Clark: July 21, 1805
With his party's feet badly bruised and cut, Clark decided to halt and wait for the canoes coming up the Missouri, hoping to hunt fresh meat for the ascending crew. After scouting about three miles upriver and finding no recent Indian sign, he returned downstream four miles to camp. He noted abundant ripe serviceberries, currants, and chokecherries, plentiful small birds, deer, elk, goats, and ibex, but no buffalo in the mountains. Snow capped distant western peaks. Strong west winds blew, and mosquitoes and gnats were troublesome. Clark and J. Fields killed three deer.
July 21st Sunday 1805 a fine morning our feet So brused and Cut that I
deturmined to delay for the Canoes, & if possible kill Some meat by
the time they arrived, all the Creeks which fall into the Missouri on the
Std. Side Since entering the Mountains have extencive Valies of open
Plain. the river bottoms Contain nothing larger than a Srub untill above
the last Creek the Creeks & runs have timber on them generally, the
hills or mountains are in Some places thickly covered with pine &
Cedar &c. &c. I proceeded on about 3 miles this morning finding no
fresh Indian Sign returned down the river four miles and Camped, turned
out to hunt for Some meat, which if we are Suckessfull will be a
Seasonable Supply for the partey assending. emence quantities of Sarvice
buries, yellow, red, Purple & black Currents ripe and Superior to any
I ever tasted particularly the yellow & purple kind. Choke Cheries are
Plenty; Some Goose buriesThe wild rose Continue the Willow more
abundant no Cotton wood of the Common kind Small birds are plenty, Some
Deer, Elk, Goats, and Ibex; no buffalow in the Mountains.
Those mountains are high and a great perportion of them rocky Vallies
fertile I observe on the highest pinicals of Some of the mountains to the
West Snow lying in Spots Some Still further North are covered with Snow
and cant be Seen from this point The Winds in those mountains are not
Settled generally with the river, to day the wind blow hard from the West
at the Camp. The Missouri Continus its width the Current Strong and
Crouded with little Islands and Cose graveley bars; but little fine Sand
the Chanel generally a Corse gravel or Soft mud. Musquetors & Knats
verry troublesom. I killed a Buck, and J. Fields killed a Buck and Doe
this evening. Cought a young Curlough.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
July 21st Sunday 1805. A fine morning. Our feet are so bruised and cut that I determined to wait for the canoes, and if possible kill some meat by the time they arrived. All the creeks that fall into the Missouri on the starboard side since entering the mountains have extensive valleys of open plain. The river bottoms contain nothing larger than a shrub until above the last creek; the creeks and runs generally have timber on them. The hills or mountains are in some places thickly covered with pine and cedar, etc.
I proceeded on about 3 miles this morning, and finding no fresh Indian sign, returned down the river four miles and camped. We turned out to hunt for some meat, which, if we are successful, will be a timely supply for the party ascending. There are immense quantities of serviceberries, and yellow, red, purple, and black currants, ripe and superior to any I ever tasted, particularly the yellow and purple kinds. Chokecherries are plenty, and some gooseberries. The wild rose continues, and the willow is more abundant. There is no cottonwood of the common kind. Small birds are plenty, and some deer, elk, goats, and ibex; no buffalo in the mountains.
These mountains are high, and a great proportion of them rocky, with fertile valleys. I observe on the highest pinnacles of some of the mountains to the west snow lying in spots; some still further north are covered with snow and can't be seen from this point. The winds in these mountains are not settled, and generally follow the river. Today the wind blew hard from the west at the camp. The Missouri continues its width, the current strong and crowded with little islands and coarse gravelly bars; but little fine sand, the channel generally a coarse gravel or soft mud. Mosquitoes and gnats are very troublesome. I killed a buck, and J. Fields killed a buck and doe this evening. Caught a young curlew.
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