Lewis: April 17, 1805

Wednesday April 17th 1805. A delightfull morning, set out at an erly hour.
the country though which we passed to (lay was much the same as that
discribed of yesterday; there wase more appearance of birnt hills,
furnishing large quanties of lava and pumice stone, of the latter some
pieces were seen floating down the river. Capt. Clark walked on shore this
morning on the Stard. side, and did not join us untill half after six in
the evening. he informed me that he had seen the remains of the
Assinniboin encampments in every point of woodland through which he had
passed. we saw immence quantities of game in every direction around us as
we passed up the river; consisting of herds of Buffaloe, Elk, and
Antelopes with some deer and woolves. tho we continue to see many tracks
of the bear we have seen but very few of them, and those are at a great
distance generally runing from us; I thefore presume that they are
extreemly wary and shy; the Indian account of them dose not corrispond
with our experience so far. one black bear passed near the perogues on the
16th and was seen by myself and the party but he so quickly disappeared
that we did not shoot at him.at the place we halted to dine on the
Lard. side we met with a herd of buffaloe of which I killed the fatest as
I concieved among them, however on examining it I found it so poar that I
thought it unfit for uce and only took the tongue; the party killed
another which was still more lean. just before we encamped this evening we
saw some tracks of Indians who had passed about 24 hours; they left four
rafts of timber on the Stard. side, on which they had passed. we supposed
them to have been a party of the Assinniboins who had been to war against
the rocky mountain Indians, and then on their return. Capt. Clark saw a
Curlou today. there were three beaver taken this morning by the party. the
men prefer the flesh of this anamal, to that of any other which we have,
or are able to procure at this moment. I eat very heartily of the beaver
myself, and think it excellent; particularly the tale, and liver. we had a
fair wind today which enabled us to sail the greater part of the distance
we have travled, encamped on the Lard shore the extremity of the last
course