Lewis: June 2, 1805
After a windy night with light rain, the party set out early and made good progress upriver despite headwinds, using the towline along banks that offered solid footing. The bluffs continued to lower and timber along the river increased, suggesting they had passed the Black Hills. With game growing plentiful, Lewis hunted on shore to gather elk hides for his planned leather boat, killing six elk, two buffalo, two mule deer, and a bear that nearly caught Drouillard and Charbonneau. They camped opposite the mouth of a large river, planning to examine it the next morning.
Sunday June 2ed 1805 The wind blew violently last night and was attended
by a slight shower of rain; the morning was fair and we set out at an
early hour. imployed the chord as usual the greater part of the day. the
courant was strong tho regular, and the banks afforded us good toeing. the
wind was hard and against us yet we proceded with infinitely more ease
than the two precedeing days. The river bluffs still continue to get lower
and the plains leveler and more extensive; the timber on the river
increases in quantity; the country in all other rispects much as discribed
yesterday. I think we are now completely above the black hills we had a
small shower of rain today but it lasted only a few minutes and was very
moderate. Game becomeing more abundant this morning and I thought it best
now to loose no time or suffer an opportunity to escape in providing the
necessary quantity of Elk’s skins to cover my leather boat which I now
expect I shall be obliged to use shortly. Accordingly I walked on shore
most of the day with some of the hunters for that purpose and killed 6 Elk
2 buffale 2 Mule deer and a bear. these anamals were all in good order we
therefore took as much of the meat as our canoes and perogues could
conveniently carry. the bear was very near catching Drewyer; it also
pursued Charbono who fired his gun in the air as he ran but fortunately
eluded the vigilence of the bear by secreting himself very securely in the
bushes untill Drewyer finally killed it by a shot in the head; the shot
indeed that will conquer the farocity of those tremendious anamals.in
the course of the day we passed 9 Islands all of them small and most of
them containing some timber.
we came too on the Lard. side in a handsome bottom of small cottonwood
timber opposite to the entrance of a very considerable river; but it being
too late to examine these rivers minutely to night we determined to remain
here untill the morning, and as the evening was favourable to make some
obsevations.-
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Sunday, June 2nd, 1805. The wind blew violently last night and was accompanied by a slight shower of rain; the morning was fair, and we set out at an early hour. We used the cord (towrope) as usual for the greater part of the day. The current was strong though regular, and the banks gave us good towing ground. The wind was hard and against us, yet we proceeded with infinitely more ease than the two preceding days. The river bluffs still continue to grow lower and the plains more level and more extensive; the timber along the river is increasing in quantity; the country in all other respects is much as described yesterday. I think we are now completely above the Black Hills. We had a small shower of rain today, but it lasted only a few minutes and was very moderate.
Game is becoming more abundant this morning, and I thought it best now to lose no time, nor let any opportunity escape, in providing the necessary quantity of elk skins to cover my leather boat, which I now expect I shall be obliged to use shortly. Accordingly, I walked on shore most of the day with some of the hunters for that purpose, and killed 6 elk, 2 buffalo, 2 mule deer, and a bear. These animals were all in good condition, so we took as much of the meat as our canoes and pirogues could conveniently carry. The bear came very near catching Drewyer (Drouillard); it also pursued Charbono (Charbonneau), who fired his gun in the air as he ran, but he fortunately eluded the bear's vigilance by hiding himself very securely in the bushes until Drewyer finally killed it with a shot in the head — indeed the only shot that will conquer the ferocity of those tremendous animals. In the course of the day we passed 9 islands, all of them small, and most of them containing some timber.
We came to on the larboard (left) side in a handsome bottom of small cottonwood timber, opposite the entrance of a very considerable river; but as it was too late to examine these rivers minutely tonight, we determined to remain here until the morning, and, as the evening was favorable, to make some observations.
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