Lewis: May 21, 1805
On a pleasant morning, the expedition set out early and made good progress, mainly using the towline along bold clay shores. Lewis described the landscape near the Musselshell River confluence: fertile but treeless valley to the north, and high broken country with scrubby pines and dwarf cedar to the south. Wind picked up through the day and by dark a northwest storm engulfed camp in dust and sand, forcing them to relocate their lodge to the shelter of a hill. Some gear blew overboard. Captain Clark killed two elk, and the party took several deer and a buffalo cow.
Tuesday May 21st 1805 A delightfull morning set out at an early hour and
proceeded on very well, imployed the chord principally; the shores are
abbrupt and bould and composed of a black and yellow clay; see no
extensive collection of pure sand, the bars are composed black mud and a
small poportion of fine sand; the courant still pretty strong. the
Missouri in it’s course downward makes a suddon and extensive bend to
receive the Muscle shell river, the point of country thus formed tho high
is still much lower than that surrounding it, thus forming a valley of
wavey country which extends itself for a great distance in a Northerly
direction; the soil is fertile, produces a fine turf of low grass and some
herbs, also immence quantities of the Prickley pear, without a stick of
timber of any discription. the country on the South side is high broken
and crowned with some scrubby pines and dwarf cedar; the leaf of this pine
is much longer than the common pitch or red pine of Virginia, the cone is
also longer and slimer, and the imbrications wider and thicker, and the
whole frequently covered with rosin. Mineral appearances as usual. the
growse or praire hen are now less abundant on the river than they were
below; perhaps they betake themselves to the open plains at a distance
from the river at this season.-
The wind which was moderate all the fore part of the day continued to
encrease in the evening, and about dark veered about to N. W. and blew a
storm all night, in short we found ourselves so invelloped with clouds of
dust and sand that we could neither cook, eat, nor sleep; and were finally
compelled to remove our lodge about eight oClock at night to the foot of
an adjacent hill where we were covered in some measure from the wind by
the hills. several loose articles blown over board and lost. our first
station was on a bar on Stard. opposite the lower point of a small Island,
which we now called windy Island. the bends of the river are short and
suddon, the points covered with some cottonwood, larger willow, or
broadleafed willow with an abundance of the wild rose and some small
honeysuckle bushes constitute the undergrowth, the redwood is also found
in small quantities. Capt. C walked on shore today and killed 2 Elk; the
party killed several deer and a buffaloe Cow.-
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Tuesday May 21st 1805. A delightful morning. We set out at an early hour and proceeded on very well, mainly using the towrope. The shores are abrupt and bold, composed of black and yellow clay. We see no extensive stretches of pure sand; the bars are made up of black mud with a small proportion of fine sand. The current is still pretty strong. The Missouri, in its course downward, makes a sudden and extensive bend to receive the Muscle Shell river. The point of land thus formed, though high, is still much lower than the country surrounding it, forming a valley of rolling country that extends a great distance in a northerly direction. The soil is fertile, producing a fine turf of low grass and some herbs, as well as immense quantities of the prickly pear, without a stick of timber of any description. The country on the south side is high, broken, and crowned with some scrubby pines and dwarf cedar. The leaf of this pine is much longer than that of the common pitch or red pine of Virginia; the cone is also longer and slimmer, and the scales are wider and thicker, the whole frequently covered with resin. Mineral appearances as usual. The grouse, or prairie hen, are now less abundant on the river than they were below; perhaps they betake themselves to the open plains at a distance from the river at this season.
The wind, which was moderate all the fore part of the day, continued to increase in the evening, and about dark veered around to N.W. and blew a storm all night. In short, we found ourselves so enveloped with clouds of dust and sand that we could neither cook, eat, nor sleep; and were finally compelled to move our lodge about eight o'clock at night to the foot of an adjacent hill, where we were sheltered in some measure from the wind by the hills. Several loose articles were blown overboard and lost. Our first station was on a bar on the starboard side, opposite the lower point of a small island, which we now called Windy Island. The bends of the river are short and sudden; the points are covered with some cottonwood, larger willow, or broadleaf willow, with an abundance of wild rose and some small honeysuckle bushes making up the undergrowth. The redwood is also found in small quantities. Capt. C (Capt. Clark) walked on shore today and killed 2 elk; the party killed several deer and a buffalo cow.
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