July 03, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
Courses and distances from travellers rest.
North |
7 |
m. to the crossing of Clarke's river [Lewis
went down the west side of the Bitterroot and the Clark Fork and crossed the latter some
two miles below the junction of the Bitterrroot and the Clark Fork, northwest of present
Missoula, MT.], valley wide tops of the hills covered with Long
leaf pine. bottoms pine and Cottonwood. passed a small brach at 3
M on W. side and at 1 M. futher the entrance of a small creek on E. side. [Miller
Creek.] at 5 miles Co-kah-lar coosh or buffaloe river falls in on the
East side. [The Clark Fork. The Nez Perce name, quqa-lx iskit, means
"bison trail."] Clark river 120 yds. wide
buffaloe river [blank] yard wide-- set out at 8
A.M. halted at 11 A M. to make a raft. dined here. |
N. 75 E |
7 |
m. through a handsome level plain to the point
where the Cokahlar ishkit River enters the mountains, or where the hills close it in on
both sides. we halted <one> five mile short of this place on a little stream
<which runs down from the 2nd largest of the rivers> we encamped. [On Grant
Creek near its junction with the Clark Fork River, northwest of Missoula.]
Sent out the hunters they killed three deer gave the indians half.
the musqutoes troublesome built fires for our horses. [The
smoke from the fires would keep the mosquitoes from bothering the horses.]
we did not get over the river until 6 P.M. I fell in the water
and wet the chronometer. we made three rafts. indians expressed
great apprehension with rispect to the Minetares. saw the fresh track of a
horse in the main road which leads up this river which the indians supposed to be the
Shalees. Took leave of Capt. C. and party to-day. gave one of my shirts and a
handkercheif to the two Indians whom we met on Collin's Creek and detained some [days?] |
All arrangements being now compleated for carrying into effect the
several scheemes we had planed for execution on our return, we saddled our horses and set
out I took leave of my worthy friend and companion Capt. Clark and the party that
accompanyed him. I could not avoid feeling much concern on this occasion although I hoped
this seperation was only momentary. I proceeded down Clark's river seven miles with
my party of nine men and five indians. [The white men in Lewis's party were Gass,
Drouillard, Joseph and Reubin Field, Werner, Frazier, Thompson, McNeal, and Goodrich.]
here the Indians recommended our passing the river which was rapid and 150
yds. wide. 2 miles above this place I passed the entrance of the East branch of
Clark's River which discharges itself by two channels; the water of this river is more
terbid than the main stream and is from 90 to 120 yds. wide. as we had no other
means of passing the river we busied ourselves collecting dry timber for the purpose of
constructing rafts; timber being scarce we found considerable difficulty in procuring as
much as made three small rafts. we arrived at 11 A.M. and had our rafts compleated
by 3 P.M. when we dined and began to take over our baggage which we effected in the course
of 3 hours the rafts being obliged to return several times. the Indians swam over
their horses and drew over their baggage in little basons of deer skins which they
constructed in a very few minutes for that purpose. we drove our horses in after
them and they followed to the opposite shore. I remained myself with two men who
could scarcely swim untill the last; by this time the raft by passing so frequently had
fallen a considerable distance down the river to a rapid and difficult part of it crouded
with several small Islands and willow bars which were now overflown; with these men I set
out on the raft and was soon hurried down with the current a mile and a half before we
made shore, on our approach to the shore the raft sunk and I was drawn off the raft by a
bush and swam on shore the two men remained on the raft and forntunately
effected a landing at some little distance below. I wet the chronometer by this
accedent which I had placed in my fob as I conceived for greater security. I now
joined the party and we proceeded with the indians about 3 Ms. to a small Creek and
encamped at sunset. I sent out the hunters who soon returned with three very fine
deer of which I gave the indians half These people now informed me that the
road which they shewed me at no great distance from our Camp would lead us up the East
branch of Clark's river and a river they called Cokahlarishkit or the river of the
road to bufaloe [The route would go up the Clark Fork and the Blackfoot
rivers.] and thence to medicine river [Sun River, which meets the
Missouri just above the Great Falls at Great Falls, MT.] and the falls of the
Missouri where we wished to go. they alledged that as the road was a well beaten
track we could not now miss our way and as they were affraid of meeting with their enimies
the Minnetares they could not think of continuing with us any longer, that they wished now
to proceed down Clark's river in surch of their friends the Shalees. they informed
us that not far from the dividing ridge between the waters of this and the Missouri rivers
[The Continental Divide.] the roads forked. they recommended the left
hand as the best rout but said they would both lead us to the falls of the Missouri.
I directed the hunters to turn out early in the morning and indeavour to kill some
more meat for these people whom I was unwilling to leave without giving them a good supply
of provision after their having been so obliging as to conduct us through those
tremendious mountains. the musquetoes were so excessively troublesome this evening that we
were obliged to kindle large fires for our horses these insects torture them
in such manner untill they placed themselves in the smoke of the fires that I realy
thought they would become frantic. about an hour after dark the air become so coald
that the musquetoes disappeared.
Courses and distances July 3rd 1806.
