September 13, 1804
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September 13, 1804

 
Course Distance & remarks 13th Septr. Thursday 1804 [1]
N. 45° E   1 ½ me. on the L. S.    wind N W.    a Sand bar makeing out    a
Dark raining morning.    G D. [Drouillard] Caught 4 re-
mkby. large Bever
N. 30 E   1 me. on the L. S.    verry Cold day or morning    Hills high
S. S.
N. 60 W.   1 me. on the L. Side to the Commencment of the black Bluffs
N. 64° W   2 ¾ to a wood on the L. S. passing under a Bluff L. S. and Sand
bars all along on the S. S.
North   1 ¾ me. to a pt. of high Land on the S. S.    pass Sand bars on
both Sides    (rains[)]
N. 10 W   4 me. to the lower pt. of a timber on S. S. passing under
a Bluff S. S.    passing a large Sand Island on the L. S. &
Sand bars and camped under a Bluff on the S. S.    Mus-
quitors verry bad, wors than I have Seen them, qts [quan-
tities] of mud wash into the river from a Small rain
  12  
 
Course Distance and reffeirencs
N. 45° E   1 ½ mes. on the L. S. a Sand bar makeing out
N. 30° E.   1 mes. on the L. Side
N. 60° W.   1 mes. on the L. S. to a Clift.
N. 64° W.   2 ¾ mes. on the L. S. to the Commencement of a wood pass-
ing under a Bluff of Slate & Coal, [2] & a Sand bar opposit
North   1 ¾ mes. to a pt. of high Land on the S. S.    passd Sand bars
on both Sides, Shallow
N. 10° W.   4 mes. to the lower pt. of a timber passing under a Bluff, a
Sand & Willow Island on the L. S.
  12  

13th Septr. Thursday 1804

a Dark Drizzley Day, G D Cought 4 Beaver last night    the winds from the N W. Cold    Set out early and proceeded on verry well    passed a number of Sand bars, Capt Lewis killed a Porcupin on a Cotton treee fieeding on the leaves & bowers of the Said tree, the water is verry Shallow [X: in places] being Crouded with Sand bars    Camped on the 〈L〉 S. Side under a Bluff. [3]    the Bluffs on the S. S. not So much impregnated with mineral as on the L. S. [4]    muskeetors verry troublesom—.

 

Killed a bluewinged teal [EC: Querquedula discors] and a Porcupine [EC: Erethizon dorsatum]; found it [the porcupine] in a Cottonwood tree near the river on the Lard. Shore—    the leaves of the Cottonwood were much distroyed—    as were those of the Cottonwood trees in it's neighbourhood. I therefore supposed that it fed on the folage of trees at this season, the flesh of this anamal is a pleasant and whoalsome food—    the quills had not yet obtained their usual length—    it has four long toes, before 〈and〉 on each foot, and the same number behind with the addition of one short one on each hind foot on the inner side.    the toes of the feet are armed with long black nails particularly the fore feet—    they weigh from 15 to 20 lbs—    they resemble the slowth very much in the form of their hands, or fore feet.    their teeth and eyes are like the bever—

 

Thursday 13th Sept. 1804.    we Set off eairly    proceeded on    passed high hills on N. S. & a Bottom prarie. Some part covered with Timber Grape vines covered with ripe grapes.—    pasd. a black Bluff on S. S. & Broken hills & a run of allum & copperass water.—    Some Musquetoes, rainy.—    G. Drewyer caught 4 Beaver in his Traps last night.    myself Sergt. Pryor & Shannon walked on Shore S. S. in order to get Some plumbs in a bottom prarie.    we found pleanty but they were not quite ripe. Shannon killed a porcupine.    we could not git to the Boat for a willow Island which was between & Sand bars &.C. N. B. the Boat passd. Several Isds. & camped on N. S—    we Camped [6] in a grove of cottonwood Timber. Eat one porcupine for Supper.    the Musquetoes Troubled us verry much.—    passd. a range of black Bluffs on S. S. &.c.

 

Thursday 13th.    Four beaver were taken last night. We set sail early; the morning was cloudy with some rain and wind ahead; passed a creek and a long range of bluffs on the south side. Some of our men [7] went out to hunt; but did not return this evening. We encamped on the north side.

 

Thursday 13th Sept. 1804    cloudy and hard rain.    G. Drewyer caught 4 beaver last night    high wind, passed a creek on S. S and range of black bluffs.    three of the party went out to hunt and has not returned yet.    Camped on the N. S.—

Thursday Septemr 13th    We started early this morning it being Cloudy and some Rain, One of our Men (G drewyer the Hunter) caught four Beaver in the Traps overnight, The wind blew hard.    we passed 〈the〉 a Creek, lying on the South side of the River, and a range of black bluffs, Captain Clark & the two Men who went hunting Yesterday, [8] had not yet return'd    We proceeded on, and encamped on the North side of the River

1. The courses and distances for September 13, 1804, on the reverse of document 53 of the Field Notes are written over a sketch map of part of the Missouri River (fig. 2). Though there are no names, it appears to show the river between the camps of September 8 and 9. See Atlas maps 19, 20. This area in Charles Mix and Gregory counties, South Dakota, is now inundated by Fort Randall Reservoir. (back)
2. Pierre Shale (see the geology note of September 12). (back)
3. In Brule County, South Dakota. Atlas maps 20, 21, 22; MRC map 36. (back)
4. This portion of the Pierre Shale has less gypsum and other minerals. (back)
5. Lewis's natural history notes from Codex Q. The bird is the blue-winged teal, Anas discors [AOU, 140]. Holmgren, 33. The porcupine is mentioned on September 11. (back)
6. Ordway and his group camped in Lyman County, South Dakota, while the main party stayed on the opposite shore in Brule County. (back)
7. Sergeants Ordway and Pryor, and Shannon. (back)
8. Apparently Whitehouse wrote this entry on the next day; Ordway, Pryor, and Shannon went out hunting this day, September 13, and did not return until the next day. See Ordway's entries for those dates. (back)