Selections from
The Journals of Lewis and Clark (1804-1806)

 [Locations of cuts in the text are indicated by ++++; brackets [] indicate information added to clarify]

These entries were written by Captain Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) and Captain William Clark (1770-1838) from 1804 to 1806.


[Captain Clark, August 25th 1804]

The Surrounding Plains is open Void of Timber and leavel to a great extent, hence the wind from whatever quarter it may blow, drives with unusial force over the naked Plains and against this hill; the insects of various kinds are thus involuntaryly driven to the Mound by the force of the wind, or fly to its Leeward Side for Shelter; the Small Birds whoes food they are, Consequently resort in great numbers to this place in Surch of them; Perticularly the Small brown Martin of which we saw a vast number hovering on the Leeward Side of the hill, when we approached it in the act of catching those insects; they were so gentle that they did not quit the place untill we had arrived within a few feet of them.
One evidence which the Inds give for believeing this place to be the residence of Some unusial Sperits is that they frequently discover a large assemblage of Birds about this Mound is in my opinion a Sufficent proof to produce in the Savage Mind a Confident belief of all the properties which they ascribe it.
from the top of this Mound we beheld a most butifull landscape; Numerous herds of buffalow were Seen feeding in various directions; the Plain to North N. W. & N. E. extends without interruption as far as Can be seen.
the Boat under the Comd of Serjt. Pryor proceeded in our absence, (after jurking the Elk I killed yesterday) Six Miles and Camped on the Larboard Side       R. Fields brought in five Deer, George Shannon Killed an Elk Buck       Som rain this evening.
We Set the Prairies on fire as a signal for the Soues to Come to the River.


[Captain Lewis, Monday June 3rd 1805]

This morning early we passed over and formed a camp on the point formed by the junction of the two large rivers. here in the course of the day I continued my observations. An interesting question was now to be determined; which of these rivers was the Missouri, or that which the Minnetares call Amahte Arzzha, or Missouri, and which they had discribed to us as approaching very near to the Columbia river. to mistake the stream at this period of the season, two months of the traveling season having now elapsed, and to ascend such stream to the rocky Mountain or perhaps much further before we could inform ourselves whether it did approach the Columbia or not, and then be obliged to return and take the other stream would not only loose us the whole of this season but would probably so dishearten the party that it might defeat the expedition altogether. convinced we were that the utmost circumspection and caution was necessary in deciding on the stream to be taken. to this end an investigation of both streams was the first thing to be done; to learn their widths, debths, comparative rappidity of their courents and thence the comparitive bodies of water furnished by each; accordingly we dispatched two light canoes with three men in each up those streams; we also sent out several small parties by land with instructions to penetrate the country as far as they conveniently can permitting themselves to return this evening and indeavor if possible to discover the distant bearing of those rivers by ascending the rising grounds.
between the time of my A. M. and meridian [observations] Capt. C. & myself stroled out to the top of the hights in the fork of these rivers from whence we had an extensive and most inchanting view; the country in every direction around us was one vast plain in which innumerable herds of Buffalow were seen attended by their sheppherds the wolves; the solatary antelope which now had their young were distributed over it's face; some herds of Elk were also seen;       the verdure perfectly clothed the ground, the weather was pleasant and fair. ++++
we took the width of the two rivers, found the left hand or S. fork 372 yards and the N. fork 200. The no[r]th fork is deeper than the other but it's courent not so swift; it's waters run in the same boiling and roling manner which has uniformly characterized the Missouri throughout it's whole course so far; it's waters are of a whitish brown colour very thick and terbid, also characteristic of the Missouri; while the South fork is perfectly transparent runds very rappid but a smooth unriffled surface it's bottom composed of round and flat smooth stones like most rivers issuing from a mountainous country. the bed of the N. fork composed of some gravel but principally mud; in short the air & character of this river is so precisely that of the missouri below that the party with very few exceptions have already pronounced the N. fork to be the Missouri; myself and Capt. C. not quite so precipitate have not yet decided but if we were to give our opinions I believe we should be in the minority, certain it is that the North fork gives the colouring matter and character which is retained from hence to the gulph of Mexico. I am confident that this river rises in and passes a great distance through an open plain country       I expect that it has some of it's sou[r]ces on the Eastern side of the rocky mountain South of the Saskashawan, but that it dose not penetrate the first range of these Mountains. and that much the greater part of it's sources are in a northwardly direction towards the lower and middle parts of the Saskashawan in the open plains. convinced I am that if it penetrated the Rocky Mountains to any great distance it's waters would be clearer unless it should run an immence distance indeed after leaving those mountains through these level plains in order to acquire it's turbid hue. what astonishes us a little is that the Indians who appeared to be so well acquainted with the geography of this country should not have mentioned this river on wright hand if it be not the Missouri;       the river that scolds at all others, as they call it if there is in reality such an one, ought agreeably to their account, to have fallen in a considerable distance below,       and on the other hand if this right hand or N. fork be the Missouri I am equally astonished at their not mentioning the S. fork which they must have passed in order to get to those large falls which they mention on the Missouri. thus have our cogitating faculties been busily employed all day.
Those who have remained at camp today have been busily engaged in dressing skins for cloathing, notwithstanding that many of them have their feet so mangled and bruised with the stones and rough ground over which they passed barefoot, that they can scarcely walk or stand; at least it is with great pain they do either, for some days past they were unable to wear their mockersons;       they have fallen off considerably, but notwithstanding the difficulties past, or those which seem now to menace us, they still remain perfectly cheerful. In the evening the parties whom we had sent out returned agreeably to instructions. The parties who had been sent up the rivers in canoes informed that they ascended some distance and had then left their canoes and walked up the rivers a considerable distance further barely leaving themselves time to return; the North fork was not so rappid as the other and afforded the easiest navigation of the course; six (7) feet appeared to be the shallowest water of the S. Branch and 5 feet that of the N. Their accounts were by no means satisfactory nor did the information we acquired bring us nigher to the decision of our question or determine us which stream to take. ++++
Capt. C. and myself concluded to set out early the next morning with a small party each, and ascend these rivers untill we could perfectly satisfy ourselves of the one, which it would be most expedient for us to take on our main journey to the Pacific. accordingly it was agreed that I should ascend the right hand fork and he the left. ++++


