Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 10, 1805

a beautiful pleasant morning. the party employed Some
makeing a towing line for the white perogue, others employed
digging another hole So that we might bury in different places
what we left So that if the Savages Should find one perhaps
they would not find the other & we would have Some left Still.
about 10 oClock we halled up the red perogue on an Island, on
the North Side of the N. fork which was covered with Small
cotton timber. we halled it among the thicke[st] of trees &
ran the bow between two & pined hir on each Side & covered
hir over with bushes, & Secured hir as well as possable, branded
Several trees with the U. S. mark & Cap! M. Lewis & Lat? &c.
The black Smiths fixed up the bellowses & made a main
Spring to Cap! [Lewis’s] air Gun, as the one belonging to it got
broke. the articles which we Intend to bury all got ready. the
loading which came out of the red perogue divided out to the
White perogue & canoes & loaded them. put a Canister of
powder & led accordingly in the ground near the point, between
the two Rivers at our Camp. about 4 oClock P. M. we had
a light Shower of rain. the evening pleasant.