Joseph Whitehouse: June 3, 1805

a fair morning. we delayed untill 8 oClock then moved our
Camp over to the point between the two rivers. two Small
canoes were unloaded and a Sergeant and 2 men I was one of
them Sent in each up the 2 rivers to See what discoveries they
could make. Some men went out a hunting also. their is 3
Islands in the M® [of the] left hand river, which is the largest
& Swiftest river. Some men went out towards a mountain
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covred with Snow to the South of this place. the Captains
walked out on the high hills in the point they observed a
level country to the foot of the mountain which lay South of
this also a River which falls in to the right hand fork about
1% miles up from the mouth on the Lar? Side. This little
River discharges a great deal of water & contains as much
cotton timber as either of the others. they Saw buffalow &
antilopes, wild cherries red & yallow berrys goose berrys
&c. abound in the river bottoms, prickley pairs on the high
plains the Captains had a Meridian altitude & the Latitude
produced was 47°, 24’, 12” North, the after part of the day
proved cloudy. Capt Clark measured the [width of] each
River & found the one to the right hand to be 186 yards wide
of water and the left hand fork 372 yards wide & rapid, the
right hand fork falling [into] the other at a Stand & clear.
the right hand fork & the river which fall[s] into it is couloured,
and a little muddy. Several of the party complain of their feet
being Sore by their walking in the Sand & cut by the Stones.
we to be Sure have a hard time of it oblidged to walk on Shore
& haul the towing line and °/;. of the time barefooted. in the
evening the men all returned had been about 15 miles up each
river but could not determine which was the Missourie, nor
which would be our best course. our officers & all the men
differ in their opinions which river to take. we expect the
right hand fork would take us too far to the North, the left
hand fork we expect heads in the mountains. however the
officers conclude to leave the party here, and go by land with
a Small party up each river, in order to find out which will be
the best for us to take. the hunters killed 4 buffaloe 3 Elk
3 beaver & Deer &c. the Cap* Gave each man a dram of
ardent Spirits. I killed 2 Elk myself to day, as I was up the
left fork as a Spye.