here the man who left us with the horses 22 days ago and has been a head ever Since joined, us nearly Starved to Death, he had been 12 days without any thing to eate but Grapes & one Rabit, which he Killed by shooting a piece of hard Stick in place of a ball-. This man Supposeing the boat to be a head pushed on as long as he Could, when he became weak and fiable deturmined to lay by and waite for a tradeing boat, which is expected Keeping one horse for the last resorse,—thus a man had like to have Starved to death in a land of Plenty for the want of Bulletes or Something to kill his meat we Camped on the L. S. above the mouth of a run a hard rain all the after noon, & most of the night, with hard wind from the N W. I walked on Shore the fore part of this day over Some broken Country which Continus about 3 miles back & then is leavel & rich all Plains, I saw Several foxes & Killed a Elk & 2 Deer. & Squirels the men with me killed an Elk, 2 Deer & a Pelican
Some rain all day to day & Cold
I walked on Shore Saw Several foxes Several Villages of Prarie dogs, and a number of Grouse
[Clark, September 12, 1804]
Septr. 12th Wednesday 1804 a Dark Cloudy Day the wind hard from the N. W. we passed (1) a Island the middle of the river at the head of which we found great dificuelty in passing between the Sand bars the water Swift and Shallow, it took 3/4 of the day to make one mile, we Camped on the L. S. opsd. a Village of Barking Prarie Squriels
I walked out in the morning and Saw Several Villages of those little animals, also a great number of Grous & 3 foxes, and observed Slate & Coal mixed, Some verry high hills on each Side of the river. rains a little all day.
[Clark, September 13, 1804]
13th Septr. Thursday 1804 a Dark Drizzley Day, G D Cought 4 Beaver last night the winds from the N W. Cold Set out early and proceeded on verry well passed a number of Sand bars, Capt Lewis killed a Porcupin on a Cotton treee fieeding on the leaves & bowers of the Said tree, the water is verry Shallow being Crouded with Sand bars Camped on the S. Side under a Bluff. the Bluffs on the S. S. not So much impregnated with mineral as on the L. S. muskeetors verry troublesom-.