Lewis: July 18, 1805
The party set out early after watching bighorn sheep navigate sheer cliffs across the river. Two and a half miles on, they passed an 80-yard-wide tributary on the starboard side, which they named Dearborn's River after the Secretary of War. Hoping to contact the Shoshone Indians without alarming them, Captain Clark left after breakfast with a small party including York to scout ahead overland. Lewis continued by canoe using cord, oars, and poles, named Ordway's Creek for Sergeant John Ordway, killed an elk, and noted two species of wild flax with potential commercial value.
Thursday July 18th 1805. Set out early this morning. previous to our
departure saw a large herd of the Bighorned anamals on the immencely high
and nearly perpendicular clift opposite to us; on the fase of this clift
they walked about and hounded from rock to rock with apparent unconcern
where it appared to me that no quadruped could have stood, and from which
had they made one false step they must have been precipitated at least a
500 feet. this anamal appears to frequent such precepices and clifts where
in fact they are perfectly secure from the pursuit of the wolf, bear, or
even man himself.at the distance of 21/2 miles we passed the
entrance of a considerable river on the Stard. side; about 80 yds. wide
being nearly as wide as the Missouri at that place. it’s current is rapid
and water extreamly transparent; the bed is formed of small smooth stones
of flat rounded or other figures. it’s bottoms are narrow but possess as
much timber as the Missouri. the country is mountainous and broken through
which it passes. it appears as if it might be navigated but to what extent
must be conjectural. this handsome bold and clear stream we named in
honour of the Secretary of war calling it Dearborn’s river.- as we were
anxious now to meet with the Sosonees or snake Indians as soon as possible
in order to obtain information relative to the geography of the country
and also if necessary, some horses we thought it better for one of us
either Capt. C. or myself to take a small party & proceed on up the
river, some distance before the canoes, in order to discover them, should
they be on the river before the daily discharge of our guns, which was
necessary in procuring subsistence for the party, should allarm and cause
them to retreat to the mountains and conceal themselves, supposing us to
be their enemies who visit them usually by the way of this river.
accordingly Capt. Clark set out this morning after breakfast with Joseph
Fields, Pots and his servant York. we proceeded on tolerably well; the
current stonger than yesterday we employ the cord and oars principally tho
sometimes the setting pole. in the evening we passed a large creek about
30 yds. wide which disembogues on the Stard. side; it discharges a bold
current of water it’s banks low and bed frormed of stones altogether; this
stream we called Ordway’s creek after Sergt. John Ordway. I have observed
for several days a species of flax growing in the river bottoms the leaf
stem and pericarp of which resembles the common flax cultivated in the U
States. the stem rises to the hight of about 21/2 or 3 feet high; as many
as 8 or ten of which proceede from the same root. the root appears to be
perennial. the bark of the stem is thick strong and appears as if it would
make excellent Hax. the seed are not yet ripe but I hope to have an
opportunity of collecting some of them after they are so if it should on
experiment prove to yeald good flax and at the same time admit of being
cut without injuring the perennial root it will be a most valuable plant,
and I think there is the greatest probability that it will do so, for
notwithstanding the seed have not yet arrived at maturity it is puting up
suckers or young shoots from the same root and would seem therefore that
those which are fully grown and which are in the proper stage of
vegitation to produce the best fax are not longer essencial to the
preservation or support of the root. the river somewhat wider than
yesterday and the mountains more distant from the river and not so high;
the bottoms are but narrow and little or no timber near the river. some
pine on the mountains which seems principally confined to their uper
region. we killed one Elk this morning and found part of the flesh and the
skin of a deer this evening which had been kited and left by Capt. Clark.
we saw several herds of the Bighorn but they were all out of our reach on
inacessable clifts.- we encamped on the Lard. side in a small grove of
narrow leafed cottonwood there is not any of the broad leafed cottonwood
on the river since it has entered the mountains. Capt Clark ascended the
river on the Stard. side. in the early part of the day after he left me
the hills were so steep that he gained but little off us; in the evening
he passed over a mountain by which means he cut off many miles of the
river’s circuitous rout; the Indian road which he pursued over this
mountain is wide and appears as if it had been cut down or dug in many
places; he passed two streams of water, the branches of Ordway’s creek, on
which he saw a number of beaver dams succeeding each other in close order
and extending as far up those streams as he could discover them in their
couse towards the mountains. he also saw many bighorn anamals on the
clifts of the mountains. not far beyond the mountain which he passed in
the evening he encamped on a small stream of runing water. having
travelled about 20 m. the water of those rivulets which make down from
these mountains is extreemly cold pure and fine. the soil near the river
is of a good quality and produces a luxuriant growth of grass and weeds;
among the last the sunflower holds a distinguished place. the aspin is
small but grows very commonly on the river and small streams which make
down from the Mouts.
