Map PLUS Lewis and Clark timeline of region  PDF 454 KB

May 5, 1805  (Encamped in McCone County, Montana, southeast of the present town of Wolf Point) 

 " I went out with one man Geo. Drewyer & killed the bear, which was verry large and a turrible looking animal. This animal is the largest of the Carnivourous kind I ever saw. we had nothing that could way him. I think his weight may be Started at 500 (600) pounds, he measured 8 feet 7 1/2 In. from his nose to the extremity of the Toe, 5 feet 10 1/2 in. arround the breast, 1 feet 11 ins; around the middle of the arm, 3 feet 11 Ins. around the neck.  his tallents was 4 Inches & 3/8 long, he was good order...  "  Clark

 " saw a brown bear swim the river above us, he disappeared before we can get in reach of him; I find that the curiossity of our party is pretty well satisfyed with rispect to this anamal…"  Lewis

May 7, 1805 (Encamped in McCone or Valley County, Montana, a few miles southwest of the present town of Frazer) 

 " we continue to see great numbers of bald eagles, I presume they must feed on the carcases of dead anamals…"  Lewis

 " the water of this river posseses a piculiar whiteness, being about the colour of a cup of tea with the admixture of a tablespoonfull of milk. From the colour of it’s water we called it Milk river*."

*The Milk River, in Montana, still bears the name that Lewis and Clark gave it. The Mandans & Hidatas name for the river was " River Which Scolds at All Others".

May 9, 1805

Sacagawea’s husband, Charbonneau, prepares a prized dish: " Charbono calls the boudin blanc, white pudding, we all esteem one of the greatest delacies of the forrest… when it is ready to esswage the pangs of a keen appetite or such as travelers in the wilderness are seldom at a loss for." Lewis

May 10, 1805 ( Encamped in either Garfield or Valley County, Montana, on a site now inundated by Fort Peck Reservoir)

Proceeding on the wind became so violent that the Corps could not travel any further: " we sent out several hunters to scower the country, to this we were induced not so much from the want of provision as to discover the Indians whome we had reasons to believe were in the neighborhood... we still believe ourselves in the country usually hunted by the Assiniboins.  Boils and imposthumes have been very common with the party*.  Bratton is now unable to work with one on his hands; soar eyes continue also to be common to all of us in a greater or less degree.  for the imposthume I use emmolient poltices, and for soar eyes a solution of white vitriol and the sugar of lead in the proportion of 2 gr. of the former and one of the latter to each ounce of water** "  Lewis

 party* - Chuinard suggest the effect of malnutrition and even mild scurvy, owing to the meat diet.

each ounce of water** - Perhaps a recipe of Benjamin Rush's, taken from his Recipe Book or given directly to Lewis.  White vitriol is zinc sulphate and sugar of lead is lead acetate.