The Clearwater River floods, and Shannon and Collins lose the new canoe and three blankets trying to cross it. Charbonneau and LePage try swimming their horses across with similar losses. Ordway remains another day on the Snake River where he buys several salmon. At Long Camp, the captains attend to an ailing Nez Perce chief.
Shannon and Colter Lose a Canoe
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]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
Snake River at Cougar Bar
© 26 May 2013 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Above: Looking down the Snake River (north) from the site where Ordway was buying salmon.
Buying Salmon
a number of [Indians?] left this eairly with nearly all the Salmon which was caught so we had to wait here to day expecting to git some Salmon the natives roasted an other Salmon & Set before us to eat. in the afternoon we purchased as many Salmon as we thought was necessary to take home and hung them up
—John Ordway
Clearwater River Flood at Kamiah, Idaho
© 7 June 2009 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
New Canoe Sinks
Two of our men [John Collins and George Shannon] in a canoe attempting to swim their horses over the river, struck the canoe against a tree, and she immediately sunk; but they got on shore, with the loss of three blankets, a blanket-coat, and some articles of merchandize they had with them to exchange for roots. The loss of these blankets is the greatest which hath happened to any individuals since we began our voyage, as there are only three men in the party, who have more than a blanket a piece. The river is so high that the trees stand some distance in the water.
—Patrick Gass
Another River Disaster
[Toussaint Charbonneau and Jean-Baptiste Lepage] ascended the river on this side nearly opposite to a village eight miles above us, here their led horse which had on him their merchandize, feell into the river from the side of a steep clift and swam over; they saw an indian on the opposite side whom they prevailed on to drive their horse back again to them; in swiming the river the horse lost a dressed Elkskin of LaPages and several small articles, & their paint was destroyed by the water. here they remained and dryed their articles
—Meriwether Lewis (recorded on 1 June 1806)
Old Nez Perce Recovers
all our invalides are on the recovery. we gave the sick Cheif a severe sweat today, shortly after which he could move one of his legs and thyes and work his toes pretty well, the other leg he can move a little; his fingers and arms seem to be almost entirely restored.
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
State of the Weather at rise
Wind at State of the Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. State of the Kooskooskee cloudy after rain S E fair S E fallen 6 in. rain slight last night. the river continued to fall untill 4 A. M. having fallen 3 I by that time since sunrise. it now was at a stand untill dark after which it began again to rise.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the river columns have been merged, and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Notes
| ↑1 | 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. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the river columns have been merged, 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.
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- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
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- 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).