The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Lewis, April 26, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Lewis, April 26, 1806

Saturday April 26th 1806. This morning early we set forward and at the distance of three miles entered a low level plain country of great extent. here the river hills are low and receede a great distance from the river this low country commenced on the S. side of the river about 10 miles below our encampment of last evening. these plains are covered with a variety of herbatious plants, grass, and three speceis of shrubs specimines of which I have preserved. at the distance of twelve miles we halted near a few willows which afforded us a sufficient quantity of fuel to cook our dinner which consisted of the ballance of the dogs we had purchased yesterday evening and some jirked Elk. we were overtaken today by several families of the natives who were traveling up the river with a number of horses; they continued with us much to our annoyance as the day was worm the roads dusty and we could not prevent their horses from crouding in and breaking our order of mach without using some acts of severity which we did not wish to commit. after dinner we continued our march through the level plain near the river 16 Ms. and encamped about a mile below three lodges of the Wollah wollah nation, and about 7 Ms. above our encampment of the 19 of October last. after we encamped a little Indian boy caught several chubbs with a bone in this form which he substituted for a hook. these fish were of about 9 inches long small head large abdomen, small where the tail joined the body, the tail wide long in proportion and forked. the back and ventral fins were equadistant from the head and had each 10 bony rays, the fns next the gills nine each and that near the tail 12. the upper exceeded the under jaw, the latter is truncate at the extremity and the tonge and pallet are smooth. the colour is white on the sides and belley and a blewish brown on the back. the iris of the eye is of a silvery colour and puple black.- we covered ourselves partially this evening from the rain by means of an old tent.