Clark along with his party of 4 men arrive at the three forks of the Missouri: " we proceeded on a fiew miles to the three forks of the Missouri, the north fork appears to have the most water and must be considered as the one best calculated for us to assend… I wrote a note informing Capt. Lewis the rout I intended to take and proceeded on up, the day verry hot."  Clark

July 26, 1805

 Clark, who is ahead of  Lewis, continues his search for Sacagawea’s people: " we with great dificuelty & much fatigue reached the top at 11 oClock from the top of this mountain I could see the Course of the North fork about 10 miles meandering through a valley but could discover no Indians or sign which was fresh."   Clark

July 27, 1805

The Captains & their parties rejoin near the three forks of the Missouri. Clark, who was unsuccessful in tracking or seeing signs of natives in the area, has become ill. Lewis begins to contemplate their situation: " we begin to feel considerable anxiety with rispect to the Snake Indains. If we do not find them or some other nation who have horses I fear the succesfull issue of our voyage will be very doubtfull or at all events much more difficult in it’s accomplishment."

July 28, 1805

The Captains name the rivers at the three forks: " we called the the S.W. fork, that which we meant to ascend, Jefferson’s River in honor of that illustrious personage Thomas Jefferson ( the author of our enterprize). The Middle fork we called Madison’s River in honor of James Madison, and the S.E. Fork we called Gallitin’s River in honor of Albert Gallitin." 

July 29, 1805

 " the men have been busily engaged all day in dressing skins and making them into various garments all are leather dressers and taylors."  Lewis

July 30, 1805

Ascending the Jefferson River, Sacagawea recalls the location where the Minnetarees first sighted her Nation five winters ago : " Sharbono, his woman and myself walked through the bottom on the Lard. side of the river about 4 ½ miles when we again struck it at the place the woman informed us that she was taken prisoner."  Lewis

July 31, 1805

 Lewis is concerned for the group and there situation: " nothing killed today and our fresh meat is out. We have a lame crew just now, two with tumers or bad boils on various parts of them, one with a bad stone bruise, one with his arm accedently dislocated and a fifth has streigned his back by slipping and falling backwards on the gunwall of the canoe. Tomorrow, being determined to go in quest of the Snake Indians."