The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Part 93

[Clark, December 15, 1805]

Sunday the 15th December 1805.

I Set out early with 16 men and 3 Canoes for the Elk, proceed up the River three miles and thence up a large Creek from the right about 3 miles the hite of the tide water drew up the Canoes and all hands went out in three different parties and brought in to the Canoe each Man a quarter of Elk, I Sent them out for a Second load and had Some of the first Cooked against their return, after eateing a harty diner dispatched the party for a third and last load, about half the men missed their way and did not get to the Canoes untill after Dark, and Serjt. Ordway Colter, Colins Whitehouse & McNeal Staid out all night without fire and in the rain--Cloudy all day Some rain in the evening.

[Clark, December 16, 1805]

December 16th Monday 1805 rained all the last night we Covered our Selves as well as we Could with Elk Skins, & Set up the greater part of the night, all wet I lay in the water verry Cold, the 5 men who Stayed out all night joined me this morning Cold & wet, Ordway Colter Collens, Jo Whitehouse J McNeal, I had the two Canoes loaded with the 11 Elk which was brought to the Canoes, despatched 12 men to meet me below with 2 Elk, The rain Contines, with Tremendious gusts of wind, which is Tremds. I proceeded on and took in the 2 Elk which was brought to the Creek, & Send back 7 men to Carrey to the Canoe & take down to Camp 3 Elk which was left in the woods, and I proceeded on to Camp thro the Same Chanel I had a.s.sd.

The winds violent Trees falling in every derection, whorl winds, with gusts of rain Hail & Thunder, this kind of weather lasted all day, Certainly one of the worst days that ever was! I found 3 Indeans with Capt Lewis in camp they had brought fish to Sell, we had a house Covered with Punchen & our meat hung up. Several men Complaining of hurting themselves Carry meet, &c.

[Clark, December 16, 1805]

Monday 16th December 1805 I as also the party with me experiencd a most dreadfull night rain and wet without any Couvering, indeed we Set up the greater part of the Night, when we lay down the water Soon Came under us and obliged us to rise. the five men who Stayed out all night joind me this morning wet and Cold, haveing Stayed out without fire or Shelter and the rain poreing down upon them all night their appearance was truly distressingthey had left all their loads near the place they Spent the night--I dispatched 12 men for 2 Elk which was reather below on the opposit Side of the Creak, with directions to meet me at the 2d bend in the Creek below, had all the meat which had been brought in yesterday put into 2 Canoes and proceeded down to the 2d bend where I met the 12 men with the 2 Elk, dispatchd 6 men with one of those who Staid out last night for the meet left in the woods & the remainder an elk at Some distance and proceeded on my Self with 3 Canoes to the fort. wind violent from the S E

trees falling, rain and hail, we with Some risque proceeded on thro the high waves in the river, a tempestious disagreeable day.

I found 3 indians at our Camp, they brought fish to Sell which were pore & not fit for use, had the meet house coverd and the meat all hung up, Several men complain of haveing hurt themselves heavy loads of meat.

[Clark, December 17, 1805]

December 17th Tuesday 1805 rained Some last night and this morning, all hands at work about the huts c.h.i.n.king them, The 7 men left to bring in the Elk left in the woods Come with 2 the 3rd they Could not find, as it was that left by the party that got lost night before last

The after part of the Day fair & Cool, fore part of the Day rain hailed & blew hard, The mountain which lies S. E of this is covered with Snow to day we fleece all the meat and hang it up over a Small Smoke The trees are hard to Split for Punchens to Cover our houses &c.

[Clark, December 17, 1805]

Tuesday 17th of December 1805 Some rain last night and a continuation of it this morning. all the men at work about the houses, Some c.h.i.n.king, Dobbing Cutting out dores &c.

