The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Part 2

[Clark, May 24, 1804]

Thursday May the 24th 1804 Set out early pa.s.sed a Small Isd in the Midlle of the river, opposit the on the Lbd. Side is projecting Rock of 1/2 a mile in extent against which the Current runs, this place is called the Devils race grounds,1 above this Coms in a Small Creek called the little quiver, a Sand Island on the Stbd Side, pa.s.sed Several Islands & 2 creeks, on the Stbd Side a Small Island on the Lbd Side above we wer verry near loseing our Boat in Toeing She Struck the Sands the Violence of the Current was so great that the Toe roap Broke, the Boat turned Broadside, as the Current Washed the Sand from under her She wheeled & lodged on the bank below as often as three times, before we got her in Deep water, nothing Saved her but

[Clark, May 24, 1804]

May 24th Set out early, Killed a Deer last night. examined the mens arms, & Saw that all was prepared for action, pa.s.sed an Island in the M. R, opposit a hard place of water called the Devill race grown, S 63 W 4 miles to a point on the Sd. Starboard Side N 68 W to a point on Lbd Side 3 ms. Pa.s.sd. a Small Willow Island on the Lbd. Side to the point of a Isd. L Side--S 75 W to a point on Stbd Side 3 Miles, Pa.s.sed the upper point of the Island. Crossed and in a verry bad place we got our Boat a ground & She Bocke the Toe Roap & turned the Land, the in Wheeling three times, got off returned to the head of the aforesaid Island, and Came up under a falling Bank. hard water this place being the worst I ever Saw, I call it the retregrade bend. Camped at an old house.

[Clark, May 24, 1804]

May 24th Thursday 1804 Set out early pa.s.sed a Verry bad part of the River Called the Deavels race ground, this is where the Current Sets against Some projecting rocks for half a mile on the Labd. Side, above this place is the mouth of a Small Creek Called queivere, pa.s.sed Several Islands, two Small Creeks on the Stbd. Side, and pa.s.sed between a Isld. an the Lbd. Sh.o.r.e a narrow pa.s.s above this Isld is a Verry bad part of the river, we attempted to pa.s.s up under the Lbd. Bank which was falling in So fast that the evident danger obliged us to Cross between the Starbd. Side and a Sand bar in the middle of the river, we hove up near the head of the Sand bar, the Sand moveing & banking caused us to run on the Sand.

The Swiftness of the Current wheeled the boat, Broke our Toe rope, and was nearly over Setting the boat, all hand jumped out on the upper Side and bore on that Side untill the Sand washed from under the boat and wheeled on the next bank by the time She wheeled a 3rd Time got a rope fast to her Stern and by the means of Swimmers was Carred to Sh.o.r.e and when her Stern was down whilst in the act of Swinging a third time into Deep water near the Sh.o.r.e, we returned, to the Island where we Set out and a.s.sended under the Bank which I have just mentioned, as falling in, here George Drewyer & Willard, two of our men who left us at St.

Charles to Come on by land joined us, we Camped about 1 mile above where we were So nearly being lost, on the Labd Side at a Plantation.

all in Spirits. This place I call the retragrade bend as we were obliged to fall back 2 miles

[Clark, May 25, 1804]

25 May Set out early Course West to a Point on Sbd. Side at 2 Miles pa.s.sd a Willow Isd. in a Bend to the Lbd. a creek called wood rivr Lbd. Side N 57 W. to a pt. on the Sb. Side 3 Miles pa.s.sed the Mouth of a Creek St.

Side Called Le quever, this Same course continued to a Point Ld. Side 21/2 Miles further. opposit a Isd. on Sd Side Pa.s.sed a Creek Called R.

La freeau at the pt. N 20 W 2 miles To a Small french Village called La Charatt of five families only, in the bend to the Starbord This is the Last Settlement of Whites, an Island opposit

[Clark, May 25, 1804]

May 25th Friday 1804 rain last night river fall Several inches, Set out early psd. Several Islands pa.s.sed wood River on the Lbd Side at 2 miles pa.s.sed Creek on the St. Side Called La Querer at 5 miles pa.s.sed a Creek at 8 mile, opsd. an Isd. on the Lbd Side, Camped at the mouth of a Creek called River a Chauritte, above a Small french Village of 7 houses and as many families, Settled at this place to be convt. to hunt, & trade with the Indians, here we met with Mr. Louisell imedeately down from the Seeeder Isld. Situated in the Countrey of the Suxex 400 Leagues up he gave us a good Deel of information Some letters he informed us that he Saw no Indians on the river below the Poncrars--Some hard rain this evening

The people at this Village is pore, houses Small, they Sent us milk & eggs to eat.

[Clark, May 26, 1804]

May 26th 1804. Set out at 7 oClock after a hard rain & Wind, & proceed on verry well under Sale. Wind from the E N E

The wind favourable to day we made 18 miles a Cloud rais & wind & rain Closed the Day

[Clark, May 26, 1804]

May the 26th Sattarday 1804.

Set out at 7 oClock after a heavy Shour of rain (George Drewyer & John s.h.i.+elds, Sent by Land with the two horses with directions to proceed on one day & hunt the next) The wind favourable from the E N E pa.s.sed Beef Island and river on Lbd Side at 31/2 Ms Pa.s.sed a Creek on the Lbd. Side Called Shepperds Creek, pa.s.sed Several Islands to day great Deal of Deer Sign on the Bank one man out hunting, w Camped on an Island on the Starboard Side near the Southern extrem of Luter Island.

