Clark: July 16, 1805
On a cold but fair morning with heavy dew, the party sent a man back to retrieve a forgotten ax before setting out early. They killed and breakfasted on a buffalo, while Captain Lewis and three men climbed a mountain to take a meridian altitude reading. Clark passed about 40 abandoned small camps, likely Snake Indian, and noted the remains of a very large 60-foot lodge. He described the river's width, islands, timber, and shrubs, and camped on a small island near the Rocky Mountains, which rose roughly 800 feet above the river.
July 16th Tuesday 1805 a fair morning after a verry cold night, heavy dew,
dispatched one man back for an ax left a fiew miles below, and Set out
early Killed a Buffalow on which we Brackfast Capt Lewis & 3 men went
on to the mountain to take a meridian altitude, passed about 40 Small
Camps, which appeared to be abandoned about 10 or 12 days, Suppose they
were Snake Indians, a fiew miles above I Saw the poles Standing in thir
position of a verry large lodge of 60 feet Diamater, & the appearance
of a number of Leather Lodges about, this Sign was old & appeared to
have been last fall great number of buffalow the river is not So wide as
below from 100 to 150 yards wide & Deep Crouded with Islands &
Crooked Some Scattering timber on its edge Such as Cotton wood Cotton
willow, willow and box elder, the Srubs are arrow wod, red wood, Choke
Cherry, red berries, Goose beries, Sarvis burey, red & yellow Currents
a Spcie of Shomake &c.
I camped on the head of a Small Island near the Stard. Shore at the Rockey
Mountains this Range of mountains appears to run N W & S E and is
about 800 feet higher than the Water in the river faced with a hard black
rock the current of the River from the Medison river to the mountain is
gentle bottoms low and extensive, and its General Course is S. 10° W.
about 30 miles on a direct line
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
July 16th, Tuesday, 1805. A fair morning after a very cold night, with heavy dew. Dispatched one man back for an ax left a few miles below, and set out early. Killed a buffalo, on which we breakfasted. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and 3 men went on to the mountain to take a meridian altitude. Passed about 40 small camps, which appeared to have been abandoned about 10 or 12 days ago; I suppose they were Snake Indians. A few miles above, I saw the poles standing in their position of a very large lodge of 60 feet in diameter, and the appearance of a number of leather lodges about. This sign was old and appeared to have been from last fall. Great numbers of buffalo. The river is not so wide as below, from 100 to 150 yards wide and deep, crowded with islands and crooked. Some scattered timber on its edges, such as cottonwood, cotton willow, willow, and box elder. The shrubs are arrowwood, redwood, chokecherry, red berries, gooseberries, serviceberry, red and yellow currants, a species of sumac, etc.
I camped on the head of a small island near the starboard shore at the Rocky Mountains. This range of mountains appears to run NW and SE and is about 800 feet higher than the water in the river, faced with a hard black rock. The current of the river from the Medison (Madison) River to the mountain is gentle, with low and extensive bottoms, and its general course is S. 10° W. about 30 miles on a direct line.
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