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The post Clark: September 3, 1806 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

The distance from the Rocky Mountains at which place I struck the River
Rochejhone to its enterance into the Missouri 837 Miles 636 Miles of this
distance I decended in 2 Small Canoes lashed together in which I had the
following Persons. John Shields, George Gibson, William Bratten, W.
Labeech, Toust. Shabono his wife & child & my man York. The
Rochejhone or Yellow Stone river is large and navagable with but fiew
obstructions quite into the rocky mountains. and probably near it’s
source. The Country through which it passes from those Mounts. to its
junction is Generaly fertile rich open plains the upper portion of which
is roleing and the high hills and hill Sides are partially covered with
pine and Stoney. The middle portion or from the enterance of Clarks Fork
as low as the Buffalow Shoals the high lands Contain Some Scattering pine
on the Lard. Side. on the Stard. or S. E. Side is Some hills thickly
Supplied with pine. The lower portion of the river but fiew pines are to
be Seen the Country opens into extencive plains river widens and Contains
more islands and bars; of corse gravel sand and Mud. The Current of this
river may be estimated at 4 Miles and 1/2 pr. hour from the Rocky Mts. as
low as Clarks Fork, at 31/2 Miles pr. hour from thence as low as the
Bighorn, at 3Miles pr. hour from thence as low as the Tongue river,
at 23/4 Miles pr. hour from thence as low as Wolf rapid and at 21/2 miles
pr. hour from thence to its enterance into the Missouri

The Colour of the Water differs from that of the Missouri it being of a
yellowish brown, whilst that of the Missouri is of a deep drab Colour
containing a greater portion of mud than the Rochejhone. This delighfull
river from indian information has it’s extreem sources with the North
river in the Rocky mountains on the confines of New Mexico. it also most
probably has it’s westerly sources connected with the Multnomah and those
the main Southerly branch of Lewis’s river while it’s Easterly branches
head with those of Clark’s R. the bighorn and River Platte and may be said
to water the middle portion of the Rocky Mountains from N W to S. E. for
several hundred miles. the indians inform us, that a good road passes up
this river to it’s extreem source from whence it is buta short distance to
the Spanish settlements. there is also a considerable fall on this river
within the mountains but at what distance from it’s source we never could
learn like all other branches of the Missouri which penetrate the Rocky
Mountains all that portion of it lying within those mountains abound in
fine beaver and Otter, it’s streams also which issuing from the rocky
mountain and discharging themselves above Clark’s fork inclusive also
furnish an abundance of beaver and Otter and possess considerable portions
of small timber in their values. to an establishment on this river at
clarks Fork the Shoshones both within and West of the Rocky Mountains
would willingly resort for the purposes of trade as they would in a great
measure be relived from the fear of being attacked by their enimies the
blackfoot Indians and Minnetares of fort de Prarie, which would most
probably happen were they to visit any establishment which could be
conveniently formed on the Missouri. I have no doubt but the same regard
to personal safety would also induce many numerous nations inhabiting the
Columbia and Lewis’s river West of the mountains to visit this
establishment in preference to that at the entrance of Maria’s river,
particularly during the first years of those Western establishments. the
Crow Indians, Paunch Indians Castahanah’s and others East of the mountains
and south of this place would also visit this establishment; it may
therefore be looked to as one of the most important establishments of the
western fur trade. at the entrance of Clark’s fork there is a sufficiency
of timber to support an establishment, an advantage that no position
possesses from thence to the Rocky Mountains. The banks of the yellowstone
river a bold not very high yet are not subject to be overflown, except for
a few miles immediately below where the river issues from the mountain.
the bed of this river is almost entirely composed of loose pebble, nor is
it’s bed interrupted by chains of rock except in one place and that even
furnishes no considerable obstruction to it’s navigation. as you decend
with the river from the mountain the pebble becomes smaller and the
quantity of mud increased untill you reah Tongue river where the pebble
ceases and the sand then increases and predominates near it’s mouth. This
river can be navigated to greater advantage in perogues than any other
craft yet it possesses suficient debth of water for battauxs even to the
mountains; nor is there any of those moving sand bars so formidable to the
navigation of many parts of the Missouri. The Bighorn R and Clark’s fork
may be navigated a considerable distance in perogues and canoes. Tongue
river is also navigable for canoes a considerable distance.

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In the evening below the enterance of redstone river I observed great
numbers of Buffalow feeding on the plains, elk on the points and
antilopes. I also Saw Some of the Bighorn animals at a distance on the
hills. Gibson is now able to walk, he walked out this evening and killed
an antilope.

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Windsor birst his gun near the muzzle a few days since; this Sheilds cut
off and I then exchanged it with the Cheif for the one we had given him
for conducting us over the mountains. he was much pleased with the
exchange and shot his gun several times; he shoots very well for an
inexperienced person.

