Lewis: July 11, 1806

July 11th 1806. the morning was fair and the plains looked beatifull the
grass much improved by the late rain. the air was pleasant and a vast
assemblage of little birds which croud to the groves on the river sung
most enchantingly. we set out early. I sent the hunters down Medicine
river to hunt Elk and proceeded with the party across the plain to the
white bear Islands which I found to be 8 ms. distant my course S. 75 E.-
through a level beautiful) and extensive high plain covered with immence
birds of buffaloe.it is now the season at which the buffaloe begin
to coppelate and the bulls keep a tremendious roaring we could hear them
for many miles and there are such numbers of them that there is one
continual roar. our horses had not been acquainted with the buffaloe they
appeared much allarmed at their appearance and bellowing. when I arrived
in sight of the whitebear Islands the missouri bottoms on both sides of
the river were crouded with buffaloe I sincerely belief that there were
not less than 10 thousand buffaloe within a circle of 2 miles arround that
place. I met with the hunters at a little grove of timber opposite to the
island where they had killed a cowl and were waiting our arrival. they had
met with no elk. I directed the hunters to kill some buffaloe as well for
the benifit of their skins to enable us to pass the river as for their
meat for the men I meant to leave at this place. we unloaded our horses
and encamped opposite to the Islands. had the cow skined and some willows
sticks collected to make canoes of the hides by 12 OCk. they killed eleven
buffaloe most of them in fine order. the bulls are now generally much
fatter than the cows and are fine beef. I sent out all hands with the
horses to assist in buthering and bringing in the meat by 3 in the evening
we had brought in a large quantity of fine beef and as many hides as we
wanted for canoes shelters and geer. I then set all hands to prepare two
canoes the one we made after the mandan fassion with a single skin in the
form of a bason and the other we constructed of two skins on a plan of our
own. we were unable to compleat our canoes this evening. the wind blew
very hard. we continued our operations untill dark and then retired to
rest. I intend giving my horses a couple of days rest at this place and
deposit all my baggage which is not necessary to my voyage up medicine
river.