August 05, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
Colter and Collins not having arrived induced me to remain this morning for them.
the hunters killed four deer this morning near our encampment. I remained
untill noon when I again reimbarked and set out conluding that as Colter and Collins had
not arrived by that time that they had passed us after dark the night of the 3rd inst. as
Sergt Ordway informed me he should have done last evening had not the centinel hailed him.
we continued our rout untill late in the evening when I came too and encamped on
the South side about 10 miles below little dry river. [Prairie Elk Creek; See May
6, 1805. The campsite was approximately four miles southwest of Wolf Point, MT.]
on our way we killed a fat cow and took as much of the flesh as was necessary for
us. The Feildses killed 2 large bear this evening one of them measured nine feet
from the extremity of the nose to that of his tail, this is the largest bear except one
that I have seen. we saw several bear today as we passed but did not kill any of
them. we also saw on our way immence herds of buffaloe & Elk, many deer
Antelopes, wolves, geese Eagles &c. but few ducks or prarie hens. [Prossibly
the Greater Prairie-chicken, Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus.] the
geese cannot fly at present; I saw a solitary Pillacon [American White Pelican, Pelecanus
erythrorhynchos.] the other day in the same situation. this happens
from their sheding or casting the fathers of the wings at this season.
August 05, 1806
John Ordway
a fair morning. we delayed here for Colter and Collins
the 2 Fields Sent on a head to hunt. we waited untill 12 oClock and as we are
not certain but what Colter and Collins is a head So we Set out and procd.
on Saw large gangs of buffaloe we killed a fat cow and
took the best of the meat and procd. on untill evening and Camped on a high Sand beach [About
four miles southest of the town of Wolf Point, MT. Lewis says they were ten miles below
Prairie Elk Creek.] a little after dark came up a hard Thunder
Shower of wind and rain and nearly filled our canoes, So that we had to unload
them. the Sand flew So that we could Scarsely See & cut our faces by the
force of the wind.--
August 05, 1806
Patrick Gass
Last night wass cloudy and thunder was heard at a distance. About midnight the
small canoe [Ordway and Willard.] we left yesterday came floating down
with the current, and would have passed us if our centinel had not hailed it; the hunters
in it killed a bear and two deer. This morning was also cloudy, and we halted here
till noon in expectation that the other canoe [With Colter and Collins.]
would come down; but there was then no appearance of it; and we began to suspect it had
passed in the night. The forenoon had become clear and pleasant, and at noon we got
under way. As we went on we killed a very fat buffaloe and some deer; and two
hunters [The Fields Brothers.] who went on a-head in the morning, killed
to very large brown bears. At sunset we encamped [Approximately ten miles
below Prairie Elk Creek, the expedition's Little Dry River, and about four miles southwest
of Wolf Point, MT.] and at dark a violent gust of rain and wind came on with
thunder and lightening, which lasted about an hour; after which we had a fine clear night.
August 05, 1806
William Clark
The Musquetors was So troublesom to the men last night that they Slept but very little.
indeed they were excessive troublesom to me. my Musquetor Bear has a number
of Small holes worn through they pass in. I Set out at an early hour intending to
proceed to Some other Situation. I had not proceded on far before I Saw a ram of the big
horn animal near the top of a Lard. Bluff I assended the hill with a fiew to
kill the ram. the Misquetos was So noumerous that I could not keep them off my gun long
enough to take Sight and by thair means missed. at 10 a.m. the wind rose with a
gentle breeze from the N.W. which in Some measure thinned the Misquetors. I landed on a
Sand bar from the South Point intendng to form a Camp at this place and Continue untill
Capt Lewis Should arive. and killed two Buck Elks and a Deer the best of their flesh
& fat I had Saved. had all the dryed meat & fat put out to Sun and continued
at this place untill late in the evening finding that there were no buffalow or fresh Sign
I deturmined to proceed on accordingly Set out at 4 P.M and proceeded on but a fiew miles
eeir I saw a Bear of the white Species walking on a Sand bear. I with one man went
on the Sand bear and killed the Bear which proved to be a feemale very large and fat.
much the fattest animale we have killed on the rout as this bear had got into the
river before we killed her I had her toed across to the South Side under a high Bluff
where formed a Camp [Above Little Muddy River (Lewis and Clark's White Earth
River) near Williston, ND.], had the bear Skined and fleaced. our Situation
was exposed to a light breeze of wind which continued all the forepart of the night from
the S W. and blew away the misquetors.
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