Lewis: April 11, 1805
The expedition set out early, with Clark and Drewyer hunting on shore while the main party traveled by water. Drewyer killed a deer, providing welcome fresh meat after several days without, and the group dined on venison and beaver tails. Powder soaked in an earlier canoe accident was found mostly salvageable. The party noted a salty, purgative white mineral coating the hills, riverbanks, and springs, and observed white cranes passing overhead. They camped on the starboard shore opposite a bluff where Indians, presumed to be Minetare hunters, were spotted across the wide river. Two geese were killed.
Thursday April 11th Set out at an early hour; I proceeded with the party
and Capt Clark with George Drewyer walked on shore in order to procure
some fresh meat if possible. we proceeded on abot five miles, and halted
for breakfast, when Capt Clark and Drewyer joined us; the latter had
killed, and brought with him a deer which was at this moment excepable as
we had had no fresh meat for several days. the country from fort Mandan to
this place is so constantly hunted by the Minetaries that there is but
little game we halted at two P.M. and made a comfortable dinner on a
venison stake and beavers tales with the bisquit which got wet on the 8th
inst. by the accidant of the canoe filling with water before mentioned.
the powder which got wet by the same accedent, and which we had spread to
dry on the baggage of the large perogue, was now examined and put up; it
appears to be almost restored, and our loss is therefore not so great as
we had at first apprehended.the country much the same as yesterday.
on the sides of the hills and even the banks of the rivers and sandbars,
there is a white substance that appears in considerable quantities on the
surface of the earth, which tastes like a mixture of common salt and
glauber salts. many of the springs which flow from the base of the river
hills are so strongly impregnated with this substance that the water is
extreemly unpleasant to the taste and has a purgative effect.saw
some large white cranes pass up the river- these are the largest bird of
that genus common to the country through which the Missouri and
Mississippi pass. they are perfectly white except the large feathers of
the two first joints of the wing which are black. we encamped this evening
on the Stard. shore just above the point of woodland which formed to
extremity of the last course of this day. there is a high bluff opposite
to us, under which we saw some Indians, but the river is here so wide that
we could not speake to them; suppose them to be a hunting party of
Minetares.we killed two gees today.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Thursday April 11th. We set out at an early hour. I proceeded with the party, and Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) with George Drewyer (Drouillard) walked on shore in order to get some fresh meat if possible. We went on about five miles and halted for breakfast, when Capt Clark and Drewyer rejoined us. The latter had killed and brought with him a deer, which was at this moment very welcome, as we had had no fresh meat for several days. The country from Fort Mandan to this place is so constantly hunted by the Minetaries (Hidatsas) that there is but little game.
We halted at two P.M. and made a comfortable dinner on a venison steak and beaver tails with the biscuit that got wet on the 8th of this month by the accident of the canoe filling with water mentioned earlier. The powder that got wet from the same accident, and which we had spread to dry on the baggage of the large pirogue, was now examined and packed up. It appears to be almost restored, and our loss is therefore not as great as we had at first feared.
The country is much the same as yesterday. On the sides of the hills, and even on the banks of the rivers and sandbars, there is a white substance that appears in considerable quantities on the surface of the earth, which tastes like a mixture of common salt and Glauber salts. Many of the springs that flow from the base of the river hills are so strongly impregnated with this substance that the water is extremely unpleasant to the taste and has a purgative effect.
We saw some large white cranes pass up the river. These are the largest bird of that genus common to the country through which the Missouri and Mississippi pass. They are perfectly white except for the large feathers of the first two joints of the wing, which are black. We camped this evening on the starboard shore just above the point of woodland that formed the end of the last course of this day. There is a high bluff opposite us, under which we saw some Indians, but the river is so wide here that we could not speak to them; we suppose them to be a hunting party of Minetares (Hidatsas). We killed two geese today.
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