Lewis: April 12, 1805
The expedition set out early, navigating around an unstable riverbank where the red pirogue and its valuable cargo narrowly avoided disaster. After six miles, they camped at the mouth of the Little Missouri River on the larboard side, intending to make celestial observations, though clouds prevented nighttime readings. Ten hunters were sent out but returned with only one deer, as the Minetares had recently hunted the area. Drouillard shot a beaver, and the party gathered wild onions. Lewis described the Little Missouri's geography and collected a specimen of dwarf cedar.
Friday April the 12th 1805. Set out at an early hour. our peroge and the
Canoes passed over to the Lard side in order to avoid a bank which was
rappidly falling in on the Stard. the red perogue contrary to my
expectation or wish passed under this bank by means of her toe line where
I expected to have seen her carried under every instant. I did not
discover that she was about to make this attempt untill it was too late
for the men to reembark, and retreating is more dangerous than proceeding
in such cases; they therefore continued their passage up this bank, and
much to my satisfaction arrived safe above it. this cost me some moments
of uneasiness, her cargo was of much importance to us in our present
advanced situationWe proceeded on six miles and came too on the
lower side of the entrance of the little Missouri on the Lard shore in a
fine plain where we determined to spend the day for the purpose of
celestial observation. we sent out 10 hunters to procure some fresh meat.
at this place made the following observations.-
The night proved so cloudy that I could make no further observations.
George Drewyer shot a Beaver this morning, which we found swiming in the
river a small distance below the entrance of the little Missouri. the
beaver being seen in the day, is a proof that they have been but little
hunted, as they always keep themselves closly concealed during the day
where they are so.found a great quantity of small onions in the
plain where we encamped; had some of them collected and cooked, found them
agreeable. the bulb grows single, is of an oval form, white, and about the
size of a small bullet; the leaf resembles that of the shive, and the
hunters returned this eying with one deer only. the country about the
mouth of this river had been recently hunted by the Minetares, and the
little game which they had not killed and frightened away, was so
extreemly shy that the hunters could not get in shoot of them.
The little Missouri disembogues on the S. side of the Missouri 1693 miles
from the confluence of the latter with the Mississippi. it is 134 yards
wide at it’s mouth, and sets in with a bould current but it’s greatest
debth is not more than 21/2 feet. it’s navigation is extreemly difficult,
owing to it’s rapidity, shoals and sand bars. it may however be navigated
with small canoes a considerable distance. this river passes through the
Northern extremity of the black hills where it is very narrow and rapid
and it’s banks high an perpendicular. it takes it’s rise in a broken
country West of the Black hills with the waters of the yellow stone river,
and a considerable distance S. W. of the point at which it passes the
black hills. the country through which it passes is generally broken and
the highlands possess but little timber. there is some timber in it’s
bottom lands, which consists of Cottonwood red Elm, with a small
proportion of small Ash and box alder. the under brush is willow, red
wood, (sometimes called red or swamp willow-) the red burry, and Choke
cherry the country is extreamly broken about the mouth of this river, and
as far up on both sides, as we could observe it from the tops of some
elivated hills, which stand betwen these two rivers, about 3 miles from
their junction. the soil appears fertile and deep, it consists generally
of a dark rich loam intermixed with a small proportion of fine sand. this
river in it’s course passed near the N. W. side of the turtle mountain,
which is said to be no more than 4 or 5 leagues distant from it’s entrance
in a straight direction, a little to the S. of West.this mountain
and the knife river have therefore been laid down too far S. W. the colour
of the water, the bed of the river, and it’s appearance in every respect,
resembles the Missouri; I am therefore induced to believe that the texture
of the soil of the country in which it takes it’s rise, and that through
which it passes, is similar to the country through which the Missouri
passes after leaving the woody country, or such as we are now in.on
the side of a hill not distant from our camp I found some of the dwarf
cedar of which I preserved a specimen (See No. 2). this plant spreads it’s
limbs alonge the surface of the earth, where they are sometimes covered,
and always put forth a number of roots on the under side, while on the
upper there are a great number of small shoots which with their leaves
seldom rise higher than 6 or eight inches. they grow so close as perfectly
to conceal the eath. it is an evergreen; the leaf is much more delicate
than the common Cedar, and it’s taste and smell the same. I have often
thought that this plant would make very handsome edgings to the borders
and walks of a garden; it is quite as handsom as box, and would be much
more easily propegated.the appearance of the glauber salts and
Carbonated wood still continue.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday, April 12th, 1805. We set out at an early hour. Our pirogue and the canoes crossed over to the larboard side in order to avoid a bank that was rapidly falling in on the starboard. The red pirogue, contrary to my expectation or wish, passed under this bank by means of her tow line, where I expected to see her carried under at any instant. I did not realize that she was about to make this attempt until it was too late for the men to re-embark, and retreating is more dangerous than proceeding in such cases; they therefore continued their passage up along this bank, and much to my satisfaction arrived safely above it. This cost me some moments of uneasiness, as her cargo was of great importance to us in our present advanced situation.
