Clark: August 4, 1806
Mosquitoes were so unbearable that the men couldn't work on their skins, hunting in the timbered bottoms was impossible, and only windy sandbars offered any relief. With worn, hole-ridden blankets for protection and no buffalo nearby to dry meat, Clark decided to leave the campsite and move farther down the Missouri to a better location. He left a note on a pole for Captain Lewis explaining his plans. Setting out at 5 P.M., the party reloaded the canoes, killed a porcupine, and camped on a sandbar where mosquitoes were even worse. Sacagawea's child had a face swollen from bites.
Wednesday 4th August 1806 Musquetors excessively troublesom So much So
that the men complained that they could not work at their Skins for those
troublesom insects. and I find it entirely impossible to hunt in the
bottoms, those insects being So noumerous and tormenting as to render it
imposseable for a man to continue in the timbered lands and our best
retreat from those insects is on the Sand bars in the river and even those
Situations are only clear of them when the Wind Should happen to blow
which it did to day for a fiew hours in the middle of the day. the
evenings nights and mornings they are almost indureable perticelarly by
the party with me who have no Bears to keep them off at night, and nothing
to Screen them but their blankets which are worn and have maney holes. The
torments of those Missquetors and the want of a Sufficety of Buffalow meat
to dry, those animals not to be found in this neighbourhood induce me to
deturmine to proceed on to a more eliagiable Spot on the Missouri below at
which place the Musquetors will be less troublesom and Buffalow more
plenty. (I will here obseve that Elk is Abundant but their flesh & fat
is hard to dry in the Sun, and when dry is much easirSpoiled than either
the Buffalow or Deer) I ordered the Canoes to be reloaded with our baggage
& dryed meat which had been Saved on the Rochejhone together with the
Elk killed at this place. wrote a note to Capt Lewis informing him of my
intentions and tied it to a pole which I had Stuck up in the point. At 5
P. M Set out and proceeded on down to the 2d point which appeared to be an
eligable Situation for my purpose killed a porcupine on this point the
Musquetors were So abundant that we were tormented much worst than at the
point. The Child of Shabono has been So much bitten by the Musquetor that
his face is much puffed up & Swelled. I encamped on this extensive
Sand bar which is on the N W. Side.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Wednesday, 4th August 1806. Mosquitoes were excessively troublesome—so much so that the men complained they could not work on their skins because of those troublesome insects. I find it entirely impossible to hunt in the bottoms, as those insects are so numerous and tormenting that it is impossible for a man to remain in the timbered lands. Our best retreat from these insects is on the sandbars in the river, and even those locations are only clear of them when the wind happens to blow, which it did today for a few hours in the middle of the day. In the evenings, nights, and mornings they are almost unbearable, particularly for the party with me, who have no shelters to keep them off at night and nothing to screen them but their blankets, which are worn and have many holes.
The torments of those mosquitoes and the lack of a sufficient supply of buffalo meat to dry—those animals not being found in this neighborhood—lead me to decide to proceed on to a more suitable spot on the Missouri below, at which place the mosquitoes will be less troublesome and buffalo more plentiful. (I will observe here that elk are abundant, but their flesh and fat are hard to dry in the sun, and when dry it spoils much more easily than either the buffalo or deer.)
I ordered the canoes to be reloaded with our baggage and dried meat, which had been saved on the Rochejhone (Yellowstone), together with the elk killed at this place. I wrote a note to Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) informing him of my intentions and tied it to a pole which I had stuck up at the point.
At 5 p.m. we set out and proceeded on down to the second point, which appeared to be a suitable location for my purpose. We killed a porcupine on this point. The mosquitoes were so abundant that we were tormented much worse than at the point. The child of Shabono (Charbonneau) has been so much bitten by the mosquitoes that his face is much puffed up and swollen. I camped on this extensive sandbar, which is on the N.W. side.
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