Day-by-Day / April 21, 1805

April 21, 1805

Immense herds

The boats set off on a freezing morning making sixteen miles among ‘immence herds’ of bison, elk, and pronghorn. After dark, they encamp across from the mouth of the present Little Muddy River.

Buffalo Veal

by Yellowstone Public Radio[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

Immense Herds

Bison Herd near Fort Pierre, South Dakota

Large herd of buffalo feeding on spring grass

Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Jim Peaco, U.S. National Park Service.

We saw immence herds of buffaloe Elk deer & Antelopes [Pronghorns]. Capt Clark killed a buffaloe and 4 deer in the course of his walk today; and the party with me killed 3 deer, 2 beaver, and 4 buffaloe calves. the latter we found very delicious. I think it equal to any veal I ever tasted.
—Meriwether Lewis

Related: Hunting | Buffalo

Chilly Morning

a hard white frost last night. froze water in the buckets Setting near the fire. a Clear and pleasant morning, but verry chilly & cold. we proceeded on.
—John Ordway

Little Muddy River

we reached the place of incampment after dark, which was on the Lard. side a little above White earth river which discharges itself on the Stard. side. immediately at the mouth of this river it is not more than 10 yards wide being choked up by the mud of the Missouri; tho’ after leaving the bottom lands of this river, or even sooner,
—Meriwether Lewis

 

Weather Diary

State of Thermometer at sun symbol rise Weather Wind at sun symbol rise State of Thermometer at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 P.M. State of the River
28 [above 0] fair N W 40 [above 0] cloudy N. W. fallen ½ in.

wind violent   white frost last night— the earth friezed along the water’s edge.—
—William Clark and Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, clarified the “State of the River” information, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Related: Thermometers and Temperatures | Weather Observations

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 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, clarified the “State of the River” information, and spelled out some abbreviations.

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.

This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.

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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).