The little animal found in the plains of the Missouri which I have called
the barking squirrel weighs from 3 to 31/2 pounds. it’s form is that of
the squirrel. it’s colour is an uniform light brick red grey, the red
reather predominating. the under side of the neck and bely are lighter
coloured than the other parts of the body. the legs are short, and it is
wide across the breast and sholders in propotion to it’s size, appears
strongly formed in that part; the head is also bony muscular and stout,
reather more blontly terminated wider and flatter than the common
squirrel. the upper lip is split or divided to the nose. the ears are
short and lie close to the head, having the appearance of being cut off,
in this particular they resemble the guinea pig. the teeth are like those
of the squrrel rat &c. they have a false jaw or pocket between the
skin and the mustle of the jaw like that of the common ground squrrel but
not so large in proportion to their size. they have large and full
whiskers on each side of the nose, a few long hairs of the same kind on
each jaw and over the eyes. the eye is small and black. they have five
toes on each foot of which the two outer toes on each foot are much shoter
than those in the center particularly the two inner toes of the fore feet,
the toes of the fore feet are remarkably long and sharp and seem well
adapted to cratching or burrowing those of the hind feet are neither as
long or sharp as the former; the nails are black. the hair of this animal
is about as long and equally as course as that of the common grey squrrel
of our country, and the hair of the tail is not longer than that of the
body except immediately at the extremity where it is somewhat longer and
frequently of a dark brown colour. the part of generation in the female is
placed on the lower region of the belly between the hinder legs so far
forward that she must lie on her back to copolate. the whole length of
this animal is one foot five inches from the extremity of the nose to that
of the tail of which the tail occupyes 4 inches. it is nearly double the
size of the whistleing squirrel of the Columbia. it is much more quick
active and fleet than it’s form would indicate. these squirrels burrow in
the ground in the open plains usually at a considerable distance from the
water yet are never seen at any distance from their burrows. six or eight
usually reside in one burrow to which there is never more than one
entrance. these burrows are of great debth. I once dug and pursued a
burrow to the debth of ten feet and did not reach it’s greatest debth.
they generally associate in large societies placing their burrows near
each other and frequently occupy in this manner several hundred acres of
land. when at rest above ground their position is generally erect on their
hinder feet and rump; thus they will generally set and bark at you as you
approach them, their note being much that of the little toy dogs, their
yelps are in quick succession and at each they a motion to their tails
upwards. they feed on the grass and weeds within the limits of their
village which they never appear to exceed on any occasion. as they are
usually numerous they keep the grass and weeds within their district very
closely graized and as clean as if it had been swept. the earth which they
throw out of their burrows is usually formed into a conic mound around the
entrance. this little animal is frequently very fat and it’s flesh is not
unpleasant. as soon as the hard frosts commence it shuts up it’s burrow
and continues within untill spring. it will eat grain or meat.

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The post Lewis: June 2, 1806 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

Shields, Collins, Reuben & Joseph Field & Shannon Set out on a
hunting excurtion to the quaw mash the lower side of Collins Creek &
towards the Mountains.

Drewyer arived this evening with Neeshneparkkeeook and Hohashillpilp who
had accompanied him to the lodge of the person who had our tomahawks. he
obtained both the tomahawks principally by the influence of the former of
those Chiefs. the one which had been Stolen we prized most as it was the
private property of the late Serjt. Floyd and I was desireous of returning
it to his friends. The man who had this tomahawk had purchased it from the
man who had Stolen it, and was himself at the moment of their arival just
expireing. his relations were unwilling to give up the tomahawk as they
intended to bury it with the deceased owner, but were at length to do so
for the Consideration of a handkerchief, two Strands of heeds, which
drewyer gave them and two horses given by the Chiefs to be Killed
agreeable to their custom at the grave of the deceased. The custom of
Sacrificeing horses to the disceased appears to be Common to all the
nations of the plains of the Columbia. a Wife of Neeshneeparkkeeook died
Some Short time Sence, himself and her relations sacrificed horses to her.
The Indians inform us that there is a plenty of Moos to the S. E. of them
on the East branch of Lewis’s river which they Call Tommawamah River.
About noon Sergt. Ordway Frazier and Wiser returnd. with 17 Salmon and
Some roots of the Cows; the distance was So great from whence they brought
the fish, that most of them were nearly Spoiled. those fish were as fat as
any I ever saw; Sufficiently So to cook themselves without the addition of
Grease or butter; those which were Sound were extreemly delicious; their
flesh is of a fine rose colour with a Small admixture of yellow. these men
Set out on the 27th ulto. and in Sted of finding the fishing Shore at the
distance of half a days ride as we had been informed, they did not reach
the place at which they obtained their fish untill the evening of the 29th
haveing traveled near 70 miles. the rout they had taken however was not a
direct one; the Indians Conducted them in the first instance to the East
fork of Lewis’s river about 10 miles above it’s junction with the South
branch, a distance of about 50 miles where they informed them they might
obtain fish; but on their arival at that place finding that the Salmon had
not arived or were not taken, they were Conducted down that river to a
fishery a fiew miles below the junction of the forks of Lewis’s River
about 20 miles further, here they remained one day and with some
dificuelty, they purchased the Salmon which they brought with them. the
first 20 ms. Of their rout was up Commeap Creek and through a plain open
Country, the hills of the Creek Continued high and broken with Some timber
near it’s borders, the ballance of their rout was through a high broken
Mountanious Country. generally well timbered with pine the soil fertile.
in this quarter the meet with abundance of deer and Some big-horned
Animals. The East fork of Lewis’s river they discribe as one Continued
rapid of about 150 yards wide, it’s banks are in most places Solid and
perpindicular rocks, which rise to a great hight; it’s hills are
mountanious high. on the top of Some of those hills over which they
passed, the Snow had not entirely disappeared, and the grass was just
springing up. at the fishery on Lewis’s river below the forks there is a
very Considerable rapid, nearly as Great from the information of Sergt.
Ordway as the Great falls of the Columbia the river 200 yards wide. their
common house at this fishery is built of Split timber 150 feet long and 35
feet in width, flat at top. the general Course from here to the forks of
Lewis’s river is a little to the west of South about 45 ms. The men at
this Season resort their fisheries while the womin are employed in
collecting roots-. both forks above the junction of Lewis’s river appear
to enter a high Mountainious Country. our horses are all recovering &
I have no hesitation in declareing that I believe that the Indian Method
of guilding preferable to that practised by ourselves.

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