Apparently Monture Creek, in Powell County, Montana, Lewis's
Seaman's Creek.
Nevada Valley, in Powell County.
North Fork Blackfoot River, which meets the Blackfoot River south of Ovando in Powell County.
There are various lakes in this part of Powell County, east of the North Fork of the Blackfoot River. The largest are Kleinschmidt Lake and Browns Lake. One of these, most likely the former, is probably represented by a crescent shape marked "Pond" in the appropriate location on fig. 4. It appears that Biddle has substituted some of the words in this sentence, which were lost in tears at the bottom of the page. The words are in dark rather than his usual red ink.
Probably the Columbian ground squirrel.
Longed-billed curlew, Numenius americanus [AOU, 264].
Meaning the French bois rouge, "red wood," referring to the red, woody stems of red osier dogwood, Cornus sericea L. (or C. stolonifera Michx.). Hitchcock et al., 3:588–90.
Western blue flag, Iris missouriensis Nutt., a new species. Ibid., 1:817–18; Cutright (LCPN), 311, 326, 410.
Peppergrasses are small, generally weedy, herbs of the mustard genus Lepidium.
Lewis may have seen one of several native species such as tall peppergrass, L. virginicum L. It is equally likely, however, that he was using this common name for one of the many other mustards of the region, many of which are very similar in appearance. Hitchcock et al., 2:519–21.
Big, or common, sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata Nutt. The other two species of shrubs collected on this day are Antelope bush, bitter brush, Purshia tridentata (Pursh) DC., and silverberry, Elaeagnus commutata Bernh., both new to science. Ibid., 5:70, 3:162, 460; Cutright (LCPN), 326, 408, 416.
Perhaps the junction of Poorman Creek from the south and Blackfoot River, in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. At this fork, on fig. 4, Clark has made a dotted line representing the Indian trail going southeasterly, while Lewis's trail goes northeast. It is also possible that Lewis has misplaced this course and that it should go as the second course of July 7, since Lewis's camp was more than one mile below the entrance of Poorman Creek. The two forks would then be Landers Fork and Blackfoot River. These two streams more nearly fit the captain's description here.
Probably Arrastra Creek in Powell County, flowing into Blackfoot River.
On Beaver Creek, in Lewis and Clark County, some two miles west of present Lincoln (see fig. 4).
Beaver, Castor canadensis.
Camp Creek, in Ravalli County, Montana, roughly parallel to U.S Highway 93, unnamed on Atlas map 68.
Biddle has made his addition to Clark's apparent blank space.
Clark's party evidently crossed the Continental Divide from Ravalli County to Beaverhead County, Montana, by way of Gibbons Pass, then went down Trail Creek (Clark's
Glade Creek) toward the valley of the Big Hole River (his Wisdom River). His route appears as a dotted line on Atlas map 68. Some of his courses appear on the route on Atlas map 103.
These were probably mountain bison (Bison bison athabascae), rather than plains bison (Bison bison bison) who had wanddered into the mountains. The mountain Indians, since acquiring the horse and thus increasing their hunting efficiency, had greatly reduced the numbers of this animal by Lewis and Clark's time. See also Clark's entry for [July 14, 1806], Christman.
The general area of Saddle Mountain in Ravalli County, from which the party descended on the date Clark mentions toward Ross Hole. Atlas maps 68, 103.
Again, the Columbian ground squirrel.
Perhaps Nuttall's cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii; if so, a new species. Burroughs, 123.
The Big Hole River. Atlas maps 65, 66, 67. On Atlas map 103 it is also "E. fork of Clarks R," certainly an error.
Big Hole Pass, at the upper end of the Big Hole Valley in Beaverhead County, through which present Montana Highway 278 passes. It was on the way to Camp Fortunate, at which place the canoes had been cached in August 1805. Atlas maps 67, 103.
Perhaps the Tendoy Mountains in Beaverhead County, south of Camp Fortunate; they were probably not visible from this point but came into view in a few miles.
Ruby Creek in Beaverhead County, which runs northeasterly to join Trail Creek and form the North Fork Big Hole River. A few miles to the east is the Big Hole Battlefield National Monument, site of an engagement between the Nez Perces and the U.S. Army on August 9–10, 1877. Both the Indians and the soldiers who attacked them reached the site by Clark's route through Gibbons Pass, named for the army commander in the battle. Brown (FNP), 250.
Ruby Creek heads in the Beaverhead Mountains of the Bitterroot Range near the heads of some of the tributaries of the North Fork Salmon River (Lewis and Clark's
Fish Creek). The gap is another Big Hole Pass, east of Gibbonsville, Lemhi County, Idaho, in Beaverhead County, Montana. Atlas maps 67, 103.
The valley of the Big Hole River, in Beaverhead County; in its east central part lies the present town of Wisdom, still bearing Lewis and Clark's name for the river. Atlas maps 67, 103.
There are a number of high peaks in the Pioneer Mountains east of Clark's position, some of them over 10,000 feet. He may be using the word "mountain" as he often did to mean a whole range, or he may be seeing Tweedy Mountain in Beaverhead National Forest.
Apparently on Moose Creek, in the western part of the big Hole Valley in Beaverhead County, some seven miles southwest of Wisdom. The spot appears on Atlas map 103.
Being in new territory, Clark has resumed keeping tabled courses and distances.
The group followed Camp Creek, roughly paralleling U.S. Highway 93, and crossed the
Continental Divide from Ravalli County to Beaverhead County, Montana, by way of Gibbons Pass. Here they picked up Trail Creek and began their descent to the Big Hole Valley.
Perhaps Nuttall's cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii.
The party followed Trail Creek to near its junction with North Fork Big Hole River then
moved southeasterly and apparently camped on Moose Creek, in the western part of the Big Hole Valley, Beaverhead County, some seven miles southwest of Wisdom.
North Fork Blackfoot River, meeting Blackfoot River in Powell County, Montana, south
of Ovando. Note that Gass's version of the Nez Perce name used on July 3 is now more like Lewis's.
Of the several lakes in Powell County east of the North Fork Blackfoot River, it was
perhaps Kleinschmidt Lake.
For the problems surrounding the location of this campsite see Lewis's entry of this
date. It was in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, perhaps at the junction of Poorman Creek and Blackfoot River, or the junction of Landers Fork and Blackfoot River.