Before launching for the continued voyage, Lewis had a new boat built, encased in elk and buffalo skins, but could find no pitch with which to prevent leakage in joints and seams; had to abandon it and spent several days hunting trees large enough to make canoes—of which they finally found two, from which they made two dugouts of indifferent kind to carry forward what goods they could not dispense with by burying them in the customary cache. It was here that they saw wild pigeons. Clark says it took four deer and one elk,—or one buffalo to feed the party one day. The up river trip from here was comprised of but eight canoes—all heavily loaded. On the 18th, they got to the foot of the mountains, where the river is more rapid and narrow and very crooked,—they use the rope and the pole to make even slow progress. Clark's dog killed seven geese and one of the men killed a big-horn with his setting pole. It is now 3� months since leaving Mandan—and no Indians of the Snake tribe as yet,—but Sacajawea said she recognized the country and that sooner or later they would be seen, which cheered the Captains mightily. As they advanced into the rough country, Lewis became very much alarmed; he felt sure they would meet with more falls ahead; he consulted Sacajawea. She told him there were no more falls—merely easy rapids to overcome. This was a great relief to him,—and was so found as they went forward toward the Three Forks,— head of the Missouri, which point they reached on July 27. Here it became a quandary as to which of the 'forks' was the proper one to follow—one or two days passed while making investigations of each. Lewis enters on the 28th. "Both Captain Clark and myself correspond in opinion with respect to the impropiety of calling either of these streams the Missouri, and accordingly agreed to name them after the President of the United States and the Secretaries of the Treasury and state—in pursuance of this resolution, we called the S W fork that which we meant to ascend, Jefferson's River in honor of that illustrious personage, Thomas Jefferson; the Middle fork, we called Madison's River, in honor of James Madison, and the S E fork we called Gallatin's River, in honor of Albert Gallatin." Lewis continues,—"there is timber enough here to support an establishment, provided it be erected with brick or stone, either of which is much cheaper than wood as all the materials for such a work are immediately on the spot." And here, we have the story of the capture of Sacajawea, as set out by Lewis in his journal entry of the 28th: "Our camp is precisely on the spot that the Snake Indians were encamped at the time that the Minnitarees of the Knife River, first came in sight of them five years since. From hence, they retreated about three miles up Jeffersons River and concealed themselves in the woods— the Minnaterrees pursued, attacked them, killed four men and four women, a number of boys, and made prisoners of all the women and four boys, Sacajawea, our Indian woman, was one of the female prisoners—tho I cannot discover that she shews any immotion of sorrow in recollecting this event, or of joy in being again restored to her native country; if she has enough to eat and a few trinkets to wear, I believe she would be perfectly content anywhere." How they knew it was the exact spot, unless told and proven by Sacajawea, is now hard to see—let's guess that she was about 13 when captured, perhaps 14, she was an observing youngster to, after five years, pick out the exact location of her old-time camp! July 30, they began the ascent of the Jefferson: quoting Lewis,—"Sharbono, his woman, two invalleds and myself walked through the bottom on the Larboard wide—4� miles when we again struck it (the river) at the place the woman informed us that she was taken prisoner." On August 2nd, they are about 25 miles south east of the present city of Butte—and the river is rapid—90 yards wide and waist deep—they have to use tow lines and poles—speed slow—valley 8 miles wide—still get elk and deer for fresh meat—making 12 to 17 miles a day. Fields killed a large panther—measured 7� feet long. Many beaver and otter. August 5-6, they had a lot of difficulty to determine which of three branches to take—lost time and had upset of canoes and damaged their goods—camped a day to dry them out—now junction in Big Hole Beaverhead and Stinking water rivers; they finally decided to follow the Beaverhead or central stream. August 8th, Lewis notes "The Indian woman recognized the point of a high plain to our right which she informed us was not very distant from the summer retreat of her nation on a river beyond the mountain which runs to the west; the hill, she says, her nation calls the Beaver's head from a conceived resemblance to the head of that animal. She assures us that we shall either find her people on this river or on the river immediately west of its source, which from its present size, cannot be very far distant;—it is all important for us to meet with those people as soon as possible." On August 12th, Lewis with two others went on ahead to try to find the Indians-saw one but could not get near him—then came onto the divide and drank out of the waters of the Clear water— but so far, had not contacted any Shoshone or Snake Indians. This was through the noted Horse Prairie, and over the divide must have been a branch of the Salmon River in Idaho ;—and it was just over this divide that he came in contact with an old woman and two girls—gave them presents and made friends with them—they led himself and his two men down the stream some distance to meet up with a party of 60 warriors and the chief Camehwait on horses—on the war path. They had a powwow here and it ended in a 'smoke' and return to their village down stream, some distance where they stayed over night—smoked and danced —but with little to eat; Clark, in the meantime, was far behind with the canoes and men struggling up the narrowing Missouri headwaters. The 16th and 17th, Lewis had a most trying time in getting the party of Indians to go back with him to meet Clark's men and the captive Indian woman of whom he told the Chief that she was a member of his tribe; they were suspicious of treachery on the part of Lewis, as not long before, they had been attacked by enemies. Without any food whatever, they had a hard time of it to kill some game to feed the famished warriors but Drewyer and Shields killed a number of deer and divided with them. After delays of most exasperating annoyance to Lewis, he got them going again — had to surrender his gun to coax the chief to sleep—but next day, one of the Indians slipped on to investigate on his own account. During the day, he returned and reported that he saw the white men coming far down the stream—it was Clark's party that he had seen; and it was to verify the story of Lewis, and prove to them that he told the truth. It was a great relief to the Captain to realize that his long hope was now to be made a reality. It had proved to him that Sacajawea's guidance was reliable—that he had found her people where she said they would beCand they had horses —400 of them; and the horses were desperately wanted by Lewis—whether he could obtain them or not would depend upon his 'Indian woman' Sacajawea! That would be solved when the meeting was held next day; a meeting, the importance of which for the future of the young United States, was never held before between two races and in a more picturesque and romantic environment than that now coming!

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