Missouri River Breaks area — Joseph Whitehouse: May 17, 1805
Clear and pleasant weather accompanied an early start and steady progress upriver. The party passed high, broken, whitish hills cut by rain erosion, with narrow bottoms, scattered pitch pine, and dwindling cottonwood. They observed large herds of elk, a few buffalo, and many geese with goslings. After dining around 2 p.m. at a small bottom on the south side near old Indian camps, they continued on, killed a brown bear (their first female) and two elk, passed a creek, and camped on a narrow plain after 20 miles.
a clear pleasant morning. we Set off eairly and proceeded
on. passed high broken whiteish couloured hills, which wash
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by rain, and make close to the River on each Side, the bottoms
high and narrow. Some Spots of pitch pine on and between
the hills on each Side, but the cottonwood gits Scarser. we
Saw large gangs of Elk, but a fiew buffaloe. Saw a number of
geese and goslings on the river. about 2 oC. we halted to dine
at a Small bottom on S.S. where there was Some old Indian
Camps. about 3 oC. P. M. we proceeded on towards evening
we killed a brown bear, the first femal that we killed we
passed a creek on the S.S., & verry high rough naked hills on
each Side all this day. we Came 20% miles and Camped ona
narrow plain on the South Side. Killed 2 Elk.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
A clear, pleasant morning. We set off early and proceeded on. We passed high, broken, whitish-colored hills, which are washed by rain, and come close to the river on each side. The bottoms are high and narrow. There are some spots of pitch pine on and between the hills on each side, but the cottonwood is getting scarcer. We saw large gangs of elk, but few buffalo. We saw a number of geese and goslings on the river.
About 2 o'clock we halted to dine at a small bottom on the south side, where there were some old Indian camps. About 3 o'clock P.M. we proceeded on. Toward evening we killed a brown bear, the first female that we killed. We passed a creek on the south side, and very high, rough, naked hills on each side all this day. We came 20½ miles and camped on a narrow plain on the south side. Killed 2 elk.
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