May 5, 1805
Sunday May 5th 1805
A fine morning I walked on shore untill 8 A M when we halted for
breakfast and in the course of my walk killed a deer which I carried
about a mile and a half to the river, it was in good order. soon after
seting out the rudder irons of the white perogue were broken by her
runing fowl on a sawyer, she was however refitted in a few minutes with
some tugs of raw hide and nales. as usual saw a great quantity of game
today; Buffaloe Elk and goats or Antelopes feeding in every direction;
we kill whatever we wish, the buffaloe furnish us with fine veal and
fat beef, we also have venison and beaver tales when we wish them; the
flesh of the Elk and goat are less esteemed, and certainly are
inferior. we have not been able to take any fish for some time past.
The country is as yesterday beatifull in the extreme.
saw the carcases of many Buffaloe lying dead along the shore partially
devoured by the wolves and bear. saw a great number of white brant also
the common brown brant, geese of the common kind and a small species of
geese which differ considerably from the common canadian goose; their
neck head and beak are considerably thicker shorter and larger than the
other in proportion to it's size, they are also more than a third
smaller, and their note more like that of the brant or a young goose
which has not perfectly acquired his notes, in all other rispects they
are the same in colour habits and the number of feathers in the tale,
they frequently also ascociate with the large geese when in flocks, but
never saw them pared off with the large or common goose. The white
brant ascociate 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 during the summer for that
purpose.
this bird is about the size of the common brown brant or two thirds 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 beak head and neck are
also larger and stronger; their beak legs and feet are of a redish or
fleshcoloured white. the eye is of moderate size, the puple of a deep
sea green incircled with a ring of yellowish brown. it has sixteen
feathers of equal length in the tale; their note differs but little
from the common brant, their flesh much the same, and in my opinion
preferable to the goose, the flesh is dark. they are entirely of a
beatifull pure white except the large feathers of the 1st and second
joints of the wings which are jut black. form and habits are the same
with the other brant; they sometimes ascociate and form one common
flock. Capt Clark found a den of young wolves in the course of his walk
today and also saw a great number of those anamals; they are very
abundant in this quarter, and are of two species the small woolf or
burrowing dog of the praries are the inhabitants almost invariably of
the open plains; they usually ascociate in bands of ten or twelve
sometimes more and burrow near some pass or place much frequented by
game; not being able alone to take a deer or goat they are rarely ever
found alone but hunt in bands; they frequently watch and seize their
prey near their burrows; in these burrows they raise their young and to
them they also resort when pursued; when a person approaches them they
frequently bark, their note being precisely that of the small dog. they
are of an intermediate size between that of the fox and dog, very
active fleet and delicately formed; the ears large erect and pointed
the head long and pointed more like that of the fox; tale long; the
hair and fur also resembles the fox tho is much coarser and inferior.
they are of a pale redish brown colour. the eye of a deep sea green
colour small and piercing. their tallons are reather longer than those
of the ordinary wolf or that common to the atlantic states, none of
which are to be found in this quarter, nor I believe above the river
Plat.— The large woolf found here is not as large as those of the
atlantic states. they are lower and thicker made shorter leged. their
colour which is not effected by the seasons, is a grey or blackish
brown and every intermediate shade from that to a creen coloured white;
these wolves resort the woodlands and are also found in the plains, but
never take refuge in the ground or burrow so far as I have been able to
inform myself. we scarcely see a gang of buffaloe without observing a
parsel of those faithfull shepherds on their skirts in readiness to
take care of the mamed & wounded. the large wolf never barks, but howls
as those of the atlantic states do. Capt. Clark and Drewyer killed the
largest brown bear this evening which we have yet seen. it was a most
tremendious looking anamal, and extreemly hard to kill notwithstanding
he had five balls through his lungs and five others in various parts he
swam more than half the distance acoss the river to a sandbar & it was
at least twenty minutes before he died; he did not attempt to attact,
but fled and made the most tremendous roaring from the moment he was
shot. We had no means of weighing this monster; Capt. Clark thought he
would weigh 500 lbs. for my own part I think the estimate too small by
100 lbs. he measured 8 Feet 71/2 Inches from the nose to the extremety
of the hind feet, 5 F. to 1/2 Inch arround the breast, 1 F. 11 I.
arround the middle of the arm, & 3 F. 11 I. arround the neck; his
tallons which were five in number on each foot were 4 1/8 Inches in
length. he was in good order, we therefore divided him among the party
and made them boil the oil and put it in a cask for future uce; the oil
is as hard as hogs lard when cool, much more so than that of the black
bear. this bear differs from the common black bear in several respects;
it's tallons are much longer and more blont, it's tale shorter, it's
hair which is of a redish or bey brown, is longer thicker and finer
than that of the black bear; his liver lungs and heart are much larger
even in proportion with his size; the heart particularly was as large
as that of a large Ox. his maw was also ten times the size of black
bear, and was filled with flesh and fish. his testicles were pendant
from the belly and placed four inches assunder in seperate bags or
pouches.— this animal also feeds on roots and almost every species of
wild fruit.
The party killed two Elk and a Buffaloe today, and my dog caught a
goat, which he overtook by superior fleetness, the goat it must be
understood was with young and extreemly poor. a great number of these
goats are devowered by the wolves and bear at this season when they are
poor and passing the river from S. W. to N. E. they are very inactive
and easily taken in the water, a man can out swim them with great ease;
the Indians take them in great numbers in the river at this season and
in autumn when they repass to the S. W.
5th of May Sunday 1805
We Set out verry early and had not proceeded far before the rudder
Irons of one of the Perogus broke which detained us a Short time Capt
Lewis walked on Shore this morning and killed a Deer, after brackfast I
walked on Shore Saw great numbers of Buffalow & Elk Saw also a Den of
young wolves, and a number of (frown wolves in every direction, the
white & Grey Brant is in this part of the Missouri I shot at the white
brant but at So great a distance I did not kill, The Countrey on both
sides is as yesterday, handsom & fertile— The river rising & Current
Strong & in the evening we Saw a Brown or Grisley beare on a Sand
beech, I went out with one man Geo. Drewyer & Killed the bear, which
was verry large and a turrible looking animal, which we found verry
hard to kill we Shot ten Balls into him before we killed him, & 5 of
those Balls through his lights This animal is the largest of the
Carnivorous kind I ever Saw we had nothing that could way him, I think
his weight may be Stated at 500 pounds, he measured 8 feet 71/2 In.
from his nose to the extremity of the Toe, 5 feet 101/2 in. arround the
breast, 1 feet 11 Ins. around the middle of the arm, 3 feet 11 Ins.
arround the neck his tallents was 4 Inches &3/8 long, he was good
order, and appeared verry different from the Common black bear in as
much as his tallents were blunt, his tail Short, his liver & lights
much larger, his maw ten times as large and Contained meat or flesh &
fish only— we had him Skined and divided, the oile tried up & put in
Kegs for use. we Camped on the Stard Side, our men killed three Elk and
a Buffalow to day, and our Dog Cought an antilope a fair race, this
animal appeared verry pore & with young.
