Emile Zola - "The Three Cities Trilogy: Lourdes, Vol. 1"

S. Weir Mitchell - "Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker"

Willa Cather - "O Pioneers!"

Various - "English literary criticism"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Journals of Lewis and Clark

M >> Meriwether Lewis et al >> The Journals of Lewis and Clark




[Clark, May 26, 1805]
May 26th Sunday 1805
We Set out early and proceeded as yesterday wind from the S. W. the
river enclosed with very high hills on either Side. I took one man and
walked out this morning, and ascended the high countrey to view the
mountains which I thought I Saw yesterday, from the first Sumit of the
hill I could plainly See the Mountains on either Side which I Saw
yesterday and at no great distance from me, those on the Stard Side is
an errigular range, the two extremities of which bore West and N. West
from me. those Mountains on the Lard. Side appeared to be Several
detached Knobs or mountains riseing from a leven open Countrey, at
different distances from me, from South West to South East, on one the
most S. Westerly of those Mountains there appeared to be Snow. I
crossed a Deep holler and assended a part of the plain elevated much
higher than where I first viewed the above mountains; from this point I
beheld the Rocky Mountains for the first time with Certainty, I could
only discover a fiew of the most elivated points above the horizon. the
most remarkable of which by my pocket Compas I found bore S. 60 W.
those points of the rocky Mountain were Covered with Snow and the Sun
Shown on it in Such a manner as to give me a most plain and
Satisfactory view. whilst I viewed those mountains I felt a Secret
pleasure in finding myself So near the head of the heretofore Conceived
boundless Missouri; but when I reflected on the difficulties which this
Snowey barrier would most probably throw in my way to the Pacific
Ocean, and the Sufferings and hardships of my Self and party in them,
it in Some measure Counter ballanced the joy I had felt in the first
moments in which I gazed on them; but as I have always held it little
Short of Criminality to anticipate evils I will allow it to be a good
Comfortable road untill I am Compelled to believe otherwise The high
Country in which we are at present and have been passing for Some days
I take to be a continuation of what the Indians as well as the French
Engages call the Black hills. This tract of Country So Called Consists
of a Collection of high broken and irregular hills and Short Chains of
Mountains, sometimes 100 miles in width and again becoming much
narrower, but always much higher than the Country on either Side; they
commence about the head of the Kanzas river and to the west of that
river near the Arkansaw river, from whence they take their Cource a
little to the west of N. W. approaching the Rocky Mountains obliquely
passing the river Platt near the forks, and intersepting the River
Rochejhone near the big bend of that river, and passing the Missouri at
this place-, and probably Continueing to Swell the Country as far North
as the Saskashawan river. tho they are lower here than they are
discribed to the South and may therefore termonate before they reach
the Saskashawan. the Black hills in their Course northerly appear to
approach more nearly the Rocky Mountains. I Saw a great number of white
brant, also the common brown brant, Geese of the common Size & kind and
a Small Species of geese, which differs considerably from the Common or
Canadian Goose; their necks, head and backs are considerably thicker,
Shorter and larger than the other in propotion to its Size they are
also more than a third Smaller, and their note more like that of the
brant or young goose which has not perfectly acquired his note, in all
other respect they are the Same in Colour habits and the number of
feathers in the tail, they frequently also ascocate with the large
Geese when in flocks, but never Saw them pared off with the larger or
common goose. The white Brant ascocates in very large flocks, they do
not appear to be mated or pared off as if they intended to raise their
young in this quarter, I therefore doubt whether they reside here
dureing the Summer for that purpose. this bird is larger than the
Common brown brant or 2/3 of the common goose. it is not So long by Six
inches from point to point of the wings when extended as the other; the
back head and neck are also larger and Stronger; their beak, legs and
feet are of a redish flesh coloured white. the eye of a moderate Size,
the puple of a deep Sea green encircled with a ring of yellowish brown.
it has 16 feathers of equal length in the tail their note differs but
little from the Common brant. they are of a pure white except the large
feathers of the 1st and 2d joint of the wings which are jut black.

