Lewis: June 29, 1805

Saturday June 29th 1805. This morning we experienced a heavy shower of
rain for about an hour after which it became fair. not having seen the
large fountain of which Capt. Clark spoke I determined to visit it today
as I could better spare this day from my attention to the boat than
probably any other when the work would be further advanced; accordingly
after seting the hands at their several employments I took Drewyer and
seet out for the fountain and passed through a level beautiful plain for
about Six miles when I reached the brake of the river hills here we were
overtaken by a violent gust of wind and rain from the S. W. attended with
thunder and Litning. I expected a hail storm probably from this cloud and
therefore took refuge in a little gully wher there were some broad stones
with which I purposed protecting my head if we should have a repetition of
the seene of the 27th but fortunately we had but little hail and that not
large; I sat very composedly for about an hour without sheter and took a
copious drenching of rain; after the shower was over I continued my rout
to the fountain which I found much as Capt. C; had discribed & think
it may well be retained on the list of prodegies of this neighbourhood
towards which, nature seems to have dealt with a liberal hand, for I have
scarcely experienced a day since my first arrival in this quarter without
experiencing some novel occurrence among the party or witnessing the
appearance of some uncommon object. I think this fountain the largest I
ever beheld, and the hadsome cascade which it affords over some steep and
irregular rocks in it’s passage to the river adds not a little to it’s
beauty. it is about 25 yds. from the river, situated in a pretty little
level plain, and has a suddon decent of about 6 feet in one part of it’s
course. the water of this fountain is extreemly tranparent and cold; nor
is it impregnated with lime or any other extranious matter which I can
discover, but is very pure and pleasent. it’s waters marke their passage
as Capt. Clark observes for a considerable distance down the Missouri
notwithstanding it’s rapidity and force. the water of the fountain boil up
with such force near it’s center that it’s surface in that part seems even
higher than the surrounding earth which is a firm handsom terf of fine
green grass. after amusing myself about 20 minutes in examining the
fountain I found myself so chilled with my wet cloaths that I determined
to return and accordingly set out; on our way to camp we found a buffaloe
dead which we had shot as we came out and took a parsel of the meat to
camp it was in very good order; the hump and tongue of a fat buffaloe I
esteem great delicasies. on my arrival at camp I was astonished not to
find the party yet arrived, but then concluded that probably the state of
the praries had detained them, as in the wet state in which they are at
present the mud sticks to the wheels is such manner that they are obliged
to halt frequently and clense them. Transaction and occurrencies which
took place with Capt. Clark and party today.

Shortly after the rain which fell early this morning he found it
imposseble from the state of the plains for the party to reach the upper
extremity of the portage with their present load, and therefore sent back
almost all of the party to bring the baggage which had been left behind
yesterday. he determined himself to pass by the way of the river to camp
in order to supply the deficiency of some notes and remarks which he had
made as he first ascended the river but which he had unfortunately lost.
accordingly he left one man at Willow run to guard the baggage and took
with him his black man York, Sharbono and his indian woman also
accompanyed Capt. C. on his arrival at the falls he perceived a very black
cloud rising in the West which threatened immediate rain; he looked about
for a shelter but could find none without being in great danger of being
blown into the river should the wind prove as violent as it sometimes is
on those occasions in these plains; at length about a 1/4 of a mile above
the falls he discovered a deep rivene where there were some shelving rocks
under which he took shelter near the river with Sharbono and the Indian
woman; laying their guns compass &c. under a shelving rock on the
upper side of the rivene where they were perfectly secure from the rain.
the first shower was moderate accompanyed by a violent rain the effects of
which they did but little feel; soon after a most violent torrent of rain
decended accompanyed with hail; the rain appeared to decend in a body and
instantly collected in the rivene and came down in a roling torrent with
irrisistable force driving rocks mud and everything before it which
opposed it’s passage, Capt. C. fortunately discovered it a moment before
it reached them and seizing his gun and shot pouch with his left hand with
the right he assisted himself up the steep bluff shoving occasionaly the
Indian woman before him who had her child in her arms; Sharbono had the
woman by the hand indeavouring to pull her up the hill but was so much
frightened that he remained frequently motionless and but for Capt. C.
both himself and his woman and child must have perished. so suddon was the
rise of the water that before Capt C could reach his gun and begin to
ascend the bank it was up to his waist and wet his watch; and he could
scarcely ascend faster than it arrose till it had obtained the debth of 15
feet with a current tremendious to behold. one moment longer & it
would have swept them into the river just above the great cataract of 87
feet where they must have inevitably perished. Sarbono lost his gun shot
pouch, horn, tomahawk, and my wiping rod; Capt. Clark his Umbrella and
compas or circumferenter. they fortunately arrived on the plain safe,
where they found the black man, York, in surch of them; york had seperated
from them a little while before the storm, in pursuit of some buffaloe and
had not seen them enter the rivene; when this gust came on he returned in
surch of them & not being able to find them for some time was much
allarmed. the bier in which the woman carrys her child and all it’s
cloaths wer swept away as they lay at her feet she having time only to
grasp her child; the infant was therefore very cold and the woman also who
had just recovered from a severe indisposition was also wet and cold, Capt
C. therefore relinquished his intended rout and returned to the camp at
willow run in order also to obtain dry cloathes for himself and directed
them to follow him. on Capt. Clark’s arrival at camp he found that the
party dispatched for the baggage had returned in great confusion and
consternation leaving their loads in the plains; the men who were all
nearly naked and no covering on the head were sorely mawled with the hail
which was so large and driven with such force by the wind that it nocked
many of them (town and one particulary as many as three times most of them
were bleeding freely and complained of being much bruised. willow run
raised about 6 feet with this rain and the plains were so wet they could
do nothing more this evening. Capt. C. gave the party a dram to console
them in some measure for their general defeat.