Day-by-Day / August 10, 1806

August 10, 1806

Sketches of the River Rochejhone

Little Muddy and Tobacco Garden, ND While waiting for Lewis to catch up, Clark works on his maps of the Yellowstone River. Lewis has his men repair the boats while he botanizes. In the afternoon, rains begin, leather-making operations cease, and they move a few miles closer to Clark’s camp.

A New Species of Cherry[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading

Clark Waits for Lewis

Maps of the Yellowstone

had the flesh of the elk hung on poles to dry, and Sent out the hunters. wind blew hard from the East all day. in the after part of the day it was [Nicholas Biddle: Cloudy] & a fiew drops of rain. I finished a Copy of my Sketches of the River Rochejhone.
William Clark

Mule Deer and Pronghorn

Shields killed a black tail deer [mule deer] & an antilope [pronghorn]. the other hunters killed nothing. deer are very Scerce on this part of the river.
—William Clark

Harvesting Breadroot

the men dug great parcel of the root which the Nativs call Hankee and the engagees the white apple which they boiled and made use of with their meat. This is a large insipid root and very tasteless. the nativs use this root after it is dry and pounded in their Seup.
—William Clark

 

Lewis Repairs Boats

Repairing the Boats

I hastened the repairs which were necessary to the perogue and canoe which were compleated by 2 P. M.
Meriwether Lewis

Halted by Rain

at 4 in the evening it clouded up and began to rain which puting a stop to the opperation of skindressing we had nothing further to detain us, I therefore directed the vessels to be loaded and at 5 P. M. got under way
—Meriwether Lewis

Little Muddy Camp

we decended this evening as low nearly as the entrance of white Earth river and encamped on the S. W. side. the musquetoes more than usually troublesome this evening
—Meriwether Lewis

White Milkwort Specimen

Polygala A kind of Seneca Snake root. On the Missouri R. Augst: 10th 1806.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]Polygala alba. Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 136r.

 

Weather Diaries

State of the weather at sun symbol rise Wind at sun symbol rise State of the weather at 4 P. M. Wind at 4 P. M.
fair N. E cloudy after rain N E

a slight shower about 3 P. M. wind hard.
—Meriwether Lewis

State of the weather at Sun rise State of wind at Sunrise State of the weather at 4 P. M. Wind at 4 P. M. State of river
fair E. cloudy E. fall ¾ in.

found a Species of Cherry resembling the read Heart cherry of our country.
—William Clark[3]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted, some abbreviations have been spelled out, and the three river columns have been merged.

 

Notes

Notes
1 Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio.
2 Polygala alba. Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 136r.
3 To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted, some abbreviations have been spelled out, and the three river columns have been merged.

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.