Clark: May 5, 1805

5th of May Sunday 1805 We Set out verry early and had not proceeded far
before the rudder Irons of one of the Perogus broke which detained us a
Short time Capt Lewis walked on Shore this morning and killed a Deer,
after brackfast I walked on Shore Saw great numbers of Buffalow & Elk
Saw also a Den of young wolves, and a number of (frown wolves in every
direction, the white & Grey Brant is in this part of the Missouri I
shot at the white brant but at So great a distance I did not kill, The
Countrey on both sides is as yesterday, handsom & fertileThe
river rising & Current Strong & in the evening we Saw a Brown or
Grisley beare on a Sand beech, I went out with one man Geo. Drewyer &
Killed the bear, which was verry large and a turrible looking animal,
which we found verry hard to kill we Shot ten Balls into him before we
killed him, & 5 of those Balls through his lights This animal is the
largest of the Carnivorous kind I ever Saw we had nothing that could way
him, I think his weight may be Stated at 500 pounds, he measured 8 feet
71/2 In. from his nose to the extremity of the Toe, 5 feet 101/2 in.
arround the breast, 1 feet 11 Ins. around the middle of the arm, 3 feet 11
Ins. arround the neck his tallents was 4 Inches &3/8 long, he was good
order, and appeared verry different from the Common black bear in as much
as his tallents were blunt, his tail Short, his liver & lights much
larger, his maw ten times as large and Contained meat or flesh & fish
onlywe had him Skined and divided, the oile tried up & put in
Kegs for use. we Camped on the Stard Side, our men killed three Elk and a
Buffalow to day, and our Dog Cought an antilope a fair race, this animal
appeared verry pore & with young.