Clark: August 6, 1806
After a stormy night with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain, the party set out in wet conditions. A female bighorn was shot from the bluff above camp, and they continued to a sandbar below the White Earth River to dry meat, skins, and bedding. A large white bear pursued their boats, mistaking them for buffalo, and escaped wounded after being fired upon. Clark noted floating drowned buffalo and signs of Indians recently digging edible roots. Eleven deer were killed, though most were thin due to relentless mosquito torment. Strong northwest winds blew all day.
Friday 6th August 1806 I rose very wet. about 11 P M last night the wind
become very hard for a fiew minits Suckceeded by Sharp lightning and hard
Claps of Thunder and rained for about 2 hours very hard after which it
continued Cloudy the balance of the night. as we were about Setting out a
female Big horn animal came on the bluff imediately above us and looked
down. I derected Labeech to Shoot it which he did, after Skinning this
animal we Set out and proceeded on to a Sand bar on the S W. Side below
the enterance of White earth river where I landed and had the meat Skins
and bedding all put out to dry. wind hard from the N W. I halted on the N
W. Side of this river in the bend above the white earth river, where I saw
where the Indians had been digging a root which they eate and use in Seup,
not more than 7 or 8 days past. This morning a very large Bear of white
Specis, discovered us floating in the water and takeing us, as I prosume
to be Buffalow imediately plunged into the river and prosued us. I
directed the men to be Still. this animal Came within about 40 yards of
us, and tacked about. we all fired into him without killing him, and the
wind So high that we could not pursue him, by which means he made his
escape to the Shore badly wounded. I have observed buffalow floating down
which I suppose must have been drounded in Crossing above. more or less of
those animals drown or mire in passing this river. I observed Several
floating buffalow on the R. Rochejhone imediately below where large
gangues had Crossed. The wind blew hard all the after part of the day. I
derected the men to dress their Skins except one which I took with me and
walkd. through the bottom to the foot of the hills I killed five deer and
the man with me killed 2. four others were killed in the Course of the day
by the party only 2 of those deer were fat owing as I suppose to the
Musquetors which are So noumerous and troublesom to them that they Cannot
feed except under the torments of millions of those Musquetors.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday, 6th August 1806. I rose very wet. About 11 P.M. last night the wind became very hard for a few minutes, followed by sharp lightning and hard claps of thunder, and it rained very hard for about 2 hours, after which it remained cloudy for the rest of the night. As we were about to set out, a female Big Horn animal came onto the bluff immediately above us and looked down. I directed Labeech (Labiche) to shoot it, which he did. After skinning this animal we set out and proceeded on to a sandbar on the S.W. side below the entrance of White Earth River, where I landed and had the meat, skins, and bedding all put out to dry. The wind was hard from the N.W. I halted on the N.W. side of this river in the bend above the White Earth River, where I saw where the Indians had been digging a root which they eat and use in soup, not more than 7 or 8 days past.
This morning a very large bear of the white species discovered us floating in the water and, taking us, as I presume, to be buffalo, immediately plunged into the river and pursued us. I directed the men to be still. This animal came within about 40 yards of us, and then turned about. We all fired into him without killing him, and the wind was so high that we could not pursue him, by which means he made his escape to the shore badly wounded. I have observed buffalo floating down which I suppose must have been drowned in crossing above. More or less of these animals drown or mire in passing this river. I observed several floating buffalo on the R. Rochejhone (Yellowstone) immediately below where large herds had crossed.
The wind blew hard all the latter part of the day. I directed the men to dress their skins, except one whom I took with me, and we walked through the bottom to the foot of the hills. I killed five deer and the man with me killed 2. Four others were killed in the course of the day by the party. Only 2 of these deer were fat, owing, as I suppose, to the mosquitoes, which are so numerous and troublesome to them that they cannot feed except under the torments of millions of these mosquitoes.
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