Saturday 8.  It continued to rain moderately all last night, and the morning was cloudy till about ten o’clock, when it cleared off, and became a fine day.  They breakfasted about sunrise and then proceeded down the river in the same way as they had done yesterday, except that the travelling was somewhat better, as they had not so often to wade, though they passed some very dangerous bluffs.  The only timber to be found is in the low grounds which are occasionally on the river, and these are the haunts of innumerable birds, who, when the sun began to shine, sang very delightfully.  Among these birds they distinguished the brown thrush, robin, turtledove, linnet, goldfinch, the large and small blackbird, the wren, and some others.  As they came along, the whole of the party were of opinion that this river was the true Missouri, but captain Lewis being fully persuaded that it was neither the main stream, nor that which it would be advisable to ascend, gave it the name of Maria’s river.  After travelling all day they reached the camp at five o’clock in the afternoon, and found captain Clarke and the party very anxious for their safety, as they had staid two days longer than had been expected, and as captain Clarke had returned at the appointed time, it was feared that they had met with some accident.

Captain Clarke on setting out with five men on the 4th, went seven miles on a course S. 25 degrees W. to a spring; thence he went S. 20 degrees W. for eight miles to the river where was an island, from which he proceeded in a course N. 45 degrees W. and approached the river at the distance of three, five, and thirteen miles, at which place they encamped in an old Indian lodge made of sticks and bark.  In crossing the plains they observed several herds of buffaloe, some muledeer, antelopes and wolves.  The river is rapid and closely hemmed in by high bluffs, crowded with bars of gravel, with little timber on the low grounds, and none on the highlands.  Near the camp this evening, a white bear attacked one of the men, whose gun happening to be wet, would not go off; he instantly made towards a tree, but was so closely pursued, that as he ascended the tree he struck the bear with his foot.  The bear not being able to climb, waited till he should be forced to come down; and as the rest of the party were separated from him by a perpendicular cliff of rocks, which they could not descend, it was not in their power to give him any assistance:  fortunately however at last the bear became frighted at their cries and firing, and released the man.  In the afternoon it rained, and during the night there fell both rain and snow, and in the morning.