September 11, 1805
William Clark
[Clark] |
|
September 11th Tuesday, 1805 |
S. 45o E. |
1 1/2 |
miles up Travelers rest Creek to a road which passes up on the lower side
& is the road to the Missouri |
West |
5 1/2 |
miles up the Creek on the right side hills on the right high &
rugid Snow toped mountains on the left & we passed in the vallie which is about
1/2 m Wide |
A fair morning wind from the N W we Set out at 3 oClock and proceeded on up
the Travelers rest Creek, accompanied by the flat head or Tushapaws Indians
about 7 miles below this Creek a large fork comes in from the right and heads
up against the waters of the Missouri below the Three forks, this river has extensive
Vallies of open leavel land, "and passes in its Whole Course thro' a Valie" they
call it <Valie Plain River> [Chicarluisket?] [NB: we
call it the east fork of Clark's river] [Both Clark and Nicholas Biddle have
corrections for the material which follows the quotes. Clark changed "we" to
"they" and substituted what may be "Chicarluisket" for Vallie Plain
River, which he crossed out. Biddle crossed out the whole phrase and added his
interlineation, all in red ink.] our Guide tels us a fine large roade passes up
this river to the Missouri-- The loss of 2 of our horses detained us util'. 3 oClock. P.
M. our Flathead Indian being restless thought proper to leave us and proceed on
alone, Sent out the hunters to hunt in advance as usial. (we have Selected 4 of the best
hunters to go in advance to hunt for the party. This arrangement has been made long sinc)
we Proceeded on up the Creek [Traveler's Rest] on the right
[hand] Side [left bank] thro a narrow valie and good road for 7
miles and Encamped at Some old Indian Lodges, [They were starting west on the Lolo
Trail, along Lolo Creek, the route used by the Nez Perces to cross the Bitterroot
Mountains from their homeland in Idaho to the buffalo country in Montana. The name,
thought to have derived from a French Canadian trapper, was not bestowed until after Lewis
and Clark's time. Their camp was about one half mile east of Woodman Creek, MT.]
nothing killed this evening hills on the right high & ruged, the mountains
on the left high & Covered with Snow. [On either side are portions of the
Bitterroot Mountains, to the south (left) the Lolo Mountains with Lolo Peak in the
distance.] The day Verry worm
September 11, 1805
John Ordway
a clear pleasant morning. we went out to look up our horses. the Latidude
at this place is 46o 48o 28s 8/10 North. we did not find all
our horses untill afternoon. about 4 oClock P.M. we Set out and proceeded on up this
creek [West along Lolo Creek on the Lolo Trail.] course nearly west.
the narrow bottoms on this Creek is thinly covred with pitch pine passed a
large tree on which the natives had a number of Immages drawn on it with paint. a
part of a white bear skin hund on Sd. tree. we came about 7 miles this evening and
Camped [About one half mile east of Woodman Creek, Montana] on a narrow
plain near where had been a large Camp of Indians a Short time past. Saw one lodge made of
Earth. the pine trees pealed for some distance around. the natives eat the
enside bark.
September 11, 1805
Patrick Gass
This was a fine morning, and we went out to collect our horses, in order to renew our
journey, and found all but one. Capt. Lewis had a meridian altitude that gave 46o
48 28 .9 north latitude. In the bottoms here, there are a great quantity of cherries. The
mountains are not so high, as at some distance back. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the
horse was found, and we proceeded on up the creek nearly a west course, through small
bottoms. We went about 6 miles and encamped; when our hunters came in but had killed
nothing. The country is poor and mountainous.
September 11, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
a beautiful pleasant morning. we went out to hunt up our horses, but they were So
Scattered that we could not find them all untill 12 oclock, So we dined here. the
Latidude at this place is 46o 48m 28s 8/10 North. the Snow on the
mountain about 1 mile to the S. W. of us does not melt but verry little. Some of the
men who were hunting the horses detained us Untill 4 oClock at which time we Set out [
They traveled west on the Lolo Trail, along Lolo (Travelers' Rest) Creek.] and
proceeded on up this Creek Course nearly west. the narrow [bo]ttom
along this creek is mostly covred with pine timber. passed a tree on which was a
nomber of Shapes drawn on it with paint by the natives. a white bear Skin hung on
the Same tree, we Supposed this to be a place of worship among them. Came
about 7 miles this evening and Camped [About one half mile east of Woodman Creek,
MT] on a Smooth plain near the Creek, where had lately been a large Encampment of
Indians. Saw one house made of Earth. the pine trees pealed as far up as a man
could reach. we Suppose that the natives done it to git the enside beark to mix with
their dryed fruit to Eat. the Choke cherries are pleanty on &c
September 11, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
A Beautiful pleasant morning, and we all turned out to hunt up our horses, but they
were so scattered, that we did not find them all untill 12 o'Clock A.M. We dined
here and our Officers ascertained the Latitude of this place which they found to lay in 46o
48' 288/10S North Latitude and named this place Travellers Rest. The Snow
on the mountains lying about One Mile to the South West, had melted very little.
Some of the Men that were hunting the horses did not come in till 4 o'Clock P.M. At
which time we set out on our Journey again,
We proceeded on up this large Creek nearly a West course, where we found the narrow
bottoms along the Creek mostly covered with Pine timber; and passed by a Pine Tree on
which a number of figures were painted <on it>, & a White Bearskin hanging on
the same tree, the figures were painted by the Natives & the White bear Skin, were
placed there also by them. We suppose this place to be a place of Worship among
them. We came about 7 Miles this evening, and encamped on a smooth plain, near the
Creek that we had left & where there had lately ben an encampment (which was large) of
Indians. We saw one encampment here made out of Earth & the Pine trees, pealed
as high up as a Man could reach, which we suppose the Natives had done in order to get the
inside bark, for to mix with their dried fruit to eat; it being the manner in which they
prepare it-- We found the Wild or Choke Cherries plenty at this place.--
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