June 10, 1804
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

June 10, 1804

 

June 10th Sunday 1804    Some rain last night    we set out early    Saw a number of Goslings this morning, Continued on the Course of last night, thence N. 8 E. 2½ ms. to a pt. on the L. S.    passed a part of the River that the banks are falling in takeing with them large trees of Cotton woods [2] which is the Common groth in the Bottoms Subject to the flud    North 1 Me along the L. Side 〈N. 23° W to the Mo: of Chareton〉 N. 40° W. 1 ms. along the L, S. opposit the two Charletons [Charitons], [3] on the N. Side, those rivers mouth together, the 1st 40 yds. wide the next 90 yds. Wide and navagable Some distance in the Countrey, the land below is high & not verry good. Came to and took Mdnl. altd. of Sons U. L. back obsvn. with the octant    Made it 37° 12' 00", delayed 1½ Hour. N. 70° W ½ of a me. along the L. Sd.—    S 60° W ½ m. on L. S. the Same Course to the Pt. S. S. 1½ Ms. We halted and Capt Lewis Killed a Buck    the Current is excessively Swift about this place N. 80° W. 3 ms to [hole] a pt. on S. S. passed a Isd. Called Sheeco Islan [4]    wind from the N W    Camped in a Prarie on the L. S., [5] Capt Lewis & my Self Walked out 3 ms.    found the Country roleing open & rich, with plenty of water, great qts [quantities] of Deer    I discovered a Plumb [6] which grows on bushes the hight of Hasle [hazel], those plumbs are in great numbers, the bushes beare Verry full, about double the Sise of the wild plumb Called the Osage Plumb & am told they are finely flavoured.

 

A hard rain last night, we Set out this morning verry early    passed Some bad placies in the river    Saw a number of Goslings morning    pass near a Bank which was falling in at the time we passed, passed the two River of Charletons which mouth together, above Some high land which has a great quantity of Stone Calculated for whetstons [7]    the first of those rivers is about 30 yds. Wide & the other is 70 yds wd. and heads Close to the R: 〈Dumoin〉 [NB: du Moines] [8] The 〈Aieways〉 [NB: Ayauways] 〈Nation〉 have a Village on the head of these River    they run through 〈an even Countrey〉 [NB: a broken rich thickly timbered country] and is navagable for Perogues    Cap Lewis took Medn. altd. of ☉ U. L with Octant, back obsvn. made it 37° 12' 00"—    delayd 1½ hours.

Capt. Lewis Killed a large Buck, passed a large Isd. called Shecco and Camped in a Prarie on the L. S. I walked out three miles, found the prarie composed of good Land and plenty of water roleing & interspursed with points of timbered land, Those Praries are not 〈open〉 like those, or a number of those E. of the Mississippi Void of every thing except grass, they abound with Hasel Grapes [9] & a wild plumb of a Superior [NB: size &] quallity, called the Osages Plumb    Grows on a bush the hight of a Hasel 〈(and is three times the sise of other Plumbs,〉 [10] and hang in great quantities on the bushes    I Saw great numbers of Deer in the Praries, the evening is Cloudy, our party in high Spirits.

Course & Distance June 10th
N. 8° E   2 ½ ms. to a pt. on L. S.
North.   1 Me. along the L. Side
N. 40° W.   1 ms    do    do    do
N. 70° W.   0 ½ opsd. the mo. of Charltons R.
N. 60° W   2 Ms. to a pt. on S. S.
N 80 W.   3 ms. to a pt. on S. S. opsd. a Pln.
  10  
 

On the Larbord shore ¾ of a mile below the mouth of the lesser Charitton river.

Observed Meridian Altd. of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observatn.    37° 12' —"

 

Sunday June 10th 1804.    we Set eairly after Some rain, a fair day, we passed hilley land on Right hand of the River. On the left the land is level    plenty of Mulbery Trees. [12]    the mulberys Ripe on them. The timber is walnut hickery ash &c. Grape vines Run over the trees &C.— [13]    at 10 oC we passed Deer Creek [14] on the Right    we passed the 2 Charlitons River on the North Side, those Rivers are navigable Some Distance up & the Mouths are near together    Capt Lewis killed a 〈Deer〉 Buck little above    We Camped on South Side of the River    Capts went hunting, Several men with them. Drewyer killed a Deer.    the land is excelent, large praries along the South Side of the River.    the Timber on the bank is white walnut hickery Some Cotton wood &C—

 

