[Clark, September 22, 1804]
22nd of September Satturday 1804 a thick fog this morning detained us untill 7 oClock passed a butifull inclined Prarie on both Sides in which we See great numbers of Buffalow feeding—(1) took the Meridean altitude of the Suns upper Leimb. 92° 50' 00" the SexSecnt the Latd. produced from this Obsivation is 44° 11' 33" 3/10 North (2) passed a Small Island on the L. S. imediately above passed a Island Situated nearest the L. S. abt. 3 miles long, behind this Isd. on the L. S. a Creek Comes in about 15 yards wide, this Creek and Islands are Called the 3 Sisters a butifull Plain on both Sides of the river (3) passed a Island Situated nearest the S. S. imedeately above the last Called Ceder Island this Island is about 11/2 miles long & nearly as wide Covered with Ceder, on the South Side of this Island Mr. Louiselle a trader from St. Louis built a fort of Ceder & a good house to trate with the Seaux & wintered last winter; about this fort I observed a number of Indian Camps in a Conicel form,—they fed their horses on Cotton limbs as appears. here our hunters joined us havening killed 2 Deer & a Beaver, they Complain much of the Mineral Substances in the barren hills over which they passed distroying their mockersons.
(4) we proceeded on and Camped late on the S. Side below a Small Island in the bend S. S. Called Goat Island. The large Stones which lay on the Sides of the banks in Several places lay Some distance in the river, under the water and is dangerous &.
I walked out this evening and killed a fine Deer, the musquiters is verry troublesom in the bottoms
[Clark, September 23, 1804]
23rd Septr. Sunday 1804 (days and nights equal) Set out early under a gentle Breeze from the S E N. 46°W 33/4 Miles to the mo. of a Creek on the S. S. passd. a pt. on the L. S. (1) a Small Island opsd. in the bend to the S. S. This Island is Called goat Island, (1) this Creek is 10 yards wide. passed bad Sand bars—S. 46°W 23/4 mes. a wood at a Spring in the bend to the L. S. Saw the Prarie a fire behind us near the head of Ceder Island L. S. N. 80° W. 41/2 to the lower pt of Elk Island pass 2 Willow Islands & Sand I saw this morning 12 of those Black & white birds of the corvus Species.
Capt Lewis went out to hund on the Island a great number of Buffalow in Sight I must Seal up all those Scrips & draw from my Journal at Some other time Win Clark Cpt.