[Clark, June 17, 1804] June 17th Sunday 1804 (S. 65°W. me. S. Side-) Cloudy morning wind from the S. E. we Set out early and proceeded on one mile & came too to make oars, & repair our Cable & toe rope &c. &c. which was necessary for the Boat & Perogues, Sent out Sjt. Pryor and Some men to get ash timber for ores, and Set Some men to make a Toe Rope out of the Cords of a Cable which had been provided by Capt Lewis at Pitts burg for the Cable of the boat--George Drewyer our hunter and one man came in with 2 Deer & a Bear, also a young Horse, they had found in the Prarie, this horse has been in the Prarie a long time and is fat, I suppose he has been left by Some war party against the Osage, This is a Crossing place for the war partis against that nation from the Saukees, Aiaouez, & Souix. The party is much aflicted with Boils and Several have the Decissentary, which I contribute to the water
The Countrey about this place is butifull on the river rich & well timbered on the S. S. about two miles back a Prarie coms. which is rich and interspursud with groves of timber, the County rises at 7 or 8 miles Still further back and is roleing--on the L. S. the high lands & Prarie Corns. in the bank of the river and Continus back, well watered and abounds in Der Elk & Bear The Ticks & Musquetors are verry troublesom.
[Clark, June 18, 1804] June 18th Monday Some raind last night, Sent out 6 Hunters to day across the R. they Killed 5 Deer & Colter a Bear verry fat we continue to repare our ropes & make oars all day, heavy rain all the fore pt. of the day, the party Drying meat & greesing themselves, Several men with the Disentary, and two thirds of them with ulsers or Boils, Some with 8 or 10 of those Turners Mesquetors verry bad we finish our Cords & oars this evening Men in Spirits
[Clark, June 18, 1804] June 18th Monday Some rain last night, and Some hard Showers this morning which delay our work verry much, Send out Six hunters in the Prarie on the L S. they kill 5 Deer & Coltr a Bear, which verry large & fat, the party to wok at the oars, make rope, & jurk their meat all Day Dry our wet Sales &c. in the evening, The misquiter verry bad
[Clark, June 19, 1804] June 19th Tuesday rain last night after fixing the new Oars and makeing all necessary arrangements, we Set out under a jentle breese from the S. E. and proceeded on passed two large Islands on the S. S. leaving J. Shields and one man to go by land with the horses Some verry hard water, passed Several Islands & Sand bars to day at the head of one we were obliged to cleare away Driftwood to pass, passed a Creek on the L. Side Called Tabboe 15 yds. wide passed a large Creek at the head of an Island Called Tiger River on the S. S. The Island below this Isd. is large and Called the Isle Of Panters, formed on the S. S. by a narrow Channel, I observed on the Shore Goose & Rasp berries in abundance in passing Some hard water round a Point of rocks on the L. S. we were obliged to take out the roape & Draw up the Boat for 1/2 a mile, we Came too on the L. S. near a Lake of the Sircumfrance of Several miles Situated on the L. S. about two miles from the river this Lake is Said to abound in all kinds of fowls, great quanties of Deer frequent this Lake dureing Summer Season, and feed on the hows &c. &c. they find on the edgers the Lands on the North Side of the river is rich and Sufficiently high to afford Settlements, the Lds. on the South Side assends Gradually from the river not So rich, but of a good quallity and appear well watered