The barge is towed six miles against a headwind before the expedition stops for the day below the Cannonball River. Clark walks the shore with Chief Too Né who shares Arikara stories, and he learns that pronghorns swim the river in a twice-yearly migration. Lewis adds common juniper and silver-leaved scurfpea to his plant collection.
Pronghorns
Antilocapra americana
Photo by Jack Dykinga of the U.S. Agricultural Research Service.
Too Né Tells Stories
I walked on Shore with the Ricara [Arikara] Chief [Too Né (Eagle Feather)] and an Inteprieter [Joseph Gravelines], [the[y] told me maney extroadenary Stories . . . . This Chief tells me of a number of their Treditions about Turtles, Snakes, &. and the power of a perticiler rock or Cave on the next river which informs of everr thing
—William Clark
Migrating Pronghorn
we observe emence herds of Goats, or Antelopes [pronghorns] flocking down from the N E Side & Swiming the River, the Chief tels me those animals winter in the Black Mountain, and in the fall return to those mounts from every quarter, and in the Spring disperse in the planes
—William Clark
Towing the Barge
At half past ten the wind blew so hard down the river that we were obliged to halt. At four we proceeded on with the assistance of the tow line
—William Clark
Hunting
Capt. Clark & all the hunters except one who camped on the opposite Shore, joined us they had killed Six Deer. Some of them verry fat. we took care of all the meat & Skins &.C.
—John Ordway
Common Juniper Specimen
No. 47 a species of Juniper, common to the bluffs—October 17th
—Meriwether Lewis[1]Juniperus communis, Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 83a.
Silver-leaved Scurfpea Specimen
No. 48. No 103. October 17th 1804. a decoction of this plant used by the Indians to wash ther wounds.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]Pediomelum argophyllum, Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 122.
Weather Diary
Thermot. at rise
Weather Wind at thermotr. at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 oC P.M. 47 fair N. W 54 fair N. W saw a large flock of White geese with Black wings [snow goose], Antilopes are passing to the black hills to winter, as is their custom
—Meriwether Lewis[3]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of the month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.
Notes
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
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
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).