The country which borders the river is high broken and rocky, generally
imbeded with a Soft Sand Stone higher up the hill the Stone is of a
brownish yellow hard and gritty those Stones wash down from the hills
into the river and cause the Shore to be rocky &c. which we find
troublesom to assend there is Scerce any bottom between the Hills &
river and but a fiew trees to be Seen on either Side except Scattering
pine on the Sides of the emence hills; we passed 2 Creeks on the Stard
Side both of them had running water in one of those Creek Capt Lewis
tells me he saw Soft Shell Turtle Capt Lewis in his walk killed a fat
Buffalow which we were in want of our hunters killed 2 Mountain rams or
bighorns in the evening late we passed a rapid which extended quite
across the river we assended it by the assistance of a Cord & poles on
the Lard. Side the Cliffs jut over, the opposit Side is a Small leavel
bottom, we Camped a little above in a Small grove of Cotton trees on
the Lard. Side in the rapid we saw a Dow Elk & her faun, which gave
rise to the name of Elk & faun Riffle we had a few drops of rain at
Dark.- the Salts Coal & Burnt hills & Pumicston Still Continue, game
Scerce this Countrey may with propriety I think be termed the Deserts
of America, as I do not Conceive any part can ever be Settled, as it is
deficent in water, Timber & too Steep to be tilled. We pass old Indian
lodges in the woody points everry day & 2 at our camp &c

[Lewis, May 26, 1805]
May 26, 1805.
One of the party killed a bighorned, the head and horns of which
weighed 27 lbs. a hare was also killed which weighed 81/2 lbs. the hare
are now of a plale lead brown colour-

[Lewis, May 27, 1805]
Monday May 27th 1805.
The wind blew so hard this morning that we did not sent out untill 10
A.M. we employed the chord most of the day; the river becomes more
rappid and is intercepted by shoals and a greater number of rocky
points at the mouths of the little gulies than we experienced
yesterday. the bluffs are very high steep rugged, containing
considerable quantities of stone and border the river closely on both
sides; once perhaps in the course of several miles there will be a few
acres of tolerably level land in which two or thre impoverished
cottonwood trees will be seen. great quantities of stone also lye in
the river and garnish it's borders, which appears to have tumbled from
the bluffs where the rains had washed away the sand and clay in which
they were imbeded. the bluffs are composed of irregular tho horizontal
stratas of yellow and brown or black clay, brown and yellowish white
sand, of soft yellowish white sand stone and a hard dark brown free
stone, also of large round kidneyformed and irregular seperate masses
of a hard black Iron stone, which is imbeded in the Clay and sand. some
little pine spruce and dwarf cedar on the hills. some coal or
carbonated wood still makes it's appearance in these bluffs,
pumicestone and birnt hills it's concommutants also are seen. the salts
and quarts are seen but not in such abundance. the country more broken
and barren than yesterday if possible. about midday it was very warm to
this the high bluffs and narrow channel of the river no doubt
contributed greatly. we passed a small untimbered Island this morning
on the Lard. side of the river just above our encampment of last
evening. saw a few small herds of the Bighorned anamals and two Elk
only, of the last we killed one, the river is generally about 200 yds.
wide, very rappid and has a perceptable fall or declination through
it's whole course.

This evening we encamped, for the benefit of wood, near two dead toped
cottonwood trees on the Lard. side; the dead limbs which had fallen
from these trees furnished us with a scanty supply only, and more was
not to be obtained in the neighbourhood.-

