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June 12, 1804

"met two chaussies one loaded with furs & pelteries, the other with greece we purchased 300 lbs of greese and finding old Mr. Durioun* was of the party we questioned him. Concluded to take old Dorioun back as fur as the Soux nation.  Those people inform that no Indians are on the river." Clark

 
Mr. Durioun* -  Pierre Dorian Sr., was born before 1750, probably in Quebec, and was in Cahokia, Illinois, in 1780.  Clark perhaps had heard of Dorion before, for the trader had at least corresponded with George Rogers Clark in 1780.  Within a few years of that date he had gone up the Missouri to the Yankton Sioux, where he married and settled down as a trader.  He was employed by Regis Loisel as an interpreter at Loisel's post at Ile aux Cedres.  He took a delegation of Yankton chiefs to St. Louis for the captains and was later involved in various negotiations with Indians, serving for a time as a government subagent under Clark.  He died sometime after 1811. 

June 13, 1804

"we set out early passed a verry round bend*  passsed two Creeks 1 me. apt.  Called Creeks of the round bend**, between those Creeks is a butifull Prairie, in which the antient Missourie Indians had a village***, at this place 300 of them were killed by the Saukees.  Encamped at the mouth of Grand River ****on the north side. This is as handsome a place as I ever saw in an uncultivated state."   Clark

verry round bend* - It would appear that this bend in Chariton County, Missouri, was cut off by a change in the course of the Missouri River later in the nineteenth century.  The curve and a remaining lake are quite evident on map MRC 10.  It was later known as Bowling Green Bend.

round bend** - One of those was Probably Palmer Creek

Missourie Indians had a village*** - The Missouris, or Missourias, called after the river, when first noticed in 1673 were situated at the mouth of the Grand River in Missouri, about where Clark places the village here.  They are said to have been a large and important tribe before they were almost annihilated during the latter half of the eighteenth century by Mississippi River tribes, particularly the Sauks and the Fox.  Their earliest known village was near Miami Landing, now called the Utz site.  Eventually they moved to the southwestern tip of Saline County, to a spot known as the Gumbo Point site.  By 1798 they were forced to move up the Missouri River into Nebraska, to join the culturally related Otos; both tribes spoke the Siouan language of the Chiwere group and had economies based on hunting and horticulture.  Henceforward the two tribes acted together and were treated by the United States as one.  The last full-blooded Missouri is said to have died in Oklahoma in 1907. 

Grand River ****Grand River, of the principal streams of northern Missouri, forms the boundary between Carroll and Chariton counties where it meets the Missouri River.  It appears likely that the mouth of the Grand in 1804 wsa farther north above present Brunswick.  It is not clear on which side of the Grand they camped. 

June 14, 1804

"We set out after the fog ... continued our voyage.  opposit the upper pint of this island is one of the worst quick or moveing Sand bars which I have seen  not withstanding all our precautions to Clear the Sands & pass between them the Boat Struck the point of one  from the active exertions of the men, prevented her turning, if She had turned She must have overset.  we met a Causseu from the Paunee on the River Platt, we detained 2 hours with a view of engageing one* of the hands to go to the Pania nation with a View to get those people to meet us on the river .  "   Clark

engageing one* - It is nowhere indicated in the journals whether this man was in fact hired, and if so, what his name was.  If he was hired, this complicated the roll of the French engages. 

June 15, 1804

"Mulberries are in great abundance almost all along the river."   Clark

June 16, 1804

"We came to on the S.S. in a Prairie at the place where Mr. Mackey lay down a old french fort*, I could see no traces of a settlement.  Three men went out this evening to look for timber to make oars, but could find none suitable. Had cloudy weather and rapid water all day."   Clark

old french fort* -  Fort Orleans, founded by Etienne V'eniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, in 1723 in Carroll County, Missouri.  James MacKay made a trip up the Missouri in 1795 accompanied by John Thomas Evans.  Mackay was at St. Louis during the time Lewis and Clark were at Camp Dubois and provided the captains a great deal of information and perhaps copies of Evan's maps of the Missouri, to which Clark may refer.

June 17, 1804

"Our hunters came in and brought with them a handsome horse, which they found astray. They also brought a bear which they had killed.  The party is much aflicted* with boils and several have the Decissentary, which I contribute to the water which is muddy. "  Clark

aflicted* - The party was living on a high-protein diet.  The jerked meat probably was contaminated with bacteria, of whose existence they were unaware; the germ theory of disease was half a century in the future.  Although they had gathered "greens" on June 5, their diet in general probably lacked fresh fruit and vegetables.  Unwashed clothing, infrequent bathing, and infected mosquito bites may also have contributed to their ailments. 

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