Marias River decision camp — Joseph Whitehouse: June 6, 1805

a cold cloudy morning. the wind blew cold from the N. E.
Some of the men went from Camp a Short distance and killed
2 buffalow one fat Elk 2 Deer 1 mule & one common Deers,
2 antilopes &c. a light Sprinkling of rain to day. about 2
oClock P.M. Cap! Clark & his party returned to Camp. they
informed us that the South fork is the most probable branch
to our course which Cap: Clark alowed we would take. they
had been about 40 miles up the South fork. when they got
about 8 miles from our Camp they found a beautiful Spring of
water, where the Small river was not more than 200 yards
from the South fork. they refreshed themselves at the Spring
with a drink of good grog. they Saw but little game on this
river. they passed through high plains, where nothing groes
but Short’ grass & prickley pears. the course of the river as
far as they went about S. W. they Saw a mountain to the
South of them covred with Snow. one of the men by the
name of J° Fields was att[a]c[ke]d by an old hea bear, which
would have killed him if the rest of the party had not been in
hearin to have fired at him which made him turn his course.
they killed 3 bear & eat a part of one of them, & returned by
way of the middle branch which they came down & killed in its
bottoms a nomber of fat Elk Deer & Saw wolves antelopes &
LEWIS AND CLARK JOURNALS _ [june7
beaver &c. the bottoms of this middle river is like thee
bottoms below the forks, covered with timber. Some cotton
trees with a leaf like the leaf of cherry. they Saw wild tanzey
&c. Cap! Lewis & party did not return this evening. the
party has been employed dressing Skins &c.