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West Bank Park, Great Falls, Montana, June 17, 2000

[View: southeast.  47º 30’ 59” N - 111º 18’ 35” W]

[Lewis]                                                                                      Friday June 14^th 1804

. . .I thought it would be well to kill a buffaloe and leave him untill my return. . .under

this impression I scelected a fat buffaloe and shot him very well, through the lungs;

while I was gazeing attentively on the poor anamal discharging blood in streams

from his mouth and nostrils, expecting him to fall every instant, and having entirely

forgotton to reload my rifle, a large white, or reather brown bear, had perceived

and crept on me within 20 steps before I discovered him; in the first moment I drew

up my gun to shoot, but at the same instant recolected that she was not loaded

and that he was too near for me to hope to perform this opperation before he

reached me, as he was then briskly advancing on me; it was an open level plain,

not a bush within miles nor a tree within less than three hundred yards of me; the

river bank was sloping and not more than three feet above the level of the water;

in short there was no place by means of which I could conceal myself from this

monster untill I could charge my rifle. . .I had no sooner terned myself about but he

pitched at me, open mouthed and full speed, I ran about 80 yards and found he

gained on me fast. . .I ran haistily into the water about waist deep, and faced

about and presented the point of my espontoon, at this instant he arrived at the

edge of the water within about 20 feet of me; the moment I put myself in this

attitude of defence he sudonly wheeled about as if frightened, declined the

combat on such unequal grounds, and retreated with quite as great precipitatiion

as he had just before pursued me. . .