Clark: May 21, 1806

Wednesday 21st May 1806 rained this morning. Shields and Gibson Set out to
hunt towards the mountains. Collins Came in to day and Stayed in about two
hours, he has killed nothing Since he went out last. we Set 5 Men at work
to build a Canoe for the purpose of takeing fish and passing the river and
for which we can get a good horse. as our tent is not Sufficient to keep
off the rain we are Compelled to have Some other resort for a Security
from the repeeted Showers which fall. we have a small half circular place
made and Covered with grass which makes a very Secure Shelter for us to
Sleep under. We devided our Store of merchindize amongst our party for the
purpose of precureing Some roots &c. of the nativs to each mans part
amounted to about an awl Knitting pin a little paint and Some thread &
2 Needles which is but a Scanty dependance for roots to take us over those
Great Snowey Barriers (rocky mountains) which is and will be the Cause of
our Detention in this neighbourhood probably untill the 10 or 15 of June.
they are at this time Covered deep with Snow. the plains on the high
Country above us is also covered with Snow. Serjt. Ordway, Goodrich, &
Willard went to the village to day to precure a fiew roots. we eate the
last of our meat for Dinner to day, and our only Certain dependance is the
roots we Can precure from the nativs for the fiew articles we have left
those roots with what Game we Can precure from the wods will probably last
us untill the arival of the Salmon. if they Should not; we have a horse in
Store ready to be killed which the indians have offered to us. Willard
returned from the Village. Sergt. Ordway and Goodrich Continued all night.
one of the men brought me a young Sandhill Crain which was about 5 or 6
days old it was of a yellowish brown Colour, about the Size of a
partridge. Those Crains are very abundant in every part of this country in
pars of two, and Sometimes three together.

the party had gathered roots with leaves still attached they probably
could have been sorted with Indian assistance. However, the parsley family
(Apiaceae) is one of the most diverse and confusing plant families in the
region, and Lewis could not be sure that the men would not bring back some
other poisonous species not well known to the Indians. The decision to
purchase roots was probably prudent.