Lewis: May 8, 1805

Wednesday May 8th 1805. Set out at an early hour under a gentle brieze
from the East. a black cloud which suddonly sprung up at S. E. soon over
shaddowed the horizon; at 8 A.M. it gave us a slight sprinke of rain, the
wind became much stronger but not so much so as to detain us. we nooned it
just above the entrance of a large river which disimbogues on the Lard.
side; I took the advantage of this leasure moment and examined the river
about 3 miles; I found it generally 150 yards wide, and in some places
200. it is deep, gentle in it’s courant and affords a large boddy of
water; it’s banks which are formed of a dark rich loam and blue clay are
abbrupt and about 12 feet high. it’s bed is principally mud. I have no
doubt but it is navigable for boats perogues and canoes, for the latter
probably a great distance. the bottoms of this stream ar wide, level,
fertile and possess a considerable proportion of timber, principally
Cottonwood. from the quantity of water furnised by this river it must
water a large extent of country; perhaps this river also might furnish a
practicable and advantageous communication with the Saskashiwan river; it
is sufficiently large to justify a belief that it might reach to that
river if it’s direction be such. the water of this river possesses a
peculiar whiteness, being about the colour of a cup of tea with the
admixture of a tablespoonful) of milk. from the colour of it’s water we
called it Milk river. (we think it possible that this may be the river
called by the Minitares the river which scoalds at all others or ____)
Capt Clark who walked this morning on the Lard. shore ascended a very high
point opposite to the mouth of this river; he informed me that he had a
perfect view of this river and the country through which it passed for a
great distance (probably 50 or 60 Miles,) that the country was level and
beautifull on both sides of the river, with large herds of Buffaloe
distributed throughout that the river from it’s mouth boar N. W. for 12 or
15 Miles when it forked, the one taking a direction nearly North, and the
other to the West of N. West. from the appearance of the vallies and the
timber on each of these streams Capt. C. supposed that they were about the
same size. great appearance of beaver on this river, and I have no doubt
but what they continue abundant, there being plenty of cottonwood and
willow, the timber on which they subsist. The country on the Lard. side of
the river is generally high broken hills, with much broken, grey black and
brown grannite scattered on the surface of the earth in a confused manner.
The wild Licquorice is found on the sides of these hills, in great
abundance. at a little distance from the river there is no timber to be
seen on either side; the bottom lands are not more than one fifth covered
with timber; the timber as below is confined to the borders of the river.
in future it will be understood that there is no timber of any discription
on the upland unless particularly mentioned; and also that one fifth of
the bottom lands being covered with timber is considered a large
proportion. The white apple is found in great abundance in this
neighbourhood; it is confined to the highlands principally. The
whiteapple, so called by the French Engages, is a plant which rises to the
hight of 6 or 9 Inchs. rarely exceeding a foot; it puts forth from one to
four and sometimes more stalks from the same root, but is most generally
found with one only, which is branched but not defusely, is cylindric and
villose; the leafstalks, cylindric, villose and very long compared with
the hight of the plant, tho gradually diminish in length as they ascend,
and are irregular in point of position; the leaf, digitate, from three to
five in number, oval 1 Inch long, absolutely entire and cottony; the whole
plant of a pale green, except the under disk of the leaf which is of a
white colour from the cottony substance with which it is covered. the
radix a tuberous bulb; generally ova formed, sometimes longer and more
rarely partially divided or brancing; always attended with one or more
radicles at it’s lower extremity which sink from 4 to 6 inches deep. the
bulb covered with a rough black, tough, thin rind which easily seperates
from the bulb which is a fine white substance, somewhat porus, spungy and
moist, and reather tough before it is dressed; the center of the bulb is
penitrated with a small tough string or ligament, which passing from the
bottom of the stem terminates in the extremity of the radicle, which last
is also covered by a prolongation of the rind which invellopes the bulb.
The bulb is usually found at the debth of 4 inches and frequently much
deeper. This root forms a considerable article of food with the Indians of
the Missouri, who for this purpose prepare them in several ways. they are
esteemed good at all seasons of the year, but are best from the middle of
July to the latter end of Autumn when they are sought and gathered by the
provident part of the natives for their winter store. when collected they
are striped of their rhind and strung on small throngs or chords and
exposed to the sun or placed in the smoke of their fires to dry; when well
dryed they will keep for several years, provided they are not permitted to
become moist or damp; in this situation they usually pound them between
two stones placed on a piece of parchment, untill they reduce it to a fine
powder thus prepared they thicken their soope with it; sometimes they also
boil these dryed roots with their meat without breaking them; when green
they are generally boiled with their meat, sometimes mashing them or
otherwise as they think proper. they also prepare an agreeable dish with
them by boiling and mashing them and adding the marrow grease of the
buffaloe and some buries, until the whole be of the consistency of a
haisty pudding. they also eat this root roasted and frequently make hearty
meals of it raw without sustaining any inconvenience or injury therefrom.
The White or brown bear feed very much on this root, which their tallons
assist them to procure very readily. the white apple appears to me to be a
tastless insippid food of itself tho I have no doubt but it is a very
healthy and moderately nutricious food. I have no doubt but our epicures
would admire this root very much, it would serve them in their ragouts and
gravies in stead of the truffles morella.

We saw a great number buffaloe, Elk, common and Black taled deer, goats
beaver and wolves. Capt C. killed a beaver and a wolf, the party killed 3
beaver and a deer. We can send out at any time and obtain whatever species
of meat the country affords in as large quantity as we wish. we saw where
an Indian had recently grained, or taken the hair off of a goatskin; we do
not wish to see those gentlemen just now as we presume they would most
probably be the Assinniboins and might be troublesome to us. Capt C. could
not be certain but thought he saw the smoke and some Indian lodges at a
considrable distance up Milk river.