The expedition sets off again after wintering at Fort Mandan, in the midst of what is now called the Garrison Reach.

Photo: Missouri River near Fort Mandan, courtesy North Dakota Tourism Department.

April 7, 1805. Lewis: Our vessels consisted of six small canoes, and two large perogues. This little fleet altho' not quite so rispectable as those of Columbus or Capt. Cook, were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld theirs; and I dare say with quite as much anxiety for their safety and preservation. we were now about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles in width, on which the foot of civilized man had never trodden; the good or evil it had in store for us was for experiment yet to determine, and these little vessells contained every article by which we were to expect to subsist or defend ourselves. however, as the state of mind in which we are, generally gives the colouring to events, when the immagination is suffered to wander into futility, the picture which now presented itself to me was a most pleasing one. entert[ain]ing as I do, the most confident hope of succeeding in a voyage which had formed a da[r]ling project of mine for the last ten years, I could but esteem this moment of my departure as among the most happy of my life.

More about the food November 12, 1804. Clark: early this morning the Big White princapal Chief of the lower Village of the Mandans came Down, he packed about 100 lb. of fine meet on his squar for us February 4, 1805. Lewis: our stock of meat which we had procured in the Months of November & December is now nearly exhausted. Capt. Clark therefore determined to continue his rout down the river even as far as the River bullet [Cannonball] unless he should find a plenty of game nearer. the men transported their baggage on a couple of small wooden Slays drawn by themselves, and took with them 3 pack horses. no buffaloe have made their appearance in our neighborhood for some weeks. February 21, 1805. Clark: Capt. Lewis returned with 2 Slays loaded with meat, after finding that he could not overtake the Soues War party, (who had in their way distroyed all the meat at one Deposit which I had made & Burnt the Lodges) deturmined to proceed on to the lower Deposit which he found had not been observed by the Soues     he hunted two day killed 36 Deer & 14 Elk, several of them so meager, that they were unfit for use,     the meet which he killed and that in the lower Deposit amounting to about 3000 lb. was brought up on two Slays     one Drawn by 16 men had about 2400 lb. on it

Find out more: Sprawl in North Dakota Lewis and Clark in North Dakota Natural History of North Dakota Endangered Species in ND Intertribal Bison Cooperative "Beauty and the Badlands" Sierra Magazine: Lewis and Clark