Lewis: April 11, 1805

Thursday April 11th Set out at an early hour; I proceeded with the party
and Capt Clark with George Drewyer walked on shore in order to procure
some fresh meat if possible. we proceeded on abot five miles, and halted
for breakfast, when Capt Clark and Drewyer joined us; the latter had
killed, and brought with him a deer which was at this moment excepable as
we had had no fresh meat for several days. the country from fort Mandan to
this place is so constantly hunted by the Minetaries that there is but
little game we halted at two P.M. and made a comfortable dinner on a
venison stake and beavers tales with the bisquit which got wet on the 8th
inst. by the accidant of the canoe filling with water before mentioned.
the powder which got wet by the same accedent, and which we had spread to
dry on the baggage of the large perogue, was now examined and put up; it
appears to be almost restored, and our loss is therefore not so great as
we had at first apprehended.the country much the same as yesterday.
on the sides of the hills and even the banks of the rivers and sandbars,
there is a white substance that appears in considerable quantities on the
surface of the earth, which tastes like a mixture of common salt and
glauber salts. many of the springs which flow from the base of the river
hills are so strongly impregnated with this substance that the water is
extreemly unpleasant to the taste and has a purgative effect.saw
some large white cranes pass up the river- these are the largest bird of
that genus common to the country through which the Missouri and
Mississippi pass. they are perfectly white except the large feathers of
the two first joints of the wing which are black. we encamped this evening
on the Stard. shore just above the point of woodland which formed to
extremity of the last course of this day. there is a high bluff opposite
to us, under which we saw some Indians, but the river is here so wide that
we could not speake to them; suppose them to be a hunting party of
Minetares.we killed two gees today.