[Lewis, May 26, 1804]

Detatchment Orders.

May 26th 1804.

The Commanding Officers direct, that the three Squads under the command of Sergts. Floyd Ordway and Pryor heretofore forming two messes each, shall untill further orders const.i.tute three messes only, the same being altered and organized as follows (viz)

1 Sergt. Charles Floyd. (1)

Privates: 2 Hugh McNeal 3 Patric Ga.s.s 4 Reubin Fields (2) 5 John B Thompson + 6 John Newman 7 Richard Winsor + Francis Rivet & 8 Joseph Fields (3)

9 Sergt. John Ordway.

Privates.

10 William Bratton (4) 11 John Colter (5) X 12 Moses B. Reed 13 Alexander Willard 14 William Warner 15 Silas Goodrich 16 John Potts & 17 Hugh Hall

18 Sergt. Nathaniel Pryor. (6)

Privates.

19 George Gibson (7) 20 George Shannon (8) 21 John s.h.i.+elds (9) 22 John Collins 23 Joseph Whitehouse 24 Peter Wiser F 25 Peter Crusat & F 26 Francis Labuche

The commanding officers further direct that the remainder of the detatchmen shall form two messes; and that the same be const.i.tuded as follows. (viz)

Patroon, Baptist Dechamps

Engages Etienne Mabbauf Paul Primaut Charles Hebert Baptist La Jeunesse Peter Pinaut Peter Roi & Joseph Collin

1 Corpl. Richard Warvington.

Privates.

2 Robert Frasier 3 John Boleye 4 John Dame 5 Ebinezer Tuttle & 6 Isaac White

The Commanding officers further direct that the messes of Sergts.

Floyd, Ordway and Pryor shall untill further orders form the crew of the Batteaux; the Mess of the Patroon La Jeunesse will form the permanent crew of the red Perogue; Corpl. Warvington's mess forming that of the white perogue.

Whenever by any casualty it becomes necessary to furnish additional men to a.s.sist in navigating the Perogues, the same shall be furnished by daily detale from the Privates who form the crew of Batteaux, exempting only from such detale, Thomas P. Howard and the men who are a.s.signed to the two bow and the two stern oars.--For the present one man will be furnished daily to a.s.sist the crew of the white perogue; this man must be an expert boatman.

The posts and duties of the Sergts. shall be as follows (viz)--when the Batteaux is under way, one Sergt. shall be stationed at the helm, one in the center on the rear of the Starboard locker, and one at the bow.

The Sergt. at the helm, shall steer the boat, and see that the baggage on the quarterdeck is properly arranged and stowed away in the most advantageous manner; to see that no cooking utensels or loos lumber of any kind is left on the deck to obstruct the pa.s.sage between the burths--he will also attend to the compas when necessary.

The Sergt at the center will command the guard, manage the sails, see that the men at the oars do their duty; that they come on board at a proper season in the morning, and that the boat gets under way in due time; he will keep a good lookout for the mouths of all rivers, creeks, Islands and other remarkable places and shall immediately report the same to the commanding officers; he will attend to the issues of sperituous liquors; he shall regulate the halting of the batteaux through the day to give the men refreshment, and will also regulate the time of her departure taking care that not more time than is necessary shall be expended at each halt--it shall be his duty also to post a centinel on the bank, near the boat whenever we come too and halt in the course of the day, at the same time he will (acompanied by two his guard) reconnoiter the forrest arround the place of landing to the distance of at least one hundred paces. when we come too for the purpose of encamping at night, the Sergt. of the guard shall post two centinels immediately on our landing; one of whom shal be posted near the boat, and the other at a convenient distance in rear of the encampment; at night the Sergt. must be always present with his guard, and he is positively forbidden to suffer any man of his guard to absent himself on any pretext whatever; he will at each relief through the night, accompanyed by the two men last off their posts, reconnoiter in every direction around the camp to the distance of at least one hundred and fifty paces, and also examine the situation of the boat and perogues, and see that they ly safe and free from the bank

It shall be the duty of the sergt. at the bow, to keep a good look out for all danger which may approach, either of the enimy, or obstructions which may present themselves to pa.s.sage of the boat; of the first he will notify the Sergt. at the center, who will communicate the information to the commanding officers, and of the second or obstructions to the boat he will notify the Sergt. at the helm; he will also report to the commanding officers through the Sergt. at the center all perogues boats canoes or other craft which he may discover in the river, and all hunting camps or parties of Indians in view of which we may pa.s.s. he will at all times be provided with a seting pole and a.s.sist the bowsman in poling and managing the bow of the boat. it will be his duty also to give and answer all signals, which may hereafter be established for the government of the perogues and parties on sh.o.r.e.

The Sergts. will on each morning before our departure relieve each other in the following manner--The Sergt. at the helm will parade the new guard, relieve the Sergt. and the old guard, and occupy the middle station in the boat; the Sergt. of the old guard will occupy the station at the bow, and the Sergt. who had been stationed the preceeding day at the bow will place himself at the helm.--The sergts.

in addition to those duties are directed each to keep a seperate journal from day today of all pa.s.sing occurences, and such other observations on the country &c. as shall appear to them worthy of notice

The Sergts. are relieved and exempt from all labour of making fires, pitching tents or cooking, and will direct and make the men of their several messes perform an equal propotion of those duties.