The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Lewis, June 11, 1805

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Lewis, June 11, 1805

Tuesday June 11th 1805

This morning I felt much better, but somewhat weakened by my disorder. at 8 A.M. I swung my pack, and set forward with my little party. proceeded to the point where Rose River a branch Maria's River approaches the Missouri so nearly. from this hight we discovered a herd of Elk on the Missouri just above us to which we desended and soon killed four of them. we butchered them and hung up the meat and skins in view of the river in order that the party might get them. I determined to take dinner here, but before the meal was prepared I was taken with such violent pain in the intestens that I was unable to partake of the feast of marrowbones. my pain still increased and towards evening was attended with a high fever; finding myself unable to march, I determined to prepare a camp of some willow boughs and remain all night. having brought no medecine with me I resolved to try an experiment with some simples; and the Choke cherry which grew abundanly in the bottom first struck my attention; I directed a parsel of the small twigs to be geathered striped of their leaves, cut into pieces of about 2 Inches in length and boiled in water untill a strong black decoction of an astringent bitter tact was produced; at sunset I took a point of this decoction and abut an hour after repeated the dze by 10 in the evening I was entirely releived from pain and in fact every symptom of the disorder forsook me; my fever abated, a gentle perspiration was produced and I had a comfortable and refreshing nights rest. Goodrich who is remarkably fond of fishing caught several douzen fish of two different species- one about 9 inches long of white colour round and in form and fins resembles the white chub common to the Potomac; this fish has a smaller head than the Chubb and the mouth is beset both above and below with a rim of fine sharp teeth; the eye moderately large, the puple dark and the iris which is narrow is of a yellowish brown colour, they bite at meat or grasshoppers. this is a soft fish, not very good, tho the flesh is of a fine white colour. the other species is precisely the form and about the size of the well known fish called the Hickory Shad or old wife, with the exception of the teeth, a rim of which garnish the outer edge of both the upper and lower jaw; the tonge and pallet are also beset with long sharp teeth bending inwards, the eye of this fish is very large, and the iris of a silvery colour and wide. of the 1st species we had caught some few before our arrival at the entrance of Maria's river, but of the last we had seen none untill we reached that place and took them in Missouri above it's junction with that river. the latter kind are much the best, and do not inhabit muddy water; the white cat continue as high as the entrance of Maria's R, but those we have caught above Mandans never excede 6 lbs. I beleive that there are but few in this part of the Missouri. saw an abundance of game today even in our short march of 9 miles.