&c. The 7 men left to bring in the Elk arrived and informed that they Could not find the meat that the party who Stayed out all night had left--the forepart of this day rained hailed and blew hard, the after part is fair and Cool--a Mountain which is S. ____ E. about 10 miles distant has got Snow on its top which is ruged and uneavin

Cause a Small fire & Smoke to be made under the meat which is hung up in Small peaces. The trees which our men have fallen latterly Split verry badly into boards. The most of our Stores are wet. our Leather Lodge has become So rotten that the Smallest thing tares it into holes and it is now Scrcely Sufficent to keep off the rain off a Spot Sufficiently large for our bead.

[Clark, December 18, 1805]

December 18th Wednesday 1805 rained and Snowed alturnitely all the last night and the gusts of Snow and hail continue untill 12 oClock, Cold and a dreadfull day wind hard and unsettled, we continue at work at our huts, the men being but thinly dressed, and no Shoes causes us to doe but little--at 12 the Snow & hail Seased & the after part of the day was Cloudy with Some rain.

[Clark, December 18, 1805]

Wednesday 18th December 1805 rained and Snowed alternetly all the last night, and Spurts of Snow and Hail Continued untill 12 oClock, which has chilled the air which is Cool and disagreeable, the wind hard & unsettled--The men being thinly Dressed and mockersons without Socks is the reason that but little can be done at the Houses to day--at 12 the Hail & Snow Seased, and rain Suckceeded for the latter part of the day

[Lewis, December 18, 1805]

Fort Clatsop, December 18th 1805.

This day one of the men shot a bird of the Corvus genus, which was feeding on some fragments of meat near the camp. this bird is about the size of the kingbird or bee martin, and not unlike that bird in form.

the beak is 3/4 of an inch long, wide at the base, of a convex, and cultrated figure, beset with some small black hairs near it's base. the chaps are of nearly equal lengths tho the upper exceeds the under one a little, and has a small nich in the upper chap near the extremity perceptable only by close examineation. the colour of the beak is black. the eye is large and prominent, the puple black, and iris of a dark yellowish brown. the legs and feet are black and imbricated. has four toes on each foot armed with long sharp tallons; the hinder toe is nearly as long as the middle toe in front and longer than the two remaining toes. the tale is composed of twelve fathers the longest of which are five inches, being six in number placed in the center. the remaining six are placed 3 on either side and graduly deminish to four inches which is the shortest and outer feathers. the tail is half the length of the bird, the whole length from the extremity of the beak to the extremity of the tale being 10 Inches. the head from it's joining the nect forward as far as the eyes nearly to the base of the beak and on each side as low as the center of the eye is black. arround the base of the beak the throat jaws, neck, brest and belley are of a pale bluish white. the wings back and tale are of a bluish black with a small shade of brown. this bird is common to this piny country are also found in the rockey mountains on the waters of the columbia river or woody side of those mountains, appear to frequent the highest sumits of those mountains as far as they are covered with timber. their note is que, quit-it, que-hoo; and tah, tah, &--there is another bird of reather larger size which I saw on the woddy parts of the rockey mountains and on the waters of the Missouri, this bird I could never kill tho I made several attempts, the predominate colour is a dark blue the tale is long and they are not crested; I believe them to be of the corvus genus also. their note is char, char, char-ar, char; the large blue crested corvus of the Columbia river is also

[Lewis, December 19, 1805]

Discription of the blue Crested corvus bird common to the woody and western side of the Rockey mountains, and all the woody country from thence to the Pacific Ocean It's beak is black convex, cultrated, wide at its base where it is beset with hairs, and is 11 inches from the opening of the chaps to their extremity, and from the joining of the head to the extremity of the upper chap 1 1/8 Inches, the upper exceeds the under chap a little; the nostrils are small round unconnected and placed near the base of the beak where they lye concealed by the hairs or hairy feathers which cover the base of the upper chap. the eye reather large and full but not prominent and of a deep bluefish black, there being no difference in the colour of the puple and the iris. the crest is very full the feathers from 1 to 11/2 Inches long and occupye the whole crown of the head. the head neck, the whole of the body including the coverts of the wings, the upper disk of the tail and wings are of a fine gossey bright indigo blue Colour the under disk of the tail and wings are of a dark brown nearly black. the leg and first joint of the tye are 41/4 In. long, the legs and feet are black and the front covered with 6 scales the hinder part smothe, the toes are also imbrecated, four in number long and armed with long sharp black tallons. the upper disk of the first four or five feathers of the wing next to the boddy, are marked with small transverse stripes of black as are also the upper side of the two center feathers of the tail; the tail is five inches long & is composed of twelve feathers of equal length. the tail 1 & 1/2 as long as the boddy. the whole length from the point of the beak to extremity of the tail 1 Foot 1 Inch; from the tip of one to the tip of the other wing 1 Foot 51/2 Inches. the Conta.

