Lewis: April 20, 1805

Saturday April 20th 1805. The wind continued to blow tolerably hard this
morning but by no means as violently as it (lid yesterday; we determined
to set out and accordingly departed a little before seven. I walked on
shore on the N. side of the river, and Capt Clark proceeded with the
party. the river bottoms through which I passed about seven miles were
fertil and well covered with Cottonwood some Box alder, ash and red Elm.
the under brush, willow, rose bushes Honeysuccle, red willow, goosbury,
currant and servicebury & in the open grounds along the foot of the
river hills immence quantities of the hisop. in the course of my walk I
killed two deer, wounded an Elk and a deer; saw the remains of some Indian
hunting camps, near which stood a small scaffold of about 7 feet high on
which were deposited two doog slays with their harnis. underneath this
scaffold a human body was lying, well rolled in several dressed buffaloe
skins and near it a bag of the same materials containg sundry articles
belonging to the disceased; consisting of a pare of mockersons, some red
and blue earth, beaver’s nails, instruments for dressing the Buffalo skin,
some dryed roots, several platts of the sweet grass, and a small quantity
of Mandan tobacco.I presume that the body, as well as the bag
containing these articles, had formerly been placed on the scaffold as is
the custom of these people, but had fallen down by accedent. near the
scaffold I saw the carcase of a large dog not yet decayed, which I
supposed had been killed at the time the human body was left on the
scaffold; this was no doubt the reward, which the poor doog had met with
for performing the ____-friendly office to his mistres of transporting her
corps to the place of deposit. it is customary with the Assinniboins,
Mandans, Minetares &c who scaffold their dead, to sacrefice the
favorite horses and doggs of their disceased relations, with a view of
their being servicable to them in the land of sperits. I have never heard
of any instances of human sacrefices on those occasions among them.

The wind blew so hard that I concluded it was impossible fror the perogues
and canoes to proceed and therefore returned and joined them about three
in the evening. Capt. Clark informed me that soon after seting out, a part
of the bank of the river fell in near one of the canoes and had very
nearly filled her with water. that the wind became so hard and the waves
so high that it was with infinite risk he had been able to get as far as
his present station. the white perrogue and several of the canoes had
shiped water several times but happily our stores were but little injured;
those which were wet we put out to dry and determined to remain untill the
next morning. we sent out four hunters who soon added 3 Elk 4 gees and 2
deer to our stock of provisions. the party caught six beaver today which
were large and in fine order. the Buffaloe, Elk and deer are poor at this
season, and of tours are not very palitable, however our good health and
apetites make up every necessary deficiency, and we eat very heartily of
them.- encamped on Stard side; under a high well timbered bank.