Chapter XXXVII: Appendix (5)

Day of the REMARKS AND REFLECTIONS.
month.
1804.
January 1 Snow one inch deep.
2 Some snow last night.
3 Hard wind.
4 River covered with ice out of the Missouri.
5 River Du Bois rise.
6 do. do. do.
7 do. do. do.
8 do. do. do. and discharge ice.
9 Some snow last night.
10 The Missouri rise.
13 Snowed last night.
17 River covered with ice, some 5½ inches thick.
19 do. do. do.
20 No ice passing to-day.
21 Ice running out of the Missouri 9 inches thick.
Snow 2½ inches deep.
22 Ice running out of the Missouri, snow 5¾ inches
deep.
23 Ice stopped.
24 The trees covered with ice.
28 Ice running, cold &c.
February 1 The wind blew hard, no frost, snow disappearing
fast.
2 Frost this morning, the snow has disappeared in
spots.
3 Frost this morning, the show thaws considerably.
4 Frost, number of swan and geese from N. and S.
5 Immense quantity of ice running, some of which is
11 inches thick.
6 A quantity of soft ice running, white frost, the snow
disappeared, swans passing.
7 A small quantity of floating ice passing, swans
passing.
8 Many swan from N.W. Creek rose and took off
the water mark.
9 The river rose 2 feet: large quantity of drift ice
from the Missouri.
10 Ice still drifting in considerable quantities: some
geese pass from the south.
11 The sugar maple runs freely: swans pass from the
north.
12 Pigeons, geese and ducks of various kinds have
returned.
13 The first appearance of the blue crains.
14 But little drift ice: the Mississippi is not broken
up: sugar trees run.
15 Immense quantity of swans.
27 The river rose three inches and fell immediately.
28 Began to snow, and continued all day.
29 Snow all night, and until eleven o’clock A. M. and cleared
away.
March 7 Saw the first brant return.
8 Rain succeeded by snow and hail.
9 Cloudy in the morning.
19 The weather has been generally fair but very cold, the
ice run for several days in such quantities, that it
was impossible to pass the river; visited St.
Charles; saw the first snake, which was the kind
usually termed the garter snake; saw also a beetle
of a black colour, with two red stripes on his back,
passing each other crosswise from the but of the wing
to the extremity of the same.
20 Heard the first frogs on my return from St. Charles.
25 Saw the first white crane return.
26 The weather warm and fair.
27 The buds of the spicewood appeared, and the tassels
of the mail cottonwood were larger than a large
mulberry, and with the shape and colour of that
fruit: some of them had fallen from the trees. The
grass begins to spring; the weather has been warm,
and no falling weather until this time, though the
atmosphere has been very smoky and thick; a heavy
fall of rain commenced, which continued until twelve
at night, attended with thunder and lightning. Saw
large insects which resembled musquitoes, but doubt
whether they are really those insects or the fly
which produces them, they attempted to bite my horse,
but I could not observe that they made any impression
with their beaks.
31 Windy.
April 1 The spicewood is in full bloom, the dog’s-tooth violet,
and May apple appeared above ground. A northern
light appeared at 10 o’clock P. M. very red.
5 At St. Louis the buds of the peaches, apples and
cherries appear.
6 A large flock of pellicans appear.
7 The leaves of some of the apple trees have burst their
coverts and put forth, the leaves of the greenwood
bushes have put forth.--Many of the wild plants have
sprung up and appear above ground.
10 No appearance of the buds of the Osage apple; the
Osage plum has put forth its leaves and flower buds,
though it not yet completely in blow.
13 The peach trees are partly in bloom; the brant, geese,
duck, swan, crane and other aquatic birds have
disappeared very much within a few days, and have
gone farther north I presume; the summer ducks raise
their young: in this neighbourhood, and are now here
in great numbers.
17 Peach trees in full bloom; the weeping willow has put
forth its leaves, and are one fifth of their size:
the violet, the dove’s-foot and cowslip are in blow,
the dog’s-tooth violet is not yet in bloom. The
trees of the forest, particularly the cottonwood,
begin to obtain from the size of their buds, a
greenish cast at a distance; the gooseberry, which
is also in this country and black, have put forth
their leaves--frost.
26 The white frost killed much fruit near Kahokia, while
that at St. Louis escaped with little injury.
30 White frost; slight; did but little injury.
May 5 Thundered and lightened excessively this morning.
10 Distant thunder: sultry this evening.
12 The wind at four was uncommonly hard.
25 Strawberries in the prairies ripe, and abundant.
27 Service berries or wild currants ripe and abundant.
30 Mulberries begin to ripen; abundant in the bottom of
the river.
June 10 Purple raspberries ripe and abundant.
11 Many small birds are now sitting; some have young: the
whippoorwill sitting.
