Lewis: June 15, 1805

Saturday June 15th 1805. This morning the men again were sent to bring in
some more meat which Drewyer had killed yesterday, and continued the
opperation of drying it. I amused myself in fishing, and sleeping away the
fortiegues of yesterday. I caught a number of very fine trout which I made
Goodrich dry; goodrich also caught about two douzen and several small cat
of a yellow colour which would weigh about 4 lbs. the tails was seperated
with a deep angular nitch like that of the white cat of the missouri from
which indeed they differed only in colour. when I awoke from my sleep
today I found a large rattlesnake coiled on the leaning trunk of a tree
under the shade of which I had been lying at the distance of about ten
feet from him. I killed the snake and found that he had 176 scuta on the
abdomen and i’7 half formed scuta on the tale; it was of the same kinde
which I had frequently seen before; they do not differ in their colours
from the rattle snake common to the middle attlantic states, but
considerably in the form and figures of those colours. This evening after
dark Joseph Fields returned and informed me that Capt Clark had arrived
with the party at the foot of a rappid about 5 miles below which he did
not think proper to ascend and would wait my arrival there. I had
discovered from my journey yesterday that a portage on this side of the
river will be attended by much difficulty in consequence of several deep
ravines which intersect the plains nearly at right angles with the river
to a considerable distance, while the South side appears to be a
delighfull smoth unbroken plain; the bearings of the river also make it
pobable that the portage will be shorter on that side than on this.I
directed Fields to return early in the morning to Capt. C. and request him
to send up a party of men for the dryed meat which we had made. I finde a
very heavy due on the grass about my camp every morning which no doubt
procedes from the mist of the falls, as it takes place no where in the
plains nor on the river except here.