Lewis: May 16, 1805
Fair weather allowed the party to dry, repack, and reload their instruments, medicine, merchandise, and provisions by 4 p.m. Losses from the previous day's accident were lighter than feared, though some medicines were ruined and a few seeds, gunpowder, and cooking items were lost. Lewis praised Sacagawea for calmly retrieving floating articles. The expedition traveled about seven miles before camping on the starboard side. Men wounded a panther, caught two antelopes, and Lewis killed a buffalo cow and calf. A white bear tore Labiche's coat, and the surrounding country grew more broken and hilly.
Thursday May 16th The morning was fair and the day proved favorable to our
operations; by 4 oClock in the evening our Instruments, Medicine,
merchandize provision &c, were perfectly dryed, repacked and put on
board the perogue. the loss we sustained was not so great as we had at
first apprehended; our medicine sustained the greatest injury, several
articles of which were intirely spoiled, and many others considerably
injured; the ballance of our losses consisted of some gardin seeds, a
small quantity of gunpowder, and a few culinary articles which fell
overboard and sunk, the Indian woman to whom I ascribe equal fortitude and
resolution, with any person onboard at the time of the accedent, caught
and preserved most of the light articles which were washed overboard all
matters being now arranged for our departure we lost no time in seting
out; proceeced on tolerably well about seven miles and encamped on the
Stard. side. in the early part of the day two of our men fired on a
panther, a little below our encampment, and wounded it; they informed us
that it was very large, had just killed a deer partly devoured it, and in
the act of concealing the ballance as they discovered him. we caught two
Antelopes at our encampment in attempting to swim the river; these anamals
are but lean as yet, and of course not very pleasant food. I walked on
shore this evening and killed a buffaloe cow and calf, we found the calf
most excellent veal. the country on either side of the river is broken and
hills much higher than usual, the bottoms now become narrow and the timber
more scant; some scattering pine and cedar on the steep declivities of the
hills.- this morning a white bear toar Labuiche’s coat which he had left
in the plains.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Thursday, May 16th. The morning was fair and the day proved favorable to our operations. By 4 o'clock in the evening our instruments, medicine, merchandise, provisions, etc., were perfectly dried, repacked, and put on board the pirogue. The loss we sustained was not as great as we had at first feared. Our medicine sustained the greatest injury, several articles of which were entirely spoiled, and many others considerably damaged. The remainder of our losses consisted of some garden seeds, a small quantity of gunpowder, and a few cooking articles which fell overboard and sank. The Indian woman, to whom I credit equal fortitude and resolution as any person on board at the time of the accident, caught and preserved most of the light articles which were washed overboard.
All matters now being arranged for our departure, we lost no time in setting out. We proceeded on tolerably well about seven miles and camped on the starboard side. In the early part of the day, two of our men fired on a panther a little below our campsite and wounded it. They informed us that it was very large, had just killed a deer, partly devoured it, and was in the act of concealing the rest when they discovered him. We caught two antelopes at our camp as they attempted to swim the river. These animals are still lean and, of course, not very pleasant food. I walked on shore this evening and killed a buffalo cow and calf; we found the calf most excellent veal.
The country on either side of the river is broken, and the hills are much higher than usual. The bottoms now become narrow and the timber more scarce, with some scattered pine and cedar on the steep slopes of the hills. This morning a white bear tore Labuiche's coat, which he had left in the plains.
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