December 16, 1805
74.47% Complete
Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

December 16, 1805

 

rained all the last night    we Covered our Selves as well as we Could with Elk Skins, & Set up the greater part of the night, all wet    I lay in the water verry Cold, the 5 men who Stayed out all night joined me this morning Cold & wet, Ordway Colter Collens, Jo Whitehouse J McNeal, I had the two Canoes loaded with the 11 Elk which was brought to the Canoes, despatched 12 men to meet me below with 2 Elk, The rain Contines, with Tremendious gusts of wind, which is Tremds.    I proceeded on and took in the 2 Elk which was brought to the Creek, & Send back 7 men to Carrey to the Canoe & take down to Camp 3 Elk which was left in the woods, and I proceeded on to Camp thro the Same Chanel I had assd.    The winds violent    Trees falling in every derection, whorl winds, with gusts of rain Hail & Thunder, this kind of weather lasted all day, Certainly one of the worst days that ever was! I found 3 Indeans with Capt Lewis in camp    they had brought fish to Sell, we had a house Covered with Punchen & our meat hung up. Several men Complaining of hurting themselves Carry meet, &c.

 

I as also the party with me experienced a most dreadfull night rain and wet without any Couvering, indeed we Set up the greater part of the Night, when we lay down the water Soon Came under us and obliged us to rise.    the five men who Stayed out all night joind me this morning wet and Cold, haveing Stayed out without fire or Shelter and the rain poreing down upon them all night    their appearance was truly distressing—    they had left all their loads near the place they Spent the night—    I dispatched 12 men for 2 Elk which was reather below on the opposit Side of the Creak, with directions to meet me at the 2d bend in the Creek below, had all the meat which had been brought in yesterday put into 2 Canoes and proceeded down to the 2d bend where I met the 12 men with the 2 Elk, dispatchd 6 men with one of those who Staid out last night for the meet left in the woods & the remainder an elk at Some distance and proceeded on my Self with 3 Canoes to the fort.    wind violent from the S E trees falling, rian and hail, we with Some risque proceeded on thro the high waves in the river, a tempestious disagreeable day.

I found 3 indians at our Camp, they brought fish to Sell which were pore & not fit for use, had the meet house coverd and the meat all hung up, Several men complain of haveing hurt themselves heavy loads of meat.

 

Monday 16th Decr. 1805.    rained hard all last night and cold    we Suffered with wet & cold all last night, and could not make fire for everry thing we had was wet.    we Soon found ourselves this morning and went to Camp    put the meat on board the Canoes and the loads the men brought in this morning, and all except 5 or 6 went down to Camp or fort    hard rain and high wind.    those men who Stayed in the woods went after the rest of the meat.    we put the meat in house—

 

Monday 16th.    This was a wet morning with high wind. About 8 Capt. Clarke and 15 men came in loaded with meat; they left a canoe with 7 men to bring in the remainder. They had a very bad night, as the weather was stormy and a great deal of rain fell. Notwithstanding this, a serjeant and four men, [1] who had got lost, lay out all night without fire. As soon as they arrived all hands were set to carrying up the meat, and putting it in a house we had prepared for the purpose. The whole of the day was stormy and wet. [2]

 

Monday Decemr 16th    The party that I was with found our way this morning to where the Canoes lay.    We took on board them the Meat that was brought by the whole of this party, and returned down to the fort with our Canoes.    It rained very hard during this day. [3]    We unloaded the Canoes, & deposited the Meat in the house prepared in the fort, for that purpose.    We finished covering the Meat house.    Some of our party was left behind in the Woods, to bring in the remainder of the meat, left by the party that went with Captain Clark.    We had hard Rain & some hail in the afternoon also.

1. The men noted on December 15. (back)
2. Clark declared it, "Certainly one of the worst days that ever was!" (back)
3. Clark called it "one of the worst days that ever was!" (back)