Clark finds trees to make two new dugout canoes below present Ulm, Montana. Back at the Falls of the Missouri, Lewis has the iron-framed boat taken apart and then goes fishing. In Washington City, Thomas Jefferson passes on news of the expedition to Lewis’s brother, Reuben.
Hollow Cottonwood Log
Dunes Fishing Access Area near Ulm, Montana, 2 July 2013. © by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Hollow logs and wind shaken tree such as found by Clark on this day can still be found in the area of the Ulm canoe camp.
Cottonwood Log with Large Check
Widow Coulee Fishing Access Area below Lower Portage Camp, 1 July 2013. © by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Square-Hole Adze Head
From the collection of Dave Benson. Photo © 2014 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Ulm Canoe Camp
found two Trees which I thought would make Canoes, had them fallen, one of them proved to be hollow & Split at one End & verry much win Shaken at the other, the other much win Shaken . . . . I deturmined . . . to Contract thir length so as to clear the hollow & winshakes, & ad to the width as much as the tree would allow.
—William Clark
Canoe Camp Troubles
The Musquitors emencely noumerous & troublesom, Killed two deer & a goat [pronghorn]. The Canoes did not arrive as I expected, owing to the hard wind which blew a head in maney places. we ar much at a loss for wood to make ax hilthes, 13 hath been made & broken in this piece of a day . . . . we Substitute the Cherry in place of Hickory for ax hilthes ram rods, &c. &c.
—William Clark
Caching the Iron-framed Boat
I now set to work on my boat, which had been previously drawn out of the water before the men departed, and in two hours had her fraim in readiness to be deposited. had a cash dug and deposited the Fraim of the boat, some papers and a few other trivial articles of but little importance.
—Meriwether Lewis
Lewis Goes Fishing
I also had the truck wheels buried in the pit which had been made to hold the tar. having nothing further to do I amused myself in fishing and caught a few small fish . . . .
—Meriwether Lewis
News for Brother Reuben
Washington July 10. 05
Dear Sir [Reuben Lewis]
I have not yet recieved the dispatches from Capt Lewis which we know to have arrived at St. Louis. it is probable they are coming on by a special messenger who travels slow. in the mean time I inclose you a newspaper account which is probably authentic, as it is understood to come from Capt Clarke. in the Aurora you will see another account containing some additional particulars. as you will recieve that paper as soon as this letter I say nothing of it. I shall be in Albemarle this day sennight [a week] so presume the dispatches will find me there. Accept my salutations & best wishes.
Th: Jefferson[1]Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-2057 [originally from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson].
Weather Diary
State of the thermometer at rise
Weather at Wind at State of the Thermometer at 4 P.M. Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. State of the river 52 [above 0] fair after rain S. W. 66 [above 0] fair fair wind hard all day.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the river” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.
The Great Falls Portage is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. It includes Sulpher Spring (open to the public) and Lower Portage Camp site (private land), and the Upper Portage Camp Overlook.
Notes
| ↑1 | Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-2057 [originally from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson]. |
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| ↑2 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the river” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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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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).