Clark: October 20, 1804
20th of October 1804 wind from the S E, I walked out to view those
remarkable places pointed out by Evens, and continud all day Saw an old
Village of the Mandans below the Chess chi ter R. appear to have been
fortified above the village on the Same L. S. is a coal bank where we
Campd. passed a Small Creek on the S. S. and an Island on the L. S Covered
with willows Small Cotton the Countrey thro which I passed this day is
Delightfull, Timber in the bottoms, Saw great nos. of Buffalow Elk Goats
& Deer as we were in want of them I Killed 3 Deer, our hunters 10 Deer
and wounded a white Bear, I Saw Several fresh tracks of that animal double
the Sise of the largest track I ever Saw, great numbers of wolves, those
animals follow the buffalow and devour, those that die or are Killed, and
those too fat or pore to Keep up with the gangue
—
20th of October Satterday 1804 Set out early this morning and proceeded on
the wind from the S. E after brackfast I walked out on the L. Side to See
those remarkable places pointed out by Evins, I saw an old remains of a
villige on the Side of a hill which the Chief with us Too ne tels me that
nation lived in a number villages on each Side of the river and the
Troubleson Seauex caused them to move about 40 miles higher up where they
remained a fiew years & moved to the place they now live, (2) passed a
Small Creek on the S. S. (3) and one on the L. S. passed (4) a Island
Covered with willows laying in the middle of the river no current on the
L. S. Camped on the L. S. above a Bluff containing Coal (5) of an inferior
quallity, this bank is imedeately above the old village of the Mandans-
The Countrey is fine, the high hills at a Distanc with gradual assents, I
Kild 3 Deer The Timber Confined to the bottoms as usial which is much
larger than below. Great numbers of Buffalow Elk & Deer, Goats. our
hunters killed 10 Deer & a Goat to day and wounded a white Bear I saw
Several fresh track of those animals which is 3 times as large as a mans
track-, The wind hard all Day from the N. E. & East, great numbers of
buffalow Swiming the river
I observe near all large gangues of buffalow wolves and when the buffalow
move those Anamals follow and feed on those that are killed by accident or
those that are too pore or fat to Keep up with the gangue.
