Lewis: April 22, 1805
The expedition set out early but strong headwinds slowed progress, forcing them to rely on tow lines and eventually halt. Lewis and Clark walked to the nearby White Earth River, observing its clear water, steep muddy banks, and heavy salt deposits that may give the river its name. Lewis climbed a bluff for a sweeping view of treeless plains filled with buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope, and noted local rocks, petrified wood, and good-quality coal. The party shot several fat beaver, and a buffalo calf curiously followed Lewis along the shore.
Monday April 22cd 1805. Set out at an early hour this morning; proceeded
pretty well untill breakfat, when the wind became so hard a head that we
proceeded with difficulty even with the assistance of our toe lines. the
party halted and Cpt. Clark and myself walked to the white earth river
which approaches the Missouri very near at this place, being about 4 miles
above it’s entrance. we found that it contained more water than streams of
it’s size generally do at this season. the water is much clearer than that
of the Missouri. the banks of the river are steep and not more than ten or
twelve feet high; the bed seems to be composed of mud altogether. the
salts which have been before mentioned as common on the Missouri, appears
in great quantities along the banks of this river, which are in many
places so thickly covered with it that they appear perfectly white.
perhaps it has been from this white appearance of it’s banks that the
river has derived it’s name. this river is said to be navigable nearly to
it’s source, which is at no great distance from the Saskashawan, and I
think from it’s size the direction which it seems to take, and the
latitude of it’s mouth, that there is very good ground to believe that it
extends as far North as latitude 50°.this stream passes through an
open country generally.the broken hills of the Missouri about this
place exhibit large irregular and broken masses of rocks and stones; some
of which tho 200 feet above the level of the water seem at some former
period to have felt it’s influence, fo they appear smoth as if woarn by
the agetation of the water. this collection consists of white & grey
gannite, a brittle black rock, flint, limestone, freestone, some small
specimens of an excellent pebble and occasionally broken stratas of a
stone which appears to be petrefyed wood, it is of a black colour, and
makes excellent whetstones. Coal or carbonated wood pumice stone lava and
other mineral apearances still continue. the coal appears to be of better
quality; I exposed a specimen of it to the fire and found that it birnt
tolerably well, it afforded but little flame or smoke, but produced a hot
and lasting fire.I asscended to the top of the cutt bluff this
morning, from whence I had a most delightfull view of the country, the
whole of which except the vally formed by the Missouri is void of timber
or underbrush, exposing to the first glance of the spectator immence herds
of Buffaloe, Elk, deer, & Antelopes feeding in one common and
boundless pasture. we saw a number of bever feeding on the bark of the
trees alonge the verge of the river, several of which we shot, found them
large and fat. walking on shore this evening I met with a buffaloe calf
which attatched itself to me and continued to follow close at my heels
untill I embarked and left it. it appeared allarmed at my dog which was
probably the cause of it’s so readily attatching itself to me. Capt Clark
informed me that he saw a large drove of buffaloe pursued by wolves today,
that they at length caught a calf which was unable to keep up with the
herd. the cows only defend their young so long as they are able to keep up
with the herd, and seldom return any distance in surch of them.-
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Monday, April 22nd, 1805. We set out at an early hour this morning and proceeded pretty well until breakfast, when the wind became so strong against us that we made progress with difficulty, even with the assistance of our tow lines. The party halted, and Cpt. Clark (Capt. Clark) and I walked to the White Earth River, which approaches the Missouri very closely at this place, being about 4 miles above its entrance. We found that it contained more water than streams of its size generally do at this season. The water is much clearer than that of the Missouri. The banks of the river are steep and not more than ten or twelve feet high; the bed seems to be composed entirely of mud. The salts that have been mentioned before as common along the Missouri appear in great quantities along the banks of this river, which in many places are so thickly covered with them that they appear perfectly white. Perhaps it is from this white appearance of its banks that the river has derived its name. This river is said to be navigable nearly to its source, which is at no great distance from the Saskashawan (Saskatchewan), and I think, from its size, the direction it seems to take, and the latitude of its mouth, that there is very good ground to believe it extends as far north as latitude 50°. This stream passes through an open country generally.
The broken hills of the Missouri about this place exhibit large, irregular, and broken masses of rocks and stones; some of which, though 200 feet above the level of the water, seem at some former period to have felt its influence, for they appear smooth as if worn by the agitation of the water. This collection consists of white and grey granite, a brittle black rock, flint, limestone, freestone, some small specimens of an excellent pebble, and occasionally broken layers of a stone which appears to be petrified wood; it is black in color and makes excellent whetstones. Coal, or carbonated wood, pumice stone, lava, and other mineral appearances still continue. The coal appears to be of better quality; I exposed a specimen of it to the fire and found that it burned tolerably well. It produced little flame or smoke, but gave a hot and lasting fire.
I ascended to the top of the cut bluff this morning, from where I had a most delightful view of the country. The whole of it, except the valley formed by the Missouri, is void of timber or underbrush, exposing to the first glance of the spectator immense herds of buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope feeding in one common and boundless pasture. We saw a number of beaver feeding on the bark of the trees along the edge of the river, several of which we shot, finding them large and fat. While walking on shore this evening, I met a buffalo calf that attached itself to me and continued to follow close at my heels until I embarked and left it. It appeared alarmed at my dog, which was probably the reason it so readily attached itself to me. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) informed me that he saw a large drove of buffalo pursued by wolves today, and that the wolves eventually caught a calf which was unable to keep up with the herd. The cows only defend their young so long as they are able to keep up with the herd, and they seldom return any distance to search for them.
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