16 The wood duck now have its young; these ducks are
abundant, and except one solitary pelican and a few
geese, these ducks were the only aquatic fowl we
have yet seen.
July 1 Saw some geese with their young; caught several; they
are not yet feathered, nor can they fly; the old
geese are in the same situation at this season.
4 A great number of young geese and swan in a lake
opposite to the mouth of Fourth of July creek: in
the lake there is also an abundance of fish of
various species, the pike, perch, carp, cat,
sun-perch, &c. &c.
12 The deer and bear are becoming scarce, and the elk
begin to appear.
23 Catfish is very common, and easy taken in any part of
this river; some are nearly white, particularly above
the Platte river.
Sept. 19 The leaves of some of the cottonwood begin to fade:
yesterday saw the first brant passing from the
northwest to southeast.
20 The antelope is now rutting; the swallow has
disappeared twelve days.
21 The elk is now rutting; the buffaloe is nearly ceased;
the latter commence the latter end of July or the
first of August.
22 A little foggy this morning; a great number of
green-legged plover are passing down the river, also
some geese and brant.
23 The air remarkably dry; plums and grapes fully ripe;
in thirty-six hours two spoonfulls of water
evaporated in a saucer.
27 Saw a large flock of white gulls, with wings tipped
with black.
October 1 The leaf of the ash, poplar, and most of the shrubs
begin to turn yellow, and decline.
3 The earth and sand which form the bars of this river
are so fully impregnated with salt, that it shoots
and adheres to the little sticks which appear on the
surface; it is pleasant and seems nitrous.
5 Slight white frost last night: geese and brant passing
south.
6 Frost last night; saw teel, mallards and gulls.
9 Wind blew hard this morning; saw some brant and geese
passing to the south.
14 Cotton-wood all yellow, and the leaves begin to fall:
abundance of grapes and red berries; the leaves of
all the trees as ash, elm, &c. except the
cottonwood, are now fallen.
17 Saw a large flock of white brant with black wings:
antelopes are passing to the Black mountains to
winter, as is their custom.
18 Hard frost last night, the clay near the water edge
was frozen, as was the water in the vessels exposed
to the air.
19 No mule-deer seen above the Chayenne river.
20 Much more timber than usual: saw the first black haws
that we have seen for a long time.
29 The wind was so hard, that it was extremely
disagreeable: the sand was blown on us in clouds.
Nov. 3 Wind blew hard all day.
7 A few drops of rain this evening; saw the
aurora-borealis at 10 P. M.; it was very brilliant
in perpendicular columns, frequently changing
position.
8 Since we have been at our present station, the river
has fallen 9 inches.
9 Very hard frost this morning.
10 Many geese passing to the south; saw a flock of the
crested cherry birds passing to the south.
13 Large quantity of drift ice running this morning,
the river having appearances of closing for this
winter.
16 Hard frost this morning attached to the timber and
boughs of the trees.
17 The frost of yesterday remained on the trees until
2 P. M. when it descended like a shower of snow; swans
passing from the north.
20 Little soft ice this morning; the boat in much danger
from ice, &c.
29 The snow fell eight inches deep, it drifted in heaps
in the open ground.
30 The Indians pass the river on the ice.
Decr. 5 Wind blew excessively hard this night from the
northwest.
7 Last night the river blocked up opposite fort Mandan.
8 The ice one and a half inches thick on the part that
had not previously frozen; the buffaloe appear.
14 Captain Clark set out with a hunting party on the ice
with sleighs.
15 Snow fell half inch.
24 Snow very inconsiderable.
27 The trees are all white with the frost which attached
itself to their boughs.
28 It blew very hard last night; the frost fell like a
shower of snow.
1805
January 3 The snow is nine inches deep.
6 At 12 o’clock to-day two luminous spots appeared on
each side of the sun, extremely bright.
8 The snow is now ten inches deep, accumulating by
frosts.
12 Singular appearance of three distinct _Halos_ or
luminous rings about the moon appeared this evening
at half after nine, P.M. and continued one hour; the
moon formed the centre of the middle ring, the other
two which lay north and south of the moon, and had
each of them a limb passing through the moon’s
centre, and projecting north and south, a
semidiameter beyond
the middle ring, to which last they were equal
in dimensions, each ring appearing to extend
an angle of fifteen degrees of a great circle.
15 A total eclipse of the moon last night visible here,
but partially obscured by the clouds.
19 Ice now three feet thick on the most rapid part of
the river.
23 The snow fell about four inches deep last night,
and continues to snow.
It frequently happens that the sun rises fair and
in about fifteen or twenty minutes it becomes
suddenly turbid, as if the moon had some chemical
effect on the atmosphere.
31 The snow fell two inches last night.
Feb. 8 The black and white speckled woodpecker has returned.
14 The snow fell three inches deep last night.
March 2 The snow has disappeared in many places, the river
partially broken up.
