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sustained the loss of two very large bear
skins which I much regret; most of the fur and baggage belonging to the men were injured. the
gunpowder corn flour poark and salt had sustained but little injury the parched meal was spoiled
or nearly so. having no time to air these things which they much wanted we droped down to the
point to take in the several articles which had been buried at that place in several small cashes;
these we found in good order, and recovered every article except 3 traps belonging to Drewyer
which could not be found. here as good fortune would have it Sergt. Gass and Willard who
brought the horses from the falls joined us at 1 P.M. ... having now nothing to detain us we
passed over immediately to the island in the entrance of Maria's river to launch the red perogue,
but found her so much decayed that it was impossible with the means we had to repare her and
therefore mearly took the nails and other ironworks about her which might be of service to us
and left her. we now reimbarked on board the white perog[u]e and five small canoes and
decended the river about 15 ms. and encamped on the S.W. side ... during the time we halted at
the entrance of Maria's river we experienced a very heavy shower of rain and hail attended with
violent thunder and lightning.
August 1, 1806
William Clark
at 2 P. M. I was obliged to land to let the Buffalow cross over. not withstanding an island of
half a mile in width over which this gangue of Buffalow had to pass and the chanel of the river
on each side nearly 1/4 of a mile in width, this gangue of Buffalow was entirely across and as
thick as they could swim. the chanel on the side of the island the[y] went into the river was
crouded with those animals for 1/2 an hour. (I was obliged to lay to for one hour) the other Side
of the island for more than 3/4 of an hour. ... two gangues of Buffalow crossed a little below
us, as noumerous as the first.
August 2, 1806
William Clark
the wolves do catch the elk. I saw 2 wolves in pursute of [a] doe Elk which I beleive they
cought ... about 8 A.M. this morning a Bear of the large vicious species being on a Sand bar
raised himself up on his hind feet and looked at us as we passed down near the middle of the
river. he plunged into the water and swam towards us, either from a disposition to attack't or
from the cent of the meat which was in the canoes. we Shot him with three balls and he returned
to Shore badly wounded. In the evening I saw a very large Bear take the water above us. ...
Much the largest feemale bear I ever saw. ... we were very near being detained by the Buffalow
to day which were crossing the river we got through the line between 2 gangues.
August 3, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
we proceeded, and shortly after overtook J. and R. Fields who had killed 25 deer since they left
us yesterday; ... we did not halt today to cook and dine as usual having directed that in future
the party should cook as much meat in the evening after encamping as would be sufficient to
serve them the next day; ...... making in all 29 deer since yesterday morning.
August 4, 1806
William Clark
Musquetors excessively troublesom so much so that the men complained that they could not
work at their Skins for those troublesom insects. and I find it entirely impossible to hunt in the
bottoms, those insects being so noumerous and tormenting as to render it imposseable for a
man to continue in the timbered lands and our best retreat from those insects is on the Sand bars
in the river and even those Situations are only clear of them when the Wind Should happen to
blow which it did to day for a fiew hours in the middle of the day. the evenings nights and
mornings they are almost [un]indureable perticularly by the party with me who have no Bears
[biers] to keep them off at night, and nothing to Screen them but their blankets which are worn
and have maney holes. The torments of those Missquetors ... induce me to deturmine to
proceed on to a more eliagiable Spot on the Missouri below at which place the Musquetors will
be less troublesom and Buffalow more plenty. ... wrote a note to Capt. Lewis informing him of
my intentions and tied it to a pole which I had struck up in the point. ... on this point the
Musquetors were so abundant that we were tormented much worst than at the point. The child
of Shabono has been so much bitten by the Musquetors that his face is much puffed up &
Swelled.
August 6, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
... a violent storm arrose to the N.E. and shortly after came on attended with violent Thunder
lightning and some hail; the rain fell in a mere torrant and the wind blew so violently that it was
with difficulty I could have the small canoes unloaded before they filled with water; ... our
situation was open and exposed to the storm.
August 6, 1806
William Clark
This morning a very large Bear of [the] white Species, discovered us floating in the water and
takeing us, as I prosume to be Buffalow imediately plunged into the river and prosued us. I
directed the men to be still. this animal Came within about 40 yards of us, and tacked about. ...
(Re: killing 9 deer that day ...) only 2 of those deer were fat owing as I suppose to the
Musquetors which are so noumerous and troublesom to them that they cannot feed except under
the torments of millions of those Musquetors.
August 7, 1806
William Clark
the air was exceedingly clear and cold and not a musquetor to be seen, which is a joyfull
circumstance to the Party.
