July 13, 1806
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

July 13, 1806

 

removed above to my old station opposite the upper point of the white bear island. [1]    〈had〉 formed our camp and set Thompson &c at work to complete the geer for the horses.    had the cash opened [2]    found my bearskins entirly destroyed by the water, the river having risen so high that the water had penitrated.    all my specimens of plants also lost.    the Chart of the Missouri fortunately escaped. [3]    opened my trunks and boxes and exposed the articles to dry.    found my papers damp and several articles damp.    the stoper had come out of a phial of laudinum and the contents had run into the drawer and distroyed a gret part of my medicine in sucuh manner that it was past recovery.    waited very impatiently for the return of Drewyer    he did not arrive. Musquetoes excessively troublesome insomuch that without the protection of my musquetoe bier I should have found it impossible to wright a moment.    the buffaloe are leaving us fast and passing on to the S. East.    killed a buffaloe picker [4] [EC?: pecker]    a beatifull bird.

 

at 5 oClock Set out

from the 3 forks at the head of Missouri
Courses distance &c
S. 85° E 6 Miles to Galletins river, passed over Some ridges, the river
Some 〈distance〉 makeing a bend to the S W. Camped on the
N. W. Side    passed through an open Smooth plain    the hill
Sides contains a hard white rock which lies in a Slopeing posi-
tion and Shows only in places    Several roads leading to my
left hand—
 

Set out early this morning and proceeded on very well to the enterance of Madicines river at our old Encampment of the 27th July last [6]    at 12 where I found Sergt. Pryor and party with the horses, they had arived at this place one hour before us.    his party had killed 6 deer & a white bear    I had all the horses driven across Madicine & gallitines rivers and halted to dine and let the horses feed imediately below the enterance of Gallitine. [7]    had all the baggage of the land party taken out of the Canoes and after dinner the 6 Canoes and the party of 10 men under the direction of Sergt. Ordway Set out. [8]    previous to their departur I gave instructions how they were to proceed &c. I also wrote to Capt Lewis by Sergt. Ordway—.    my party now Consists of the following persons Viz: Serjeant N. Pryor, Jo. Shields, G. Shannon William Bratton, Labiech, Windsor, H. Hall, Gibson, Interpreter Shabono his wife & Child and my man york; with 49 horses and a colt.    the horses feet are very sore and Several of them can Scercely proceed on.    at 5. P. M I Set out from the head of Missouri at the 3 forks, and proceded on nearly East 4 miles and Encamped on the bank of Gallitines River which is a butifull navigable Stream. [9]    Saw a large Gange of Elk in the plains and Deer in the river bottoms. I also observe beaver and Several otter in galletines river as I passed along. Gibson killed an otter the fur of which was much longer and whiter than any which I had Seen. Willard killed 2 deer this morning.    all the meat I had put into the Canoes except a Sufficiency for Supper. The Country in the forks between Gallitins & Madisens rivers is a butifull leavel plain Covered with low grass.—    on the lower or N E. Side of Gallitins river the Country rises gradually to the foot of a mountain which runs nearly parrelal.    those plains are indefferant or the Soil of which is not very rich they are Stoney & Contain Several Stratas of white rock. [10]    the Current of the river is rapid and near the mouth contains Several islands, it is navigable for Canoes. I saw Several Antelope Common Deer, wolves, beaver, Otter, Eagles, hawks, Crows, wild gees both old and young, does &c. &c. I observe Several leading roads which appear to pass to a gap of the mountain in a E. N E. direction about 18 or 20 miles distant. [11] The indian woman who has been of great Service to me as a pilot through this Country recommends a gap in the mountain more South which I shall cross.—. [12]

 

