Lewis: August 4, 1806
The party set out at 4 A.M. and traveled down the Missouri, passing the mouths of Big Dry River and Milk River, where they paused briefly and killed a five-foot rattlesnake. They saw large herds of buffalo and elk, killing one of each for meat, and camped two miles below the gulph. Lewis heard the season's first whippoorwill. Ordway and Willard, sent ahead to hunt, killed a bear and two deer but got tangled in sawyers after dark; Willard was thrown overboard but swam to safety, and they reached camp around midnight.
Monday August 4th 1806. Set out at 4 A.M. this morning. permited Willard
and Sergt. Ordway to exchange with the Feildses and take their small canoe
to hunt to-day. at 1/2 after eleven O’Ck. passed the entrance of big dry
river; found the water in this river about 60 yds. wide tho shallow. it
runs with a boald even currant. at 3 P.M. we arrived at the entrance of
Milk river where we halted a few minutes. this stream is full at present
and it’s water is much the colour of that of the Missouri; it affords as
much water at present as Maria’s river and I have no doubt extends itself
to a considerable distance North. during our halt we killed a very large
rattlesnake of the speceis common to our country. it had 176 scuta on the
abdomen and 25 on the tail, it’s length 5 feet. the scutae on the tail
fully formed. after passing this river we saw several large herds of
buffaloe and Elk we killed one of each of these animals and took as much
of the flesh as we wished. we encamped this evening two miles below the
gulph on the N. E. side of the river. Tonight for the first time this
season I heard the small whippoorwill or goatsucker of the Missouri cry.
Colter and Collins have not yet overtaken us. Ordway and Willard delayed
so much time in hunting today that they did not overtake us untill about
midnight. they killed one bear and 2 deer. in passing a bend just below
the gulph it being dark they were drawn by the currant in among a parsel
of sawyers, under one of which the canoe was driven and throwed Willard
who was steering overboard; he caught the sawyer and held by it; Ordway
with the canoe drifted down about half a mile among the sawyers under a
falling bank, the canoe struck frequently but did not overset; he at
length gained the shore and returned by land to learn the fate of Willard
whom he found was yet on the sawyer; it was impossible for him to take the
canoe to his relief Willard at length tied a couple of sticks together
which had lodged against the sawyer on which he was and set himself a
drift among the sawyers which he fortunately escaped and was taken up
about a mile below by Ordway with the canoe; they sustained no loss on
this occasion. it was fortunate for Willard that he could swim tolerably
well.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Monday August 4th 1806. We set out at 4 A.M. this morning. I permitted Willard and Sergt. Ordway (Sergeant Ordway) to exchange with the Fields brothers and take their small canoe to hunt today. At half after eleven o'clock we passed the entrance of Big Dry River; the water in this river was about 60 yards wide though shallow. It runs with a bold, even current. At 3 P.M. we arrived at the entrance of Milk River, where we halted a few minutes. This stream is full at present, and its water is much the color of that of the Missouri; it carries as much water at present as Maria's River, and I have no doubt it extends itself to a considerable distance north. During our halt we killed a very large rattlesnake of the species common to our country. It had 176 scuta on the abdomen and 25 on the tail, and its length was 5 feet. The scutae on the tail were fully formed.
After passing this river we saw several large herds of buffalo and elk. We killed one of each of these animals and took as much of the flesh as we wished. We camped this evening two miles below the gulph on the N. E. (northeast) side of the river. Tonight, for the first time this season, I heard the small whippoorwill, or goatsucker, of the Missouri cry. Colter and Collins have not yet overtaken us.
Ordway and Willard delayed so much time in hunting today that they did not overtake us until about midnight. They killed one bear and 2 deer. In passing a bend just below the gulph, it being dark, they were drawn by the current in among a parcel of sawyers, under one of which the canoe was driven, throwing Willard, who was steering, overboard. He caught the sawyer and held on to it. Ordway, with the canoe, drifted down about half a mile among the sawyers under a falling bank; the canoe struck frequently but did not overturn. He at length gained the shore and returned by land to learn the fate of Willard, whom he found was still on the sawyer. It was impossible for him to take the canoe to his relief. Willard at length tied a couple of sticks together which had lodged against the sawyer on which he was, and set himself adrift among the sawyers, which he fortunately escaped, and was picked up about a mile below by Ordway with the canoe. They sustained no loss on this occasion. It was fortunate for Willard that he could swim tolerably well.
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