Lewis & Clark

[B]y the means of boiling the Salt water

...a very tegious opperation...the kittles are kept boiling day and night. we Calculate on three bushels lasting us from hiere to our deposit of that article on the Missouri.

...from this point

I beheld the grandest and most pleasing prospects which my eyes ever surveyed, in my frount a boundless Ocean; . . . the Seas rageing with emence wave and brakeing with great force from the rocks of Cape Disappointment as far as I coud See to the N. W. . . . the nitches and points of high land which forms this Corse for a long ways aded to the inoumerable rocks of emence Sise out at a great distance from the Shore and against which the Seas brak with great force gives this Coast a most romantic appearance.

We loaded our canoes

and at 1 P.M. left Fort Clatsop on our homeward bound journey. At this place we had wintered and remained from the 7th of December 1805 to this day and have lived as well as we had any right to expect, and we can say that we were never one day without 3 meals of some kind a day, either pore elk meat or roots, notwithstanding the repeated falls of rain which has fallen almost constantly..."

April 11, 1806

...we concluded to take our canoes first to the head of the rapids, hoping that by evening the rain would cease. and afford us a fair afternoon to take our baggage over the portage.

“set Sergts. Gass and Pryor with some others at work to make a parsel of packsaddles. twelve horses will be sufficient to transport our baggage and some pounded fish which we intend taking with us as a reserved store for the rocky mountains...and rid us of the trouble and dificulty of takeing our Canoes further.”

the indians informed us that there was a good road which passed from the Columbia

opposite to this village to the entrance of the Kooskooske on the S. side of Lewis's river ... we knew that a road in that direction if the country would permit it would shorten our rout at least 80 miles.

. ... both the men and indians amused themselves with the use of a bath

this evening. I observed that the indians after remaining in the hot bath as long as they could bear it ran and plunged themslves into the creek the water of which is now as cold as ice can make it; after remaining here a few minutes they returned again to the warm bath, repeating this transision several times but always ending with the warm bath.

July 3, 1806

All arrangements being now compleated for carrying into effect the several schemes we had planed for execution on our return, we saddled our horses and set out.

...saw some sign of buffaloe early this morning in the valley where we encamped last evening from which it appears that the buffaloe do sometimes penetrate these mountains a few miles. we saw no buffaloe this evening. but much old appearance of dung, tracks, &c.

July 9, 1806

I had the canoes raised washed, brough down and drawn up on Shore to dry and repard. Set Several men to work digging for the tobacco...Serched diligently without finding anything.

July 11, 1806

... the missouri bottoms on both sides of the river were crouded with buffaloe I sincerely beleif that there were not less than 10 thousand buffaloe within a circle of 2 miles arround that place.

July 11, 1806

The next morning captain Clark sent four men ahead to hunt, and after an early breakfast proceeded down a very narrow channel, which was rendered more difficult by a high, southwest wind... At noon they passed the high point of land on the left, to which Beaverhead valley owes its name.

July 13, 1806

Capt Clark & party leaves us hear to cross over to the River Roshjone. So we parted I and 9 more proceeded on down the river with the canoes verry well....the Musquetoes more troublesome than ever we have seen them before.

July 25, 1806

...a remarkable rock on the Starb. side of the river and 250 paces from it. This rock I ascended and from its top had the most extensive view in every direction. The rock which I shall call Pompey's Tower is 200 feet high and 400 paces in secumpherance...The nativs have ingraved on the face of this rock the figures of animals etc. near which I marked my name and day of month and year...

July 26,1806

we set out biding a lasting adieu to this place which I now call camp disappointment.

July 26,1806

I beleive they (8 Piegan Indians)were more alarmed at this accedental interview than we were.

as soon as they found us all in possession of our arms they ran and indeavored to drive off all he horses.

July 28, 1806

"we heared the report of several rifles very distinctly on the river to our right, we quickly repared to this joyful sound and on arriving at the bank of the river had the unspeakable satisfaction to see our canoes coming down."

July 29, 1806 Missouri Breaks

... the river is now nearly as high as it has been this season and is so thick with mud and sand that it is with difficulty I can drink it. every little rivulet now discharges a torrant of water bringing down imme[n]ce boddies of mud sand and filth from the plains and broken bluffs.

August 3,1806

at 8.A.M. I arived at the junction of the Rochejhone with the Missouri, and formed my Camp imediately in the point between the two river at which place the party had all encamped the 26th of April - 1805.

August 18, 1806

... after the fires were made I set my self down with the bigwhite man Chiefe and made a number of enquiries into the tredition of his nation as well as the time of their inhabiting the number of villages the remains of which we see on different parts of the river...

September 1, 1806

...we again proceeded on down to a large Sand bar imediately opposit to the place where we met the Yanktons in council at the Calumet Bluffs and which place we left on the 1t. of Septr. 1804. I observed our old flag Staff or pole Standing as we left it.

...saw several deer swiming the river soon after we Set out... Capt Lewis and my Self assended a hill

which appeared to have a Commanding Situation for a fort, from the top of the hill you have a perfect Command of the river...

September 23, 1806

... decended to the Mississippi and down that river to St. Louis at which place we arived about 12 oClock. we Suffered the party to fire off their pieces as a Salute to the Town. we were met by all the village and received a harty welcom from it's inhabitants &c.






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