Day-by-Day / June 18, 1806

June 18, 1806

Return to Eldorado Creek

In the morning at Hungery Creek, they find that the horses have scattered in search of food. Eventually, they continue their retreat from the Bitterroot Mountain snow and return to Eldorado Creek. On the way, John Potts severely cuts his leg, and John Colter and his horse take a bad fall. At camp, they attempt to shoot ‘salmon trout’ swimming in the creek.

Straggling Horses

This morning we had considerable difficulty in collecting our horses they having straggled off to a considerable distance in surch of food on the sides of the mountains among the thick timber
Meriwether Lewis

Heading Back for Guides

We dispatched Drewyer and Shannon to the Chopunnish [Nez Perce] Indians in the plains beyond the Kooskooske [Clearwater] in order to hasten the arrival of the indians who had promised to accompany us or to procure a gude at all events and rejoin us as soon as possible. we sent by them a rifle which we offered as a reward to any of them who would engage to conduct us to traveller’s rest . . . .
Meriwether Lewis

Pott’s Bad Cut

we got but a short distance before one of the men Potts who was of the front cut his leg verry bad with a big knife we halted a fiew minutes Capt. Lewis Sowed up the wound and bound it up we then proceeded on
John Ordway

Colter’s Horse Rolls

Colter‘s horse fel with him in passing hungry [Hungery] creek and himself and horse were driven down the creek a considerable distance rolling over each other among the rocks. he fortunately escaped without injury or the loss of his gun.
—Meriwether Lewis

Return to Eldorado Creek

after dinner we proceeded on to Collin’s Creek and encamped in a pleasant situation at the upper part of the meadows about 2 ms. above our encampment of the 15th inst. we sent out several hunters but they returned without having killed anything. they saw a number if salmon in the creek and shot at them several times without success.
—Meriwether Lewis

 

Weather Diary

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.
cloudy after rain E cloudy after rain & hail S W

obliged to return.
—Meriwether Lewis and William Clark[1]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted and some abbreviations have been spelled out.

 

Notes

Notes
1 To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted and some abbreviations have been spelled out.

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.