[Clark, May 27, 1805]
May 27th Monday 1805.
The wind blew hard from the S W. which detained us untill about 10
oClock, at which time we Set out and proceeded on, passed a Small
nacked Island on the Lard Side imediately above the timber in which we
Camped The river is verry Shoaley and the bad places are verry
numerous, i e at the mouth of every Drean the rocks which is a hard
dark gritey Stone is thrown out Some distance in the river which Cause
a Considerable riffle on that Side, the hills approach the river verry
Close on either Side, river narrow & no timber except Some Scattering
pine on the hills & hill Sides, the Salts, Coal, burn hills & Pumice
Stone &c. Continue, the hills are Generally Bluffs of various Coloured
earth most commonly black with different quallities stone intermixed
Some Stratums of Soft Sand Stone, Some hard, Some a dark brown & yellow
hard grit, those Stones are loosened by the earths washing from them
into the river and ultimately role down into the river, which appears
to be Crowded with them. This day is verry worm- we only Saw a fiew
Small herds of the big horn animals on the hills, and two Elk one of
which We killed, we Camped at 2 dead top trees on the Lard Side. The
river is Genly about 200 yards wide and Current very Swift to day and
has a verry perceptiable fall in all its Course- it rises a little.

[Lewis, May 28, 1805]
Tuesday May 28th 1805.
This morning we set forward at an early hour; the weather dark and
cloudy, the are smokey, had a few drops of rain; we employed the chord
generally to which we also gave the assistance of the pole at the
riffles and rocky points; these are as numerous and many of them much
worse than those we passed yesterday; arround those points the water
drives with great force, and we are obliged in many instaces to steer
our vessels through the appertures formed by the points of large sharp
rocks which reach a few inches above the surface of the water, here
sould our chord give way the bough is instantly drivin outwards by the
stream and the vessel thrown with her side on the rocks where she must
inevitably overset or perhaps be dashed to peices; our ropes are but
slender, all of them except one being made of Elk's skin and much
woarn, frequently wet and exposed to the heat of the weather are weak
and rotten; they have given way several times in the course of the day
but happily at such places that the vessel had room to wheel free of
the rocks and therefore escaped injury; with every precaution we can
take it is with much labour and infinite risk that we are enabled to
get around these points. 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 articles were
found, which have been recently brought down by the courant; these are
strong evedences of Indians being on the river above us, and probably
at no great distance; the football is such as I have seen among the
Minetaries and therefore think it most probable that they are a band of
the Minetaries of Fort de Prarie. the river country &c continued much
as yesterday untill late in the evening when we arrived at the entrance
of a large Creek discharges itself on the Stard. side, is 35 Yd. wide
and contains runing water; here the hills recede from the river on both
sides, the bottoms extensive particularly on the Stard. side where the
hills are comparitively low and open into three large vallies which
extend for a considerable distance in a Northwardly direction; here
also the river spreads to more than 3 times it's former width and is
filled with a number of small and handsome Islands covered with
cottonwood some timber also in the bottoms, the land again fertile.
These appearances were quite reviving after the drairy country through
which we had been passing. Capt. C. walked on shore in the early part
of the day and killed a big horned anamal; he saw a great number of
them as well as ourselves in the broken country. at 10 A.M. a few drops
of rain again fell and were attended with distant thunder which is the
first we have heated since we left the Mandans.- This evening we
encamped on Stard. opposite to the entrance of a small Creek. I beleive
the bighorn have their young at a very early season, say early in March
for they appear now to be half grown. One of the party saw a very large
bear today but being some distance from the river and no timber to
conceal him he did not think proper to fire on him.

[Clark, May 28, 1805]
May 28th Tuesday 1805
a Cloudy morning Some fiew drops of rain and verry Smokey wind from the
S. W. we Set out at an early hour, the Shoaley places are verry
numerous and Some bad to get around we have to make use of the Cord &
Poles, and our tow. ropes are all except one of Elkskin, & Stretch and
Sometimes brake which indanger the Perogues or Canoe, as it imedeately
turns and if any rock Should chance to be below, the rapidity of the
current would turn her over, She Should chance to Strike the rock we
observe great Caution at those places.

