Setting out early, the winds are favorable and the hunting good. Clark explores the Sioux Pass of the Three Rivers, a place where different tribes can meet in peace. Lewis adds broom snake weed to his plant collection, and camp is near present Lower Brule, South Dakota.
Broom Snake Weed
Gutierrezia sarothrae
Photo © 2008 Stan Shebs. Downloaded from Wikimedia and used with permission of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Early Start
a pleasant morning. we Set off eairly. proceeded on passed a Steep clay Bluff on S. S. Some ceeder on the edge of the Bluffs— a fine Timbered Bottom opposite on N. Side. Jo. Fields who was with the horse killed a black tailed Deer [mule deer] & hung it on the Bank. we took it on board.
—John Ordway
Sioux Pass of the Three Rivers
There is an island here, opposite which a river flows in on the north side. This river is formed of three, which unite their waters just above its mouth; and immediately above the confluence is a crossing place, called the Sioux-crossing-place of the three rivers.
—Patrick Gassthose rivers is the place that all nations who meet are at peace with each other, Called the Seaux pass of the 3 rivers.
—William Clark
Broom Snakeweed Specimen
No. 59. 1804. 19th Septbr— the growth of high and bear praries which produce little grass, generally mineral with earth.
—Meriwether Lewis[1]Gutierrezia sarothrae, Moulton, ed., Herbarium, specimen 77b.
Weather Diary
Thermot. at rise
Weather Wind at thermotr. at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 oC. P.M 46 above fair S. E. 71 above fair S. E. the leaves of some of the cottonwood begin to fade. yesterday saw the first Brant passing from the N. W. to S. E.—
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of the month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.
The Big Bend of the Missouri is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The site is open to the public and managed by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks.
Notes
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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.
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
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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).