Clark
Wednesday the 6th of June 1804
Mended our Mast this morning and Set out at 7 oClock, under a Jentle Braise from the S, E by S N 28° W 3½ miles to a hill on St Sd. pass:g the N: belge of the Island Called Split rock Island, the river rose last night a foot the Countrey about this Isd. is delightfull large rush bottom of rushes below on the St. Side N 49° W, 1½ Ms. to the mouth of Split rock 〈Creek〉 River
[blank] yds. wide on the Starboard Side opod. the pt. of a Isd: passed a place in the projecting rock Called the hole thro' the rock, a 〈Small〉 round Cave pass thro the Pt. of rock's West 1½ ms. to a pt. on Std. Sd. opposit a Clift of rocks abt 200 foot N 31° W. 4 ms ½ to a pt. on L: Side passed
Saline Creek
on the L. Side a large Salt Lick & Spring 9 me. up the Creek, one bushel of water will make 7 lb. of good Salt
(Information) Took Meridian altitude of ☉ Limb. 37° 6' 0" equat to [blank] of Lattidude.
on this Creek [Saline], So great a no of Salt Springs are on it that the water is brackish N 51° W to a Belge of an Isd
on the S. Sd. at 3 ms. Passed a Willow Isd. in Middle, Some wind in the after part of to day from the S E, (the Banks are falling in greatly in this part of the river) as also is one Side or the other in all the Course, we assended on the North Side of the Isd. and finding that the perogues Could not Keep up Camped 2 hs. by Sun. on the Sd Sd the land below this is good.
Clark
June 6th Wednesday 1804
Mended our Mast this morning &, Set out at 7 oClock under a jentle breise from S. E. by S passed the large Island, and a Creek Called Split rock Creek at 5 ms. on the S. S. psd. a place to the rock from which 20 yds we. this Creek takes its name, a projecting rock with a hole thro: a point of the rock, at 8 ms. passed the mouth of a Creek Called
Saline or Salt 〈Creek〉 R on the L. Sd. this 〈Creek〉 River is about 30 yds. wide, and has So many Licks & Salt Springs on its banks that the Water of the Creek is Brackish, one Verry large Lick is 9 ms. up on the left Side the water of the Spring in this Lick is Strong as one bushel of the water is said to make 7 lb. of good Salt passed a large Isd. & Several Small ones, the water excessivly Strong, So much So that we Camped Sooner than the usial time to waite for the pirogue, The banks are falling in Verry much to day river rose last night a foot.
Capt. Lewis took meridean altd. of Suns U. L. with the octant above Split Rock C. & made the altitude 37° 6' 00 error of octt. as useal 2° 0' 0" + The Countrey for Several miles below is good, on the top of the high land back is also tolerable land Some buffalow Sign to day
I am Still verry unwell with a Sore throat & head ake
Course & Destance June 6th
N. 28° W |
3 ½ |
ms. to a Hill on S. S. pd. N. Bilg: of Isd. |
N 49° W |
1 ½ |
Ms. to a Creek Split rock
|
West— |
1 ½ |
Ms. to a pt. on S. S. opsd. a Clift |
N 31° W |
4 ½ |
ms. to a pt. on L. S. psd. Saline C. L. S. |
N. 51° W |
3
|
ms. to a bilg of an Isd. to left pd. Sm. Isd. |
|
14 |
|
Whitehouse
[W]ednesday 6th June 1804. we Set out eairly and proceeded on passed a creek called led creek on S. Side. passed a creek on N. Side called little good woman creek. the country is good Soil rich and well timbred &c. Camped on the North Side.—
Wednesday June 6th We set out early this morning, and proceeded on, & passed a Creek called Lead Creek, laying on the South side of the River; also passed another Creek, called little good Woman Creek, The soil during this days travel appeared rich, and the Country well timbered, in the Evening we encamped on the North side of the River,
Biddle's notation at the top of this sheet of the Field Notes (document 19), reads "June 6 to June 9th."
A literal translation of the French name, Roche Percée, now Perchee Creek, in Boone County, Missouri. Thwaites (LC), 1:41 n. 2; MRC map 8.
Petite Saline Creek, so called from salt deposits in the vicinity, enters the Missouri River in northwest Moniteau County, Missouri. Coues (HLC), 1:16 n. 35; MRC map 8.
Evidently the island later called Rocher Island and still later Terrapin Island; it is no longer on maps. Nicollet (MMR), 358; MRC map 8; MRM map 21.
In Boone County, probably a little downstream from where Interstate Highway 70 crosses the Missouri River. MRC map 8.
The first mention of the buffalo, Bison bison, in the journals. They did not actually shoot one until [August 23, 1804]. Hall, 2:1108–10.
Lewis's observation from Codex O.
Contrary to Ordway's wording, there seems to be only one stream here, Perchee Creek, Boone County, Missouri.
Moniteau Creek on the Howard-Boone county line, Missouri. "Big Devil" must refer to
the antlered or horned figures on a nearby rock noted by Clark this day ([June 7, 1804]).
All the other journals indicate that they passed Lead Creek (Gass's
Mine Creek, present Rock Creek or Mud Creek, Cole County, Missouri) on [June 5]. The same is true of Little Good Women Creek (present Bonne Femme Creek, Boone County, Missouri).