Sunday June 10th 1804    we imbarked at the yousel ouer and proseded on our Jorney    5 miles past a Creek Called Deer Lick Creek on the N Side 10 yads wide    the Land High 〈Hel〉    Delayed 1½ ouers    three mls past the two Charlitons on the N. Side    those Rivers mouth near togeathe    the first 70 yads wide    the Next 100 yads wide and navagable for Some Distance in the Cuntry    halted and Capt Lewis Killed a Buck    the Current is Strong a bout this place    Came 12 miles    past Severall Isd.    ouer hunters Killed 3 Deer    incamped on the South Side at a priara    this priara is High well and well waterd &c.    〈monday June 11th 1804    day Clear wind from the N W〉    ouer hunters Kilded nothing    〈2 Bare and two Deer〉

 

Sunday 10th.    We proceeded five miles and passed a creek, called Deerlick creek on the north side; and three miles further the Two Charlottes on the same side. The mouths of these two rivers are very near each other; the first 70 and the other 100 yards wide. We encamped on the south side of the river at a prairie, and remained there the whole of the next day, the wind blowing too violent for us to proceed.

 

Sunday 10    We got to the Charrotte River at 2 Oclock    Waited the Arrival of the hunters there 〈in〉    Sufferd. by the Musquitoes On the N. E Side    The Bigg Charrottoe is 100 Yds. at the mouth.    The little comees in to it at the Distance of 300 Yds. apart its Brenth at the mouth is 50 yds. Broad    Swem the horses and ferried the men across    had hard watter    Campd. On the Charrotte prarie    Roed 13 Miles—

Sunday June 10th    We embark'd early this morning and proceeded on.    at 2 o'Clock we arrived at the River Charotto lying on the North side of the River Mesouri, where we came too; and waited for the arrival of our Hunters, We encamped on the North East side of the Island for a while, but found the Musqitoes so troublesome that we had to embark again.    The big Charotto River is 100 Yards wide at its mouth.    The little Charotto River empties itself into it, at about 300 Yards distance above it and is 50 Yards wide at its mouth.    We had great difficulty in swimming the horses, which the hunters had with them (which was brought by them from Saint Charles) to the Island & getting them on board, we sent the Pettiauger for the hunters, who came on board the boat, we proceeded on and went as far as the Charoto Priari, where we encamp'd.    The wind blowing hard, distance come this day 13 Miles.—

1. Biddle's notation on the top of this sheet of the Field Notes (document 20), reads "June 10 to 14." A column of figures is also at the top of this sheet: 2½, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 [½], and a total of 12. (back)
2. Populus deltoides Marsh. var. deltoides, cottonwood. Steyermark, 507. (back)
3. The Little Chariton River meets the Chariton a little above the mouth of the latter in Chariton County, Missouri, a short distance upstream from the present town of Glasgow. The name apparently derives from that of Jean Chariton, an early trader. See fig. 14. Stewart (APN), 87; MRC map 10. (back)
4. Chicot Island, later Harrison Island. Coues (HLC), 1:20 n. 45; Thwaites (LC), 1:45 n. 2; MRC map 10. (back)
5. In northeast Saline County, Missouri, some five miles above the Chariton River by Clark's estimate. MRC map 10. (back)
6. Possibly Prunus hortulana Bailey, wild goose plum, hortulan plum, or P. munsoniana Wight & Hedrick, wild goose plum, which have the appropriate description and are known to occur in the area. Steyermark, 860–61. However, the captains may have been thinking of the Chickasaw (Osage) plum, which they had seen in St. Louis. See weather remarks for April 10, 1804. The hazel, mentioned for comparison, is Corylus americana Walt., hazelnut. Steyermark, 524. (back)
7. Natural whetstones are produced from very fine-grained sandstones that are extremely uniform in texture, firmly cemented, and medium bedded (beds of one to six inches thick). Beds of this kind are known from lower Pennsylvanian rocks, which crop out along the bluffs in this area. (back)
8. The source of the Chariton River, in south-central Iowa, is near the South and Middle branches of the Des Moines River. The Indians referred to are the Iowas (see above, April 4, 1804). Petersen, 305–11. Biddle is apparently crossing out words in this paragraph to substitute his own. (back)
9. Vitis sp. (back)
10. Biddle apparently crossed out this passage. (back)
11. Lewis's observation from Codex O. (back)
12. The mulberry is probably red mulberry, Morus rubra. (back)
13. Ordway is the only one to mention the vegetation this day, other than Clark, who notes the discovery of a plum. (back)
14. Perhaps Hurricane Creek, Howard County, Missouri; not mentioned by Clark but noted by other enlisted men. (back)