Lewis arrives at the mouth of the Sun River above the Great Falls of the Missouri and sees 10000 bison there. They commence hunting and from the hides, begin construction of two bull boats.
Clark paddles down the Beaverhead River, passes Beaverhead Rock, and stops at the mouth of the Big Hole. There, they recover a small dugout canoe and bayonet from last fall. Sgt. Pryor herds the group’s horses separately.[1]For more on the captains’ strategy and various groups after leaving Travelers’ Rest, see Dividing Forces at Travelers’ Rest.
Roaring Bulls
by Yellowstone Public Radio[2]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
Lewis Returns to the Portage
Crown Butte Sunrise
© 21 July 2011 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Crown Butte is likely one of the “Battle Hills,” a landmark told to Peter Fidler by Old Swan and subsequently known to the captains (see Down the Sun River). The plains that supported herds of 10000 buffalo now host cattle.
Beautiful Plain
the morning was fair and the plains looked beatifull the grass much improved by the late rain. the air was pleasant and a vast assemblage of little birds which croud to the groves on the river sung most enchantingly. we set out early.
—Meriwether Lewis
10000 Buffalo
when I arrived in sight of the whitebear Islands the missouri bottoms on both sides of the river were crouded with buffaloe I sincerely belief that there were not less than 10 thousand buffaloe within a circle of 2 miles arround that place.
—Meriwether Lewis
Buffalo Hunting
I directed the hunters to kill some buffaloe as well for the benefit of their skins to enable us to pass the river as for their meat for the men I meant to leave at this place. we unloaded our horses and encamped opposite to the Islands.
—Meriwether Lewis
Building Bull Boats
I then set all hands to prepare two canoes the one we made after the mandan fassion with a single skin in the form of a bason and the other we constructed of two skins on a plan of our own. we were unable to compleat our canoes this evening.
—Meriwether Lewis
The Beaverhead River
To see labels, point to the image.
© 2000 Airphoto, Jim Wark. All rights reserved.
Clark Passes Beaverhead Rock
Headwinds at Beaverhead Rock
at meridian passed Sergt. Pryors camp near a high point of land on the left Side which the Shoshones call the beavers head [Beaverhead Rock]. the wind rose and blew with great violence from the S W imediately off Some high mountains Covered with Snow. the violence of this wind retarded our progress very much and the river being emencly Crooked we had it imediately in our face nearly every bend.
—William Clark
Canoe and Bayonet
I arrived at the Enterance of Wisdom River and Encampd. in the Spot we had encamped the [Nicholas Biddle: 6th] of August last. here we found a Bayonet which had been left & the Canoe quite safe. I directed that all the nails be taken out of this Canoe and paddles to be made of her Sides
—William Clark
Weather Diaries
State of the weather at rise
Wind at State of the weather at 4 P. M. Wind at 4 P. M. fair N W fair N. W. wind very hard in the latter part of the day
—Meriwether Lewis
State of the weather at Sun rise Wind at Sun rise State of the weather at 4 P. M Wind at 4 P M. fair S E fair N N E frost this morning. goslins nearly grown fishing hawks have their young The yellow Current nearly ripe. a Slight frost last night. the air Cool. the Musquetors retired a little after dark, and did not return untill about an hour after Sunrise.
—William Clark[3]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Beaverhead Rock is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The rock is not publicly accessible but there is parking and exhibits on MT Hwy Highway 41.
Notes
| ↑1 | For more on the captains’ strategy and various groups after leaving Travelers’ Rest, see Dividing Forces at Travelers’ Rest. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
| ↑3 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted and some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
This site is provided as a public service by the
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with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- Yellowstone Public Radio
Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).