Clark: August 1, 1806
Clark's party set out early against high headwinds and choppy water, enduring near-constant rain that left him miserable in his open canoe. The terrain resembled the previous day's, with muddy brooks, sandbars, and scattered pine, cedar, and ash. Around 2 P.M. they had to halt as an enormous herd of buffalo swam across the river and a half-mile-wide island, taking over an hour to pass. Clark and four men killed four fat cows to replace meat spoiled by the wet weather. They camped on an island while two more huge buffalo herds crossed nearby.
Sunday 1st of August 1806. We Set out early as usial the wind was high and
ahead which caused the water to be a little rough and delayed us very much
aded to this we had Showers of rain repeetedly all day at the intermition
of only a fiew minits between them. My Situation a very disagreeable one.
in an open Canoe wet and without a possibility of keeping my Self dry. the
Country through which we passed is in every respect like that through
which I passed yesterday. The brooks have all Some water in them from the
rains which has fallen. this water is excessively muddy. Several of those
brooks have Some trees on their borders as far as I can See up them. I
observe Some low pine an cedar on the Sides of the rugid hills on the
Stard. Side, and Some ash timber in the high bottoms. the river has more
Sand bars today than usial, and more Soft mud. the current less rapid. at
2 P.M. I was obliged to land to let the Buffalow Cross over. not
withstanding an island of half a mile in width over which this gangue of
Buffalow had to pass and the Chanel of the river on each Side nearly 1/4
of a mile in width, this gangue of Buffalow was entirely across and as
thick as they could Swim. the Chanel on the Side of the island the went
into the river was crouded with those animals for 1/2 an hour. the other
Side of the island for more than 3/4 of an hour. I took 4 of the men and
killed 4 fat Cows for their fat and what portion of their flesh the Small
Canoes Could Carry that which we had killed a few days ago being nearly
Spoiled from the wet weather. encamped on an Island Close to the Lard
Shore two gangues of Buffalow Crossed a little below us, as noumerous as
the first.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Sunday 1st of August 1806. We set out early as usual. The wind was high and against us, which caused the water to be a little rough and delayed us very much. Added to this, we had showers of rain repeatedly all day, with intermissions of only a few minutes between them. My situation was a very disagreeable one: in an open canoe, wet and without any possibility of keeping myself dry. The country through which we passed is in every respect like that through which I passed yesterday. The brooks all have some water in them from the rains that have fallen. This water is excessively muddy. Several of these brooks have some trees on their borders as far as I can see up them. I observe some low pine and cedar on the sides of the rugged hills on the starboard side, and some ash timber in the high bottoms. The river has more sandbars today than usual, and more soft mud. The current is less rapid.
At 2 P.M. I was obliged to land to let the buffalo cross over. Notwithstanding an island half a mile in width over which this herd of buffalo had to pass, and the channel of the river on each side nearly 1/4 of a mile in width, this herd of buffalo was entirely across and as thick as they could swim. The channel on the side of the island where they went into the river was crowded with these animals for half an hour. The other side of the island was crowded for more than 3/4 of an hour. I took 4 of the men and killed 4 fat cows for their fat and what portion of their flesh the small canoes could carry, since that which we had killed a few days ago is nearly spoiled from the wet weather. Camped on an island close to the larboard shore. Two herds of buffalo crossed a little below us, as numerous as the first.
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