Clark: June 19, 1805
Clark and his men hunted unsuccessfully for a white bear on the island in the morning. He decided to dry the meat already killed and continue scouting upriver. After examining a small creek that proved to contain only backwater, he traveled about three miles to a bend and then surveyed the terrain to find the best portage route, concluding the lower end of White Bear Island offered the easiest path. Violent southwest winds off the snowy mountains kept the day cool and blew away part of his notes. Buffalo surrounded the camp.
June 19th Wednesday 1805 We went on the Island to hunt the White bear this
morning but Could not find him, after plotting my Courses &c. I
deturmined to dry the meat we killed and leave here, and proceed up the
river as far as it bent to the S. E. and examine a Small Creek above our
Camp, I Set out and found the Creek only Contained back water for 1 mile
up, ascend near the Missouri 3 miles to the bend, from which place it
turnd. Westerly, from this bend I with 2 men went forward towards the Camp
of the party to examine the best ground for the portage, the little Creek
has verry extencive bottoms which Spread out into a varriety of leavl rich
bottoms quite to the mountains to the East, between those bottoms is hills
low and Stoney on this declivity where it is Steep. I returned to Camp
late and deturmined that the best nearest and most eassy rout would be
from the lower part of the 3rd or white bear Island, the wind all this day
blew violently hard from the S W. off the Snowey mountains, Cool, in my
last rout I lost a part of my notes which could not be found as the wind
must have blown them to a great distance. Summer duck Setting great
numbers of buffalow all about our Camp
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
June 19th Wednesday 1805. We went onto the island this morning to hunt the white bear, but could not find him. After plotting my courses, etc., I determined to dry the meat we had killed and leave it here, and to proceed up the river as far as it bent to the southeast and examine a small creek above our camp. I set out and found the creek only contained back water for one mile up. I ascended near the Missouri three miles to the bend, from which place it turned westerly.
From this bend I, with two men, went forward toward the camp of the party to examine the best ground for the portage. The little creek has very extensive bottoms, which spread out into a variety of level, rich bottoms quite to the mountains to the east. Between those bottoms are low, stony hills on this declivity where it is steep.
I returned to camp late and determined that the best, nearest, and easiest route would be from the lower part of the 3rd, or White Bear Island. The wind all this day blew violently hard from the southwest off the snowy mountains, cool. On my last route I lost a part of my notes, which could not be found, as the wind must have blown them to a great distance.
Summer ducks setting. Great numbers of buffalo all about our camp.
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