I walked on Shore found the Countrey ruged and as described yesterday,
I Saw great numbers of the Big horned animals, one of which I killed
their fauns are nearly half grown- one of the Party Saw a verry large
bear, picked up on the Shore a pole which had been made use of by the
Nativs for lodge poles, & haul'd by dogs it is new and is a Certain
Sign of the Indians being on the river above a foot ball and Several
other articles are also found to Substantiate this oppinion-. at 1
oClock we had a few drops of rain and Some thunder whic is the first
thunder we have had Sinc we Set out from Fort Mandan; at 10 miles the
the hills begin to widen & the river Spreds & is crouded with Islands
the bottoms Contain Some Scattering Cotton wood the Islands also
Contain timber- passed a Creek of running water on the Stard Side about
35 yards wide and camped imedeately opposit to a Small Creek on the
Lard. Side we call Bull Creek from the Circumstance of a Buffalow Bull
swiming from the opposit Side and comeing out of the river imedeately
across one of the Perogues without Sinking or injureing any thing in
the Perogue, and passing with great violence thro our Camp in the night
makeing 3 angles without hurting a man, altho they lay in every
direction, and it was very dark The Creek below 35 yards wide I call
Thompsons Creek after a valuable member of our party- this Creek
contains a Greater preportion of running water than Common.

[Lewis, May 29, 1805]
Wednesday May 29th 1905.
Last night we were all allarmed by a large buffaloe Bull, which swam
over from the opposite shore and coming along side of the white
perogue, climbed over it to land, he then alarmed ran up the bank in
full speed directly towards the fires, and was within 18 inches of the
heads of some of the men who lay sleeping before the centinel could
allarm him or make him change his course, still more alarmed, he now
took his direction immediately towards our lodge, passing between 4
fires and within a few inches of the heads of one range of the men as
they yet lay sleeping, when he came near the tent, my dog saved us by
causing him to change his course a second time, which he did by turning
a little to the right, and was quickly out of sight, leaving us by this
time all in an uproar with our guns in or hands, enquiring of each
other the case of the alarm, which after a few moments was explained by
the centinel; we were happy to find no one hirt. The next morning we
found that the buffaloe in passing the perogue had trodden on a rifle,
which belonged to Capt. Clark's black man, who had negligently left her
in the perogue, the rifle was much bent, he had also broken the
spindle, pivit, and shattered the stock of one of the bluntderbushes on
board, with this damage I felt well content, happey indeed, that we had
sustaned no further injury. it appears that the white perogue, which
contains our most valuable stores, is attended by some evil gennii.
This morning we set out at an early hour and proceded as usual by the
Chord. at the distance of 21/2 miles passed a handsome river which
discharged itself on the Lard. side, I walked on shore and acended this
river about a mile and a half in order to examine it. I found this
river about 100 yds. wide from bank to bank, the water occupying about
75 yard. the bed was formed of gravel and mud with some sand; it
appeared to contain much more water as the Muscle-Shell river, was more
rappid but equally navigable; there were no large stone or rocks in
it's bed to obstruct the navigation; the banks were low yet appeared
seldom to overflow; the water of this River is Clear than any we have
met with great abundance of the Argalia or Bighorned animals in the
high country through which this river passes Cap. C who assended this
R. much higher than I did has thought proper to call it Judieths River.
The bottoms of this stream as far as I could see were wider and
contained more timber than the Missouri; here I saw some box alder
intermixed with the Cottonwood willow rose bushes and honeysuckle with
some red willow constitute the undergrowth. on the Missouri just above
the entrance of the Big Horn River I counted the remains of the fires
of 126 Indian lodges which appeared to be of very recent date perhaps
12 or 15 days. Capt. Clark also saw a large encampent just above the
entrance of this river on the Stard. side of reather older date,
probably they were the same Indians. The Indian woman with us exmined
the mockersons which we found at these encampments and informed us that
they were not of her nation the Snake Indians, but she beleived they
were some of the Indians who inhabit the country on this side of Rocky
Mountains and North of the Missoury and I think it most probable that
they were the Minetaries of Fort de Prarie. At the distance of six 1/2
ms. from our encampment of last night we passed a very bad rappid to
which we gave the name of the Ash rappid from a few trees of that wood
growing near them; this is the first ash I have seen for a great
distance. at this place the hills again approach the river closely on
both sides, and the same seen which we had on the 27th and 28th in the
morning again presents itself, and the rocky points and riffles reather
more numerous and worse; there was but little timber; salts coal &c
still appear. today we passed on the Stard. side the remains of a vast
many mangled carcases of Buffalow which had been driven over a
precipice of 120 feet by the Indians and perished; the water appeared
to have washed away a part of this immence pile of slaughter and still
their remained the fragments of at least a hundred carcases they
created a most horrid stench. in this manner the Indians of the
Missouri distroy vast herds of buffaloe at a stroke; for this purpose
one of the most active and fleet young men is scelected and disguised
in a robe of buffaloe skin, having also the skin of the buffaloe's head
with the years and horns fastened on his head in form of a cap, thus
caparisoned he places himself at a convenient distance between a herd
of buffaloe and a precipice proper for the purpose, which happens in
many places on this river for miles together; the other indians now
surround the herd on the back and flanks and at a signal agreed on all
shew themselves at the same time moving forward towards the buffaloe;
the disguised indian or decoy has taken care to place himself
sufficiently nigh the buffaloe to be noticed by them when they take to
flight and runing before them they follow him in full speede to the
precepice, the cattle behind driving those in front over and seeing
them go do not look or hesitate about following untill the whole are
precipitated down the precepice forming one common mass of dead an
mangled carcases; the decoy in the mean time has taken care to secure
himself in some cranney or crivice of the clift which he had previously
prepared for that purpose. the part of the decoy I am informed is
extreamly dangerous, if they are not very fleet runers the buffaloe
tread them under foot and crush them to death, and sometimes drive them
over the precepice also, where they perish in common with the
buffaloe.- we saw a great many wolves in the neighbourhood of these
mangled carcases they were fat and extreemly gentle, Capt. C. who was
on shore killed one of them with his espontoon. just above this place
we came too for dinner opposite the entrance of a bold runing river 40
yds. wide which falls in on Lard. side. this stream we called slaughter
river. it's bottoms are but narrow and contain scarcely any timber. our
situation was a narrow bottom on the Stard. possessing some cottonwood.
soon after we landed it began to blow & rain, and as there was no
appearance of even wood enough to make our fires for some distance
above we determined to remain here untill the next morning, and
accordingly fixed our camp and gave each man a small dram.
notwithstanding the allowance of sperits we issued did not exceed 1/2
pn. man several of them were considerably effected by it; such is the
effects of abstaining for some time from the uce of sperituous liquors;
they were all very merry.- The hunters killed an Elk this evening, and
Capt. C. killed two beaver.

