The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Part 20

[Clark, August 25, 1804]

25th August Satt.u.r.day 1804 a Cloudy morning Capt Lewis & my Self Concluded to go and See the Mound which was viewed with Such turrow by all the different Nation in this quarter, we Selected s.h.i.+elds J. Fields, W Bratten, Sergt. Ordway, J Colter, Can, and Corp Worbington & Frasure, also G. Drewyer and droped down to the mouth of White Stone River where we left the Perogue with two men and at 200 yards we a.s.sended a riseing ground of about Sixty feet, from the top of this High land the Countrey is leavel & open as far as Can be Seen, except Some few rises at a Great Distance, and the Mound which the Indians Call Mountain of little people or Spirits this mound appears of a Conic form & is N. 20 W. from the mouth of the Creek, we left the river at 8 oClock, at 4 miles we Crossed the Creek 23 yards wide in an extensive Valley and continued on at two miles further our Dog was So Heeted & fatigued we was obliged Send him back to the Creek, at 12 oClock we arrived at the hill Capt Lewis much fatigued from heat the day it being verry hot & he being in a debilitated State from the Precautions he was obliged to take to provent the affects of the Cobalt, & Mini. Substance which had like to have poisoned him two days ago, his want of water, and Several of the men complaining of Great thirst, deturmined us to make for the first water which was the Creek in a bend N. E. from the mound about 3 miles--aftr a Delay of about 1 hour & a half to recrut our party we Set out on our return down the Creek thro the bottom of about 1 mile in width, Crossed the Creek 3 times to the place we first Struck it, where we geathered Some delisious froot Such as Grapes Plumbs, & Blue Currents after a Delay of an hour we Set out on our back trail & arrived at the Perogue at Sun Set we proceedd on to the place we Campd. last night and Stayed all night.

This Mound is Situated on an elivated plain in a leavel and extensive prarie, bearing N. 20 W. from the mouth of White Stone Creek Nine Miles, the base of the Mound is a regular parallelagram the long Side of which is about 300 yards in length the Shorter 60 or 70 yards--from the longer Side of the Base it rises from the North & South with a Steep a.s.sent to the hight of 65 or 70 feet, leaveing a leavel Plain on the top of 12 feet in width & 90 in length. the North & South part of this mound is joins by two regular rises, each in Oval forms of half its hight forming three regular rises from the Plain the a.s.sent of each elivated part is as Suden as the princ.i.p.al mound at the narrower Sides of its Ba.s.s

The reagular form of this hill would in Some measure justify a belief that it owed its Orrigin to the hand of man; but as the earth and loos pebbles and other Substances of which it was Composed, bare an exact resemblance to the Steep Ground which border on the Creek in its neighbourhood we Concluded it was most probably the production of nature-.

The only remarkable Charactoristic of this hill admiting it to be a naturial production is that it is insulated or Seperated a considerable distance from any other, which is verry unusial in the naturul order or disposition of the hills.

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 Leward 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 Leward 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 arrivd. within a fiew feet of them-

One evidence which the Inds Give for believeing this place to be the residence of Some unusial Spirits is that they frequently discover a large a.s.semblage of Birds about this mound--is in my opinion a Suffient 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 interuption as far as Can be Seen From the Mound to the mouth of Stone River is S. 20 E 9 miles.

to the woods near the mouth of River Jacque is West

to the High land near the mouth of Souis River is S. 70 E.

to the high land opposit Side or near the Maha Town is S. 45 E.

Some high lands to be Seen from the mound at a Great distance to the N.

E Some Nearer to the N W. no woods except on the Missouris Points

if all the timber which is on the Stone Creek was on 100 acres it would not be thickly timbered, the Soil of those Plains are delightfull Great numbers of Birds are Seen in those Plains, Such as black bird, Ren or Prarie burd a kind of larke about the Sise of a Partridge with a Short tail &c. &.

25th Augt the Boat under the Comd. of Sergt. Pryor proceeded on 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 Some rain this evening.

we Set the Praries on fire as a Signal for the Soues to Come to the river.

[Lewis, August 25, 1804]

August the 25th on our return from the mound of sperits saw the first bats that we had observed since we began to ascend the Missouri

also saw on our return on the Creek that pa.s.ses this mound about 2 M.

distant S. a bird of heron kind as large as the Cormorant short tale long leggs of a colour on the back and wings deep copper brown with a shade of red. we could not kill it therefore I can not describe it more particularly.

[Clark, August 26, 1804]

26th August Sunday 1804 arrived at the boat at 9 oClock A.M. Set out at 10 oClock after Jurking the meet & Cutting the Elk Skins for a Toe Roap and proceeded, leaveing G. Drewyer & Shannon to hunt the horses, the river verry full of Sand bars and Wide Course S. 66 W. 2 mes. to a Sand bar Makeing out from the S. S. N. 82 W. 7 mes. to a pt. of willows S S pa.s.sd. a Island & large Sand bars on both sides river wide and a Clift of White earth on the L. S of 2 ms. in length to a point of Willows on the S. S opposit Arch Creek above the mouth of this Creek a Chief of the Maha nataton displeased with the Conduct of Black bird the main Chief came to this place and built a Town which was called by his name Pet.i.te Arch (or Little Bow) this Town was at the foot of a Hill in a handsom Plain fronting the river and Contained about 100 huts & 200 men, the remains of this tribe Since the Death of Pet.i.te arch has joined the remaining part of the nation This Creek is Small--we apt.