3 A flock of ducks passed up the river this morning.
12 Snow but slight, disappeared to-day.
19 But little snow, not enough to cover the ground.
Collected some roots, herbs and plants, in order
to send by the boat, particularly the root
said to cure the bite of a mad dog and rattlesnake.
The Indians raise a kind of artichokes, which they
say is common in the prairies; well tasted.
21 Some ducks in the river opposite the fort.
24 But little snow.
25 A flock of swan returned to-day: the ice in the river
has given way in many places, and it is with
difficulty it can be passed.
26 The ice gave way in the river about 3 P. M. and
came down in immense sheets; very near destroying
our new canoes; some geese pass to-day.
27 The first insect I have seen, was a large black gnat
to-day; the ice drifting in great quantities.
28 Ice abates in quantity, wind hard, river rises thirteen
inches, and falls twelve inches.
29 A variety of insects make their appearance, as flies,
bugs, &c. The ice ceases to run, supposed to have
formed an obstruction above.
30 The ice comes down in great quantities; the Mandans
take some floating buffaloe.
31 Ducks and geese passing; the ice abates in quantity.
April 1 A fine refreshing shower of rain fell about 2 P. M.
this was the first shower of rain that we had
witnessed since the 15th September, 1804, though it
has several times fallen in small quantities, and
was noticed in the diary of the weather; the cloud
came from the west, and was attended by hard thunder
and lightning. I have observed that all
thunder-clouds in the western part of the continent,
proceed from the westerly quarter, as they do in the
Atlantic states. The air is remarkably dry and pure
in this open country; very little rain or snow,
either winter or summer. The atmosphere is more
transparent than I ever observed it in any country
through which I have passed.
4 Observed a flock of brant passing up the river to-day:
the wind blew very hard, as it does frequently in
this quarter. There is scarcely any timber to break
the winds from the river, and the country on both
aides being level plains, wholly destitute of timber,
the winds blow with astonishing violence, in this
open country, and form a great obstruction to the
navigation of the Missouri, particularly with small
vessels, which can neither ascend nor descend should
the wind be the least violent.
6 This day a flock of cherry or cedar birds were seen,
one of the men killed several of them. They are
common in the United States, usually associate in
large flocks, and are frequently destructive to the
cherry orchards, and in winter in the lower parts of
the states of Maryland and Virginia feed on the
berries of the cedar. They are a small bluish-brown
bird, crested with a tuft of dark brown feathers,
with a narrow black stripe passing on each side of
the head underneath the eye, from the base of the
upper beak to the back of the head; it is
distinguished more particularly by some of
the shorter feathers of the wing, which are tipped
with red spots, which have much the appearance, at a
little distance, of sealing-wax.
8 The killdeer and large hawk have returned; the only
bird that I observed during the winter at fort
Mandan, was the Missouri magpie, a bird of the corvus
genus, the raven in immense numbers, the small
woodpecker, or sapsucker as they are sometimes
called, the beautiful eagle, or calumet-bird, so
called from the circumstance of the natives
decorating their pipe-stems with its plumage, and
the prairie-hen or grouse.
9 The crows have also returned, saw the first to-day;
the musquitoes revisit us, saw several of them.
10 The lark, bald-eagle, and the large plover have
returned; the grass begins to spring up, and the
leaf-buds of the willow to appear.
11 The lark-woodpecker, with yellow wings, and a black
spot on the breast, common to the United States have
appeared, with sundry small birds. Many plants begin
to appear above the ground; saw a large white gull
to-day; the eagle are now laying their eggs; and the
geese have mated. The elm, large leafed willow,
and the bush which bears a red berry is in
bloom.
13 The leaves of the choke-cherry are about half
grown, the cottonwood is in bloom; the flower
of this tree resembles that of the aspin in form,
and is of a deep purple colour.
15 Several flocks of white brant with black wings pass
us to-day, on their flight to the northwest; the
trees now begin to assume a green appearance,
though the earth at the depth of about three
feet is not yet thawed, which we discover by
the banks of the river falling in and disclosing a
strata of frozen earth.
16 Saw the first leather-wing bat; it appeared about
the size of those common to the United States.
18 A heavy dew this morning, which is the first and
only one we have seen since we passed the
Council bluffs last summer; there is but little
dew in this open country. Saw a flock of pellican
pass from southwest to northeast; they appeared
to be on a long flight.
19 The trees have now put forth their leaves; the
gooseberries, currant, service berries, and wild
plums are in bloom.
21 White frost last night; the earth frozen along the
water’s edge.
23 Saw the first robbin, also the brown curfew.
28 Vegetation has progressed but little since the 18th;
in short, the change is scarcely perceptible.
May 2 The wind continued so violent from 12 o’clock yesterday,
until five o’clock this evening, that we
were unable to proceed; the snow which fell
last night and this morning, has not yet disappeared;
it forms a singular contrast with the
trees which are now in leaf.