We proceeded on six miles and came to on the lower side of the entrance of the Little Missouri on the larboard shore, in a fine plain where we determined to spend the day for the purpose of celestial observation. We sent out 10 hunters to procure some fresh meat. At this place we made the following observations.
The night proved so cloudy that I could make no further observations. George Drewyer (Drouillard) shot a beaver this morning, which we found swimming in the river a small distance below the entrance of the Little Missouri. The beaver being seen in the day is proof that they have been but little hunted, as they always keep themselves closely concealed during the day where they are so. We found a great quantity of small onions in the plain where we camped; we had some of them collected and cooked, and found them agreeable. The bulb grows singly, is of an oval form, white, and about the size of a small bullet; the leaf resembles that of the chive. The hunters returned this evening with only one deer. The country about the mouth of this river had been recently hunted by the Minetares (Hidatsa), and the little game which they had not killed or frightened away was so extremely shy that the hunters could not get within shot of them.
The Little Missouri empties into the south side of the Missouri 1,693 miles from the confluence of the latter with the Mississippi. It is 134 yards wide at its mouth, and sets in with a bold current, but its greatest depth is not more than 2 1/2 feet. Its navigation is extremely difficult, owing to its rapidity, shoals, and sand bars. It may, however, be navigated with small canoes for a considerable distance. This river passes through the northern extremity of the Black Hills, where it is very narrow and rapid, and its banks high and perpendicular. It takes its rise in a broken country west of the Black Hills with the waters of the Yellowstone River, and a considerable distance southwest of the point at which it passes the Black Hills. The country through which it passes is generally broken, and the highlands possess but little timber. There is some timber in its bottom lands, which consists of cottonwood, red elm, with a small proportion of small ash and box elder. The underbrush is willow, redwood (sometimes called red or swamp willow), the red berry, and chokecherry. The country is extremely broken about the mouth of this river, and as far up on both sides as we could observe it from the tops of some elevated hills, which stand between these two rivers, about 3 miles from their junction. The soil appears fertile and deep; it consists generally of a dark rich loam intermixed with a small proportion of fine sand. This river in its course passes near the northwest side of the Turtle Mountain, which is said to be no more than 4 or 5 leagues distant from its entrance in a straight direction, a little to the south of west. This mountain and the Knife River have therefore been laid down too far southwest. The color of the water, the bed of the river, and its appearance in every respect resemble the Missouri; I am therefore induced to believe that the texture of the soil of the country in which it takes its rise, and that through which it passes, is similar to the country through which the Missouri passes after leaving the wooded country, or such as we are now in.
On the side of a hill not distant from our camp I found some of the dwarf cedar, of which I preserved a specimen (see No. 2). This plant spreads its limbs along the surface of the earth, where they are sometimes covered, and always put forth a number of roots on the underside, while on the upper there are a great number of small shoots which, with their leaves, seldom rise higher than 6 or 8 inches. They grow so close as to perfectly conceal the earth. It is an evergreen; the leaf is much more delicate than the common cedar, and its taste and smell are the same. I have often thought that this plant would make very handsome edgings to the borders and walks of a garden; it is quite as handsome as box, and would be much more easily propagated.
The appearance of the Glauber salts and carbonated wood still continues.
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