Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 20, 1804
Under clear skies and a fair wind, the party traveled along the Missouri, passing rising prairies to the north and timbered bottoms to the south. Two men took the horse overland across the neck of the Grand Bend while the boat rounded the 30-mile loop. Captains Lewis and Clark hunted, rejoining the group at camp with two goats and two deer. The expedition observed dark bluffs whose easily-dissolving earth gives the Missouri its muddy color. After camping on a north-side sand beach, a collapsing bank forced everyone to relocate across the river at 1 a.m.
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.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We had a clear day and a fair wind. We 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 around 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 (Clark) 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 color. The earth of which they are composed dissolves 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 camped at 7 o'clock on a sand beach on the north side. Here Captain Lewis, Captain Clarke (Clark), 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 make camp.
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