[Clark, July 29, 1806]
Tuesday 29th July 1806 a Slight rain last night with hard thunder and Sharp lightening accompanied with a violent N. E. wind. I Set out early this morning wind So hard a head that w made but little way. in the fore part of the day, I saw great numbers of Buffalow on the banks. the country on either Side is like that of yesterday. passed three large dry Brooks on the Stard. Side and four on the Lard Side. great quantities of Coal in all the hills I passed this day. late in the evening I arived at the enterance of a River which I take to be the Lazeka or Tongue River it discharges itself on the Stard. Side and is 150 yards wide of water the banks are much wider. I intended to encamp on an eligable Spot imediately below this river, but finding that its water So muddy and worm as to render it very disagreeable to drink, I crossed the rochejhone and encamped on an island close to the Lard. Shore. The water of this river is nearly milk worm very muddy and of a lightish brown Colour. the Current rapid and the Chanel Contains great numbers of Snags. near its enterance there is great quantities of wood Such as is common in the low bottoms of the Rochejhone and Missouri. tho I believe that the Country back thro which this river passes is an open one where the water is exposed to the Sun which heats it in its passage. it is Shallow and throws out great quantities of mud and Some cors gravel. below this river and on the Stard Side at a fiew Miles from the Rochejhone the hills are high and ruged Containing Coal in great quantities. Beaver is very plenty on this part of the Rochejhone. The river widens I think it may be generally Calculated at from 500" yards to half a mile in width more Sand and gravelly Bars than above. cought 3 cat fish. they wer Small and fat. also a Soft Shell turtle.
[Clark, July 30, 1806]
Friday 30th July 1806 Set out early this morning at 12 miles arived at the Commencement of Shoals the Chanel on the Stard Side near a high bluff. passed a Succession of those Shoals for 6 miles the lower of which was quit across the river and appeared to have a decent of about 3 feet. here we were Compeled to let the Canoes down by hand for fear of their Strikeing a rock under water and Splitting. This is by far the wost place which I have Seen on this river from the Rocky mountains to this place a distance of 694 miles by water. a Perogu or large Canoe would with Safty pass through the worst of those Shoals, which I call the Buffalow Sholes from the Circumstance of one of those animals being in them. the rock which passes the river at those Sholes appear hard and gritty of a dark brown Colour. the Clifts on the Stard. Side is about 100 feet in hight, on the Lard Side the Country is low and the bottom rises gradually back. here is the first appearance of Birnt hills which I have Seen on this river they are at a distance from the river on the Lard Side. I landed at the enterance of a dry Creek on the Lard side below the Shoals and took brackfast. Those Dry Rivers, Creeks &c are like those of the Missouri which take their rise in and are the Conveyance of the water from those plains. they have the appearanc of dischargeing emence torrents of water. the late rains which has fallen in the plains raised Sudenly those Brooks which receive the water of those plains on which those Suden & heavy Showers of rain must have fallen, Several of which I have Seen dischargeing those waters, whiles those below heading or takeing their rise in the Same neighbourhood, as I passed them appears to have latterly been high. those Broods discharge emencely of mud also, which Contributes much to the muddiness of the river. after Brackfast proceeded on the river much narrower than above from 3 to 400 yards wide only and only a fiew scattering trees to be Seen on the banks. at 20 miles below the Buffalow Shoals passed a rapid which is by no means dangerous, it has a number of large rocks in different parts of the river which Causes high waves a very good Chanel on the Lard. Side. this rapid I call Bear rapid from the Circumstance of a bears being on a rock in the Middle of this rapid when I arived at it. a violent Storm from the N. W. obliged us to land imediately below this rapid, draw up the Canoes and take Shelter in an old Indian Lodge above the enterance of a river which is nearly dry it has laterly been very high and Spread over nearly 1/4 a mile in width. its Chanel is 88 yards and in this there is not more water than could pass through an inch auger hole. I call it Yorks dry R. after the rain and wind passed over I proceeded on at 7 Miles passed the enterance of a river the water of which is 100 yds wide, the bead of this river nearly 1/4 of a mile this river is Shallow and the water very muddy and of the Colour of the banks a darkish brown. I observe great quantities of red Stone thrown out of this river that from the appearance of the hills at a distance on its lower Side induced me to call this red Stone river. as the water was disagreeably muddy I could not Camp on that Side below its mouth. however I landed at its enteranc and Sent out and killed two fat Cows, and took as much of the flesh as the Canoes would conveniently Carry and Crossed the river and encamped at the enterance of a Brook on the Lard. Side under a large Spredding Cotton tree. The river on which we passed to day is not So wide as above containing but fiew islands with a Small quantity of Cotton timber. no timber of any kind to be Seen on the high lands on either Side.
In the evening below the enterance of redstone river I observed great numbers of Buffalow feeding on the plains, elk on the points and antilopes. I also Saw Some of the Bighorn animals at a distance on the hills. Gibson is now able to walk, he walked out this evening and killed an antilope.
[Clark, July 31, 1806]
Saturday 31st of July 1806 I was much disturbed last night by the noise of the buffalow which were about me. one gang Swam the river near our Camp which alarmed me a little for fear of their Crossing our Canoes and Splitting them to pieces. Set out as usial about Sun rise passed a rapid which I call wolf rapid from the Circumstance of one of those animals being at the rapid. here the river approaches the high mountanious Country on the N W. Side those hills appear to be composed of various Coloured earth and Coal without much rock I observe Several Conical mounds which appear to have been burnt. this high Country is washed into Curious formed mounds & hills and is cut much with reveens. the Country again opens and at the distance of 23 miles below the Redston or War-har-sah River I landed in the enterance of a Small river on the Stard. Side 40 yards wid Shallow and muddy. it has lately been very high. haveing passed the Enterance of a River on the Lard Side 100 yards wide which has running water this river I take to be the one the Menetarries Call little wolf or Sa-a-shah River The high Country is entirely bar of timber. great quantities of Coal or carbonated wood is to be seen in every Bluff and in the high hills at a distance on each Side. Saw more Buffalow and Elk and antilopes this evening than usial. 18 Miles below the last river on the Stard. Side, I passed one 60 yards wide which had running water. this Stream I call oak-tar-pon-er or Coal River has very steep banks on each side of it. passed Several large Brooks Some of them had a little running water, also Several Islands Some high black looking Bluffs and encamped on the Stard. Side on a low point. the country like that of yesterday is open extencive plains. as I was about landing this evening Saw a white bear and the largest I ever Saw eating a dead buffalow on a Sand bar. we fired two Shot into him, he Swam to the main Shore and walked down the bank. I landed and fired 2 more Shot into this tremendious animal without killing him. night comeing on we Could not pursue him he bled profusely. Showers all this day