Lewis: June 16, 1805
Lewis rejoined the main party with about 600 pounds of dried meat and trout, finding Sacagawea seriously ill, which worried him both for her sake and because she was vital for negotiating horses with the Shoshone. Captain Clark moved camp to the south side of the Missouri below a creek. Lewis treated the Indian woman with bark, opium, and water from a nearby sulphur spring, noting improvement. The captains decided to build truck wheels for portaging, cache the white pirogue and supplies, and use the iron boat. Scouts reported the south-side portage looked difficult, but Lewis remained confident.
Sunday June 16th 1805 J. Fields set out early on his return to the lower
camp, at noon the men arrived and shortly after I set out with them to
rejoin the party. we took with us the dryed meat consisting of about 600
lbs. and several douzen of dryed trout. about 2 P.M. I reached the camp
found the Indian woman extreemly ill and much reduced by her
indisposition. this gave me some concern as well for the poor object
herself, then with a young child in her arms, as from the consideration of
her being our only dependence for a friendly negociation with the Snake
Indians on whom we depend for horses to assist us in our portage from the
Missouri to the columbia River. I now informed Capt. C. of my discoveries
with rispect to the most proper side for our portage, and of it’s great
length, which I could not estimate at less than 16 miles. Capt. C. had
already sent two men this morning to examine the country on the S. side of
the river; he now passed over with the party to that side and fixed a camp
about a mile blow the entrance of a Creek where there was a sufficient
quantity of wood for fuel, an article which can be obtained but in few
places in this neighbourhood. after discharging the loads four of the
canoes were sent back to me, which by means of strong ropes we hawled
above the rappid and passed over to the south side from whence the water
not being rappid we can readily convey them into the creek by means of
which we hope to get them on the high plain with more ease. one of the
small canoes was left below this rappid in order to pass and repass the
river for the purpose of hunting as well as to procure the water of the
Sulpher spring, the virtues of which I now resolved to try on the Indian
woman. this spring is situated about 200 yards from the Missouri on the N.
E. side nearly opposite to the entrance of a large creek; it discharges
itself into the Missouri over a precepice of rock about 25 feet, forming a
pretty little ____ the water is as transparent as possible strongly
impregnated with sulpher, and I suspect Iron also, as the colour of the
hills and bluffs in the neighbourhood indicate the existence of that
metal. the water to all appearance is precisely similar to that of
Bowyer’s Sulpher spring in Virginia. Capt. Clark determined to set out in
the morning to examine and survey the portage, and discover the best rout.
as the distance was too great to think of transporting the canoes and
baggage on the men’s shoulders, we scelected six men, and ordered them to
look out some timber this evening, and early in the morning to set about
making a parsel of truck wheels in order to convey our canoes and baggage
over the portage. we determined to leave the white perogue at this place,
and substitute the Iron boat, and also to make a further deposit of a part
of our stores. in the evening the men who had been sent out to examine the
country and made a very unfavourable report. they informed us that the
creek just above us and two deep ravenes still higher up cut the plain
between the river and mountain in such a manner, that in their opinions a
portage for the canoes on this side was impracticable. good or bad we must
make the portage. notwithstanding this report I am still convinced from
the view I had of the country the day before yesterday that a good portage
may be had on this side at least much better than on the other, and much
nearer also. I found that two dozes of barks and opium which I had given
her since my arrival had produced an alteration in her pulse for the
better; they were now much fuller and more regular. I caused her to drink
the mineral water altogether. wen I first came down I found that her pulse
were scarcely perceptible, very quick frequently irregular and attended
with strong nervous symptoms, that of the twitching of the fingers and
leaders of the arm; now the pulse had become regular much fuller and a
gentle perspiration had taken place; the nervous symptoms have also in a
great measure abated, and she feels herself much freeer from pain. she
complains principally of the lower region of the abdomen, I therefore
continued the cataplasms of barks and laudnumn which had been previously
used by my friend Capt Clark. I beleive her disorder originated
principally from an obstruction of the mensis in consequence of taking
could.I determined to remain at this camp in order to make some
celestial observations, restore the sick woman, and have all matters in a
state of readiness to commence the portage immediately on the return of
Capt. Clark, who now furnished me with the dayly occurrences which had
taken place with himself and party since our seperation which I here enter
in his own words.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Sunday, June 16th, 1805. J. Fields set out early on his return to the lower camp. At noon the men arrived, and shortly after I set out with them to rejoin the party. We took with us the dried meat, consisting of about 600 lbs., and several dozen of dried trout. About 2 P.M. I reached the camp and found the Indian woman extremely ill and much reduced by her illness. This gave me some concern, both for the poor woman herself, who had a young child in her arms, and from the consideration that she was our only dependence for a friendly negotiation with the Snake Indians, on whom we depend for horses to assist us in our portage from the Missouri to the Columbia River.
