The Captains are reunited at Decision Point: " I arrived at camp about 5 oclock in the evening much fatiegued, where I found Capt. Clark and the balance of the party waiting our return. We are now within a hundred miles of the Rocky Mountains."  Lewis

June 9, 1805

The question still remained… which river was the Missouri? " today we examined our maps and compared the information derived as well from them as from the Indians and fully settled in our minds the propreyety of addopting the South fork for the Missouri, as that which it would be most expedient for us to take.  The information of Mr. Fidler incorrect as it is strongly argued the necessity of taking the South fork, for if he has been along the Eastern side of the rocky mountains as far as even Latd. 47º, which I think fully as far south as he ever was in that direction, and saw only rivulets making down from those mountains the presumption is very strong that those little streams do not penetrate the rocky Mountains to such distance as would afford rational grownds for a conjecture that they had their sources near any navigable branch of the Columbia, and if he has seen those rivulets as far as 47º they are most probably the waters of some Nothern branch of the Missouri or South fork probably the river called by the Indians Medicine River; we therefore cannot hope by going Northwardly of this place being already in Latitude 47º  24" to find a stream between this place and the Saskashawan which does penetrate the Rocky Mountain, and which agreeably to the information of the Indians with rispect to the Missouri, dose posses a navigable current some distance in those mountains.  The Indian information also argued strongly in favour of the South Fork.  they infomred us that the water of the Missouri was nearly transparent at the great falls, this is the case with the water of the South Fork; that the falls lay a little to the South of sunset from them; this is also brobable as we are only a few minutes North of Fort Mandan and the South Fork bears considerably South from hence to the Mountains; that the falls are below the rocky mountains  and near the Nothern termineation of one range of those mountains.  Those ideas as they occured to me I indevoured to impress on the minds of the party all of whom except Capt. C. being still firm in the beleif that the N. Fork was the Missouri and the which we ought to take; they said very cheerfully that they were ready to follow us any where we thought proper to direct but that they still thought that the other was the river and they they were affraid that the South Fork would soon termineate in the mountains and leave us at a great distance from the Columbia.  Cruzatte who had been an old Missouri navigator and who from his integrity knowledge and skill as a waterman had acquired the confidence of every individual of the party declared it as his opinion that the N. fork was the true genuine Missouri and could be no other.   finding them so determined in this belief, and wishing that if we were in an error to be able to detect it and rectify it as soon as possible it was agreed between Capt. C. and myself that one of us should set out with a small party by land up the South Fork and continue our rout up it untill we found the falls or reached the snowy Mountains by which means we should be enabled to determine this questions prety accurately.   this expediton I preferred undertaking as Capt. C best waterman & determined to set out the day after tomorrow; I wished to make some further observations at this place, and as we had determined to leave our blacksmith's bellows and tools here it was necessary to repare some of our arms, and particulary my Airgun the main spring of which was broken, before we left this place,  these and some other preperations will necessary detain us two perhaps three days. "   Lewis

June 10, 1805

" The day being fair and fine we dryed all our baggage and merchandize.  Shields renewed the main spring of my air gun  we have been much indebted to the ingenuity of this man on many occasions; without having served any regular apprenticeship to any trade, he makes his own tools principally and works extreemly well in either wood or metal, and in this way has been extreemly servicable to us, as well as being a good hunter and an excellent waterman.  ... we drew up the red perogue into the middle of a small Island at the entrance of Maria's river, and secured and made her fast to the trees to prevent the high floods from carrying her off  put my brand* on several trees standing near her, and covered her with brush.  I still fell myself somewhat unwell with the disentary, but determined to set out in the morining up the South fork or Missouri leaving Capt. Clark to compleat the deposit and follow my by water with the party; accordingly gave orders to Drewyer, Joseph Fields, Gibson and Goodrich to hold themselves in readiness to accompany me in the morning. we deturmined to assend the South fork, and Capt Lewis selects 4 men George Drewyer, Gibson, Jo. Fields & S. Goodrich to accompany him & deturmine to set out in the morning.  Sah-cah-gah,wea our Indian woman is very sick this evening; Capt. C. blead her.    I saw a small bird** today which I do not recollect ever having seen before. "   Lewis

brand* - Lewis's branding iron bore the legend "U.S. Capt. M. Lewis."  Now in the possession of the Oregon Historical Society, is one of the few authenticated articles associated with the expedition known to have survived.  Files of the society are inexact and sources disagree on the item's provenance.  It was found in 1892, 1893, or 1894, by Lineaus Winans of Hood River, Oregon, near present The Dalles, Oregon, on or below one of the Memaloose Islands  before Columbia River dams inundated the area. 

small bird** - Cited as the first description of the white-rumped shrike.

June 11, 1805

 Lewis along with Drouillard, Joseph Fields, Gibson and Goodrich set out on the southern fork of the river in search of the great falls of the Missouri.  Meanwhile  Clark stayed with the main party and attended to Sacagawea who was ill: " at 8 AM I swung my pack, and set forward with my little party."  Lewis

"at 8 oclock Capt. Lewis, George Drewyer, G. Gibson, Jo Fields & Silas Goodrich Set out for the South Snowey mountain.  we put in the Carsh or hole 1 keg of powder 1 bar led, 1 keg flour 1 keg pork  2 kegs parchcd meal the bellowses & tools augur plains Saw & some tin cups a dutch oven, a corn hand mill, pack of beaver, bear skins horns buffalow robes.  the Blacksmiths compleated repairing the fire arms.  the carsh or hole on the high land dug deeper and compleated burrying the heavey articles."  Joseph Whitehouse

June 12, 1805

"'this morning I felt myself quite revived, took another portion of my docoction and set out at sunrise.  I now boar out from the river in order to avoid the steep ravines of the river which usually make out in the plain to the distance of one or two miles; after gaining the leavel plain my couse was a little to the West of SW - having traveled about 12 miles by 9 in the moring, the sun became warm, and I boar a little to the south in order to gain the river as well to abtain water to allay my thirst as to kill something for breakfast; for the plain through which we had passing possesses no water and is so level that we cannot approach the buffaloe within shot before they discover us and take flight.  we arrived at the river about 10 AM having traveled 15 m.  at this place there is a handsom open bottom with a handsome cottonwood timber, here we met with two large bear, and killed them boath at the first fire,  a circumstance which I beleive has never happened with the party in killing the brown bear before.  we dressed the bear, breakfasted on a part of one of them and hung the meat and skins on the trees out of the reach of the wolves.  I left a note on a stick near the river for Capt. Clark informing him of my progress -"  Lewis

"we set out at 8 oClock & proceeded on verry well The interpreters wife verry sick so much so that I move her into the back part of our covered part of the Perogue which is Cool, her situation being a very hot one in the bottom of the perogue exposed to the Sun - "  Clark