3 At 4 P. M. the snow had not yet entirely disappeared;
the new horns of the elk begin to appear.
4 The snow has disappeared; saw the first grasshoppers
to-day; there are great quantities of a small
blue beetle feeding on the willows.
8 The bald eagle, of which there are great numbers,
now have their young; the turtle-dove appears.
9 The choke-cherry is now in bloom.
17 The geese have their young; the elk begin to produce
their young; the antelope and deer as yet
have not; the small species of whippoorwill
begin to cry; the blackbird, both large and
small have appeared. We have had scarcely
any thunder and lightning; the clouds are generally
white, and accompanied with wind only.
18 Saw the wild rose in bloom. The brown thrush
or mocking bird have appeared; had a good
shower of rain to-day, it continued about two
hours; this is the first shower that deserves the
appellation of rain, which we have seen since
we left fort Mandan; no thunder, &c.
22 Saw some particles of snow fall to-day, which did
not lie in sufficient quantity on the ground to
be perceptible.
23 Hard frost last night; ice in the eddy water along
the shore, and the water froze on the oars
this morning; strawberries in bloom; saw the
first king-fisher.
25 Saw the king-bird or bee-martin; the grouse disappear;
killed three of the bighorn animals.
26 The last night was much the warmest that we have
experienced; found the covering of our blanket
sufficient: the air is extremely dry and pure.
28 A slight thunder storm, the air was turbid in the
forenoon, and appeared to be filled with smoke;
we supposed it to proceed from the burning of
the plains, which we are informed are frequently
set on fire by the Snake Indiana to compel the
antelopes to resort to the woody and mountainous
country which they inhabit; saw a small
white and black woodpecker, with a red head,
the same which is common to the Atlantic
states.
30 The rain commenced about 4 o’clock in the evening,
and continued moderately through the course of
the night; more rain has now fallen then we
have experienced since the 15th of September
last.
31 The antelopes now bring forth their young; from
the size of the young of the bighorn, I suppose
they bring forth their young as early at least as
the elk.
June 5 Great numbers of sparrows, larks, curlews and
other smaller birds common to prairies, are
now laying their eggs and sitting; their nests
are in great abundance; the large bats, or
night-hawks, and the common buzzards appear; first
saw the mountain-cock near the entrance of
Maria’s river.
15 The deer now begin to bring forth their young;
the young magpies begin to fly. The brown and
grizly bear begin to copulate.
27 At 1 P. M. a black cloud which arose in the
southwest came on, accompanied with a high
wind and violent thunder and lightning; a great
quantity of hail also fell during this storm,
which lasted about two hours and a half. The hail
which was generally about the size of pigeons’
eggs, and not unlike them in form, covered the
ground to one inch and a half. For about twenty
minutes during this storm, hail fell of an enormous
size with violence almost incredible.
When the hail-stones struck the ground, they
would rebound to the height of ten or twelve
feet, and pass twenty or thirty before they touched
again. During this immense storm, I was
with the greater part of the men on the portage;
the men saved themselves, some by getting under
a canoe, others by putting sundry articles on
their heads, two were knocked down, and seven
had their legs and thighs much bruised. Captain
Lewis weighed one of those hail stones which
weighed three ounces, and measured seven
inches in circumference; they were generally
round and perfectly solid. I am convinced that
if one of these had struck a man on his naked
head, it would certainly have fractured his skull;
young blackbirds are abundant and beginning
to fly.
July 6 A heavy wind from the southwest, attended with
rain about the middle of the last night; about
day had a violent thunderstorm, attended with
hail and rain; the hail covered the ground, and
was near the size of musquet balls; one blackbird
was killed with the hail; I am astonished
that more have not suffered in a similar manner,
as they are abundant, and I should suppose
the hail-stones sufficiently heavy to kill them.
August 7 The river which we are now ascending, is so
inconsiderable, and the current so much of a
stand, that I relinquished paying further attention
to its state.
21 Most astonishing was the difference between the
height of the mercury at sunrise and at 4 P.M.
to-day. There was the difference of fifty-nine
degrees, and this in the space of eight hours,
yet we experience this wonderful transition
without feeling it near so sensibly as I should
have expected.
Nov. 3 A thick fog continued until 12 o’clock, at which
time it cleared off, and was fair the remainder
of the day.
5 Commenced raining at 2 P.M. and continued at
intervals all day; saw fourteen striped snakes
to-day.
7 A thick fog this morning which continued until
11 A. M., at which time it cleared off, and
continued fair about two hours, and began to rain;
several showers during the evening.
12 Violent wind from, the southwest, accompanied
with hail thunder and lightning, the thunder
excessively loud, which continued from 3 till
6 A. M. when it cleared off for a short time;
afterwards a heavy rain succeeded, which lasted
until twelve o’clock, when it cleared off for an
hour, and again become cloudy; the rain has been
pretty generally falling since the 7th instant.
