Lewis: July 30, 1805

Tuesday July 30th 1805. Capt. Clark being much better this morning and
having completed my observations we reloaded our canoes and set out,
ascending Jeffersons river. Sharbono, his woman two invalleds and myself
walked through the bottom on the Lard. side of the river about 41/2 miles
when we again struck it at the place the woman informed us that she was
taken prisoner. here we halted untill Capt. Clark arrived which was not
untill after one P.M. the water being strong and the river extreemly
crooked. we dined and again proceeded on; as the river now passed through
the woods the invalleds got on board together with Sharbono and the Indian
woman; I passed the river and continued my walk on the Stard. side. saw a
vast number of beaver in many large dams which they had maid in various
bayoes of the river which are distributed to the distance of three or four
miles on this side of the river over an extensive bottom of timbered and
meadow lands intermixed. in order to avoid these bayoes and beaver dams
which I found difficult to pass I directed my course to the high plain to
the right which I gained after some time with much difficulty and waiding
many beaver dams to my waist in mud and water. I would willingly have
joined the canoes but the brush were so thick, the river crooked and
bottoms intercepted in such manner by the beaver dams, that I found it
uceless to attempt to find them, and therefore proceeded on up the river
in order to intersept it where it came near the plain and woult be more
collected into one channel. at length about sunset I arrived at the river
only about six miles from my calculation on a direct line from the place I
had left the canoes but I thought they were still below me. I found the
river was divided where I reached it by an Island and was therefore
fearfull that they might pass without my seeing them, and went down to the
lower point of the large island; here I discovered a small Island, close
under the shore on which I was; I passed the narrow channel to the small
island and examined the gravly bar along the edge of the river for the
tracks of the men, knowing from the appearance of the river at this place
that if they had passed they would have used the cord on the side where I
was. I saw no tracks and was then fully convinced that they were below me.
I fired my gun and hallooed but counld hear nothing of them. by this time
it was getting nearly dark and a duck lit on the shore in about 40 steps
of me and I killed it; having now secured my supper I looked our for a
suitable place to amuse myself in combating the musquetoes for the
ballance of the evening. I found a parsel of drift wood at the head of the
little Island on which I was and immediately set it on fire and collected
some willow brush to lye on. I cooked my duck which I found very good and
after eating it layed down and should have had a comfortable nights lodge
but for the musquetoes which infested me all night. late at night I was
awakened by the nois of some animal runing over the stoney bar on which I
lay but did not see it; from the weight with which it ran I supposed it to
be either an Elk or a brown bear. the latter are very abundant in this
neighbourhood. the night was cool but I felt very little inconvenience
from it as I had a large fire all night. Capt. Clark had proceeded on
after I seperated from him and encamped on a islad. only about 2 miles
below me but did not hear the report of my gun nor of my hooping.-I saw
some deer and antelopes.