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28 June Thursday took equal atltitudes &c. &c. &c. & varaitian of the Compass repaired the Perogue Cleaned out the boat Suned our Powder wollen articles examined every thing 8 or 10 huntrs. out to day [1] in different direction, in examineing our private Store of Provisions we found Several articles Spoiled from the wet or dampness they had received, a verry warm Day, the wind from the South, The river Missourie has raised yesterday last night & to day about 2 foot. this evening it is on a Stand, Capt. Lewis weighed the water of the Two rivers The Missouries 78° The Kansais 72° [2] 〈The Weight is〉 To Describe the most probable of the various accounts of this great river of the Kansas, would be too lengthy & uncertain to insert here, it heads with the river Del Norid in the black Mountain or ridge which Divides the waters of the Kansas Del Nord, & Callarado & oppsoitly from those of the Missoureis (and not well assertaind) [3] This River recves its name from a nation which dwells at this time on its banks & 2 villages one about 20 Leagues & the other 40 Leagues up, [4] those Indians are not verry noumerous at this time, reduced by war with their neighbours, &c. they formerly liveid on the South banks of the Missouries 24 Leagues above this river in a open & butifull plain and were verry noumerous at the time the french first Settled the Illinois, I am told they are a fierce & warlike people, being badly Supplied with fire arms, become easily conquered by the Aiauway & Saukees who are better furnished with those materials of war, This nation is now out in the plains hunting the Buffalow [NB: They consist of about 300 men] our hunters Killed Several Deer and Saw Buffalow, men impd Dressing Skins & makeing themselves Comfortable, the high lands Coms to the river Kanses on the upper Side at about a mile, full in view, and a butifull place for a fort, good landing place, the waters of the Kansas is verry disigreeably tasted to me.
Observed Equal Altitudes of ☉, with Sextant
| h | m | s | h | m | s | |||
| A. M. | 8 | 9 | 42 | P.M. | 4 | 1 | 50 | |
| " | 10 | 59 | " | 3 | 9.5 | |||
| " | 12 | 26 | " | 4 | 35.5 |
Altd. by Sextant at the time of Observtn. 76° 16' 52"
Meridian alt of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observation 36° 31' —"
Latitude deduced from this obst. 39° 5' 25.7"
Thursday June 28th 1804. pleasant. the loading put out to air. I went out hunting 2½ miles & passed a fine Spring Running from under the hills I drank hearty of the water & found it the best & coolest I have seen in the country. Several of the party went hunting & 4 Deer, R. & J. Fields killed a young woolf [6] & brought one home to camp for to Tame. one man Saw Several buffelow [7] up the Kansas River. this is 366 Miles from mouth of Missouri. The Latidude 38d 31m 13s North, the width of M. here is 500 yd. wide
Thursday June 28the Lay By all that Day the Kansas River is 200 30¼ Yards wide at the mouth the Land is Good on Booth Sides of thes Rivers and well timberd well waterd
Thursday 28 halted at the river de Caugh Meassurd the Breadth of it is 230¼ Yds. a little farder is four hundred Do.— the hunters [8] Kill five deer one woolf and Catchd an other about five Months old Kept it for three days Cut it's rope Got away.
Thursday June 28th We continued at the River Decaugh, and were employ'd measuring the width of this River it measur'd at the mouth 230¼ Yards, and a small distance up it 400 Yards, The hunters returned with five deer and one wolf they had killed, and a Young wolf which they catch'd; we kept this for three days when it cut the Rope which tied it, & made its escape.
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.