15 The after part of this day is fair and calm, for the
first time since the 12th instant, and no rain.
20 Rained moderately from 6 o’clock A. M. until 1
P. M. on the 21st, after which it became cloudy,
without rain.
22 The wind violent from the S. S. E. throwing the
water of the river over our camp, and rain
continued all day.
26 Rained all day; some hard showers; wind not so
hard as it has been for a few days past; some
rain on the morning of the 23d, and night of
the 24th. instant.
27 Rained moderately all day; a hard wind from the
southwest, which compelled us to lie by on the
isthmus of point William on the south side.
28 The wind which was from the south west shifted in
the after part of the day to the northwest, and
blew a storm which was tremendous; rained all
the last night and to-day without intermission.
29 Rained all last night hard, and to-day moderately.
30 Rained and hailed at intervals throughout the last
night, some thunder and lightning.
Decr. 3 Fair from 12 to 3 P. M. rained all the last night
and this morning; rained the night of the 1st
and the morning of the 2nd, and cloudy the remainder
of the day; rained at intervals the night
of the 2nd instant, with constant, hard, and
sometimes violent winds.
5 Rained yesterday, last night, and moderately to-day,
all day the wind violent.
6 Rained all last night and to-day until 6 o’clock, at
which time it cleared away and became fair; the
winds also ceased to blow violent.
7 Rained from ten to twelve last night; fair day; a hard
wind from the northwest, and a shower of rain
at 2 P. M.
10 Rained all day, and the air cool; I returned from
the ocean; a violent wind last night from the
southwest; rained the greater part of the night
of the 8th, and all day the 9th instant.
15 Rained at short intervals from the 10th instant, until
8 A. M. to-day.
16 Rained all the last night; cold wind violent from
the southwest, accompanied with rain.
17 Rained all the last night and this morning until 9
o’clock, when we had a shower of hail, which
lasted about an hour, and then cleared off.
18 Rained, snowed, and hailed at intervals all the last
night; several showers of hail and snow until
meridian.
19 Rained last night, and several showers of hail and
rain this evening; the air cool.
20 Some rain and hail last night, rain continued until
10 A. M.
23 Rained all last night, and moderately all day, with
several showers of hail, accompanied with hard
claps of thunder &c.; rained 21st and 22d all
day and night.
25 Rained at intervals last night and to-day.
26 Rained and blew hard all last night and to-day;
some hard claps of thunder and sharp lightning.
29 Rained moderately without much intermission from
the 26th until 7 A.M. this morning, hard wind
from southeast.
30 Hard wind and some rain last night; to-day tolerably
fair.
31 Rained last night and all this day.
1806.
January 1 The changes of the weather are exceedingly sudden,
sometimes though seldom the sun is visible
for a few moments, the next it hails and rains,
then ceases and remains cloudy; the wind blows
and it again rains; the wind blows by squalls
most generally, and is almost invariably from
southwest; these vicissitudes of the weather
happen two, three or more times in half a day;
snake seen 25th December.
3 The thunder and lightning of the last evening was
violent, a singular occurrence for the time of
year; the loss of my thermometer I most sincerely
regret. I am confident that the climate
here, is much warmer than in the same parallel
of latitude on the Atlantic ocean, though how
many degrees it is now out of my power to determine.
Since our arrival in this neighbourhood
on the 7th of November, we have experienced
one slight white frost only, which happened
on the morning of the 16th of that month;
we have yet seen no ice, and the weather is so
warm, that we are obliged to cure our meat
with smoke and fire to save it; we lost two parcels
by depending on the air to preserve it,
though it was cut in very thin slices, and
sufficiently exposed.
10 Various flies and insects now alive and in motion.
12 The wind from any quarter off the land or along the
northwest coast, causes the air to become much
cooler; every species of water fowl common to
this country at any season of the year, still continue
with us.
14 Weather perfectly temperate, I never experienced
a winter so warm as the present has been.
23 When the sun is said to shine, or the weather fair,
it is to be understood that it barely casts a shadow,
and that the atmosphere is hazy, of a milky
white colour.
25 It is now perceptibly colder than it has been this
winter.
26 The snow this evening is four and three-quarter
inches deep: the isicles continue suspended
from the eaves of the houses during the day;
it now appears something like winter, for the
first time this season.
27 The sun shone more bright this morning than it has
done since our arrival at this place; the snow
since 4 P. M. yesterday, has increased to the
depth of six inches, and this morning is perceptibly
the coldest that we have had. I suspect
the mercury would stand at twenty degrees above
naught; the breath is perceptible in our room
by the fire.
