Exhibit item:
JAMES CLYMAN
James Clyman Diary ... : manuscript, 1844-1846
[Copy of Clyman's diaries made May, 1871, by R.T. Montgomery, with introductory notes obtained from Clyman]

James Clyman and Jedediah Smith had been trapping together on the way to California at an earlier time when Smith was badly mauled by a grizzly. Clyman used a needle and thread to stitch up Smith’s wounds as best he could. With astounding recuperative powers, Smith was ready to move on in less than two weeks, although he became permanently disfigured. As Clyman said, this incident "gave us a lisson on the charcter of the grissly Baare which we did not forget."

Quotation:
MAURICE S. SULLIVAN
The Travels of Jedediah Smith, 1934

"[Sacramento River] 7TH April, [1828] WNW 8 Miles from camp crossed a creek 30 yards wide rapid and stoney Bottom running SW and having some Beaver sign. 3 Miles farther struck a creek same size and running SW but so deep that I was obliged to follow it up 3 Miles to find a ford at which place I encamped.

In the vicinity was considerable appearance of game and particularly bear. In the evening we shot several Bear and they ran into thickets that were convenient.

Several of us followed one that was Badly wounded into a thicket. We went on foot because the thicket was too close to admit a Man on horseback."