I also observed another species of flax today which is not so large as the
first, sildome obtaining a greater hight than 9 Inches or a foot the stem
and leaf resemble the other species but the stem is rarely branched,
bearing a single monopetallous bellshaped blue flower which is suspended
with it’s limb downwards,
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Thursday July 18th 1805. We set out early this morning. Before our departure we saw a large herd of bighorn animals on the immensely high and nearly perpendicular cliff opposite us. On the face of this cliff they walked about and bounded from rock to rock with apparent unconcern, in places where it appeared to me that no four-legged animal could have stood, and from which, had they made one false step, they would have fallen at least 500 feet. This animal seems to frequent such precipices and cliffs, where in fact they are perfectly secure from the pursuit of the wolf, bear, or even man himself.
At the distance of 2 1/2 miles we passed the entrance of a considerable river on the starboard side, about 80 yards wide, being nearly as wide as the Missouri at that place. Its current is rapid and the water extremely transparent; the bed is formed of small smooth stones of flat, rounded, or other shapes. Its bottoms are narrow but have as much timber as the Missouri. The country through which it passes is mountainous and broken. It appears as if it might be navigable, but to what extent must be a matter of conjecture. This handsome, bold, and clear stream we named in honor of the Secretary of War, calling it Dearborn's River.
As we were now anxious to meet with the Sosonees (Shoshones) or Snake Indians as soon as possible, in order to obtain information about the geography of the country and also, if necessary, some horses, we thought it better for one of us—either Capt. C. (Capt. Clark) or myself—to take a small party and proceed up the river some distance ahead of the canoes, in order to find them. Otherwise, if they were on the river, the daily firing of our guns (which was necessary to procure food for the party) might alarm them and cause them to retreat to the mountains and hide, supposing us to be their enemies, who usually visit them by way of this river. Accordingly, Capt. Clark set out this morning after breakfast with Joseph Fields, Potts, and his servant York.
We proceeded on tolerably well; the current was stronger than yesterday. We used the towline and oars principally, though sometimes the setting pole. In the evening we passed a large creek about 30 yards wide which empties on the starboard side; it discharges a bold current of water, its banks low and its bed formed entirely of stones. This stream we called Ordway's Creek after Sergt. John Ordway.
I have observed for several days a species of flax growing in the river bottoms whose leaf, stem, and seed-pod resemble the common flax cultivated in the U.S. The stem rises to a height of about 2 1/2 or 3 feet, with as many as 8 or 10 stems coming from the same root. The root appears to be perennial. The bark of the stem is thick and strong, and looks as if it would make excellent flax. The seeds are not yet ripe, but I hope to have an opportunity to collect some after they are. If it should prove on experiment to yield good flax, and at the same time allow being cut without injuring the perennial root, it will be a most valuable plant. I think there is the greatest probability that it will do so, for although the seeds have not yet matured, the plant is already putting up suckers or young shoots from the same root, which suggests that the fully grown stems—those in the proper stage of growth to produce the best flax—are no longer essential to the preservation or support of the root.
The river is somewhat wider than yesterday, and the mountains are more distant from the river and not so high. The bottoms are narrow with little or no timber near the river. There is some pine on the mountains, which seems mostly confined to their upper regions. We killed one elk this morning and found part of the flesh and the skin of a deer this evening which had been killed and left by Capt. Clark. We saw several herds of bighorn but they were all out of our reach on inaccessible cliffs. We camped on the larboard side in a small grove of narrow-leafed cottonwood. There is none of the broad-leafed cottonwood on the river since it entered the mountains.
Capt. Clark ascended the river on the starboard side. In the early part of the day after he left me, the hills were so steep that he gained but little on us; in the evening he passed over a mountain, by which means he cut off many miles of the river's winding course. The Indian road which he followed over this mountain is wide and looks as if it had been cut down or dug in many places. He passed two streams of water, branches of Ordway's Creek, on which he saw a number of beaver dams in close succession, extending as far up those streams as he could see toward the mountains. He also saw many bighorn animals on the cliffs of the mountains. Not far beyond the mountain which he passed in the evening, he camped on a small stream of running water, having traveled about 20 miles. The water of those rivulets that flow down from these mountains is extremely cold, pure, and fine. The soil near the river is of good quality and produces a luxuriant growth of grass and weeds; among the latter, the sunflower holds a distinguished place. The aspen is small but grows very commonly along the river and small streams that come down from the mountains.
I also observed another species of flax today which is not as large as the first, seldom reaching a greater height than 9 inches or a foot. The stem and leaf resemble the other species, but the stem is rarely branched, bearing a single monopetalous bell-shaped blue flower which hangs with its rim downward,
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