Portage Map PDF   71 KB

June 18, 1805

"I employed all hands in drawing the perogue on shore in a thick bunch of willow bushes some little distance below our camp; fastened her securely, drove out the plugs of the gage holes of her bottom and covered her with bushes and driftwood to shelter her from the sun.  I now scelected a place for a cash and set tree men at work to complete it.  examined the frame of my Iron boat and found all the parts complete except one screw, which the ingenuity of Sheilds can readily replace, a resource which we have very frequent occasion for."  Lewis

:" we set out and arrived at the second great Cataract about 200 yds above the last of 19 feet pitch - this is one of the grandest views in nature and by far exceed anything I ever saw, the Missouri falling over a Shelveing rock for 47 feet 8 inches with a Cascade of 14 feet 7 inches above the shoot for a 1/4 mile  I decended the Clift below this Cateract with esae measured the hight of the purpendicular fall of 47 feet 8 inches at which place the river is 473 yards wide as also the hight of the Cascade.  a continuel mist quite across this fall  after which we proceed on up the river a little more than a mile to the largest fountain or Spring I ever saw*, and doubt if it is not the largest in America Known, this water boils up from under the rocks near the edge of the river and falls imediately into the river 8 feet and keeps its Colour for 1/2 mile which is emencely clear and of a bluish cast.    this evening one man A. Willard going for a load of meat was attact by a white bear and verry near being caught, prosued within 40 yards of the camp where I was with one man I collected 3 others of the party and prosued the bear." Clark

 Spring I ever saw* - Giant Springs is now located in a park northeast of the city of Great Falls, Montana.  It has been said to discharge 388,800,000 gallons of water every twenty-four hours, but more recent measurements indicate 174 - 213,000,000 gallons a day.

June 19, 1805

 " the woman was much better this morning. She walked out and gathered white apples which she ate heartily in their raw state, together with a considerable quantity of dried fish without my knowledge, she complained verry much and her fever returned." Lewis

"... from this bend I with 2 men went forward towards the Camp of the party to examine the best ground for the portage... deturmined that the best nearest and most eassy rout would be from the lower part of the 3rd or white bear Island,."  Clark

June 20, 1805 - The party prepares to portage around the great falls of the Missouri

"This morning we had but little to do; waiting the return of Capt. Clark; I am apprehensive from his stay that the portage is longer than we had calculated on.  Capt. Clark and party returned late this evening when he gave me the following relation of his route and the occurrences which had taken place since their departure."  Lewis

 "When I arrived at Camp found all well with great quantitie of meet, the Canoes Capt. Lewis had Carried up the Creek 1 3/4 mile to a good place to assend the band & taken up.  Not haveing Seen the Snake Indians or knowing in fact whither to Calculate on their friendship or hostillity, we have Conceived our party Sufficiently Small, and therefore have concluded not to dispatch a Canoe with a part of our men to St. Louis as we have inteneded early in the Spring.  we fear also that Such a measure might also discourage those who would in Such Case remain, and migh possibly hazard the fate of the xpedition.  we have never hinted to any one of the party that we had such a Scheem in contemplation, and all appear perfectly to have made up their minds, to Succeed in the expedition or perish in the attemp.   We all believe that we are about to enter on the most perious and dificuelt part of our Voyage, yet I see no one repineing; all appear ready to meet those dificuelties which await us with resolution and becomeing fortitude." Clark

June 21, 1805 - Portaging around the great falls of the Missouri

: " This morning I employed the greater part of the men in transporting a part of the baggage over portage creek to the top of the high plain about three miles in advance on the portage. I also had one canoe carryed on truck wheles to the same place and put the baggage in it, in order to make an early start in the morning, as the rout of our portage is not yet entirely settled."  Lewis

June 22, 1805
"about 8 miles on the portage where we halted and dined; we were obliged here to renew both axeltrees and the tongues and howns of one set of wheels which took us no more that 2 hours. the prickly pears were extreemly troublesome to us sticking our feet through our mockersons."

June 23, 1805
" to state the fatigues of this party would take up more of the journal than other notes which I find scercely time to set down."

June 24, 1805
" had the remaining canoe hauled out of the water to dry and devided the baggage into 3 parcels, one of which the party took on their backs & one waggon with truck wheels to the canoes 3 miles in advance."