Clark and three Nez Perce men travel down the Clearwater River searching for a canoe camp. Crossing to the southern shore, Clark finds the ponderosa pine trees they need opposite the North Fork Clearwater River in present Orofino, Idaho. He returns to their island camp to find many are sick.
North and Middle Forks of the Clearwater River
Ahsahka Village
Photo by Jane Gay circa 1890. Courtesy of Nez Perce National Historical Park, NEPE 1637.
Above: The North Fork Clearwater River can barely be seen entering the Middle Fork from the left (north). Canoe camp was in the flat on the southern (right) shore of the Middle Fork.
Searching for a Canoe Camp
I was furnished with a horse and we proceeded on down the river Crossed a Creek at 1 mile from the right verry rockey which I call rock dam Creek & Passed down on the N side of the river to a fork from the North which is about the Same Size and affords about the Same quantity of water
—William Clark
Fine Timber
two Canoes Came up loaded with the furnitur & provisions of 2 families, those Canoes are long Stedy and without much rake I crossed the South fork and proceeded up on the South Side, the most of the way thro’ a narrow Pine bottom in which I Saw fine timber for Canoes
—William Clark
Sick Men
when I arrived at Camp found Capt Lewis verry Sick, Several men also verry Sick, I gave Some Salts & Tarter emetic, we deturmined to go to where the best timbr was and there form a Camp
—William Clark
Nez Perce Salmon Fishery
The Natives had a fishery fixed on this fork of the River, a small distance above our Camp, in which they catch quantities of Salmon in the fishing season they went to it with their Canoes, and took out a number of Salmon on this day.— They also procure a number of them which they kill with a Gig,—
—Joseph Whitehouse
Weather Diary
Weather at rise
Wind at Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. fair E fair S W. I proceed to the forks worm day
—Meriwether Lewis and William Clark[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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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).