the size & the whole Contour of this bird resembles very much the blue jay or jaybird as they are called in the U States. like them also they seldom rest in one place long but are in constant motion hoping from spra to spray. what has been said is more immediately applicable to the male, the colours of the female are somewhat different in her the head crest neck half the back downwards and the converts of the wings are of a dark brown, but sometimes there is a little touch of the Indigo on the short feathers on the head at the base of the upper chap. this bird feeds on flesh when they can procure it, also on bugs flies and buries.

I do not know whether they distroy little birds but their tallons indicate their capacity to do so if nature, has directed it. their note is loud and frequently repeated cha'--a cha'--a' &c.--also t.w.a.t t.w.a.t t.w.a.t, very quick

[Clark, December 19, 1805]

December 19th Thursday 1805 Some rain with intervales of fair weather last night, The morning Clear and wind from S W. I despatched Sjt. Pryer with 8 men in 2 Canoes across the bay for the boads of an Indian house which is abandoned, the other part of the men continue to doe a little at the huts, the after part of the day Cloudy with hail & rain, Sgt. Pryer and party returned with 2 Canoe loads of Boards, two Indians Came & Stayed but a Short time

[Clark, December 19, 1805]

Thursday 19th December 1805 Some rain with intervales of fair weather last night, this morning Clear & the wind from the S, W. we dispatched Sjt. Pryor with 8 men in 2 Canoes across Meriwethers Bay for the boards of an old Indian house which is vacant, the residue of the men at work at their huts--the after part of the Day Cloudy with Hail and rain, Serjt. Pryor & party returned in the evening with a load of old boards which was found to be verry indifferent

2 Indians Cam and Stayed a Short time to day

[Clark, December 20, 1805]

December 20th Friday 1805 Some rain and hail last night and this morning it rained hard untill 10 oClock, men all employd Carrying Punchens and Covering Cabins 4 of which we had Covered, & Set Some to Dobing--the after part of the day Cloudy and Some Showers of rain. 3 Indians came with Lickorish Sackacomie berries & mats to Sell, for which they asked Such high prices that we did not purchase any of them,--Those people ask double & tribble the value of everry thing they have to Sell, and never take less than the full value of any thing, they prise only Blue & white heeds, files fish hooks and Tobacco--Tobacco and Blue beeds princ.i.p.ally

[Clark, December 20, 1805]

Friday 20th of December 1805 Some rain and hail last night and the rained Continued untill 10 oClock a,m, Men all employd in Carrying punchens or boards & Covering the houses, 4 of which were Covered to day, the after part of the day Cloudy with Several Showers of rain--3 Indians arrive in a Canoe. they brought with them mats, roots & Sackacome berries to Sell for which they asked Such high prices that we did not purchase any of them. Those people ask generally double and tribble the value of what they have to Sell, and never take less than the real value of the article in Such things as is calculated to do them Service. Such as Blue & white heeds, with which they trade with the nativs above; files which they make use of to Sharpen their tools, fish hooks of different Sises and tobacco- Tobacco and blue beeds they do prefur to every thing.

[Clark, December 21, 1805]

December 21st Sat.u.r.day 1805 rain as usial last night and all day to day moderately. we Continued at the Cabins dobbing & s.h.i.+nking of them, fall Several trees which would not Split into punchins--the Indians were detected in Stealing a Spoon & a Bone, and left us, our Sackey Commy out Send 2 men to gather Some at the ocian, Saw Elk Sign