28 Last night exposed a vessel of water to the air, with
a view to discover the depth to which it would
frieze in the course of the night, but unfortunately
the vessel was only two inches deep, and
it friezed the whole thickness; how much more
it might have frozen had the vessel been deeper,
is therefore out of my power to decide; it is
the coldest night that we have had, and I suppose
the mercury this morning would have
stood as low as fifteen degrees above naught.
31 Notwithstanding the cold weather, the swan, white
brant, geese and ducks still continue with us;
the sandhill crane also continues; the brown or
speckled brant are mostly gone, some few are
still to be seen; the cormorant, and a variety
of other water fowls still remain. The
winds from the land brings us cold and clear
weather, while those obliquely along either
coast or off the ocean brings us warm, damp,
cloudy and rainy weather; the hardest winds
are always from the southwest. The blue-crested
corvus has already began to build its nest;
the nest is formed of small sticks, usually
in a pine tree.
February 3 The rain which fell in the latter part of the night
froze, and made a slight incrustation on the
snow which fell some days past, and also on the
boughs of the trees &c.; yesterday it continued
fair until 11 A. M. when the wind veered about
to southwest, and the horizon was immediately
overcast with clouds, which uniformly takes
place when the wind is from that point.
4 All the water-fowls before enumerated still continue
with us; the birds which resemble the robin
have now visited us in small numbers; saw
two of them yesterday about the fort; they are
gentle.
8 The rain of the last night has melted down the
snow which has continued to cover the ground
since the 24th of January; the feeling of the air
and other appearances seem to indicate that
the rigor of the winter has passed; it is so
warm that we are apprehensive our meat will
spoil, we therefore cut it in small pieces and
hang it separately on sticks. Saw a number of
insects flying about: the small brown flycatch
continues with us; this is the smallest of all the
American birds except the humming-bird.
15 The robbin has returned and is singing, which reminds
us of spring; some other small birds
passed on their flight from the south, but were
so high that we could not distinguish of what
kind they were; the robbin had left this place
before our arrival in November.
16 At 11 A. M. it became fair, and the insects were
flying about; at half past 12 o’clock it clouded
up and began to rain.
24 Much warmer this morning than usual; aquatic
and other birds, heretofore enumerated, continue
with us still; the sturgeon and a small fish
like the anchovy begin to run, they are taken
in the Columbia, about forty miles above us: the
anchovy is exquisitely fine.
28 Saw a variety of insects in motion this morning,
some small bugs as well as flies; a brown fly
with long legs, about half the size of the common
house fly was the most numerous; this
is the first insect that has appeared; it is
generally about the sinks or filth of any kind;
the yellow and brown flycatch has returned, it
is a very small bird with a tail as long
proportionally as a sparrow.
March 1 A great part of this day was so warm, that fire was
unnecessary, notwithstanding its being cloudy
and raining.
6 Saw a spider this morning, though the air is
perceptibly colder than it has been since the 1st
instant. At 9 A. M. it clouded up and continued
so the remainder of the day; even the easterly
winds which have heretofore given us the
only fair weather which we have enjoyed, seem
now to have lost their influence in this respect.
7 The elk now begin to shed their horns. A bird of
a scarlet colour as large as a common pheasant
with a long tail has returned, one of them was
seen to-day near the fort by captain Clark’s
black man; I could not obtain a view of it.
11 It became cloudy at 10 A. M. and rained attended
with some hail; at six P. M. it become fair, and
the wind changing to northeast it continued fair
during the night: the snow had all disappeared
by 4 P. M. this evening.
12 It was fair in the morning, but became cloudy at 8
P. M. and continued so during the day.
13 Saw a number of insects in motion; among others
saw for the first time this spring and winter, a
downy black fly about the size of the common
house fly. The plants begin to appear above the
ground, among others the rush, of which the
natives eat the root, which resembles in flavor
the sweet potatoe.
15 The sorrel with an oval, obtuse, and ternate leaf
has now put forth its leaves, some of them have
already nearly obtained their growth; the birds
were singing very agreeably this morning,
particularly the common robbin.
16 The anchovy has ceased to run; the white salmon
trout have succeeded them; the weather is so
warm that insects of various species are every
day in motion.
22 The leaves and petals of the flower of the green
huckleberry have appeared, some of the leaves
have already obtained one fourth of their size.
24 The brown briery shrub with a broad pinnate leaf
has began to put forth its leaves; the polecat
calwort is in bloom; saw the blue-crested fisher;
birds are singing this morning; the black alder
is in bloom.
25 The elder, gooseberry and honeysuckle are now
putting forth their leaves; the nettle and a
variety of other plants are springing up; the
flowers of the broad-leafed thorn are nearly
blown; several small plants in bloom.
26 The humming-bird has appeared; killed one of
them and found it the same with those common
to the United States.
