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Accomplishing 20 river miles on the Missouri the Corps encamp on a sandbar. Later in the evening : " The wind which was moderate all the fore part of the day continued to encrease In the evening, and about dark veered about to N.W. and blew a storm all night, in short we found ourselves so invelloped with clouds of dust and sand that we could neither cook, eat, nor sleep; and were finally compelled to remove our lodge about eight oClock at night to the foot of an adjacent hill where we were covered in some measure from the wind by the hills." Lewis May 22, 1805 The winds continued through the morning delaying the Corps departure. Traveling 16 ˝ river miles the explorers encamped early: "We encamped earlyer this evening than usual in order render the oil of a bear which we killed." Lewis May 23, 1805 Freezing temperatures and river current were more rapid than yesterday : " a Severe frost last night, the Thrmotr. Stood at the freesing point this morning… the water freeses on the oars. The after part of this day was worm & the Misquitors troublesome." Clark Setting out at an early hour the Corps took advantage of the SE breeze: " at 9 oClock we had a Breeze from the SE which continued all day. This breeze afforded us good Sailing." Clark " The country on either hand is high broken and rockey; buffalow are no scarce… The air of this quarter is pure and helthy. The water of the Missouri well tasted not quite So muddy as it is below." The Captains view the Rocky Mountains: " arriving to the summit one of the highest points in the neighbourhood I thought myself well repaid for any labour; as from this point I beheld the Rocky Mountains for the first time… while I viewed these mountains I felt a secret pleasure in finding myself so near the head of the heretofore conceived boundless Missouri…" The Corps continues to navigate through the Missouri River Breaks; " the river becomes more rappid and is intercepted by shoals and a greater number of rocky points at the mouths of the little gulies that we experienced yesterday. The bluffs are very high steep rugged." Lewis evaluates the evidence of natives in the area: " found a new indian lodge pole today which had been brought down by the stream, it was woarn at one end as if draged by dogs or horses; a football* also, and several other aricles were found, which have been recently brought by the courant; these are strong evedences of Indians being on the river above us, and probably at no great distance." *Perhaps a buckskin ball used in a game by the women of many tribes of the Great Plains.
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