Lewis and his group paddle down the Missouri River bagging fifteen elk and fourteen deer with little effort. Late in the evening, they use the elk hides to cover some Indian lodges to stay dry.
Clark and his group paddle through the Yellowstone River badlands where they see layers of lignite coal. They camp near present Terry, Montana.
Somewhere behind Clark, Sgt. Pryor and his three men continue with their bull boats in an effort to catch up.[1]For more on the captains’ strategy and various groups after leaving Travelers’ Rest, see Dividing Forces at Travelers’ Rest.
Plenty of Elk, Buffalo, and Deer
by Yellowstone Public Radio[2]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
Land of Plenty (Lewis)
Elk Cows
Provided by David Fulmer, 23 June 2010, Yellowstone National Park. Permission via the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Fifteen Elk Skins
The rain still continuing I set out early and proceeded on as fast as possible. at 9 A. M. we fell in with a large herd of Elk of which we killed 15 and took their skins.
—Meriwether Lewis
Fourteen Deer
the bottoms in the latter part of the day became wider better timbered and abound in game. the party killed 14 deer in the course of the day without attempting to hunt but little for them.
—Meriwether Lewis
Sheltering from Rain
late in the evening we . . . took sheter in some [Atsina?] indian lodges built of sticks . . . . these lodges appeared to have been built in the course of the last winter. these lodges with the addition of some Elk skins afforded us a good shelter from the rain which continued to fall powerfully all night.
—Meriwether Lewis
Yellowstone Badlands (Clark)
Yellowstone Badlands, Makoshika State Park
By Finetooth. Permission via the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Bellowing Buffalo
I was much disturbed last night by the noise of the buffalow which were about me. one gang Swam the river near our Camp which alarmed me a little for fear of their Crossing our Canoes and Splitting them to pieces.
—William Clark
The Badlands
I observe Several Conical pounds [Nicholas Biddle: mounds] which appear to have been burnt. this high Country is washed into Curious formed mounds & hills and is cut much with reveens. The high Country is entirely bar of timber. great quantities of Coal or carbonated wood is to be seen in every Bluff and in the high hills at a distance on each Side.
—William Clark
Pryor’s Buffalo Hide Boats
the [buffalo] Skin when green is drawn tight over this fraim and fastened with throngs to the brim or outer hoop So as to form a perfect bason.
—William Clark (recorded 8 August 1806)[3]Precise dates and locations for Pryor’s trip down the Yellowstone are not known. Pryor was instructed to keep a journal, but it if he did, it is lost.
Weather Diaries
State of the weather at rise
Wind at State of the weather at 4 P. M. Wind at 4 P. M. cloudy after rain N E rain N W rained almost without intermission
—Meriwether Lewis
State of the weather at Sun rise Wind at Sun rise State of the weather at 4 P. M Wind at 4 P M. fair N W. cloudy after rain N E rained only a fiew drops last night. a Small Showers to day. wind hard from the N E The wind blew hard and it was Showery all day tho not much rain. the clouds came up from the W. and N W frequently in course of the day.
—William Clark[4]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Notes
| ↑1 | For more on the captains’ strategy and various groups after leaving Travelers’ Rest, see Dividing Forces at Travelers’ Rest. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
| ↑3 | Precise dates and locations for Pryor’s trip down the Yellowstone are not known. Pryor was instructed to keep a journal, but it if he did, it is lost. |
| ↑4 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted and some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
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).