At the forks of the Jefferson River, wet goods are set out to dry, Lewis puts his air gun in working order, and one dugout is abandoned. Shannon is still missing, and biting flies annoy everyone. In the afternoon, they start up the Beaverhead River.
Deer Fly
Chrysops sp.
Photo released to the public domain by Wikimedia user Pudding4brains.
Caching a Canoe
our stores were now so much exhausted that we found we could proceed with one canoe less. we therefore drew out one of them into a thicket of brush and secured her in such manner that the water could not take her off should the river rise to the hight where she is.
—Meriwether Lewis
Regulating Lewis’s Air Gun
my air gun was out of order and her sights had been removed by some accedent I put her in order and regulated her. she shot again as well as she ever did.
—Meriwether Lewis
Up the Beaverhead
we put the goods &.C. not dry out in the Sun about one oClock we packed up all the baggage &c. and Set out and proceeded on up the middle fork we find the current not so rapid nor the rapids So bad as the N. Fork. we had Thunder Showers this afternoon, attended with high winds. passed Smooth prarie on each side the River verry crooked, &C.
—John Ordway
Shannon at Large
we have not heard any thing from Shannon yet, we expect that he has pursued Wisdom river upwards for som distance probably killed some heavy animal and is waiting our arrival.
—Meriwether Lewis
Equal Altitudes
The clouds last night prevented my taking any lunar observations this day I took Equal Altitudes of the
with Sextant.
—Meriwether Lewis
Horse Fly
Tabanus sp.
© 2005 by Dennis Ray. Permission via the Creative Commons 2.5 License.
Biting Flies
the large biteing fly or hare fly as they sometimes called are very troublesome to us. I observe two kinds of them a large black species and a small brown species with a green head. the musquetoes are not as troublesome as they were below, but are still in considerable quantities. the eye knats have disappeared. the green or blowing flies are still in swarms.
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
State of the Thermometer at Weather at Wind at State of the Thermometer at 4 P.M. Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. 54 [above 0] cloudy after rain S. W. 80 [above 0] cloudy S. W. Thunder shower last evening from the N W. The river which we are now ascending is so inconsiderable and the curant So much on a Stand that I relinguished paying further attention to it’s State.
—Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.
Notes
| ↑1 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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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
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- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
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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).