The Journals of Lewis & Clark: August 5, 1806
August 5, 1806
Tuesday August 5th 1806. Colter and Collins not having arrived induced me to remain this morning for them. the hunters killed four deer this morning near our encampment. I remained untill noon when I again reimbarked and set out concluding that as Colter and Collins had not arrived by that time that they had passed us after dark the night of the 3rd inst. as Sergt Ordway informed me he should have done last evening had not the centinel hailed him. we continued our rout untill late in the evening when I came too and encamped on the South side about 10 miles below little dry river. on our way we killed a fat cow and took as much of the flesh as was necessary for us. The Feildses killed 2 large bear this evening one of them measured nine feet from the extremity of the nose to that of his tail, this is the largest bear except one that I have seen. we saw several bear today as we passed but did not kill any of them. we also saw on our way immence herds of buffaloe & Elk, many deer Antelopes, wolves, geese Eagles &c. but few ducks or prarie hens . the geese cannot fly at present; I saw a solitary Pillacon the other day in the same situation. this happens from their sheding or casting the fathers of the wings at this season.
Thursday 5th August 1806. The Musquetors was So troublesom to the men last night that they Slept but very little. indeed they were excessive troublesom to me. my Musquetor Bear has a number of Small holes worn through they pass in. I Set out at an early hour intending to proceed to Some other Situation. I had not proceded on far before I Saw a ram of the big horn Animal near the top of a Lard. Bluff I assended the hill with a view to kill the ram. the Misquetors was So noumerous that I could not keep them off my gun long enough to take Sight and by thair means missed. at 10 a.m. the wind rose with a gentle breeze from the N. W. which in Some measure thinned the Misquetors. I landed on a Sand bar from the South Point intending to form a Camp at this place and Continue untill Capt Lewis Should arive. and killed two Buck Elks and a Deer the best of their flesh & fat I had Saved. had all the dryed meat & fat put out to Sun and continued at this place untill late in the evening finding that there were no buffalow or fresh Sign I deturmined to proceed on accordingly Set out at 4 P. M and proceeded on but a fiew miles eeir I saw a Bear of the white Species walking on a Sand bear. I with one man went on the Sand bear and killed the Bear which proved to be a feemale very large and fat. much the fattest animale we have killed on the rout as this bear had got into the river before we killed her I had her toed across to the South Side under a high Bluff where formed a Camp, had the bear Skined and fleaced. our Situation was exposed to a light breeze of wind which continued all the forepart of the night from the S W. and blew away the misquetors.
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