I now informed Capt. C. (Capt. Clark) of my discoveries with respect to the most proper side for our portage, and of its great length, which I could not estimate at less than 16 miles. Capt. C. had already sent two men this morning to examine the country on the south side of the river; he now passed over with the party to that side and fixed a camp about a mile below the entrance of a creek, where there was a sufficient quantity of wood for fuel, an article which can be obtained in only a few places in this neighborhood. After discharging the loads, four of the canoes were sent back to me, which by means of strong ropes we hauled above the rapid and passed over to the south side. From there, since the water was not rapid, we can readily convey them into the creek, by means of which we hope to get them onto the high plain with more ease. One of the small canoes was left below this rapid in order to pass and repass the river for the purpose of hunting, as well as to procure the water of the sulphur spring, the virtues of which I now resolved to try on the Indian woman.
This spring is situated about 200 yards from the Missouri on the N.E. side, nearly opposite to the entrance of a large creek. It discharges itself into the Missouri over a precipice of rock about 25 feet, forming a pretty little ____. The water is as transparent as possible, strongly impregnated with sulphur, and I suspect iron also, as the color of the hills and bluffs in the neighborhood indicates the existence of that metal. The water in all appearance is precisely similar to that of Bowyer's Sulphur Spring in Virginia.
Capt. Clark determined to set out in the morning to examine and survey the portage, and discover the best route. As the distance was too great to think of transporting the canoes and baggage on the men's shoulders, we selected six men and ordered them to look out for some timber this evening, and early in the morning to set about making a parcel of truck wheels in order to convey our canoes and baggage over the portage. We determined to leave the white pirogue at this place and substitute the iron boat, and also to make a further deposit of a part of our stores.
In the evening, the men who had been sent out to examine the country made a very unfavorable report. They informed us that the creek just above us and two deep ravines still higher up cut the plain between the river and mountain in such a manner that, in their opinion, a portage for the canoes on this side was impracticable. Good or bad, we must make the portage. Notwithstanding this report, I am still convinced from the view I had of the country the day before yesterday that a good portage may be had on this side, at least much better than on the other, and much nearer also.
I found that two doses of bark and opium which I had given her since my arrival had produced an alteration in her pulse for the better; it was now much fuller and more regular. I caused her to drink the mineral water altogether. When I first came down, I found that her pulse was scarcely perceptible, very quick, frequently irregular, and attended with strong nervous symptoms—that of the twitching of the fingers and tendons of the arm. Now her pulse had become regular and much fuller, and a gentle perspiration had taken place. The nervous symptoms had also in a great measure abated, and she felt herself much freer from pain. She complains principally of the lower region of the abdomen. I therefore continued the poultices of bark and laudanum which had been previously used by my friend Capt. Clark. I believe her disorder originated principally from an obstruction of the menses in consequence of taking cold.
I determined to remain at this camp in order to make some celestial observations, restore the sick woman, and have all matters in a state of readiness to commence the portage immediately on the return of Capt. Clark, who now furnished me with the daily occurrences which had taken place with himself and his party since our separation, which I here enter in his own words.
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