Great Falls Portage — Patrick Gass: June 25, 1805
The party continued portage operations, dispatching men for canoes and baggage. One man was sent downriver below Medicine River to retrieve a hunter, while another went upriver searching for elk but was attacked by three brown bears about three miles out; he escaped by plunging down a steep bank into the water, falling, damaging his gun, and injuring his hand. Gass and another man searched an island for canoe-building materials, finding only usable bark, and killed two elk. Mosquitoes were troublesome despite nearby snowy mountains. By evening, two men returned with meat and 100 pounds of tallow.
for more canoes and baggage; and one went down to the
hunter’s camp below Medicine river to bring him up in a
canoe. Another went up the river to look for elk. When he
had gone about three miles, he was attacked by 3 brown
bears, that were near devouring him; but he made his escape
by running down a steep bank into the water. In this adven-
ture he fell, injured his gun, and hurt one of his hands; there-
fore returned to camp. One of the men and myself went over
to an island to look for stuff for the canoe, but could find
nothing but bark, which perhaps will answer. We killed two
elk on the island. There is in the bottoms a great quantity
of spear-mint and currant bushes. Also multitudes of black-
birds. The musquitoes are very troublesome, though the
snow is on the mountains so near. In the evening the two
men came up the river with a quantity of good meat and 100
pounds of tallow.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
for more canoes and baggage; and one went down to the hunter's camp below Medicine River to bring him up in a canoe. Another went up the river to look for elk. When he had gone about three miles, he was attacked by 3 brown bears, that were nearly devouring him; but he made his escape by running down a steep bank into the water. In this adventure he fell, damaged his gun, and hurt one of his hands; therefore he returned to camp. One of the men and myself went over to an island to look for material for the canoe, but could find nothing but bark, which perhaps will work. We killed two elk on the island. There is in the bottoms a great quantity of spearmint and currant bushes. Also multitudes of blackbirds. The mosquitoes are very troublesome, though the snow is on the mountains so near. In the evening the two men came up the river with a quantity of good meat and 100 pounds of tallow.
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