[Captain Clark, June 5th Wednesday 1805]

Some little rain & snow last night the mountains to our S E. covered with snow this morning       air verry cold & raining a little,       we saw 8 buffalow opposit, they made 2 attempts to cross, the water being so swift they could not,       about the time we were setting out three white bear approached our camp       we killed the three & eate part of one & set out & proceeded on N. 20º W 11 miles       struck the river at maney places in this distance to a ridge on the N. Side from the top of which I could plainly see a mountain to the South & W covered with Snow at a long distance,       The mountains opposit to us to the S.E. is also covered with snow this morning. a high ridge from those mountains approached the river on the S E side forming some clifts of hard dark Stone. From the ridge at which place I struck the river last, I could discover that the river run west of south a long distance, and has a strong rapid current,       as this river continued its width debth & rapidity and the course west of south, going up further would be useless,       I deturmined to return,       I accordingly set out through the plain on a course N. 30º E. on my return and struck the little river at 20 miles passing through a level plain.       at the little river we killed 2 buck Elk and dined on their marrowbones, proceeded on a few miles and camped having killed 2 deer which were very fat       some few drops of rain today the evening fair wind hard from the N.E.       I saw great numbers of Elk and white tailed Deer some beaver antelope mule Deer and wolves and one bear on this little river       marked my name in a tree N. side near the ridge where the little river brakes thro'


[Captain Lewis, Thursday June 6th 1805]

I now became well convinced that this branch of the Missouri had it's direction too much to the North for our rout to the Pacific, and therefore determined to return the next day after taking an observation of the º's Meridian Altitude in order to fix the latitude of the place. The fore part of the last evening was fair but in the latter part of the night clouded up and continued so with short intervals of sunshine untill a little before noon when the whole horizon was overcast, and I of course disappointed in making the observation which I much wished. I had sent Sergt. Pryor and Windsor early this morning with orders to proceed up the river to some commanding eminence and take it's bearing as far as possible. in the mean time the four others and myself were busily engaged in making two rafts on which we purposed descending the river; we had just completed this work when Sergt. Pryor and Windsor returned, it being about noon;       they reported that they had proceeded from hence S 70. W 6 M. to the summit of a commanding eminence from whence the river on their left was about 2½ miles distant; that a point of it's Lard. [larboard] bluff, which was visible boar S 80. W. distant about 15 Ms.; that the river on their left bent gradually arround to this point, and from thence seemed to run Northwardly. we now took dinner and embarcked with our plunder and five Elk's skins on the rafts but were soon convinced that this mode of navigation was hazerdous particularly with those rafts they being too small and slender. we wet a part of our baggage and were near loosing one of our guns; I therefore determined to abandon the rafts and return as we had come, by land. I regretted much being obliged to leave my Elk's skins, which I wanted to assist in forming my leather boat; those we had prepared at Fort Mandan being injured in such manner that they would not answer.

[Source: Reuben G. Thwaites, ed., Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: 1804-1806 (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1904-1905), pp. 122-123, 112-116, 124-126.]

Go to the full text of Lewis and Clark's Journals, online at the University of Virginia Library (edited journals, not the original journals).

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Prepared by Professor Catherine Lavender for Honors 502 (American Frontiers and Borderlands), Department of History, The College of Staten Island of The City University of New York. Send email to lavender@postbox.csi.cuny.edu
Last modified: Monday 11 September 2000.