Missouri River, first view of Rocky Mountains — Joseph Whitehouse: May 31, 1805
The party set off under cloudy skies, retrieving meat from the previous night's hunt and killing another elk. Around 11 a.m. it began to rain, prompting the captains to issue each man a dram of spirits at the noon halt. Lewis shot a fat buffalo, and hunters killed two more, losing one in the river. They passed striking white cliffs, 100-foot pinnacles, and dark stone walls. After 17 miles, they camped in a cottonwood bottom. Hunters brought in a black-tailed deer and two bighorn rams, whose horns were saved for transport back to the United States.
cloudy. we Set off as usal. the canoes crossed the river
& the men went for the meat which was killed last night.
one of the hunters killed an Elk. we proceeded on. ab‘
11 oC. began to rain, rained moderately for Some time. we
passed verry high clifts of rocks, halted at 12 oC. to dine.
our Captains gave each man a draughm of Spirits as it was
wet. Cap! Lewis killed a fat buffaloe, & Some of the hunters
killed 2 more but lost one of them in the river. ab! 1 oC.
we proceeded on passed high white clifts of rocks & Some
pinecles [pinnacles] which is 100 feet high from the Surface
of the water. Some verry high black walls of Stone also on
each Side of the river, which is curious to see. we Saw a
brown bear on the N.S. Some of the hunters went out in
order to kill it. passed Straight white clifts of rocks on the
S. Side Came 17% miles & Camped at a handsom bottom
covered with c. wood timber on the N. S. which was the first
timber we Saw to day except a fiew Scatering trees along the
Shore and a fiew ceeders on the hills. the current has been
Swift all this day. the hunters came in at dark had killed 1
black taild Deer 2 Ibex or mountain Sheep (rams) which had
handsom large horns. we took care of the horns in order to
take them back to the U. States. a pleasant evening. (one
man Saw a large pond or Small lake, out in the plains on
South Side.)
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Cloudy. We set off as usual. The canoes crossed the river and the men went for the meat which was killed last night. One of the hunters killed an elk. We proceeded on. About 11 o'clock it began to rain, and rained moderately for some time. We passed very high cliffs of rocks, and halted at 12 o'clock to dine. Our Captains gave each man a dram of spirits as it was wet. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) killed a fat buffalo, and some of the hunters killed two more but lost one of them in the river.
About 1 o'clock we proceeded on, and passed high white cliffs of rocks and some pinnacles which are 100 feet high from the surface of the water. There were also some very high black walls of stone on each side of the river, which is curious to see. We saw a brown bear on the north side. Some of the hunters went out in order to kill it. We passed straight white cliffs of rocks on the south side, came 17½ miles, and camped at a handsome bottom covered with cottonwood timber on the north side, which was the first timber we saw today except for a few scattering trees along the shore and a few cedars on the hills. The current has been swift all this day.
The hunters came in at dark, having killed 1 black-tailed deer and 2 ibex or mountain sheep (rams) which had handsome large horns. We took care of the horns in order to take them back to the U. States. A pleasant evening. (One man saw a large pond or small lake, out in the plains on the south side.)
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