[Clark, May 29, 1805]
May 29th Wednesday 1805
In the last night we were alarmed by a Buffalow which Swam from the
opposit Shore landed opposit the Perogue in which Capt Lewis & my Self
were in he Crossed the perogue, and went with great force up to the
fire where Several men were Sleeping and was 18 inches of their heads,
when one man Sitting up allarmed him and he turned his course along the
range of men as they lay, passing between 4 fires and within a fiew
Inches of Some of the mens heads as they lay imediately in a direction
to our lodge about which Several men were lying. our Dog flew out & he
changed his course & passed without doeing more damage than bend a
rifle & brakeing hir Stock and injureying one of the blunder busts in
the perogue as he passed through- We Set out this morning at the usial
hour & proceeded on at 21/2 miles passed the mouth of a river ____
yards wide, discharging a great quantity of water, and Containing more
wood in its bottoms than the Missouri- this river Capt Lewis walked up
for a Short distance & he Saw an old encampment of Indians (I also saw
large encampment on the Stard Side at the mouth of a Small Creek of
about 100 Lodges which appeared to be 5 or 6 weeks past, the Indian
woman examined the mockersons &c. and told us they were the Indians
which resided below the rocky mountains & to the North of this
river,that her nation make their mockersons differently) at 61/2 miles
passed a considerable rapid at which place the hills approach near the
river on both Sides, leaveing a narrow bottom on the Stard. Side, (ash
rapid) and continue Close all day but little timber, I walked on the
bank in the evening and saw the remains of a number of buffalow, which
had been drove down a Clift of rocks I think from appearances that
upwards of 100 of those animals must have perished here, Great numbers
of wolves were about this place & verry jentle I killed one of them
with my Spear. The hills above ash rapid Contains more rock and Coal,
and the more rapid points. we Came too for Dinner opposit the enterence
of a Small river which falls in on the Lard Side and is about ____
yards wide, has a bold running Stream, Soon after we Came too it began
to rain & blow hard, and as we were in a good harbor & Small point of
woods on the Stard Side, and no timber for some distance above, induced
us to conclude to Stay all night. we gave the men a dram, altho verry
Small it was Sufficent to effect Several men. one of our hunters killed
an elk this evening- I killed 2 beaver on the Side of the bank a table
Spoon full of water exposed to the air in a Saucer would avaperate in
36 hours when the mercury did not Stand higher than the temperate point
in the heat of the day.

