d for
that place with ten of the best workmen who would be occupied in
building the canoes till the rest of the party, after taking the boat to
pieces and making the necessary deposits, should transport the baggage
and join them with the other six canoes.

Wednesday 10. He accordingly passed over to the opposite side of the
river with his party, and proceeded on eight miles by land, the distance
by water being twenty-three and three quarter miles. Here he found two
cottonwood trees, but on cutting them down, one proved to be hollow,
split at the top in falling, and both were much damaged at the bottom.
He searched the neighbourhood but could find none which would suit
better, and therefore was obliged to make use of those which he had
felled, shortening them in order to avoid the cracks, and supplying the
deficiency by making them as wide as possible. They were equally at a
loss for wood of which they might make handles for their axes, the eyes
of which not being round they were obliged to split the timber in such a
manner that thirteen of the handles broke in the course of the day,
though made of the best wood they could find for the purpose, which was
the chokecherry.

The rest of the party took the frame of the boat to pieces, deposited it
in a cache or hole, with a draught of the country from fort Mandan to
this place, and also some other papers and small articles of less
importance. After this we amused ourselves with fishing, and although we
had thought on our arrival that there were none in this part of the
river, we caught some of a species of white chub below the falls, but
few in number, and small in size.

Serjeant Ordway with four canoes and eight men had set sail in the
morning, with part of the baggage to the place where captain Clarke had
fixed his camp, but the wind was so high that he only reached within
three miles of that place, and encamped for the night.

Thursday, July 11. In the morning one of the canoes joined captain
Clarke: the other three having on board more valuable articles, which
would have been injured by the water, went on more cautiously, and did
not reach the camp till the evening. Captain Clarke then had the canoes
unloaded and sent back, but the high wind prevented their floating down
nearer than about eight miles above us. His party were busily engaged
with the canoes, and their hunters supplied them with three fat deer and
a buffaloe, in addition to two deer and an antelope kil