August 7, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
we set out early resolving if possible to reach the Yelowstone river today which was at the
distance of 83 ms. from our encampment of the last evening; ... we passed the entrance of
Marthy's river which has changed it's entrance since we passed it last year, ... the bear appear
to be very abundant on this part of the river. ... at 4 P.M. we arrived at the entrance of the
Yellowstone river. I landed at the point and found that Capt. Clark had been encamped at this
place and from appearances had left it about 7 or 8 days. I found a paper on a pole at the point
which mearly contained my name in the hand wrighting of Capt. C. we also found the remnant
of a note which had been attatched to a peace of Elk'shorns in the camp; from this fragment I
learned that game was scarce at the point and musquetoes troublesome which were the reasons
given for his going on;
August 11, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
... the most northern point of the Missouri, ... when I arrived here it was about 20 minutes after
noon and of course the observation for the sun's meridian Altitude was lost.
I was in the act of firing on the Elk a second time when a ball struck my left thye about an inch
below my hip joint, missing the bone it passed through the left thye and cut the thickness of the
bullet across the hinder part of the right thye; the stroke was very severe; I instantly supposed
that Cruzatte had shot me in mistake for an Elk as I was dressed in brown leather and he cannot
see very well; under this impression I called out to him damn you, you have shot me, and
looked towards the place from whence the ball had come, seeing nothing I called Cruzatte
several times as loud as I could but received no answer; I was now preswaded that it was an
indian that had shot me as the report of the gun did not appear to be more than 40 paces from
me and Cruzatte appeared to be out of hearing of me; in this situation not knowing how many
indians there might be concealed in the bushes I thought best to make good my retreat to the
perogue, calling out as I ran for the first hundred paces as loud as I could to Cruzatte to retreat
that there were indians hoping to allarm him in time to make his escape also; I still retained the
charge in my gun which I was about to discharge at the moment the ball struck me. when I
arrived in sight of the perogue I called the men to their arms to which they flew in an instant, I
told them that I was wounded but I hoped not mortally, by an indian I beleived and directed
them to follow me that I would return & give them battle and releive Cruzatte if possible who I
feared had fallen into their hands; the men followed me as they were bid and I returned about a
hundred paces when my wounds became so painfull and my thye so stiff that I could scarcely
get on; ... I now got back to the perogue as well as I could and prepared my self with a pistol
my rifle and air-gun being determined as a retreat was impracticable to sell my life as deerly as
possible. in this state of anxiety and suspense I remained about 20 minutes ... Cruzatte seemed
much allarmed and declared if he had shot me it was not his intention, that he had shot an Elk in
the willows after he left or seperated from me. ... I do not beleive that the fellow did it
intentionally but after finding that he had shot me was anxious to conceal his knowledge of
having done so. the ball had lodged in my breeches which I knew to be the ball of the short
rifles such as that he had, and there being no person out with me but him and no indians that we
could discover I have no doubt in my own mind of his having shot me. ... the pain I
experienced excited a high fever and I had a very uncomfortable night. at 4 P.M. we passed an
encampment which had been evacuated this morning by Capt. Clark, here I found a note from
Capt. C. informing me that he had left a letter for me at the entrance of the Yelow stone river,
but that Sergt. Pryor who had passed that place since he left it had taken the letter; ... this I fear
puts an end to our prospects of obtaining the Sioux Cheifs to accompany us as we have not
now leasure to send and engage Mr. Heney on this service, ...
August 12, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
... the bowsman informed me that there was a canoe and a camp he beleived of whitemen on the
N.E. shore. ... found it to be the camp of two hunters from the Illinois by name Joseph
Dickson and Forest Hancock. ... while I halted with these men Colter and Collins who
seperated from us on the 3rd i[n]st rejoined us. ... at 1 P.M. I overtook Capt. Clark and party
and had the pleasure of finding them all well. as wrighting in my present situation is extreemly
painfull to me I shall desist untill I recover and leave to my fri[e]nd Capt. C. the continuation of
our journal.
August 12, 1806
William Clark
... Shannon discovered he had lost his Tomahk. ... at Meridian Capt Lewis hove in Sight with
the party which went by way of the Missouri as well as that which accompanied him from
Travellers rest on Clarks river; I was alarmed on the landing of the Canoes to be informed that
Capt. Lewis was wounded by an accident. I found him lying in the Perogue, he informed me
that his would was slight and would be well in 20 or 30 days this information relieved me very
much. I examined the wound and found it a very bad flesh wound the ball had passed through
the fleshey part of his left thy below the hip bone and cut the cheek of the right buttock for 3
inches in length and the debth of the ball. ... This Crusat is near Sighted and has the use of but
one eye, he is an attentive industrious man and one whome we both have placed the greatest
confidence in dureing the whole rout.
I washed Capt L. wound which has become Sore and Somewhat painfull to him.
August 14, 1806
William Clark
we derected the Blunderbuses fired Several times, ... those people were extreamly pleased to
See us. the chief of the little Village of the Menetarras cried Most imoderately, I enquired the
cause and was informed it was for the loss of his Son who had been killed latterly by the
Blackfoot Indians.
