Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — Patrick Gass: April 8, 1805
Strong northwest winds buffeted the party, and around noon a canoe in the rear signaled it was sinking. Captain Clark went back to assist; the canoe rejoined the group with little damage beyond some wet gunpowder. Earlier they passed two Gros Ventre (Big-belly) villages and the Knife River on the south side. Sacagawea, the Snake Indian wife of their interpreter, is expected to help when they reach her nation. In the afternoon they passed tall bluffs, one apparently a recently burning volcano with pumice and sulphur. They traveled about fourteen miles and camped on the north side.
wind blew hard from the N. W. At 12 the word was passed
from a canoe in the rear that it was sinking, when we halted
in front and Captain Clarke went back to see what was the
matter. This forenoon we passed two villages of the Gross-
venters, or Big-belly’s nation of Indians on the South side and
a small river on the same side called Cutteau or Knife river.
The canoe which had been in distress, came up, and had
74, GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
received little damage except wetting some powder on board.
The woman that is with us is a squaw of the Snake nation of
Indians, and wife to our interpreter. We expect she will be
of service to us, when passing through that nation. In the
afternoon we passed very high bluffs on the South side; one
of which had lately been a burning volcano. The pumice
stones lay very thick around it, and there was a strong smell
of sulphur.* We came about fourteen miles and encamped ‘
on the North side.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
The wind blew hard from the N.W. At 12 the word was passed from a canoe in the rear that it was sinking, so we halted in front and Captain Clarke went back to see what was the matter. This forenoon we passed two villages of the Grossventers, or Big-belly's nation of Indians, on the south side, and a small river on the same side called Cutteau or Knife river. The canoe that had been in distress came up, and had received little damage except for wetting some powder on board.
The woman who is with us is a squaw of the Snake nation of Indians, and the wife of our interpreter. We expect she will be of service to us when passing through that nation. In the afternoon we passed very high bluffs on the south side; one of which had recently been a burning volcano. The pumice stones lay very thick around it, and there was a strong smell of sulphur. We traveled about fourteen miles and camped on the north side.
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