Lewis: May 24, 1805
Overnight frost left ice on the water vessels and along the river's edge, damaging cottonwood foliage. The expedition set out early, using sails after a southeast breeze rose around 9 A.M., making good progress against a strong current. They passed two large and four small islands and named several tributaries: North Mountain Creek, Little Dog Creek, and South Mountain Creek. Lewis described the surrounding terrain as a continuation of the Black Hills. Clark killed a buffalo cow ashore; two canoes and six men stayed behind to dress it. Game and beaver were growing scarce.
Friday May 24th 1805.
The water standing in the vessels freized during the night 1/8 of an inch
thick, ice also appears along the verge of the river. the folage of some
of the cottonwood trees have been entirely distroyed by the frost and are
again puting forth other buds. the high country in which we are at present
and have been passing for some days I take to be a continuation of what
the Indians as well as the French Engages call the Black hills. This tract
of country so called consists of a collection of high broken and irregular
hills and short chain of mountains sometimes 120 miles in width and again
becomeing much narrower, but always much higher than the country on either
side; they commence about the head of the Kanzas river and to the West of
that river near the Arkansas, from whence they take their course a little
to the W. of N. W. approaching the rockey Mountains obliquely, passing the
river platte above the forks and intercepting the Yellowstone river near
the big bend and passing the Missouri at this place and probably
continuing to swell the country as far North as the Saskashawan river tho
they are lower here than they are discribed to the Sth. and may therefore
probably terminate before they reach the Suskashawan. the black hills in
their course nothwardly appear to approach more nearly to the Rocky
Mountains.
We set out at an early hour this morning and proceed on principally by the
chord untill about 9 A.M. when a fine breeze sprung up from the S. E. and
enabled us though the ballance of the day to employ our sails to
advantage; we proceed at a pretty good pace notwithstanding the courant of
the river was very strong. we passed two large and four small Islands;
also several streams on either side; the first of these is a large Creek
or small river which disinboged on the Stard. side about 11/2 miles above
our encampment of last evening, it is 30 yards wide and contains some
water. the bed is gravley and intermixed with some stone, it takes its
rise in the mountains which are situated in a Northwardly direction from
its entrance, distant about 30 miles. the air is so pure in this open
country that mountains and other elivated objects appear much nearer than
they really are; these mountains do not appear to be further than 15 m. we
sent a man up this creek to explore the country he returned late in the
evening and informed that he had proceeded ten miles directly towards
these mountains and that he did not think himself by any mean half way
these mountains are rockey and covered with some scattering pine. This
stream we call North Mountain creek. the next stream in order is a creek
which falls in on Lard. 21/2 miles higher; this is 15 yds. wide no water;
a large village of the burrowing or barking squirrels on the Stard. side
opposite it’s entrance, hence the name Little dog Ck. that being the name
by which the French Engages call this anamal. at three miles and at 10 ms.
from hence still ascending 2 Small creek fall in on the Stard. side, no
water. 51/2 miles higher a small river falls in on Lard. side this we
called South Mountain creek as from it’s direction it appeared to take
it’s rise in a range of Mountains lying in a S. Westerly direction from
it’s entrance distant 50 or 60 m.; this creek is 40 yards wide and
discharges a handsome stream of water. it’s bed is rockey with gravel and
sand, the banks high and country broken it’s bottom narrow and no timber.
The country high and broken, a considerable portion of black rock and
brown sandy rock appear in the faces of the hills; the tops of the hills
covered with scattering pine spruce and dwarf cedar; the soil poor and
sterile, sandy near the tops of the hills, the whole producing but little
grass; the narrow bottoms of the Missouri producing little else but Hysop
or southern wood and the pulpy leafed thorn. Capt. Clark walked on shore
this evening and killed a buffaloe cow, we left 2 Canoes and six men to
dress the Cow and bring on the meat, they did not overtake us this
evening. game is becoming more scarce, particularly beaver, of which we
have seen but few for several days the beaver appears to keep pace with
the timber as it declines in quantity they also become more scarce.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday, May 24th, 1805. The water standing in the vessels froze during the night 1/8 of an inch thick, and ice also appears along the edge of the river. The foliage of some of the cottonwood trees has been entirely destroyed by the frost and is again putting forth other buds. The high country in which we are at present, and have been passing through for some days, I take to be a continuation of what the Indians, as well as the French engagés (engages), call the Black Hills. This tract of country, so called, consists of a collection of high, broken, and irregular hills and short chains of mountains, sometimes 120 miles in width and again becoming much narrower, but always much higher than the country on either side. They commence about the head of the Kanzas (Kansas) River, and to the west of that river near the Arkansas, from where they take their course a little to the west of northwest, approaching the Rocky Mountains obliquely, passing the river Platte above the forks, intercepting the Yellowstone River near the big bend, passing the Missouri at this place, and probably continuing to swell the country as far north as the Saskashawan (Saskatchewan) River, though they are lower here than they are described to the south, and may therefore probably terminate before they reach the Saskashawan. The Black Hills in their northward course appear to approach more nearly to the Rocky Mountains.
We set out at an early hour this morning and proceeded on principally by the cord until about 9 a.m., when a fine breeze sprang up from the southeast and enabled us, through the balance of the day, to employ our sails to advantage. We proceeded at a pretty good pace, notwithstanding that the current of the river was very strong. We passed two large and four small islands, also several streams on either side. The first of these is a large creek or small river which emptied on the starboard side about 1 1/2 miles above our encampment of last evening; it is 30 yards wide and contains some water. The bed is gravelly and intermixed with some stone. It takes its rise in the mountains which are situated in a northwardly direction from its entrance, distant about 30 miles. The air is so pure in this open country that mountains and other elevated objects appear much nearer than they really are; these mountains do not appear to be further than 15 miles. We sent a man up this creek to explore the country; he returned late in the evening and informed us that he had proceeded ten miles directly toward these mountains and that he did not think himself by any means halfway. These mountains are rocky and covered with some scattering pine. This stream we call North Mountain Creek. The next stream in order is a creek which falls in on the larboard side 2 1/2 miles higher; this is 15 yards wide, no water. A large village of the burrowing or barking squirrels is on the starboard side opposite its entrance, hence the name Little Dog Creek, that being the name by which the French engagés (engages) call this animal. At three miles, and at 10 miles from there, still ascending, 2 small creeks fall in on the starboard side, no water. 5 1/2 miles higher, a small river falls in on the larboard side; this we called South Mountain Creek, as from its direction it appeared to take its rise in a range of mountains lying in a southwesterly direction from its entrance, distant 50 or 60 miles. This creek is 40 yards wide and discharges a handsome stream of water. Its bed is rocky with gravel and sand, the banks high, and the country broken; its bottom is narrow with no timber. The country is high and broken, with a considerable portion of black rock and brown sandy rock appearing in the faces of the hills; the tops of the hills are covered with scattering pine, spruce, and dwarf cedar; the soil is poor and sterile, sandy near the tops of the hills, the whole producing but little grass. The narrow bottoms of the Missouri produce little else but hyssop, or southernwood, and the pulpy-leafed thorn. Capt. Clark (Capt. Clark) walked on shore this evening and killed a buffalo cow. We left 2 canoes and six men to dress the cow and bring on the meat; they did not overtake us this evening. Game is becoming more scarce, particularly beaver, of which we have seen but few for several days. The beaver appears to keep pace with the timber: as it declines in quantity, they also become more scarce.
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.
