Clark: July 10, 1805
On a windy, fair day following overnight showers, Clark sent Sergeant Ordway ahead with four loaded canoes and eight men to find timber suitable for building new canoes and to establish a camp upriver. Clark followed by land with Sergeant Pryor, four axmen, two invalids, and a hunter, traveling eight miles along the river. The two trees they felled proved hollow and wind-shaken, so Clark decided to shorten them to work around the defects. Mosquitoes were severe. Hunters killed two deer and a goat. Axe handles broke frequently, forcing the men to substitute cherry wood for hickory.
July 10th Wednesday 1805 a fair windey day wind hard the most of the day
from the S. W.rained modderately all last night (by Showers) we dispatched
Serjt. Ordway with 4 Canoes loaded & 8 men by water to assend as high
as I Should have found timber for Canoes & formed a Camp;-. I Set out
with Sergt. Pryor four Choppers two Involids & one man to hunt,
Crossed to the Std. Side and proceeded on up the river 8 miles by land
(distance by water 231/4 ms.) and found two Trees which I thought would
make Canoes, had them fallen, one of them proved to be hollow & Split
at one End & verry much win Shaken at the other, the other much win
Shaken, we Serched the bottoms for better trees and made a trial of
Several which proved to be more indifferent. I deturmined to make Canoes
out of the two first trees we had fallen, to Contract thir length so as to
clear the hollow & winshakes, & ad to the width as much as the
tree would allow. The Musquitors emencely noumerous & troublesom,
Killed two deer & a goat. The Canoes did not arrive as I expected,
owing to the hard wind which blew a head in maney places. we ar much at a
loss for wood to make ax hilthes,13 hath been made & broken in this
piece of a day by the four Choppers, no other wood but Cotton Box elder
Choke Cherry and red arrow wood. we Substitute the Cherry in place of
Hickory for ax hilthes ram rods, &c. &c.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
July 10th, Wednesday, 1805. A fair, windy day; the wind was hard most of the day from the southwest. It rained moderately all last night (in showers). We dispatched Sergeant Ordway with 4 canoes loaded and 8 men by water to ascend as high as I should have found timber for canoes and formed a camp. I set out with Sergeant Pryor, four choppers, two invalids, and one man to hunt. We crossed to the starboard side and proceeded on up the river 8 miles by land (distance by water 23¼ miles) and found two trees which I thought would make canoes. I had them felled; one of them proved to be hollow and split at one end and very much wind-shaken at the other, and the other was much wind-shaken. We searched the bottoms for better trees and tried several, which proved to be more inferior. I determined to make canoes out of the first two trees we had felled, to shorten their length so as to clear the hollow and wind-shakes, and to add to the width as much as the tree would allow.
The mosquitoes were immensely numerous and troublesome. Killed two deer and a goat (antelope). The canoes did not arrive as I expected, owing to the hard wind which blew ahead in many places. We are much at a loss for wood to make axe helves; 13 have been made and broken in this part of the day by the four choppers. There is no other wood but cottonwood, box elder, choke cherry, and red arrow wood. We substitute the cherry in place of hickory for axe helves, ramrods, etc., etc.
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