Joseph Whitehouse: May 29, 1805

Some clouday. a large buffaloe Swam the river last night,
and came out across one of the perogues & broke a blunder-
buss, & bent a rifle & came up the bank through the Camp
& like to have tramped on Several of the men as they were
a Sleep. we Set off as usal & proceeded on. passed the
Mouth of a large Creek or 2, on the S.S. & bottoms of
timber. about 10 oC. A. M. we passed a handsom bottom
on the N.S, where about 100 lodges of Indians had lately
1805] WHITEHOUSE’S JOURNAL
been camped. we Suspect it was a nation called the blackfoot
Indians which live back from the River, to the Northward.
we got Some of their dog poles. we proceeded on passed
over hard rifles which was So rapid that caused high waves for
Some distance below. passed Several Creeks on each Side of
the river. about one oC. P. M. we passed high Steep clifts
of rocks on the N.S. where the natives had lately drove a
gang of buffaloe off from the plains. they fell So far on the
uneven Stone below that it killed them dead. they took what
meat they wanted, & now the wolves & bears are feasting on
the remains, which causes a horrid Smell. Cap! Clark killed
a wolf with a Sphere [spear] near that place. we Saw Several
brown bear on the mountains on the S. Side. about 3 oC.
P. M. we passed the mouth of a large Creek or Small river
on S.S. we halted [a] little above at a handsom bottom of
timber on the N.S. began to rain, the wind rose high from
N. W. So we Camped for the night. Some of the hunters
went out in the plains. they Soon returned & Said it Snowed
& hailed on the hills back from the river. our officers gave
each man a draughm of ardent Spirits. one of the hunters
killed an Elk. hard rain this evening. we had come 18
miles to day through a Mountaneous desert Country. Saw
a nomber of geese on the river. one man killed one of them.