Great Falls Portage — Joseph Whitehouse: June 21, 1805
On a fair, breezy morning, Captains Lewis and Clark set out with most of the party, hauling a wagon with the canoe and baggage from the previous day's hilltop cache up to the upper end of the portage, where a new camp would be formed. Lewis and a few men planned to stay there to ready the iron boat. Buffalo were thick around the lower camp; York killed a fat one. Clark reported seeing 40-50 buffalo swimming the river near the falls, many drowning, explaining the carcasses seen along the shores. The country remained high, treeless, and bluff-lined, with weather still mild.
a fair pleasant morning, the wind as usal. the party all
raised up eairly. Cap! Lewis and Clark with all the party
except 3 Set out with a waggon & baggage to take the canoe
& loading which was hailed on the hill yesterday up to the
upper end of the portage, where we Shall form a Camp. Cap!
Lewis & 3 or 4 men carried all their baggage in order to Stay
up their, in order to git the Iron boat in readiness &c. the
bufFalow around the lower Camp verry thick Some gangs
Swam the River Cap* Clarks Servant york killed one which
was verry fat. Cap! Clark informed us that he Saw 40 or 50
Swimming the River abT the falls and Some went down over
them which he could not See them rise any more, a nomber
got to Shore half drowned, in this way great numbers of
those animels are lost and accounts for So many as we Saw
lying on the Shores below the falls ever Since we came from
[ 105 ]
the Mandans & Grossvauntares but a vast deal pleantier near
them, the country in general is verry high, no timber back
from the river and but verry little on the river, but bluffs &
high Clifts the most of the Shores, we are a little South of
the Mandans, but have had no verry hot weather as yet.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
A fair, pleasant morning, the wind as usual. The party all rose up early. Capt. Lewis and Clark with all the party except 3 set out with a wagon and baggage to take the canoe and loading, which was hauled on the hill yesterday, up to the upper end of the portage, where we shall form a camp. Capt. Lewis and 3 or 4 men carried all their baggage in order to stay up there, so as to get the iron boat in readiness, etc.
The buffalo around the lower camp are very thick. Some herds swam the river. Capt. Clark's servant York killed one which was very fat. Capt. Clark informed us that he saw 40 or 50 swimming the river about the falls, and some went down over them, which he could not see rise any more. A number got to shore half drowned. In this way great numbers of those animals are lost, and it accounts for so many as we saw lying on the shores below the falls ever since we came from the Mandans and Grossvauntares (Gros Ventres), but a vast deal more plentiful near them.
The country in general is very high, no timber back from the river and but very little on the river, but bluffs and high cliffs make up most of the shores. We are a little south of the Mandans, but have had no very hot weather as yet.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
