Saturday August 2cd 1806. The morning proved fair and I determined to remain all day and dry the baggage and give the men an opportunity to dry and air their skins and furr. had the powder parched meal and every article which wanted drying exposed to the sun. the day proved warm fair and favourable for our purpose. I permitted the Fieldses to go on a few miles to hunt. by evening we had dryed our baggage and repacked it in readiness to load and set out early in the morning. the river fell 18 inches since yesterday evening. the hunters killed several deer in the course of the day. nothing remarkable took place today. we are all extreemly anxious to reach the entrance of the Yellowstone river where we expect to join Capt. Clark and party.
[Lewis, August 3, 1806]
Saturday August 3rd 1806. I arrose early this morning and had the perogue and canoes loaded and set out at half after 6 A.M. we soon passed the canoe of Colter and Collins who were on shore hunting, the men hailed them but received no answer we proceeded, and shortly after overtook J. and R. Fields who had killed 25 deer since they left us yesterday; deer are very abundant in the timbered bottoms of the river and extreemly gentle. 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; by this means we forward our journey at least 12 or 15 miles Pr. day. we saw but few buffaloe in the course of this day, tho a great number of Elk, deer, wolves, some bear, beaver, geese a few ducks, the party coloured covus, one Callamet Eagle, a number of bald Eagles, redheaded woodpeckers &c. we encamped this evening on N. E. side of the river 2 ms. above our encampment of the 12th of May 1805 soon after we encamp Drewyer killed a fat doe. the Fieldses arrived at dark with the flesh of two fine bucks, besides which they had killed two does since we passed them making in all 29 deer since yesterday morning. Collins and Colter did not overtake us this evening.
[Lewis, August 4, 1806]
Monday August 4th 1806. Set out at 4 A.M. this morning. permited Willard and Sergt. Ordway to exchange with the Feildses and take their small canoe to hunt to-day. at 1/2 after eleven O'Ck. passed the entrance of big dry river; found the water in this river about 60 yds. wide tho shallow. it runs with a boald even currant. at 3 P.M. we arrived at the entrance of Milk river where we halted a few minutes. this stream is full at present and it's water is much the colour of that of the Missouri; it affords as much water at present as Maria's river and I have no doubt extends itself to a considerable distance North. during our halt we killed a very large rattlesnake of the speceis common to our country. it had 176 scuta on the abdomen and 25 on the tail, it's length 5 feet. the scutae on the tail fully formed. after passing this river we saw several large herds of buffaloe and Elk we killed one of each of these animals and took as much of the flesh as we wished. we encamped this evening two miles below the gulph on the N. E. side of the river. Tonight for the first time this season I heard the small whippoorwill or goatsucker of the Missouri cry. Colter and Collins have not yet overtaken us. Ordway and Willard delayed so much time in hunting today that they did not overtake us untill about midnight. they killed one bear and 2 deer. in passing a bend just below the gulph it being dark they were drawn by the currant in among a parsel of sawyers, under one of which the canoe was driven and throwed Willard who was steering overboard; he caught the sawyer and held by it; Ordway with the canoe drifted down about half a mile among the sawyers under a falling bank, the canoe struck frequently but did not overset; he at length gained the shore and returned by land to learn the fate of Willard whom he found was yet on the sawyer; it was impossible for him to take the canoe to his relief Willard at length tied a couple of sticks together which had lodged against the sawyer on which he was and set himself a drift among the sawyers which he fortunately escaped and was taken up about a mile below by Ordway with the canoe; they sustained no loss on this occasion. it was fortunate for Willard that he could swim tolerably well.
[Lewis, August 5, 1806]
Tuesday August 5th 1806. Colter and Collins not having arrived induced me to remain this morning for them. the hunters killed four deer this morning near our encampment. I remained untill noon when I again reimbarked and set out concluding that as Colter and Collins had not arrived by that time that they had passed us after dark the night of the 3rd inst. as Sergt Ordway informed me he should have done last evening had not the centinel hailed him. we continued our rout untill late in the evening when I came too and encamped on the South side about 10 miles below little dry river. on our way we killed a fat cow and took as much of the flesh as was necessary for us. The Feildses killed 2 large bear this evening one of them measured nine feet from the extremity of the nose to that of his tail, this is the largest bear except one that I have seen. we saw several bear today as we passed but did not kill any of them. we also saw on our way immence herds of buffaloe & Elk, many deer Antelopes, wolves, geese Eagles &c. but few ducks or prarie hens. the geese cannot fly at present; I saw a solitary Pillacon the other day in the same situation. this happens from their sheding or casting the fathers of the wings at this season.