The Journals of Lewis & Clark: July 10, 1805

July 9, 1805

July 11, 1805

July 10, 1805

Wednesday July 10th 1805.

Capt. Clark set out with his party early this morning and passed over to the opposite side. after which I dispatched Sergt. Ordway with 4 Canoes and 8 men to take up a load of baggage as far as Capt. Clark's camp and return for the remainder of our plunder. with six others I now set to work on my boat, which had been previously drawn out of the water before the men departed, and in two hours had her fraim in readiness to be deposited. had a cash dug and deposited the Fraim of the boat, some papers and a few other trivial articles of but little importance. the wind blew very hard the greater part of the day. I also had the truck wheels buried in the pit which had been made to hold the tar. having nothing further to do I amused myself in fishing and caught a few small fish; they were of the species of white chub mentioned below the falls, tho they are small and few in number. I had thought on my first arrival here that there were no fish in this part of the river. Capt. Clark proceeded up the river 8 miles by land (distance by water 231/4) and found 2 trees of Cottonwood and cut them down; one proved to be hollow and split in falling at the upper part and was somewhat windshaken at bottom; the other proved to be much windshaken. he surched the bottom for better but could not find any he therefore determined to make canoes of those which he had fallen; and to contract their length in such manner as to clear the craks and the worst of the windsken parts making up the deficiency by allowing them to be as wide as the trees would permit. they were much at a loss for wood to make axhandles. the Chokecherry is the best we can procure for this purpose and of that wood they made and broke thir 13 handles in the course of this part of a day. had the eyes of our axes been round they would have answered this country much better. the musquetoes were very troublesome to them as well as ourselves today. Sergt. Ordway proceeded up the river about 5 miles when the wind became so violent that he was obliged to ly by untill late in the evening when he again set out with the canoes and arrived within 3 miles of Capt. Clark's Camp where he halted for the night. about five miles above whitebear camp there are two Islands in the river covered with Cottonwood box alder and some sweet willow also the undergrowth like that of the islands at this place.-

July 10th Wednesday 1805

a fair windey day wind hard the most of the day from the S. W.rained modderately all last night (by Showers) we dispatched Serjt. Ordway with 4 Canoes loaded & 8 men by water to assend as high as I Should have found timber for Canoes & formed a Camp;-. I Set out with Sergt. Pryor four Choppers two Involids & one man to hunt, Crossed to the Std. Side and proceeded on up the river 8 miles by land (distance by water 231/4 ms.) and found two Trees which I thought would make Canoes, had them fallen, one of them proved to be hollow & Split at one End & verry much win Shaken at the other, the other much win Shaken, we Serched the bottoms for better trees and made a trial of Several which proved to be more indifferent. I deturmined to make Canoes out of the two first trees we had fallen, to Contract thir length so as to clear the hollow & winshakes, & ad to the width as much as the tree would allow. The Musquitors emencely noumerous & troublesom, Killed two deer & a goat. The Canoes did not arrive as I expected, owing to the hard wind which blew a head in maney places. we ar much at a loss for wood to make ax hilthes,13 hath been made & broken in this piece of a day by the four Choppers, no other wood but Cotton Box elder Choke Cherry and red arrow wood. we Substitute the Cherry in place of Hickory for ax hilthes ram rods, &c. &c.