27 The small or bank martin appeared to-day; saw
one large flock of them; water-fowl very scarce;
a few cormorant, geese, and the red-headed
fishing duck are all that are to be seen; the red
flowering currant are in bloom; this I take to
be the same species I first saw on the Rocky
mountains; the fruit is a deep purple berry,
covered with a gummy substance, and not
agreeably flavoured: there is another species
not covered with gum which I first found on the
waters of the Columbia, about the 12th of August
last.
28 This evening we saw many swan passing to the
north as if on a long flight; vegetation is not
by several days as forward here as at fort Clatsop
when we left that place; the river rising
fast; the water is turbid; the tide only swells
the water a little, it does not stop the current;
it is now within two feet of its greatest height.
30 The grass is about sixteen inches high in the river
bottoms; the frogs are now abundant.
April 1 From the best opinion I could form of the state of
the Columbia on the first of April, it was about
nine feet higher than when we descended it in
the beginning of November last.
6 The cottonwood has put forth its leaves and begins
to assume a green appearance at a distance;
the sweet willow has not yet burst its bud,
while the leaves of the red and broad-leafed
willow are of some size; it appears to me to
be the most backward in vegetating of all the
willows; the narrow-leafed willow is not found
below tide-water on this river.
8 The male flowers of the cottonwood are falling; the
gooseberry has cast the petals of its flowers,
and its leaves have obtained their full size; the
elder which is remarkably large, has began to
bloom, some of its flowrets have expanded their
corollas; the service-berries, choke-cherries,
the growth which resembles the beach, the
small birch and gray willow have put forth their
leaves.
9 The vining honeysuckle has put forth shoots of
several inches; the dog-toothed violet is in
bloom, as is also both the species of the
mountain-holly, the strawberry, the bear’s-claw,
the cowslip, the violet, common striped, and the
wild cress or tongue grass.
11 The geese are yet in large flocks and do not yet
appear to have mated; what I have heretofore
termed the broad-leafed ash, is now in bloom;
the fringe tree has cast the corolla and its leaves
have nearly obtained their full size; the saccacommis
is in bloom.
12 The duckinmallard, which breed in the neighbourhood,
is now laying its eggs; vegetation is
rapidly progressing in the bottoms, though the
snow of yesterday and to-day reaches within a
mile of the base of the mountains at the rapids
of the Columbia.
16 At the Rock-fort camp saw the prairie lark, a species
of the peaweet, the blue-crested fisher, the
party-coloured corvus, and the black pheasant;
a species of hyacinth, native of this place, bloomed
to-day; it was not in bloom yesterday.
25 The last evening was cloudy; it continued to
threaten rain all night, but without raining;
the wind blew hard all night, the air cold, as
it is invariably when it sets from the westerly
quarter.
May 1 Having left the river we could no longer observe
its state, it is now declining, though it has not
been as high this season by five feet as it appears
to have been the last spring; the Indians
inform us that it will rise higher in this month,
which I presume is caused by the snows of the
mountains.
3 The mountains on our right seem to have had an
increase of snow last evening.
10 It began to rain and hail about sunset this evening,
which was shortly after succeeded by snow;
it continued to fall without intermission until 7
A. M. and lay 8 inches deep on the plain where
we were; the air was very keen; a sudden transition
this day; yesterday the face of the country
had every appearance of summer; after nine
A. M. the sun shone, but was frequently obscured
by clouds which gave us light showers of
snow; in the after part of the day the snow melted
considerably, but there was too great a
portion to be dissipated by the influence of one
day’s sun.
11 The crimson haw is not more forward now at this
place than it was when we lay at Rock-fort
camp in April.
20 A nest of the large blue or sandhill crane was
found by one of our hunters; the young were
in the act of leaving the shell; the young of
the party coloured corvus begin to fly.
22 The air is remarkably dry and pure, it has much
the feeling and appearance of the air in the
plains of the Missouri: since our arrival in this
neighbourhood on the 7th instant all the rains
noted in the diary of the weather were snows
on the plain, and in some instances it snowed
on the plains when only a small mist was perceptible
in the bottoms at our camp.
27 The dove is cooing, which is the signal, as the Indians
inform us of the approach of the salmon.
The snow has disappeared on the high plains,
and seems to be diminishing fast on the spurs
and lower regions of the Rocky mountains.
28 The river from sunrise yesterday to sunrise this
morning rose one foot ten inches; driftwood
running in considerable quantities, and the current
incredibly swift though smooth.
29 The river rose six inches in the course of
yesterday, and one foot five inches in the
course of the last night; it is now as high as
there are any marks of its having been in the
spring 1805; at ten A. M. it arrived at its greatest
height, having rose one and a half inches
from sunrise to that time; in the balance of the
day it fell seven inches; the natives inform us
that it will take one more rise before it begins
to subside for the season, and then the passage
of the mountains will be practicable.
30 The river continued to fall until 4 A. M. having
fallen three inches by that time since sunrise;
it was now at a stand until dark, after which it
began again to rise.
