Great Falls of the Missouri — Joseph Whitehouse: June 16, 1805
After overnight rain and wind, the morning was clear. The party hauled canoes and the pirogue past a rapid, then waited for Captain Lewis, catching small flat-scaled fish in the meantime. Lewis returned around noon, reporting he had scouted 15 miles upriver and found five separate falls—the highest about 50 feet—with violent water between them. He recommended portaging along the larboard side. The men crossed, unloaded, and towed the canoes toward a small river offering better access to the plains. They noted a strong sulfur spring, blooming wild flax, and dried buffalo meat and salmon trout prepared by Lewis's party.
we had a Shower of rain & high wind the fore part of last
night. aclear morning. all hands went over the Rapids 1st
with the canoes about 1 mile & then went back and took up
the perogue, and halted to wait the arival of Cap’ Lewis, &c.
their being a rapid a Short distance above which is impossable
to pass with loaded crafts. we caught a considerable quantity
of Small flat Scale fish at this place. about 12 oC. Cap! Lewis
& the men who accompanied him joined us. Cap! Lewis in-
formed us that he had been 15 miles up the River above the
first bad Rapids or Shoot & that the falls continued all that
distance in 5 different Shoots, but Some higher than the rest,
but the highest about 50 feet perpenticular & verry Rapid
water between each Shoot roling waves & white brakers. Cap!
Lewis informed us that the Lar‘ Side would be the best for us
to carry our goods and baggage by the falls, also the canoes.
So we crossed over to the Lar? Side and unloaded the canoes
& crossed them back to the Star? Side empty and towed them
[ ror ]
LEWIS AND CLARK JOURNALS _ [June 17
up the rapid about a mile. then crossed them back to the
Lar? Side again, in order that we might git them up a Small
River which comes in below the next Shoot to a more conve-
nient place to git them up the bank on to the plains. this little
River comes in on Lar? Side close below the next Shoot.
opposite to the mouth of this little River on S. S. a beautiful
Sulpher or mineral Spring rises out of the Side hills. it is a
verry Strong Sulpher water. we git & drink freely of it. in
the bottoms is a considerable of wild flax growing all in blos-
sum. Cap! Lewis’s party had prepared & dryed buffalow meat
and had caught & dryed a large quantity of fine fish, which we
call Salmon troute.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We had a shower of rain and high wind the early part of last night. The morning was clear. All hands went over the rapids first with the canoes about 1 mile, and then went back and took up the pirogue, and halted to wait for the arrival of Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis), etc. There is a rapid a short distance above which is impossible to pass with loaded craft. We caught a considerable quantity of small flat-scale fish at this place. About 12 o'clock Capt Lewis and the men who accompanied him joined us. Capt Lewis informed us that he had been 15 miles up the river above the first bad rapids or shoot, and that the falls continued all that distance in 5 different shoots, some higher than the rest, but the highest about 50 feet perpendicular and very rapid water between each shoot, with rolling waves and white breakers. Capt Lewis informed us that the larboard side would be the best for us to carry our goods and baggage past the falls, and also the canoes.
So we crossed over to the larboard side and unloaded the canoes, and crossed them back to the starboard side empty and towed them up the rapid about a mile. Then we crossed them back to the larboard side again, in order that we might get them up a small river which comes in below the next shoot, to a more convenient place to get them up the bank onto the plains. This little river comes in on the larboard side close below the next shoot. Opposite to the mouth of this little river, on the starboard side, a beautiful sulphur or mineral spring rises out of the side hills. It is a very strong sulphur water. We get and drink freely of it. In the bottoms there is a considerable amount of wild flax growing, all in blossom. Capt Lewis's party had prepared and dried buffalo meat, and had caught and dried a large quantity of fine fish, which we call salmon trout.
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