Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 20, 1804

and had a clear day and fair wind. Passed handsome rising
prairies on the north side, and bottoms covered with timber
on the south side. Two of the men with the horse went across
the neck of the Long, or Grand bend, which we were obliged
to go round with the boat, a distance of 30 miles. At 1
o’clock we stopped for dinner, and captain Lewis and one of
the men went to hunt, captain Clarke had gone out in the
morning. At 2 we proceeded again on our voyage, and passed
a long chain of bluffs on the north side, of a dark color.
From these and others of the same kind the Missouri gets its
muddy colour. The earth of which they are composed dis-
solves like sugar; every rain washes down great quantities of
it, and the rapidity of the stream keeps it mixing and afloat
in the water, until it reaches the mouth of the Mississippi.
We encamped at 7 o’clock on a sand beach on the north side.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 35
Here captain Lewis, captain Clarke and the other man joined
us. They had killed two goats and two deer. At 1 o’clock
at night, the bank where we were stationed began to fall so
much, that we were obliged to rouse all hands, and go on a
mile and cross the river before we could again encamp.