Sunday 13th July 1806.    a clear morning.    the canoe & 2 men went on a head.    we Set out as usal and proceeded on down    passd. large timbred bottoms    about 12 oClock we arived at our last years Camp on 27 & 28 July little above the 3 forks [13]    Joined the rest of the party with the horses and had got here only one hour before us.    they had killed a deer and one antelope and had wounded a white bear.    we all proceeded to the 3 forks of Missouri    crossed the men & baggage and Swam the horses to all to the South Side of gallintines River where we dined below the forks    the canoe that was a hunting came up    they had killed two deer.    we delayed about 2 hours    Capt. Clark & party leaves us hear to cross over to the River Roshjone. So we parted    I and 9 [14] more proceeded on down the river with the canoes verry well.    the wind a head So we halted [15] little before night. Collins killed 2 large fat bucks and P. Cruzatte killed a deer & Colter killed a large beaver & good fur though the Season is over for them to have good fur in the Southern parts.    the Musquetoes more troublesome than ever we have seen them before.    the hunters Saw large gangs of Elk in this valley.—

 

Sunday 13th.    The morning was pleasant, and we moved about a mile up to our old encampment; [16] opened a deposit [17] we had made here, and found some things spoiled; and the other man [18] that went to look for the horses not being returned we remained here all day airing and sunning the baggage and stores. The musketoes torment us very much, and the wolves continually howl night and day round our camp.

1. The White Bear Islands camp of June 18, 1805, on the east bank of the Missouri in Cascade County, Montana. Atlas maps 42, 54, 61. (back)
2. For the cache at the upper portage camp, see June 26, July 9 and 10, 1805. See Cutright (LCPN), 312–13, on the loss of specimens. (back)
3. This map is apparently lost. See June 27, 1805, and Introduction to the Atlas. (back)
4. The brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater [AOU, 495], so called because it picks ticks and other pests from the backs of the buffalo and cattle; not a new species. Burroughs, 256. (back)
5. Here begins a first draft found in the Voorhis Collection, Missouri Historical Society, written on letter paper; it gives Clark's courses and distances for July 13–19 and July 24–August 3, 1806. Thwaites published only parts of it; see the Introduction and Appendix C. It appears here before the Codex M entries for the same dates, since it was probably written as a preliminary draft; editorial notes will mainly be to the codex entries, which are much more detailed and written in narrative fashion. The number "37" is written in the margin, apparently without reference to the text and in an unknown hand. (back)
6. At the junction of the Jefferson and Madison rivers in Broadwater County, Montana, about two miles northeast of present Three Forks. Atlas map 65. (back)
7. On the Missouri River in Broadwater County, immediately below the junction of the Missouri and Gallatin rivers. Atlas map 65. (back)
8. Ordway proceeded down the Missouri with the canoes to the Great Falls; with him were Collins, Colter, Cruzatte, Howard, Lepage, Potts, Weiser, Whitehouse, and Willard. (back)
9. On a modern map Clark's general course appears more nearly southeast; he camped on the north side of the Gallatin River in Gallatin County, Montana, about a mile east of present Logan. Atlas maps 106, 113. (back)
10. Clark's observation refers to the western part of the Horseshoe Hills which he crossed late in the afternoon. Several light-colored, resistant limestone beds of the Mississippian Madison Group, Devonian Jefferson Limestone, Cambrian Pilgrim Limestone, and Meagher Limestone crop out there and dip steeply to the northwest in an anticline-syncline zone. The stones are either the exposures of these formations or are derived from them by weathering—they are not river gravels. (back)
11. This gap and the trails leading to it appear quite plainly on Atlas maps 106 and 113; it is Flathead Pass in the Bridger Range, in Gallatin County, leading easterly to the valley of Shields River. The Flatheads and Bannocks commonly passed this way to hunt buffalo on the plains. Sprague (GG), 424. (back)
12. Bozeman Pass; see July 15, 1806. In this area, familiar to her from childhood, Sacagawea did indeed act as a guide, as legend has her doing much more extensively. (back)
13. That is, south of the Three Forks of the Missouri River, Broadwater and Gallatin counties, Montana. (back)
15. Ordway does not provide enough information to locate his encampment for the night. The men are on the Missouri River, probably in Broadwater County, Montana. Ordway is the only source for the events of this detachment; Whitehouse's journal for this period is lost. (back)
16. The White Bear Islands camp on the east bank of the Missouri in Cascade County, Montana. See the captains' entries for June 18, 1805. (back)
17. For this cache, see the captains' entries for June 26, July 9, and July 10, 1805. Lewis describes the damage in his entry for this day. (back)