Clark: September 16, 1804

September 16th Sunday. We proceeded on 1¼ miles and camped on the L. Side in a beautiful plain surrounded with timber, in which we saw several deer. We delayed here for the purpose of drying the articles which were wet and the clothes, and to load the pirogue which we had intended to send back. Finding the water too shoal, we determined to take on the pirogue also, and to make some observations for longitude, etc.

The two men, G. & R. F., joined us and informed us "that the river, as far as they were up, had much the appearance of the river about the mouth, but little timber, and that chiefly elm." The upland between this river and the White River is fine. Great numbers of goat, deer of three kinds, buffalo, wolves, and barking squirrels; the fallow deer.

Cloudy all day. Cleaning out the boat, examining and drying the goods, and loading the pirogue. I killed 2 deer, Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) one and a buffalo; one buffalo and five other deer killed. I observed pine burs and birch sticks in the driftwood up White River, which comes in on the L. S. Immediately in the point is a beautiful situation for a town, with three gentle rises, and more timber about the mouth of this river than usual.

16th of September Sunday 1804. We set out very early and proceeded on 1¼ miles between sandbars and came to on the L. S. (1), determined to dry our wet things and lighten the boat, which we found could not proceed with the present load. For this purpose we concluded to detain the pirogue we had intended to send back, load her out of the boat, and detain the soldiers until spring, then send them from our winter quarters. We put out those articles which were wet, cleaned the boat and pirogues, and examined all the locker bales, etc.

This camp is situated in a beautiful plain surrounded with timber to the extent of ¾ of a mile, in which there are great quantities of fine plums. The two men detached up the White River joined us here and informed us that the river, as far as they were up, had much the appearance of the Missouri—some islands and sands, little timber (elm), much sign of beaver, and a great many buffalo—and continued its width. They saw, as well as myself, pine burs and sticks of birch in the driftwood up this river. They also saw a number of goats, such as I killed, and wolves near the buffalo, fallow deer, and the barking squirrels' villages.

Capt. Lewis went to hunt and see the country near the camp; he killed a buffalo and a deer.

Cloudy all day. I partly loaded the empty pirogue out of the boat. I killed 2 deer, and the party 4 deer and a buffalo. The buffalo we killed for the skins to cover the pirogues; the meat was too poor to eat. Capt. Lewis went on an island above our camp; this island is about one mile long, with a great proportion of cedar timber near the middle of it.

I gave out a flannel shirt to each man, and powder to those who had expended theirs.