponds, and low marshy bottom prarie which is wet and soft. the beaver
have made many channels to their ponds & lodges from the River &.C. they are verry
numerous in this valley. more So than ever we Saw them before. towards evening
we came to a fiew Scattering trees along the Shores but no other but cotton & willow a
fiew Small birch. the valley continues 8 or 10 miles wide & all Smooth low
prarie without timber. we Saw high Mountains a head some distance large Spots of
Snow on them. we Came 14 miles this day and Camped [about halfway between
Beaverhead Rock & Dillon] on a wet bottom on Stard. Side.
August 11, 1805
Patrick Gass
This morning was cloudy and we did not set out until after breakfast. Three hunters
were sent out and we proceeded on about 3 miles, when we came to a large island, which is
3000 miles from the river Du Bois at the mouth of the Missouri. We therefore called it
3000 mile Island. We took up the South side of it, and had difficulty in passing
the water being shallow. About 2 some rain fell. Our hunters killed 3 deer and a goat. We
went 14 miles and encamped on the North side.
August 11, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
a cool cloudy morning Some rain we Set out after breakfast and proceeded on
3 men out a hunting. about 3 miles came to a verry large prarie
Island which is 3000 miles from wood River or the mouth of the Missourie. So we call it
3000 mile Island.[This island has apparently disappeared since the time of Lewis
& Clark.] we took up the L. Side of it & had to hall over
Several Shole places. Saw a nomber of geese & ducks. one of
the hunters joined us at noon. had killed 3 three Deer & 2 otter, Some
distance a head. the day warm. the large flys troublesome. we
proceeded on passed Several Sunken ponds and low bottoms which is Soft and boggy
the beaver has cut many channels to their houses along the Shores they are
verry numerous in this valley I think they are more pleanty than ever we Saw
them before. towards evening we Came to a fiew Scattering cotton trees
along the Shore. the valley continues to be 8 or 10 miles wide and all low
Smooth prarie with timber. we See Mountains a head Some distance which appear
high. large Spots of Snow on them. we Came 14 miles this day and
Camped [About half way between Beaverhead Rock and Dillon, Montana] on a
wet bottom on the Stard side.-- the Mosquitoes troublesome, &c.
August 11, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
A Cool cloudy morning, & some Rain, We set out after having breakfasted, and
continued on our Voyage. Three of our Men went out a hunting, at where we had
brad fasted; We proceeded on about 3 Miles, & came to a very large Island, being
entirely a Priari, which is 3,000 Miles from the mouth of the Mesouri River, we named that
place 3.000 Mile Island, We went up the South side of this Island with our Canoes, and had
to hawl them over several Shoal places, We saw numbers of Ducks & Geese in the River.
One of our hunters joined us at Noon. He had killed 3 deer &
2 otters, which had had left some distance a head of us. The day turned warm
& the large flies became very troublesome. We continued on, and pass'd
several sunken ponds, & low bottoms, which were soft and boggy.-- The Beaver
here had cut a number of channels to their houses, along the River shores, and were very
numerous in this Valley, The beaver at this place, are more plenty, than at any place we
have been at, since we entered the Mesouri River. Towards evening, we passed by a
few scattering Cotton wood trees, lying along the banks of the River, and Vallies between
9 & 10 Miles wide which were low smooth priaries, with some timber on them.
We saw Mountains, lying a head of us some short distance; which appear very
high, nd large spots of snow on them. We came 14 Miles this day, and encamped
in a wet bottom, lying on the North side of the River, where we found the Musketoes, were
very troublesome.--
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