Lewis: April 12, 1805

Friday April the 12th 1805. Set out at an early hour. our peroge and the
Canoes passed over to the Lard side in order to avoid a bank which was
rappidly falling in on the Stard. the red perogue contrary to my
expectation or wish passed under this bank by means of her toe line where
I expected to have seen her carried under every instant. I did not
discover that she was about to make this attempt untill it was too late
for the men to reembark, and retreating is more dangerous than proceeding
in such cases; they therefore continued their passage up this bank, and
much to my satisfaction arrived safe above it. this cost me some moments
of uneasiness, her cargo was of much importance to us in our present
advanced situationWe proceeded on six miles and came too on the
lower side of the entrance of the little Missouri on the Lard shore in a
fine plain where we determined to spend the day for the purpose of
celestial observation. we sent out 10 hunters to procure some fresh meat.
at this place made the following observations.-

The night proved so cloudy that I could make no further observations.
George Drewyer shot a Beaver this morning, which we found swiming in the
river a small distance below the entrance of the little Missouri. the
beaver being seen in the day, is a proof that they have been but little
hunted, as they always keep themselves closly concealed during the day
where they are so.found a great quantity of small onions in the
plain where we encamped; had some of them collected and cooked, found them
agreeable. the bulb grows single, is of an oval form, white, and about the
size of a small bullet; the leaf resembles that of the shive, and the
hunters returned this eying with one deer only. the country about the
mouth of this river had been recently hunted by the Minetares, and the
little game which they had not killed and frightened away, was so
extreemly shy that the hunters could not get in shoot of them.

The little Missouri disembogues on the S. side of the Missouri 1693 miles
from the confluence of the latter with the Mississippi. it is 134 yards
wide at it’s mouth, and sets in with a bould current but it’s greatest
debth is not more than 21/2 feet. it’s navigation is extreemly difficult,
owing to it’s rapidity, shoals and sand bars. it may however be navigated
with small canoes a considerable distance. this river passes through the
Northern extremity of the black hills where it is very narrow and rapid
and it’s banks high an perpendicular. it takes it’s rise in a broken
country West of the Black hills with the waters of the yellow stone river,
and a considerable distance S. W. of the point at which it passes the
black hills. the country through which it passes is generally broken and
the highlands possess but little timber. there is some timber in it’s
bottom lands, which consists of Cottonwood red Elm, with a small
proportion of small Ash and box alder. the under brush is willow, red
wood, (sometimes called red or swamp willow-) the red burry, and Choke
cherry the country is extreamly broken about the mouth of this river, and
as far up on both sides, as we could observe it from the tops of some
elivated hills, which stand betwen these two rivers, about 3 miles from
their junction. the soil appears fertile and deep, it consists generally
of a dark rich loam intermixed with a small proportion of fine sand. this
river in it’s course passed near the N. W. side of the turtle mountain,
which is said to be no more than 4 or 5 leagues distant from it’s entrance
in a straight direction, a little to the S. of West.this mountain
and the knife river have therefore been laid down too far S. W. the colour
of the water, the bed of the river, and it’s appearance in every respect,
resembles the Missouri; I am therefore induced to believe that the texture
of the soil of the country in which it takes it’s rise, and that through
which it passes, is similar to the country through which the Missouri
passes after leaving the woody country, or such as we are now in.on
the side of a hill not distant from our camp I found some of the dwarf
cedar of which I preserved a specimen (See No. 2). this plant spreads it’s
limbs alonge the surface of the earth, where they are sometimes covered,
and always put forth a number of roots on the under side, while on the
upper there are a great number of small shoots which with their leaves
seldom rise higher than 6 or eight inches. they grow so close as perfectly
to conceal the eath. it is an evergreen; the leaf is much more delicate
than the common Cedar, and it’s taste and smell the same. I have often
thought that this plant would make very handsome edgings to the borders
and walks of a garden; it is quite as handsom as box, and would be much
more easily propegated.the appearance of the glauber salts and
Carbonated wood still continue.