July 31, 1804
29.88% Complete
Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

July 31, 1804

 

July 31st Tuesday    a fair Day    3 hunters out this morning    G. Drewyer Killed a verry fat Buck    one Inch fat on the ribs    Merdn. altd Latd. is 41° 18' 0" 5/10—North.    R & Jo: Fields returned at 10 oClock    the[y] Killed 3 Deer, and lost the horses, Cought a Small Beever which is already taim, Several men out hunting the horses without Sukcess, The Ottoes not yet arrived, I complete the Copy of the Courses &c. &c.    Musqueters verry troubleson

 

July 31st, Tuesday    a fair Day three Hunters out, Took meridian altitude made the Lattd. 41° 18' 1" 5/10 N.    R. & Jo: Fields returned to Camp They Killed 3 Deer.—    The Horses Strayed off last night. Drewyer Killed a Buck    one inch of fat on the ribs, R. & Jo: Fields returned without any meet haveing been in persuit of the horses—    The Indians not yet arrived. Cought a young Beever alive which is already quit tame—.    Cought a Buffalow fish— [1]    The evening verry Cool, The Musqutors are yet troublesom.—

 

Camp at Council Bluffs, Larboard shore.—

Observed Meridian Altd. of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observtn.    51° 4' 30

Latitude deduced from this obsertn.    41° 18' 1.5"

 

Tuesday July 31st 1804.    pleasant & Cool this morning. Jo Fields did not Return with the horses last night.    they returned this morning with out them & Set out with 2 more men to hunt them    George Drewyer killed a fat Buck this morning, & caught a young Beaver in a trap last night which he keeps in order to tame (which is easy to doe—[)]    a nomber traps Set in the evening on the opposite Side on a point, where their is a verry large Sand Bar    back of the bar is a young Groth of Cotten wood and back of that a bottom prarie which extends back to the Ridge which appears to be about 4 or 5 miles back from this River.—    the Missouri is verry crooked couses on one Side or the other all the way from the Great River Platte, but the current not So Swift as below.—    Sergeant Floyd has been Sick Several days but now is Gitting Some better.— [3]    we expected the Zotteau nation of Indians to day & the man which went for them but they did not come. The reason is as we expect that they were So much Scatred hunting that it takes Some time for them to Git ready but we wait for them.

 

Tuesday July 31th 1804    we Lay By for to See the Indianes who we expect Hear to See 〈us〉 the Captains. I am verry Sick and Has ben for Somtime but have Recoverd my helth again    The Indianes have not Come yet    this place is Called Council Bluff    2 men went out on the 30th of July and Lost ouer horses

 

Tuesday 31st.    One of our men went to visit some traps he had set, and in one found a young beaver, but little hurt and brought it in alive. In a short time he went out again and killed a large buck. [4] Two other hunters [5] came in about 12, who had killed two deer; but lost the horses. One of them with two other persons were sent out to hunt for them, who returned at dark without finding them; and supposed they had been stolen by the Indians.

 

Tusday July 31    the Morning was Clear    G. Dreuier Catched a young beavour    kept him for a pet; Joseph fields, and his brother lost the horses when the[y] went to bring whome a deer that the Sd Joseph shot on the Evening of the 30th Inst [6]

Tuesday July 31st    We formed our encampment this day at the above mention'd place; having fine clear weather, One of our hunters caught a Young beaver, which he kept for a pet, Two of our hunters went out, & took horses with them, in order to bring in a deer, that they had shot in the evening of the 30th instant; They returned in the Evening, having lost the horses.—

1. This could be one of several varieties of buffalo fish: Ictiobus cyprinellus, bigmouth; I. bubalus, smallmouth; or I. niger, black. Lee et al., 404–6. (back)
2. Lewis's observation from Codex O. (back)
3. Clark noted Floyd's illness the previous day. Clark's mention was perhaps the first indication of the illness that would result in the sergeant's death the next month. (back)
4. Ordway and Whitehouse agree with Gass, naming Drouillard in both cases; Clark says that Reubin and Joseph Field brought in the beaver kit, and Drouillard killed the buck. (back)
6. Clark says that the Field brothers brought in the beaver kit and that Drouillard killed the buck; Ordway and Gass agree with Whitehouse. (back)