Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 19, 1804

34 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
passed large bottoms on both sides of the river covered with
timber. We saw some buffaloe swimming the river and killed
two of them. There is an island here, opposite which, a river
flows in on the north side. This river is formed of three,
which unite their waters just above its mouth ; and imme-
diately above the confluence is a crossing place, called the
Sioux-crossing-place of the three rivers. At the upper end, a
creek, called Elm creek, comes in on the south side, and two
miles above another creek, called Wash creek, falls in on the
same side. About two miles further we passed another creek,
called Night creek, where we encamped on the south side.
Three black tailed deer were killed this day.