(Black Cats village) ... this Village I discovered had been rebuilt sin[c]e I left it and much
smaller than it was; enquiring into the cause was informed that a quarrel had taken place and (a
number of) Lodges had removed to the opposd. Side. ... the Black Cat Chief of the Mandans,
spoke and informed me that he wished to Visit the United States and his Great Father but was
afraid of the Scioux who were yet at war with them and had killed several of their men since we
had left them, and were on the river below and would certainly kill him if he attempted to go
down.
August 15, 1806
William Clark
Colter one of our men expressed a desire to join Some trappers who offered to become shearers
with [him] and furnish traps &c. the offer [was] a very advantagious one, to him, his services
could be dispenced with from this down and as we were disposed to be of service to any one of
our party who had performed their duty as well as Colter had done, we agreed to allow him the
privilage provided no one of the party would ask or expect a Similar permission to which they
all agreeed that they wished Colter every suckcess and that as we did not wish any of them to
Seperate untill we Should arrive at St. Louis they would not apply or expect it &c. ... we gave
Jo Colter Some Small articles which we did not want and some powder & lead. the party also
gave him several articles which will be usefull to him on his expedittion. This evening
Charbono informed me that our back was scercely turned before a war party from the two
menetarry villages followed on and attacked and killed the Snake Indians whome we had seen
and in the engagement between them and the Snake indians they had lost two men one of which
was the Son of the principal Chief of the little village of the Menitarras. that they had also went
to war from the Menetarras and killed two Ricaras. he further informed me that a
missunderstanding had taken place between the Mandans & Minetarras and had very nearly
come to blows about a woman.
August 17, 1806
William Clark
Settled with Touisant Chabono for his services as an enterpreter the price of a horse and Lodge
purchased of him for public Service in all amounting to 500$ 33 1/3 cents.
we also took our leave of T. Chabono, his Snake Indian wife and their child [son] who had
accompanied us on our rout to the pacific ocean in the capacity of interpreter and interprete[s]s.
T. Chabono wished much to accompany us in the said Capacity if we could have provailed
[upon] the Menetarre Chiefs to dec[e]nd the river with us to the U. States, but as none of those
Chiefs of whoes language he was Conversent would accompany us, his services were no
longer of use to the U. States and he was therefore discharged and paid up. we offered to
convey him down to the Illinois if he chose to go, he declined proceeding on at present,
observing that he had no acquaintance or prospects of makeing a liveing below, and must
continue to live in the way that he had done. I offered to take his little son a butifull promising
child who is 19 months old to which they both himself & wife wer willing provided the child
had been weened. they observed that in one year the boy would be sufficiently old to leave his
mother & he would then take him to me if I would be so freindly as to raise the child for him in
such a manner as I thought proper, to which I agreed ...
we droped down to the Big White Cheifs Mandan village ... he informed me that he was ready
and we were accompd. to the Canoes by all the village Maney of them Cried out aloud. ... we
then saluted them with a gun and set out and proceeded on to Fort Mandan where I landed and
went to view the old works the houses except one in the rear bastion was burnt by accident,
some pickets were standing in front next to the river.
August 19, 1806
William Clark
Capt. Lewis'es wounds are heeling very fast, I am much in hope of his being able to walk in 8
or 10 days.
August 21, 1806
William Clark
Met three frenchmen Comeing up, ... Those men informd. us that 700 Seeoux had passed the
Ricaras on their way to war with the Mandans & Menitarras and that their encampment where
the Squaws and children wer, was Some place near the Big Bend of this river below. ... they
were informed that the Pania or Ricara Chief who went to the United States last Spring was a
year, died on his return at Some place near the Sieoux river ...
... we arived in view of the upper Ricara villages, ... and envited Some of their chiefs to
accompany us down and See their great father ... a man of about 32 years of age was
intreduced to me as the 1st. Cheif of the nation this man they call the grey eyes ... The Grey
eyes Chief made a very animated Speach ... that the Sieoux were the cause of their
Missunderstanding &c. that they were a bad peoples, ... That Several of the chiefs wished to
accompany us down to See their great father, but wi[s]hed to see the Chief who went down last
Sumer return first, he expressed some apprehention as to the Safty of that chiefs in passing the
Sieoux.
after Smokeing I gave a medal of the Small size to the Chyenne Chief &c. which appeared to
alarm him, ... this Chief informed me that none of his chiefs wished to go down with us they
all wished to see the cheif who went down return first
August 22, 1806
William Clark
I am happy to have it in my power to Say that my worthy friend Capt. Lewis is recovering fast,
he walked a little to day for the first time. ... the ball came out
August 29, 1806
William Clark
from this eminance I had a view of a greater number of buffalow than I had ever seen before at
one time. I must have seen near 20,000 of those animals feeding on this plain. I have observed
that in the country between the nations which are at war with each other the greatest numbers of
wild animals are to be found.
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