Clark: May 11, 1805
On a cold Saturday with a white frost and hard southwest winds that slowed travel, the party moved along a rising, crooked stretch of river bordered by rugged hills showing mineral salts in the gullies. The country was rich black earth, with some pitch pine and dwarf cedar on the hills. Buffalo, elk, antelope, and mule deer were abundant and tame. Clark walked ashore and killed two mule deer, two fat buffalo bulls, and a beaver, while the rest of the party killed a fat yellow bear and camped two miles short of the expected spot.
May the 11th Satturday 1805. Wind hard fore part of last night the latter
part verry Cold a white frost this morning, the river riseing a little and
verry Crooked the high land is rugged and approaches nearer than below,
the hills and bluff exhibit more mineral quats & Salts than below, the
gullies in maney places are white, and their bottoms one, two & 3
Inches deep of this mineral, no appearance of either burnt pumice Stone or
Coal, the Countrey hilley on both Sides of a rich black earth, which
disolves This kind of Countrey Continues of the Same quallity for maney
miles on either Side, we observed Some hills which appeared to be
timbered, I walked to this timber and found it to pitch pine & Dwarf
Cedar, we observe in every derection Buffalow, Elk, Antelopes & Mule
deer inumerable and So jintle that we Could approach near them with great
ease, I killed 2 Mule Deer for the benifit of their Skins for the party,
and about the place I expected the party would get to Camp I killed 2 fat
Bulls for theire use, in my absence they had killed a fine fat Yellow bear
below which detained them and they did not reach the place I expected, but
had Camped on the Lard. Side about 2 miles below on my return to the party
I killed a fat Beaver the wind blew verry hard from the S. W. all the
after part of this day which retarded our progress verry much. river rose
2 In
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
May 11th, Saturday 1805. The wind was strong during the early part of last night; the latter part was very cold, with a white frost this morning. The river is rising a little and is very crooked. The high land is rugged and comes nearer to the river than below. The hills and bluffs show more mineral quartz and salts than below. The gullies in many places are white, and their bottoms have one, two, and three inches of this mineral. There is no appearance of either burnt pumice stone or coal. The country is hilly on both sides, with a rich black earth that dissolves. This kind of country continues with the same quality for many miles on either side.
We observed some hills which appeared to be timbered. I walked to this timber and found it to be pitch pine and dwarf cedar. We observe in every direction buffalo, elk, antelope, and mule deer in innumerable numbers, and so gentle that we could approach near them with great ease. I killed 2 mule deer for the benefit of their skins for the party, and about the place I expected the party would get to camp, I killed 2 fat bulls for their use.
In my absence they had killed a fine fat yellow bear below, which detained them, and they did not reach the place I expected, but had camped on the Larboard side about 2 miles below. On my return to the party, I killed a fat beaver. The wind blew very hard from the S.W. all the latter part of this day, which retarded our progress very much. The river rose 2 inches.
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