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We came too on the Lard,
side in a handsome bottom of small cottonwood timber opposite to the
entrance of a very considerable river; but it being too late to examine
these rivers minutely to night we determined to remain here until
the morning, and as the
evening was favourable to make some observations".
Meriwether Lewis - Sunday June 2nd 1805
"This morning early we passed over and formed a camp on the point formed by the
junction of the two large rivers. Here in the course of the day I continued my
observations. An interesting question was now to be determined; which of these
rivers was the Missouri, or that river which the Minnetares call Amahte Arzzha or
Missouri, and which they had discribed to us as approaching very near to the Columbia
river. To mistake the stream at this period of the season, two months of the
traveling season having now elapsed, and to ascend such steam to the rocky Mountain or
perhaps much further before we could inform ourselves whether it did approach the Columbia
or not, and then be obliged to return and take the other stream would not only losse us
the whole of this season but would probably so dishearten the party that it might defeat
the expedition altogether".........
Meriwether Lewis - Monday June 3rd 1805
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| In what could be considered to be the
understatement of the voyage to this point, Lewis' interesting question would have to be
answered. Which way to the Pacific? Lewis and Clark decided both branches
would have to be explored until the question of which river was the true Missouri could be
answered. On Tuesday June 4th, two canoes with three men each traveled up the
streams to determine their characteristics. Upon returning that evening the men
reported that the south branch was clear and rapid while the north branch was muddy, less
rapid and comparatively shallow. The question of which fork was the true Missouri
remained unsettled. The following day the Captains determined to find the answer for
themselves. Clark and five men traveled 40 miles up the south fork, while Lewis and
six men followed the north fork. Upon their return to camp both Captains had
concluded that the south branch was the true Missouri, but found that their entire party
to a man felt the north branch was the right river. Since doubt remained, it was
decided that Lewis would take four men and follow the south branch on foot until he found
the one unmistakable sign of the true Missouri....the great waterfalls they had been told
of while at Fort Mandan. Two days later on Thursday June 13th, Lewis found what he
had been searching for. Hearing first the "sound of a fall of water" and
then "seeing the spray arrise above the plain like a collumn of smoke", the
Captain approached the river, which soon "began to make a roaring too tremendious to
be mistaken for any cause short of the great falls of Missouri. Arriving at the
falls at 12 o'clock noon Lewis knew then that there was no doubt....the south fork was the
true Missouri, the way to the Pacific was now before them. |
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Copyright - Wind Dancer Studios - Fort
Benton, Montana |