Pat Ga.s.s Sergeant Vice Floyd Dicesed, Geathered great quant.i.tes of Grapes & three Kinds of Plumbs, one yellow round, & one ovel, & the Common wild Plumb. Misquetors bad to night--I have apt. you

[Clark, August 26, 1804]

26th August Sunday 1804 (Joined the Boat at 9 oClock A M) after Jurking the meat Killed yesterday and prepareing the Elk Skins for a Toe Roape we Set out Leaveing Drewyer & Shannon to hunt the horses which was lost with directions to follow us Keeping on the high lands.

proceeded on pa.s.sed a Clift of White & Blue or Dark earths of 2 miles in extent on the L. S. and Camped on a Sand bar opposed the old village Called Pit.i.te Arc a Small Creek falls into the river 15 yds wide below the Village on the Same Side L. S this village was built by a Indian Chief of the Maha nation by the name of Pit.i.te arc (or little Bow) displeasd. with the Great Chief of that nation (Black Bird) Seperated with 200 men and built a village at this place. after his death the two villages joined, apt. Pat Ga.s.s a Sergt. Vice Floyd Deceased

Great qts. of Grape, Plumbs of three Kinds 2 yellow and large of one of which is long and a 3rd kind round & red all well flavored.

perticularly the yellow Sort.

[Lewis, August 26, 1804]

Orders August 26th 1804.

The commanding officers have thought it proper to appoint Patric Ga.s.s, a Sergeant in the corps of volunteers for North Western Discovery, he is therefore to be obeyed and respected accordingly.

Sergt. Ga.s.s is directed to take charge of the late Sergt. Floyd's mess, and immediately to enter on the discharge of such other duties, as by their previous orders been prescribed for the government of the Sergeants of this corps.

The Commanding officers have every reason to hope from the previous faithfull services of Sergt. Ga.s.s, that this expression of their approbation will be still further confirmed, by his vigilent attention in future to his duties as a Sergeant. the Commanding officers are still further confirmed in the high opinion they had previously formed of the capacity, deligence and integrety of Sergt. Ga.s.s, from the wish expresssed by a large majority of his comrades for his appointment as Sergeant.

Meriwether Lewis Capt. 1st U.S. Regt Infty.

Wm Clark Cpt &.

[Clark, August 27, 1804]

27th August Monday, this morning the Morning Star was observed to be very large, G Drewyer Came up and informed that he Could neither find Shannon or the horses, he had walked all night--we Sent s.h.i.+elds & J.

Fields back to look for Shannon & the horses and to Come up with us on the river above at the grand Callemet or River KaCure & we Set out under a Gentle Breeze from the S. E. proceeded on pa.s.sed a Bluff at 7 mes. Several mile in extent of white Clay Marl or Chalk, under this bank we discovered Large Stone resembling lime incrusted with a Substanc like Gla.s.s which I take to be Cabolt, also ore, three mes above this Bluff we Set the Prarie on fire, to let the Soues Know, we wished to see them at two oClock an Indian Swam to the Perogue, we landed & two other Came they were boys, they informed us that the Souex were Camped near, on the R Jacke one Maha boy informed us his nation was gorn to make a peace with the Pania's we Send Sjt. Pryor & a frenchman with the Interptr. Mr. Durion to the Camp to See & invite their Great Chiefs to Come and Counsel with us at the Callemet Bluffs ____ Mile abov on L. S.--we proceed on 11/2 miles farther & Camped S S.

[Clark, August 27, 1804]

27th August Monday 1804 This morning the Star Calld. the morning Star much larger than Common G. Drewyer Came up and informed that he Could neither find Shannon nor horses, we Sent s.h.i.+elds & J Fields, back to hunt Shannon & the horses, with derections to Keep on the Hills to the Grand Calumet above on River Ka cure.

We Set Sail under a gentle Breeze from the S. E. at 7 miles pa.s.sed a white Clay marl or Chalk Bluff under this Bluff is extensive I discovered large Stone much like lime incrusted with a Clear Substance which I believe to be Cabalt, also ore is imbeded in the Dark earth, resembling Slate much Softer--above this Bluff we had the Prarie Set on fire to let the Souix See that we were on the river, & as a Signal for them to Come to it.

at 2 oClock pa.s.sed the mouth of River Jacque, or Yeankton one Indian at the mouth of this river Swam to the Perogue, we landed and two others came to us, those Inds. informed that a large Camp of Soues, were on R.

Jacque near the mouth. we Sent Sergt. Pryor & a Frenchman with Mr.

Durioin the Souls interpeter to the Camp with derections to invite the Princ.i.p.al Chiefs to councel with us at a Bluff above Called the Calumet--two of those Indians accompanied them and the third continued in the Boat Showing an inclination to Continue, this boy is a Mahar, and inform that his nation, were gorn to the Parnias to make a peace with that nation.

We proceeded on about one and a half miles and in Camped on a bar makeing out from the S. S. the wind blew hard from the South. a Cool & Pleasent evening, The river has fallen verry Slowly and is now low.

[Lewis, August 27, 1804]

Monday August 27th On the Stard. sh.o.r.e, opposite to the lower point, or commencement of the white Calk Bluff-