Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: July 7, 1805

a clear pleasant morning. We Set out as usal and proceeded
on passed verry large Islands covered with grass [and] a fiew
trees, a great many currents. we took a narrow channel
behind an Is’I which was about 5 miles through, we began to
think that we had taken an other River, but proved to the
contrary. Some ceeder on Some of these Islands, pass^l 2
large Isl^! which [are] level and all prarie or plain, one of the
men killed a Deer in a plain on N. S. about 2 oClock we
i8o5] WHITEHOUSE^S JOURNAL
halted to dine on the N. S. then went on Cap! Lewis forgot
his Thurmometer which he had hung in a Shade, it Stood to
day at 80 degrees above o. I went back and got it then went
on after the party, passed Several Islands covered with cotton
& ceeder timber, the River divides in many Channels. I took
a near cut and at night came out ahead of the party, and went
down to the Camp. Cap! Clark had joined them & his party,
they were all well and had Seen a great deal of Indian Sign
along the River and a fire which was burning, we expect the
Snake Indians or a party of them are near this, perhaps they
are alarmed at our firing at the game &c. we Came i”]}4 miles
this day thro a verry rapid current and a pleasant country,
a pleanty of ripe currents &c. along the Shores, our Intrep-
ters wife knows the country along the River up to hir nation
at the 3 forks, we are now 166 miles from the falls of the
Missourie.