[Lewis, May 30, 1805]
Thursday May 30th 1805.
The rain which commenced last evening continued with little
intermission untill 11this morning when we set out; the high wind which
accompanied the rain rendered it impracticable to procede earlyer. more
rain has now fallen than we have experienced since the 15th of
September last. many circumstances indicate our near approach to a
country whos climate differs considerably from that in which we have
been for many months. the air of the open country is asstonishingly dry
as well as pure. I found by several experiments that a table spoon full
of water exposed to the air in a saucer would avaporate in 36 hours
when the murcury did not stand higher than the temperate point at the
greatest heat of the day; my inkstand so frequently becoming dry put me
on this experiment. I also observed the well seasoned case of my
sextant shrunk considerably and the joints opened. The water of the
river still continues to become clearer and notwithstanding the rain
which has fallen it is still much clearer than it was a few days past.
this day we proceded with more labour and difficulty than we have yet
experienced; in addition to the imbarrasments of the rappid courant,
riffles, & rockey point which were as bad if not worse than yesterday,
the banks and sides of the bluff were more steep than usual and were
now rendered so slippery by the late rain that the men could scarcely
walk. the chord is our only dependance for the courant is too rappid to
be resisted with the oar and the river too deep in most places for the
pole. the earth and stone also falling from these immence high bluffs
render it dangerous to pass under them. the wind was also hard and
against us. our chords broke several times today but happily without
injury to the vessels. we had slight showers of rain through the course
of the day, the air was could and rendered more disagreeable by the
rain. one of the party ascended the river hills and reported on his
return that there was snow intermixed with the rain which fell on the
hights; he also informed us that the country was level a little back
from the river on both sides. there is now no timber on the hills, an
only a few scattering cottonwood, ash, box Alder and willows to be seen
along the river. in the course of the day we passed several old
encampment of Indians, from the apparent dates of which we conceived
that they were the several encampments of a band of about 100 lodges
who were progressing slowly up the river; the most recent appeared to
have been evacuated about 5 weeks since. these we supposed to be the
Minetares or black foot Indians who inhabit the country watered by the
Suskashawan and who resort to the establishment of Fort de Prarie, no
part of the Missouri from the Minetaries to this place furnishes a
perminent residence for any nation yet there is no part of it but what
exhibits appearances of being occasionally visited by some nation on
hunting excurtions. The Minnetares of the Missoury we know extend their
excurtions on the S. side as high as the yellowstone river; the
Assinniboins still higher on the N. side most probably as high as about
Porcupine river and from thence upwards most probably as far as the
mountains by the Minetares of Fort de Prarie and the Black Foot Indians
who inhabit the S. fork of the Suskashawan. I say the Missouri to the
Rocky mountains for I am convinced that it penetrates those mountains
for a considerable distance.- Two buffaloe killed this evening a little
above our encampment.