Delayed by wind, Clark pulls the canoes to shore below the James River in present South Dakota, and bison hunting consumes most of the day. Their Indian delegates see their first turkeys and find them impressive. A new trade house had been built since they passed this area in 1804.
The Buffalo Plains (cropped)
Edward S. Curtis (1868–1952)
Photo © 2001 Northwestern University Library, Edward S. Curtis’s ‘The North American Indian’: the Photographic Images.
Bison Hunting
the wind was hard a head & continued to increas which obliged us to lay by nearly all day. as our Store of meat, I took with me 8 men and prosued a Small gang of Cows in the plains 3 miles and killed two which was in very good order, had them butchered and each man took a load as much as he Could Carry and returned to the Canoes
—William Clark
New Trade House
I observed the remains of a house which had been built since we passed up, this most probably was McClellins tradeing house with the Yanktons in the Winter of 1804 & 5.
—William Clark
Prairie Chickens and Turkeys
I saw 4 prarie fowls [grouse] Common to the Illinois, those are the highest up which have been Seen . . . . two turkys killed to day of which the Indians very much admired being the first which they ever Saw.
—William Clark
Windy Camp
he wind Still high and water rough we did not Set out untill near Sun Set we proceded to a Sand bar a Short distance below the place we had Come too on account of the wind and Encamped on a Sand bar, the woods being the harbor of the Musquetors and the party without the means of Screaning themselves from those tormenting insects.
—William Clark
Weather Diary
State of the weather at Sun rise Course of the wind at Sun rise State of the weather at 4 oClock Course of wind at 4 P. M fair S E fair S E Hard wind all day. Saw the prarie fowl common in the Illinois plains. Saw Linn and Slipery elm
—William Clark[1]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Notes
| ↑1 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented and some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
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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
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- 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).