Lewis and Clark reunite at Missouri-Yellowstone confluence — Patrick Gass: August 12, 1806

ceeded on. Captain Lewis is in good spirits; but his wound
stiff and sore. Having gone about nine miles we met with
two men on the river trapping and hunting. Captain Lewis
gave them some ammunition, and directions with respect to
the river above. They informed us that Captain Clarke and
party had passed them yesterday at noon. We proceeded on
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274. GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
and at 10 o’clock overtook Captain Clarke and his party, all
in good health. The two men with the small canoe, who had
been sometime absent, came down and joined us at the place
where we met with the two strangers: and now, (thanks to
God) we are all together again in good health, except Capt.
Lewis, and his wound is not dangerous.
After the Corps were separated among the mountains, as
before mentioned, Captain Clarke’s party proceeded on to
the Canoe deposit, near the head of the main branch of the
Missouri (called Jefferson’s river) and having descended with
the canoes to the mouth of the branch, which they called
Gallatin, Captain Clarke with ten men left those, who were
to take down the canoes to the falls; travelled three days up
Gallatin’s river towards the south, when they crossed a ridge
and came upon the waters of the Jaune or Yellow-stone river.
Having gone about 100 miles down this river by land they
made two canoes, and Captain Clarke having sent off a ser-
jeant and three men with the horses to the Mandan villages,
went down himself with six other men by water. On the
second day after the serjeant and his party had started for
the Mandan villages, the Indians stole the whole of the horses,
and the party were obliged to descend the river in skin canoes.
Captain Clarke’s party in their route had found game plenty
of different kinds, buffaloe, elk, deer, beaver, otter and some
other animals. They also found the Yellow-Stone river a
pleasant and navigable stream, with a rich soil along it; but
timber scarce.
We here took the men on board, and left the buffaloe
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 275
canoes. At night we encamped on a sand beach, as the
musquitoes are not so bad there as in the woods.