Day-by-Day / June 18, 1805

June 18, 1805

Great fall views

At the Great Falls of the Missouri, Clark finishes measuring and mapping waterfalls and continues to the end of the portage where he sees many bison crossing the river. Numerous grizzly bears are there, and one attacks Pvt. Willard. At Lower Portage Camp, the white pirogue is beached, the iron-framed boat is inspected, and Sacagawea continues to recover.

Crooked Falls

we Set out early and arrived at the second great Cataract a[t] about 200 yds above the last of 19 feet pitch— this is one of the grandest views in nature and by far exceeds any thing I ever Saw, the Missouri falling over a Shelveing rock for 47 feet 8 Inches with a Cascade &c of 14 feet 7 Inches above the Shoot for a ¼ mile
William Clark

 

Giant Springs

we proceeded on up the river a little more than a mile to the largest fountain or Spring I ever Saw, and doubt if it is not the largest in America Known, this water boils up from under th rocks near the edge of the river and falls imediately into the river 8 feet
—William Clark

Buffalo Crossing

Saw a gange of Buffalow Swiming the river above the falls, Several of which was drawn in to the rapids and with dificuelty mad Shore half drowned, we killed one of those Cows & took a[s] much meat as we wished.
—William Clark

Grizzly Attacks Willard

one man A Willard going for a load of meat at 170 yards distance on an Island was attact by a white bear and verry near being Caught
—William Clark

Preparing a Cache

I now scelected a place for a cash and set tree men at work to complete it, and employed all others except those about the waggons, in overhawling airing and repacking our indian goods ammunicion, provision and stores of every discription which required inspection.
—Meriwether Lewis

Inspecting the Iron-framed Boat

examined the frame of my Iron boat and found all the parts complete except one screw, which the ingenuity of Sheilds [Shields] can readily replace
Meriwether Lewis

 

Sacagawea Recovering

The Indian woman is recovering fast she set up the greater part of the day and walked out for the fist time since she arrived here; she eats hartily and is free from fever or pain. I continue same course of medecine and regimen except that I added one doze of 15 drops of the oil of vitriol today about noon.
—Meriwether Lewis

 

Weather Diary

State of the thermometer at sun symbol rise Weather Wind at sun symbol rise State of the thermometer at 4 OC. P.M. Weather Wind at 4 OC. P. M. State of river
48 [above 0] cloudy S. W. 64 [above 0] fair after cloudy S. W. fallen ½ in.

—Meriwether Lewis[1]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.

Notes

Notes
1 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.

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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.