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Peek Inside...Entries For October 20:
1804:
Captain Clark (current)
Captain Clark:
October 20, 1804
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Set out early this morning and proceeded on. The wind from the S.E. After breakfast I walked out on the L. side to see those remarkable places pointed out by Evans (John Evans, a Welshman who came to America to investigate the legend of "Welsh Indians.") I saw an old remains of a village, covering 6 or 8 acres, on the side of a hill which the chief with Tooné tells me that nation lived in. Two villages, one on each side of the river, and the troublesome Sioux caused them to move about 40 miles higher up, where they remained a few years, and moved to the place they now live. Passed a small creek on the S.S. and one on the L.S. Passed an island covered with willows lying in the middle of the river. No current on the L.S. Camped on the L.S. above a bluff containing coal of an inferior quality. This bank is immediately above the old village of the Mandans. The country is fine, the high hills at a distance with gradual ascents. I killed 3 deer. The timber, confined to the bottoms as usual, is much larger than below. Great numbers of buffalo, elk, and deer, goats. Our hunters killed 10 deer and a goat today, and wounded a white bear. I saw several fresh tracks of those animals which are 3 times as large as a man's track. The wind hard all day from the N.E. and E. Great numbers of buffalo swimming the river. I observe near all large gangs of buffalo, wolves, and when the buffalo move, those animals follow, and feed on those that are killed by accident, or those that are too poor, or fat, to keep up with the gang.
Reprinted by permission of the American Studies Programs at the University of Virginia.
The complete text can also be downloaded for printing from their website.
