Lewis: July 24, 1805
The expedition set out at sunrise against a strong current, passing a striking crimson bluff with black and red slate. Lewis described the towering, amphitheater-like snow-capped mountains and worried about possible falls ahead, despite Sacagawea's assurances. They observed beaver shaping the river's channels, killed a deer, and spotted bears, antelope, geese, and several harmless snake species. Mosquitoes, gnats, and prickly pears tormented the fatigued men, and Lewis helped pole the canoes. Meanwhile, Captain Clark followed an Indian road up a creek, sighted a wild horse, killed a deer, and traveled about 30 miles before camping.
Wednesday July 24th 1805. Set out at sunrise; the current very strong;
passed a remarkable bluff of a crimson coloured earth on Stard. intermixed
with Stratas of black and brick red slate. the valley through which the
river passed today is much as that of yesterday nor is there any
difference in the appearance of the mountains, they still continue high
and seem to rise in some places like an amphatheater one rang above
another as they receede from the river untill the most distant and lofty
have their tops clad with snow. the adjacent mountains commonly rise so
high as to conceal the more distant and lofty mountains from our view. I
fear every day that we shall meet with some considerable falls or
obstruction in the river notwithstanding the information of the Indian
woman to the contrary who assures us that the river continues much as we
see it. I can scarcely form an idea of a river runing to great extent
through such a rough mountainous country without having it’s stream
intercepted by some difficult and gangerous rappids or falls. we daily
pass a great number of small rappids or riffles which decend one to or 3
feet in 150 yards but they are rarely incommoded with fixed or standing
rocks and altho strong rappid water are nevertheless quite practicable
& by no means dangerous. we saw many beaver and some otter today; the
former dam up the small channels of the river between the islands and
compell the river in these parts to make other channels; which as soon as
it has effected that which was stoped by the beaver becomes dry and is
filled up with mud sand gravel and drift wood. the beaver is then
compelled to seek another spot for his habitation wher he again erects his
dam. thus the river in many places among the clusters of islands is
constantly changing the direction of such sluices as the beaver are
capable of stoping or of 20 yds. in width. this anamal in that way I
beleive to be very instrumental in adding to the number of islands with
which we find the river crouded. we killed one deer today and found a goat
or Antelope which had been left by Capt. Clark. we saw a large bear but
could not get a shoot at him. we also saw a great number of Crams &
Antelopes, some gees and a few red-headed ducks the small bird of the
plains and curloos still abundant. we observed a great number of snakes
about the water of a brown uniform colour, some black, and others speckled
on the abdomen and striped with black and brownish yellow on the back and
sides. the first of these is the largest being about 4 feet long, the
second is of that kind mentioned yesterday, and the last is much like the
garter snake of our country and about it’s size. none of these species are
poisonous I examined their teeth and fund them innosent. they all appear
to be fond of the water, to which they fly for shelter immediately on
being pursued.we saw much sign of Elk but met with none of them.
from the appearance of bones and excrement of old date the buffaloe
sometimes straggle into this valley; but there is no fresh sighn of them
and I begin think that our harrvest of white puddings is at an end, at
least untill our return to the buffaloe country. our trio of pests still
invade and obstruct us on all occasions, these are the Musquetoes eye
knats and prickley pears, equal to any three curses that ever poor Egypt
laiboured under, except the Mahometant yoke. the men complain of being
much fortiegued, their labour is excessively great. I occasionly encourage
them by assisting in the labour of navigating the canoes, and have learned
to push a tolerable good pole in their fraize. This morning Capt. Clark
set out early and pursued the Indian road whih took him up a creek some
miles abot 10 A.M. he discovered a horse about six miles distant on his
left, he changed his rout towards the horse, on approaching him he found
the horse in fine order but so wild he could not get within less than
several hundred paces of him. he still saw much indian sign but none of
recent date. from this horse he directed his course obliquely to the river
where on his arrival he killed a deer and dined. in this wide valley where
he met with the horse he passed five handsome streams, one of which only
had timber another some willows and much stoped by the beaver. after
dinner he continued his rout along the river upwards and encamped having
traveled about 30 mes.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Wednesday, July 24th, 1805. We set out at sunrise; the current was very strong. We passed a remarkable bluff of crimson-colored earth on the starboard side, intermixed with layers of black and brick-red slate. The valley through which the river passed today is much like that of yesterday, nor is there any difference in the appearance of the mountains. They still continue high and seem to rise in some places like an amphitheater, one range above another, as they recede from the river until the most distant and lofty have their tops clad with snow. The adjacent mountains commonly rise so high as to conceal the more distant and lofty mountains from our view.
I fear every day that we shall meet with some considerable falls or obstruction in the river, notwithstanding the information of the Indian woman to the contrary, who assures us that the river continues much as we see it. I can scarcely form an idea of a river running to such great extent through such a rough mountainous country without having its stream intercepted by some difficult and dangerous rapids or falls. We daily pass a great number of small rapids or riffles, which descend one to three feet in 150 yards, but they are rarely encumbered with fixed or standing rocks, and although strong, rapid water, they are nevertheless quite passable and by no means dangerous.
We saw many beaver and some otter today. The beaver dam up the small channels of the river between the islands and force the river in these parts to make other channels; the channel that was stopped by the beaver then becomes dry and is filled up with mud, sand, gravel, and driftwood. The beaver is then compelled to seek another spot for his habitation, where he again erects his dam. Thus the river, in many places among the clusters of islands, is constantly changing the direction of such sluices as the beavers are capable of stopping, or of 20 yards in width. I believe this animal is very instrumental in adding to the number of islands with which we find the river crowded.
We killed one deer today and found a goat or antelope which had been left by Capt. Clark (Capt. Clark). We saw a large bear but could not get a shot at him. We also saw a great number of cranes and antelopes, some geese, and a few red-headed ducks. The small bird of the plains and curlews are still abundant.
We observed a great number of snakes about the water: some of a uniform brown color, some black, and others speckled on the abdomen and striped with black and brownish yellow on the back and sides. The first of these is the largest, being about four feet long; the second is of the kind mentioned yesterday; and the last is much like the garter snake of our country and about its size. None of these species are poisonous. I examined their teeth and found them harmless. They all appear to be fond of the water, to which they fly for shelter immediately upon being pursued.
We saw much sign of elk but met with none of them. From the appearance of bones and excrement of old date, the buffalo sometimes straggle into this valley; but there is no fresh sign of them, and I begin to think that our harvest of white puddings is at an end, at least until our return to the buffalo country. Our trio of pests still invade and obstruct us on all occasions: these are the mosquitoes, eye gnats, and prickly pears, equal to any three curses that ever poor Egypt labored under, except the Mahometan yoke. The men complain of being much fatigued; their labor is excessively great. I occasionally encourage them by assisting in the labor of navigating the canoes, and have learned to push a tolerably good pole in their phrase.
This morning Capt. Clark set out early and pursued the Indian road, which took him up a creek some miles. About 10 A.M. he discovered a horse about six miles distant on his left. He changed his route toward the horse; on approaching him, he found the horse in fine condition, but so wild he could not get within less than several hundred paces of him. He still saw much Indian sign, but none of recent date. From this horse he directed his course obliquely to the river, where on his arrival he killed a deer and dined. In this wide valley where he met with the horse, he passed five handsome streams, one of which only had timber, another had some willows and was much stopped by beaver. After dinner he continued his route along the river upwards and camped, having traveled about 30 miles.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
