The day starts clear and cold, freezing even the moccasins near the fire. During the day, six hunters take flight from a wounded grizzly bear and the white pirogue, steered by Toussaint Charbonneau, tips over. Now above present-day Snow Creek, Montana, the captains call it a day and issue a ration of consoling grog.
In an Instant the Monster Ran at Us . . .
22″ x 38″ oil on canvas
© 2009 by Charles Fritz. Used by permission.
Narrow Escape
Courtesy U.S. National Park Service, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
Narrow Escape
[Four] fired nearly at the same time and put each his bullet through him, two of the balls passed through the bulk of both lobes of his lungs, in an instant this monster ran at them with open mouth, the two who had reserved their fires discharged their pieces at him as he came towards them, boath of them struck him, one only slightly and the other fortunately broke his shoulder, this however only retarded his motion for a moment only, the men unable to reload their guns took to flight . . . .
he pursued two of them seperately so close that they were obliged to throw aside their guns and pouches and throw themselves into the river altho’ the bank was nearly twenty feet perpendicular; so enraged was this animal that he plunged into the river only a few feet behind the second man he had compelled to take refuge in the water, when one of those who still remained on shore shot him through the head and finally killed him.
—Meriwether Lewis
Frozen Mocassins
a hard white frost last night. our mocassons froze near the fire. a clear and pleasant morning.
—John Ordway
Charbonneau at the Helm
The periogues having gone ahead, while the people belonging to the canoes were dressing the bear, a sudden gust of wind arose, which overset one of the periogues before the sail could be got down.
—Patrick Gass
Charbonneau’s Prayer
Charbono [Charbonneau] still crying to his god for mercy, had not yet recollected the rudder, nor could the repeated orders of the Bowsman, Cruzat, bring him to his recollection untill he threatend to shoot him instantly if he did not take hold of the rudder and do his duty
—Meriwether Lewis
Consoling Grog
After having all matters arranged for the evening as well as the nature of circumstances would permit, we thought it a proper occasion to console ourselves and cheer the sperits of our men and accordingly took a drink of grog and gave each man a gill of sperits.
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
State of thermometer at rise
Weather Wind at State of thermometer at 4 P. M. Weather Wind at 4 P. M. State of the river 32 [above 0] fair S. W. 52 [above 0] cloudy S W fallen 1 ¾ in. white frost this morning
—Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the river” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.
Notes
| ↑1 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the river” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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