Lewis: July 21, 1805
The expedition set out early and struggled up a rapid stretch where the river enters the mountains, relying on tow ropes and poles through swift, shallow water. They killed two flightless swans and a deer, observed sandhill cranes with young, geese, and pheasants, and passed a 28-yard creek on the starboard side that Lewis named Pryor's Creek after Sergeant John Pryor. By evening the river opened into a broad, fertile valley flanked by snow-capped mountains, where they camped. Clark, hunting separately downstream, killed a buck while Fields took a buck and doe. Mosquitoes plagued both parties.
Sunday July 21st 1805. Set out early this morning and passed a bad rappid
where the river enters the mountain about 1 m. from our camp of last
evening the Clifts high and covered with fragments of broken rocks. the
current strong; we employed the toe rope principally, and also the pole as
the river is not now so deep but reather wider and much more rapid our
progress was therefore slow and laborious. we saw three swans this
morning, which like the geese have not yet recovered the feathers of the
wing and could not fly we killed two of them the third escaped by diving
and passed down with the current; they had no young ones with them
therefore presume they do not breed in this country these are the first we
have seen on the river for a great distance. we daily see great numbers of
gees with their young which are perfectly feathered except the wings which
are deficient in both young and old. my dog caught several today, as he
frequently dose. the young ones are very fine, but the old gees are poor
and unfit for uce. saw several of the large brown or sandhill Crain today
with their young. the young Crain is as large as a turkey and cannot fly
they are of a bright red bey colour or that of the common deer at this
season. this bird feeds on grass prinsipally and is found in the river
bottoms. the grass near the river is lofty and green that of the hill
sides and high open grounds is perfectly dry and appears to be scorched by
the heat of the sun. the country was rough mountainous & much as that
of yesterday untill towards evening when the river entered a beautifull
and extensive plain country of about 10 or 12 miles wide which extended
upwards further that the eye could reach this valley is bounded by two
nearly parallel ranges of high mountains which have their summits
partially covered with snow. below the snowey region pine succeeds and
reaches down their sides in some parts to the plain but much the greater
portion of their surfaces is uncovered with timber and expose either a
barren sterile soil covered with dry parched grass or black and rugged
rocks. the river immediately on entering this valley assumes a different
aspect and character, it spreads to a mile and upwards in width crouded
with Islands, some of them large, is shallow enough for the use of the
seting pole in almost every part and still more rappid than before; it’s
bottom is smooth stones and some large rocks as it has been since we have
entered the mountains. the grass in these extensive bottoms is green and
fine, about 18 inches or 2 feet high. the land is a black rich loam and
appears very fertile. we encamped in this beatiful valley on the Lard.
side the party complain of being much fatiegued with this days travel. we
killed one deer today.This morning we passed a bold creek 28 yds.
wide which falls in on Stard. side. it has a handsome and an extensive
valley. this we called Pryor’s Creek after Sergt. (John) Pryor one of our
party. I also saw two fesants today of a dark brown colour much larger
than the phesant of the U States.
this morning Capt. Clark having determined to hunt and wait my arrival
somewhere about his preset station was fearfull that some indians might
still be on the river above him sufficiently near to hear the report of
his guns and therefore proceeded up, the river about three miles and not
finding any indians nor discovering any fresh appearance of them returned
about four miles below and fixed his camp near the river; after refreshing
themselves with a few hours rest they set out in different directions to
hunt. Capt C. killed a buck and Fields a buck and doe. he caught a young
curlooe which was nearly feathered. the musquetoes were equally as
troublesome to them as to ourselves this evening; tho some hours after
dark the air becomes so cold that these insects disappear. the men are all
fortunately supplyed with musquetoe biers otherwise it would be impossible
for them to exist under the fatiegues which they daily encounter without
their natural rest which they could not obtain for those tormenting
insects if divested of their biers. timber still extreemly scant on the
river but there is more in this valley than we have seen since we entered
the mountains; the creeks which fall into the river are better supplyed
with this article than the river itself.-
we saw a number of trout today since the river has become more shallow;
also caught a fish of a white colour on the belly and sides and of a
bluish cast on the back which had been accedentally wounded by a setting
pole. it had a long pointed mouth which opened somewhat like the shad.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Sunday, July 21st, 1805. We set out early this morning and passed a bad rapid where the river enters the mountain, about a mile from our camp of last evening. The cliffs are high and covered with fragments of broken rocks. The current is strong; we used the tow rope principally, and also the pole, as the river is not now so deep but rather wider and much more rapid. Our progress was therefore slow and laborious. We saw three swans this morning, which, like the geese, have not yet recovered the feathers of the wing and could not fly. We killed two of them; the third escaped by diving and passed down with the current. They had no young ones with them, so we presume they do not breed in this country. These are the first we have seen on the river for a great distance.