June 2 The river from sunrise until 10 A. M. yesterday
rose one and a half inches, from that time until
dark fell four and a half inches, and in the
course of last night rose again eight inches--the
Indians inform us that the present rise is the
greatest which it annually takes; that when the
water subsides to about the height it was at the
time we arrived here, the mountains will be
passable. I have no doubt but the melting of
the mountain snows in the beginning of June
is what causes the annual inundation of the
lower portion of the Missouri from the first to
the middle of July.
4 Yesterday the water was at its greatest height at
noon, between that time and dark it fell fifteen
inches, and in the course of the night rose
one and a half inches; from the Indian information
the water will now subside, and may therefore
be said to be at its greatest annual height
on the 3rd instant at noon.
5 The river fell three and a half inches in the course
of the day; this fluctuating state of the river is
no doubt caused by the influence of the sun in
the course of the day on the snows on the
mountains; the accession of water thus caused
in the day does not reach us until night, when
it produces a rise in the river. The wild rose
is in bloom. The river fell ten inches in the
course of this day.
6 In the course of last night the river rose a little,
but fell an inch by morning lower than it was last
evening; the seven bark and the yellow vining
honeysuckle are just in bloom; a few of the
does have produced their young.
7 The river fell three inches last night and seven
yesterday; the gooseberry is fully grown; also,
the serviceberry.
10 The river fell one inch last night and five and a half
yesterday; it appears to be falling fast, and in the
course of a few days will be as low as it was when
we first arrived here; it is now about six feet lower
than it has been.
16 On the top of the hills the dog-tooth violet is just
in bloom, grass about two inches high; small
huckleberry just putting forth its leaves.
22 Strawberries ripe at the Quamash flats; they are but
small and not abundant.
29 The quamash and strawberries are just beginning to
bloom at the flats on the head of the Kooskooskee
river. The sunflower is also just beginning to bloom,
which is two months later than those on the sides of
the western mountains near the falls of the Columbia.
July 5 A dew this morning; the nights are cool; the
musquetoes are troublesome until a little after dark
when the air becomes cool, and the musquetoes
disappear.
6 I arrived in an open plain in the middle of which a
violent wind from the northwest accompanied with
hard rain lasted from four until half past five P. M.
Quamash in those plains at the head of Wisdom river
is just beginning to bloom, and the grass is about
six inches high.
7 A small shower of rain at 4 this morning was companied
with wind from the S.S.W.
8 A heavy shower of rain was accompanied with wind from
the southwest from four to five P. M.
9 Last night it was very cold and wind hard from the
northeast; the river is twelve inches higher than it
was last summer; there is more snow on the adjacent
mountains than was at that time.
10 A large white frost last night; the air extremely
cold; ice three quarters of an inch thick on
standing water.
11 A slight frost last night; the air cool; the
musquetoes retired a little after dark, and did not
return until about an hour after sunrise.
12 A heavy shower of rain accompanied with hail, thunder
and lightning at 2 A. M. with hard wind from the
southwest; after the shower was over it cleared away
and became fair.
20 The river Rochejhone falls about half an inch in
twenty-four hours, and becomes much clearer than
above. The grasshoppers are extremely numerous, and
have destroyed every species of grass from one to
ten miles above on the river, and a great distance
back.
22 A few drops of rain last night at dark, the cloud
appeared to hang to the southwest: wind blew hard
from different points from five to eight P. M. at
which time it thundered and lightened. The river by
eleven A. M. to-day had risen fifteen inches, and
the water was of a milky white colour.
23 The river has fallen within the last twenty-four hours
seven inches. The wind was violent from the
southwest for about three hours last night, from one
to three A. M.
24 River falling a little; it is six feet lower than the
highest appearance of its rise; rained from three to
four P.M. but slightly; the wind violent from the
southwest.
25 Several showers of rain with hard wind from the south
and southwest the fore part of the day. The brooks
on each side are high and the water muddy.
26 A slight shower this morning: with hard wind from the
southwest. The river falling but very slowly, one
inch in twenty-four hours.
28 A few drops of rain a little before daylight. River
still falling a little.
29 A few drops of rain accompanied with hard peals of
thunder and sharp lightning last night: wind hard
from the northeast.
30 A slight shower of rain accompanied with thunder and
lightning: several showers in the course of this
day; it cleared away in the evening and became fair.
River falling a little. Great quantities of coal in
the bluffs on either side.
31 The wind blew hard and it was showery all day, though
there was not much rain: the clouds came up from the
west and northwest frequently in the course of the
day.
August 22 The rains which have fallen in this month are most
commonly from flying clouds which pass in different
directions; those clouds are always accompanied
with hard winds and sometimes with thunder and
lightning. The river has been falling moderately
since the third of the month; the rains have made no
other impression on the river than causing it to be
more muddy, and probably preventing its falling fast.