August 17, 1804
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

August 17, 1804

 

17th August 1804.    a fine morning    Wind from the S. E.    I will here annex the Latds & Distances of the Different notable placies from the River Dubois or Mouth up:

  miles by water          
To St Charles Village on the N. side 21 in Latitude 38° 54' 39" North
  "   the mouth of the Gasconade S.    do 104 "    do 38 44 35 "
  "   the mouth of the Great Osarge S.    " 138 "    do 38 31   6 "
  "   mo. of Mine River S.    " 201          
  "   the mo. of the 2 Charltons R: N.    " 226          
  "   the mo. of Grand River on the N. side
  "   just above the old Missouries Village
254 in Lattitude 38° 47 54 North
  "   the mo: of the Kanzies River S. Sd. 366 "    do 39   5 25 "
  "   the [Pt?]: above the Dimont Island   "    do 39   9 38 "
  "   Creek Independance below the place
where the Kanzes had their 2d Village
S. S.
433 "    do 39 25 42 "
  "   the Mo. of Nodawa River N. S.— 481 "    do 39 39 22 "
  "   the mo: of Grand Ne ma har R. S. S. 511 "    do 39 55 56 "
  "   Isd. opsd. the Bald Pated Prarie N. S. 570 "    do 40 25   7 "
  "   the Mo: of River Platt S. S. 632          
  "   the White Catfish Camp 10 Ms. abov— 642 "    do 41   3 19 "
  "   Council Bluff (with the Ottoes) S. S. 682 "    do 41 17 "
  "   Mo. of the Little Siouex River N. S. 766 "    do 41 42 34 "
  "   Camp Opsd. the Mahars Village S. S. 864 "    do 42 13 41 "

The Longitudes are not yet Calculated, We must be at this time about 99° 45' 00" West of Greenwich— [1]    I Collected a grass much resembling wheet with a gran like Rye, much fuller of grain, one like Rye & one like Barley grass Small, a Grass like Timothey except the Seed which is on branches from the main Stalk— [2]

Late this evening one of the party Sent after the deserters returned & joined us, he left the party 3 miles back, they cought both Deserters, one of them La liberty, got away from them, the Great Chief & 2nd Chief of the ottoes accompaned the Party with a view to bring about a Peice between themselves & the Mahar    a great missfortune that the Mahars have not returned from the hunt—    Sent & fiered the Prarie near Camp to bring in the Mahars & Souex if any are near.    a Cool evening, 2 Beever Cought

 

a fine Morning    the wind from the S. E.    I collected a grass much resembling wheat in its grouth the grain like Rye, als[o] Some resembling Rye & Barly.    a kind of Timothey, the Seed of which branches from the main Stalk & is more like flax Seed than that of a Timothey—

at 6 oClock this evening Labieche one of the Party Sent to the Ottoes joined, and informed that the Party was behind with one of the Deserters M B. Reed and the 3 principal Chiefs of the Nations—    La Liberty they cought but he decived them and got away—    the object of those Chiefs comeing forward is to make a peace with the Mahars thro: us—.    as the Mahars are not at home this great object cannot be accomplished at this time    Set the Praries on fire to bring the Mahars & 〈MissouriesSoues if any were near, this being the usial Signal.

a Cool evining two Beaver Cought to day.

 

Friday 17th of August 1804, a clear morning, the wind from S. E.    we are yet waiting here for G. Drewyer & the 3 men who were with him, the men remained in camp reparing the arms & Cloathing &C. Labuche who was one of the Messengers arivd towards evening    Informed us that Drewyer & the Zottaus Chiefs was comming near with the Deserter &.C—

 

Friday august 17th    Continued Hear for ouer men    thay did not Return Last night

 

Friday Augt. 17th    the weather was fine    the men Ocepyed their time in Cam[p] Repairing their Arms, and Cloathing.    LueBash returned By himself    Lost the Party and came to Camp with measige    Santdy 18 [3]

Friday August 17th    We remained still at same place, the men were employed repairing their Arms, and Cloathing; La'Beech 〈or〉 our Interpreter in the Evening came by himself to us and informed our Officers, that he had left the Zoto head chief, called the Pettit Wallow, [4] & 12 of his Chiefs & Warriors with Read, who had deserted from us, 6 Miles from our Camp, and told our Captains, if any of the Mahaw Indians were with us, we should remain still, but if none of them were then among us, to fire off our 〈Cannon〉 Swivel, the Zoto Indians being at Warr with the Mahaws.— [5]

1. The "Fish Camp" was just north of 42° 21' N., so their calculated position is a little too far south. The longitude, more difficult to calculate to start with, is further off. The camp was near 96° 25' W. MRC map 27; MRR map 75. (back)
2. Reed canarygrass, see June 16, 1804. The other grasses Clark mentions may be specimens of Elymus sp. and Agropyron sp. (back)
3. From "LueBash" on, the writing appears to be in the hand of No. 3. (back)
5. Whitehouse seems to imply that the Otos did not wish to meet the Omahas, which is contrary to Clark's implication in his note for this day. (back)