We daily see great numbers of geese with their young, which are perfectly feathered except for the wings, which are deficient in both young and old. My dog caught several today, as he frequently does. The young ones are very fine, but the old geese are poor and unfit for use. We saw several of the large brown or sandhill cranes today with their young. The young crane is as large as a turkey and cannot fly. They are of a bright red bay color, or that of the common deer at this season. This bird feeds on grass principally and is found in the river bottoms.
The grass near the river is lofty and green; that of the hillsides and high open grounds is perfectly dry and appears to be scorched by the heat of the sun. The country was rough and mountainous, much as that of yesterday, until toward evening, when the river entered a beautiful and extensive plain country of about 10 or 12 miles wide, which extended upward further than the eye could reach. This valley is bounded by two nearly parallel ranges of high mountains, which have their summits partially covered with snow. Below the snowy region, pine succeeds and reaches down their sides in some parts to the plain, but much the greater portion of their surfaces is uncovered with timber and exposes either a barren, sterile soil covered with dry, parched grass, or black and rugged rocks.
The river, immediately on entering this valley, assumes a different aspect and character. It spreads to a mile and upward in width, crowded with islands, some of them large, is shallow enough for the use of the setting pole in almost every part, and still more rapid than before. Its bottom is smooth stones and some large rocks, as it has been since we entered the mountains. The grass in these extensive bottoms is green and fine, about 18 inches or 2 feet high. The land is a black, rich loam and appears very fertile. We camped in this beautiful valley on the larboard side. The party complain of being much fatigued with this day's travel. We killed one deer today.
This morning we passed a bold creek, 28 yards wide, which falls in on the starboard side. It has a handsome and extensive valley. We called this Pryor's Creek, after Sergt. (John) Pryor, one of our party. I also saw two pheasants today of a dark brown color, much larger than the pheasant of the United States.
This morning Capt. Clark, having determined to hunt and wait for my arrival somewhere about his present station, was fearful that some Indians might still be on the river above him sufficiently near to hear the report of his guns, and therefore proceeded up the river about three miles. Not finding any Indians nor discovering any fresh appearance of them, he returned about four miles below and fixed his camp near the river. After refreshing themselves with a few hours' rest, they set out in different directions to hunt. Capt. C. killed a buck, and Fields a buck and doe. He caught a young curlew which was nearly feathered. The mosquitoes were equally as troublesome to them as to ourselves this evening; though some hours after dark the air becomes so cold that these insects disappear. The men are all fortunately supplied with mosquito biers; otherwise it would be impossible for them to exist under the fatigues which they daily encounter, without their natural rest, which they could not obtain because of those tormenting insects if deprived of their biers.
Timber is still extremely scant on the river, but there is more in this valley than we have seen since we entered the mountains; the creeks which fall into the river are better supplied with this article than the river itself.
We saw a number of trout today since the river has become more shallow; we also caught a fish of a white color on the belly and sides, and of a bluish cast on the back, which had been accidentally wounded by a setting pole. It had a long, pointed mouth which opened somewhat like the shad.
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