North-- |
7 |
M. down the West side of Clark's river to the
place at which we passed it. forded travelers rest C. 1/2 a mile below our camp,
passed a branch on west side at 2 1/2 m. further also at 1 m. further passed the
entrance of a small creek on the E side of Clark's river, and two miles short of the
extremity of the course passed the entrance of the East branch of Clark's river which
discharges itself in two channels. Clark's river 150 yds. wide the East branch from
90 to 120. the vally of Clarks river is extensive beatifull level plains and
praries. the tops of the hills and mountains on either hand are covered with long
leafed pine larch and fir; near the river the bottoms are timbered with long leafed pine
and cottonwood. |
N. 75 E. |
7 |
M. through a handsom leve plain to the oint at
which the East branch enters the mountains or where the hills set in near it on either
side. we halted and encamped on a small creek 5 miles short of the extremity of this
course. a Creek 15 ydss wide falls into the E. branch on it's N. side one mile short
of the mountain. [Rattlesnake Creek.] |
ms. |
14 |
|
We saw the fresh track of a horse this evening in the road near our camp
which the indians supposed to be a Shale spye. [A Salish (Flathead) scout.]
we killed a prarie hen with the short ande pointed tail she had a number of young
which could just fly.
July 03, 1806
Patrick Gass
We had again a fine morning; collected our horses and set out. Captain Lewis and his
party went down Clarke's river, and Captain Clarke with the rest of the party went up it.
All the natives accompanied Captain Lewis. We proceeded on down Clarke's river about 12
miles, when we came to the forks; and made three rafts to carry ourselves and baggage
over. The river here is about 150 yards wide, and very beautiful. We had to make three
trips with our rafts, and in the evening got all over safe; when we moved on up the north
branch, which is our way over the falls of the Missouri, and after travelling a mile and
an half encamped for the night. Two hunters went out and killed three deer. The musketoes
are worse here than I have known them at any place, since we left the old Maha village on
the Missouri. [The deserted Omaha village neear Homer, Nebraska; See August 13,
1804.] This north branch of the river is called by the natives
Isquet-co-qual-la, which means, the road to the buffaloe.
July 03, 1806
William Clark
we colected our horses and after brackfast I took My leave of Capt Lewis
and the indians and at 8 A M Set out with [blank] men [With
Clark were Sergeants Ordway and Pryor, Bratton, Collins, Colter, Cruzatte, Gibson, Hall,
Howard, Labiche, LaPage, Potts, Shannon, Shields, Weiser, Whitehouse, Willard, Windsor,
York, Toussaint and Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, and Sacagawea.] interpreter
Shabono & his wife & child (as an interpreter & interpretess for the Crow Inds
[The Crow language is similar to that of the Hidatsas, with which Charbonneau and
Sacagawea were familiar.] and the latter for the Shoshoni) with 50 horses. we
proceeded on through the Vally of Clarks river [Clark's party traveled south up
the Bitterroot River. The streams where they halted at noon may have been Kootenai Creek,
Mormon, Carlton, One Horse, Sweeney, and Bass creeks.] on the West Side of the [river]
nearly South 18 [13?] Miles and halted on ther upper Side of a large
Creek, haveing Crossed 8 Streams 4 of which were Small. this vally is from 10 to 15
Ms. in width tolerably leavel and partially timberd with long leaf & pitch pine [Ponderosa
Pine, Pinus ponderosa and Lodgepole Pine, P. contorta latifolia.],
Some cotton wood, Birch [ Water, or River Birch, Betula occidentalis.],
and Sweet willow [Sweet willow is the name used previously for large, tree-sized
willow species, which on the Missouri River was primarily the Peach-Leaved Willow, Salix
amygdaloides. In this area the likely choice is Pacific Willow, S. lasiandra.]
on the borders of the Streams. I observed 2 Species of Clover [This is the
same species with Lewis mentions on July 2.] in this vally one the
white Clover Common in the Western parts of the U. States, the other Species which is much
Smaller than either the red or white both it's leaf & blossom the horses
are excessively fond of this Species. after letting our horses graze a Sufficient
length of time to fill themselves, and taking dinner of Venison we again resumed our
journey up the Vally which we Crossed 10 Streams 8 of which were large Creeks [Including
Big, Sweathouse, Bear, and Fred Burr creeks.] which comes roleing their Currents
with Velocity into the river. those Creeks take their rise in the mountains to the
West [The Bitterroot Range.] which mountains is at this time Covered with
Snow for about 1/5 of the way from their tops downwards. Some Snow is also to be
Seen on the hight points and hollows of the Mountains to the East of us. [The
Sapphire Mountains.] our Course this evening was nearly South 18 Ms. makeing a
total of 36 miles today. we encamped on the N. Side of a large Creek [Blodgett
Creek approximately 3 miles north of Hamilton, MT.] where we found tolerable food
for our horses. Labeish killed a Deer this evening. We Saw a great numbers of
deer and 1 bear today. I also observed the burring Squirel of the Species Common
about the quawmarsh flatts West of the Rocky Mountains. [The Columbian Ground
Squirrel of Weippe Prairie.] Musquetors very troublesom.-- one man
Jo: Potts very unwell this evening owing to rideing a hard trotting horse; I give him a
pill of Opiom which soon releve him.
July 03, 1806
John Ordway
we got up our horses and boath parties Set out about one time. Capts. Lewis & Clark
parted here with their parties & proceed. on I with Capt. Clark up the
flat head River. [Clark's party headed south up the Bitterroot River.]
we kept up the west Side as it is too high at this time to cross. we are now
on our way to the head of the Missourie. we wrode fast & Crossed a number
of large creeks in which is beaver dams &C. about noon we halted to dine
at a branch [Possibly Kootenai Creek] and bottom of fine feed white
clover [Possibly Longstalk Clover, Trifolium longipes, which Lewis
noticed on July 2, 1806] &C. proceeded on the plains
partyly covd. with pitch pine timber. saw a number of deer. in the evening we
Camped [On Blodgett Creek about three miles north of Hamilton.] at a
bottom having made 35 miles in 10 hours this day. one of the hunters killed a
deer this evening.
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