May 16, 1805
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

May 16, 1805

 

The morning was fair and the day proved favorable to our operations; by 4 oClock in the evening our Instruments, Medicine, merchandize provision &c, were perfectly dryed, repacked and put on board the perogue. the loss we sustained was not so great as we had at first apprehended; our medicine sustained the greatest injury, several articles of which were intirely spoiled, and many others considerably injured; the ballance of our losses consisted of some gardin seeds, a small quantity of gunpowder, and a few culinary articles which fell overboard and sunk, the Indian woman to whom I ascribe equal fortitude and resolution, with any person onboard at the time of the accedent, caught and preserved most of the light articles which were washed overboard    all matters being now arranged for our departure we lost no time in seting out; proceeced on tolerably well about seven miles and encamped on the Stard. side. [1]    in the early part of the day two of our men fired on a panther, [2] a little below our encampment, and wounded it; they informed us that it was very large, had just killed a deer partly devoured it, and in the act of concealing the ballance as they discovered him.    we caught two Antelopes at our encampment in attempting to swim the river; these anamals are but lean as yet, and of course not very pleasant food. I walked on shore this evening and killed a buffaloe cow and calf, we found the calf most excellent veal.    the country on either side of the river is broken and hills much higher than usual, the bottoms now become narrow and the timber more scant; some scattering pine and cedar on the steep declivities of the hills.—    this morning a white bear toar Labuiche's coat which he had left in the plains.—

Courses and distances May 16th [3]
S. 80° W. to a point of woodland on the Lard. side passing a low bluff
on Stard.

2 ½
S. 70° W. to a point of woodland [4] on Stard. near which we encamped
for the night

4 ½
  Miles 7

May 16th 1805.
Point of observation No. 19.

at our encampment of this morning on the Stard. side which we called Panther camp observed meridian Altitude of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observation    62° 3' —"

Latitude deduced from this observation.    [blank]

 

a fair morning    our articles all out to Dry    at 4 oClock we had every thing that was Saved dry and on bord, our loss is Some medison, Powder, Seeds, & Several articles which Sunk, and maney Spoiled had a medn. altitude which gave for Latd.    °    '    " N.—    two of our men fired at a panthr a little below our Camp, this animale they say was large, had Caught a Deer & eate it half & buried the ballance.    a fiew antilope Swam the river near our Camp    two of them were Cought by the party in the river.    at half past 4 oClock we Set out and proceeded on verry well [blank] miles and incamped on the Std. Side    the Countrey as before hilley & broken verry Small proprotion of timber in the points, Some little pine & Ceader in the hills

Course & Distance May 16th
S. 80° W 2 ½ miles to a point of wood land on the Lard Side passing a low
bluff on the Std. Side
S. 74° W 4 ½ miles to a 〈naked〉 wood point on the Stard. Side
  7  

Buffalow & Deer is yet plenty on the river in the small timbered bottoms    Capt Lewis walked out on the Std. Side and killed a Cow & Calf the calf was verry fine

 

Thursday 16th May 1805.    a heavy diew last night.    a clear & pleasant morning.    we opened the goods &.c. to get them dry before we packed them up.    one of the party wounded a large panther    he had killed a deer & was covring it up    Capt. Clark made Search to find him but in vain    about 12 I killed a goat or antilope    about one we packed up the goods and loaded the Captains perogues    one of the party caught another goat which was mired in the mud.    about 3 oClock P M we Set off    proceeded on    passed high rough broken hills and round knobs on each Side of the River and narrow bottoms.    passed a Small willow Island on or near the N. Shore    towards night we killed 3 buffaloe 2 Deer and one buffaloe calf    we Came [blank] miles and Camped on the S. Side at a bottom covered with timber & ran back like the most of the bottoms for a long distance back.

 

Thursday 16th.    This was a fine day, and by 4 o'clock in the afternoon we had all our articles dry and on board again. At that time we proceeded on our voyage; passed high barren hills on both sides of the river, with only a few pine trees on them. We advanced seven miles and encamped [5] in a handsome bottom on the South side where there are a number of old Indian huts.

 

Thursday 16th May 1805.    a heavy diew last night    a clear pleasant morning.    we opened the goods &c. in order to get them dry before we packed them up.    Some of the men wounded a large panther in this bottom, as he was coverring up a deer which he had killed not long before.    about 12 oClock Sergt Ordway killed a cabberree or antelope, a Specie of our goats.    one of the party killed another which was mired in the mud.    about one oC. we packed up our goods and loaded the officers perogue.    about 3 oClock P. M. we set off and proceeded on.    passed high broken hills & round knobs on each Side of the River and narrow bottoms.    passed a Small willow Island near the N. S.    we halted a fiew minutes at a bottom on N. S. and killed 2 buffaloe, 3 Deer and one buffaloe calf.    Camped on the S. S. at a bottom covered with timber.    came 7 miles to day.

Thursday May 16th    A heavy dew fell last night, but a pleasant Clear morning.    All hands were employed, in opening the Goods, to get them thoroughly dried before we packet them up again,—    Some of the Men after they had finished opening the Goods, went a hunting.—    they wounded a large Panther, in the bottom which we were encamped in, as he was covering up a deer which he had killed a short time before.—    About 2 o'Clock P. M. One of our Serjeants killed a Caberree or Antelope, which is a specie of the Goat kind, and another of the party killed another of the same kind, that was fast mired in the Mud,—    About One oClock P. M. we packed up all our Goods, and loaded the Officers pettyauger, At 3 o'Clock P. M we set off, and passed high broken hills, & high Nobs which lay on each side of the River, and narrow bottoms, and a small Island having Willows growing on it lying on the North side of the River, We halted a few minutes at a bottom on the North side of the River, when some of our party went out and killed, 2 buffalo, One buffalo Calf, and three deer, which were brought to our Pettyaugers    We proceeded on, and Encamped in a bottom cover'd with timber; lying on the South side of the River, having come 7 Miles this day.—

1. Both captains' journals say they camped on the starboard, or north, side, in Phillips County, Montana. Atlas maps 38, 50, 58 clearly show the camp on the larboard, or south side of the Missouri, in Garfield County. Ordway and Whitehouse place the camp on the "S." (south) side. In any case, the site is now under Fort Peck Reservoir. MRC map 67. (back)
2. The mountain lion, or cougar, Felis concolor, already known to science. Burroughs, 94–95. (back)
3. Also given on Atlas map 38, in Clark's hand. (back)
4. Atlas map 38 calls it a "naked point," as does an excised portion of Clark's course. (back)
5. In Garfield County, Montana, on a site now under Fort Peck Reservoir; see Lewis's entry and note for further discussion of this campsite. (back)