The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Lewis, September 18, 1805

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Lewis, September 18, 1805

Wednesday September 18th 1805.

Cap Clark set out this morning to go a head with six hunters. there being no game in these mountains we concluded it would be better for one of us to take the hunters and hurry on to the leavel country a head and there hunt and provide some provision while the other remained with and brought on the party the latter of these was my part; accordingly I directed the horses to be gotten up early being determined to force my march as much as the abilities of our horses would permit. the negligence of one of the party Willard who had a spare horse not attending to him and bringing him up last evening was the cause of our detention this morning untill 1/2 after 8 A M when we set out. I sent willard back to serch for his horse, and proceeded on with the party at four in the evening he overtook us without the horse, we marched 18 miles this day and encamped on the side of a steep mountain; we suffered for water this day passing one rivulet only; we wer fortunate in finding water in a steep raviene about 1/2 maile from our camp. this morning we finished the remainder of our last coult. we dined & suped on a skant proportion of portable soupe, a few canesters of which, a little bears oil and about 20 lbs. of candles form our stock of provision, the only recources being our guns & packhorses. the first is but a poor dependance in our present situation where there is nothing upon earth exept ourselves and a few small pheasants, small grey Squirrels, and a blue bird of the vulter kind about the size of a turtle dove or jay bird. our rout lay along the ridge of a high mountain course S. 20 W. 18 in. used the snow for cooking.