Clark: June 23, 1805

June 23rd Sunday 1805 a Cloudy morning wind from the S. E, after getting
the Canoe to Camp & the articles left in the plains we eate brackfast
of the remaining meat found in Camp & I with the party the truck
wheels & poles to Stick up in the prarie as a guide, Set out on our
return, we proceeded on, & measured the Way which I Streightened
considerably from that I went on yesterday, and arrived at our lower camp
in Suffcent time to take up 2 Canoes on the top of the hill from the
Creek, found all Safe at Camp the men mended their mockersons with double
Soles to Save their feet from the prickley pear, (which abounds in the
Praries,) and the hard ground which in Some & maney places So hard as
to hurt the feet verry much, the emence number of Buffalow after the last
rain has trod the flat places in Such a manner as to leave it uneaven, and
that has tried and is wors than frozen ground, added to those
obstructions, the men has to haul with all their Strength wate & art,
maney times every man all catching the grass & knobes & Stones
with their hands to give them more force in drawing on the Canoes &
Loads, and notwithstanding the Coolness of the air in high presperation
and every halt, those not employed in reparing the Couse; are asleep in a
moment, maney limping from the Soreness of their feet Some become fant for
a fiew moments, but no man Complains all go Chearfully onto State
the fatigues of this party would take up more of the journal than other
notes which I find Scercely time to Set down. I had the best rout Staked
out and measured which is 17 miles 3/4 to the river & 1/2 a mile up
i.e 181/4 miles portagefrom the lower rapid to the 1st Creek is 286
poles, to a Deep run of water, Called Willow Run is 6 miles thence to the
river 3 miles above Medison Riv at 3 Island Called White Bear Islands is
11 miles all prarie without wood or water except at the Creek & run
which afford a plenty of fine water and a little wood the plain is
tolerably leavel except at the river a Small assent & passing a low
hill from the Creek a rough & Steep assent for about 1/4 of a mile and
Several Gullies & a gradual hill for 11/2 miles the heads of Several
gullies which have Short assents & the willow run of a Steep hill on
this run grows Purple & red Currents. the red is now ripe the Purple
full grown, an emence number of Prarie birds now Setting of two kinds one
larger than a Sparrow dark yellow the Center feathers of its tail yellow
& the out Sides black Some Streeks about its neck, the other about the
Same Size White tail