[Clark, April 4, 1806]
Friday April 4th 1806. Mouth of quick Sand River This morning early we Sent Sergt. Ordway in Serch of Sergt. Gass and party below the enterance of quick Sand river from whome we have yet had no report. in the Course of a fiew hours both parties returned. Sergt. Gass and party brought the Flesh of a Bear, and Some venison. they informed us they had killed an Elk and Six Deer tho the flesh of the greater part of those Animals were So Meagre that it was unfit for uce, and they had therefore left it in the woods. Collins who had killed the Bear, found the bead of another in which there was three young ones; and requested to be permited to return in order to waylay the bed and kill the female bear; we permited him to do So; Sergt. Gass and Windser returned with him. Several parties of the nativs visit us to day as usial both from above and below; those who came from above were moveing with their families, and those from below appeared to be impeled mearly by curiosity to See us. About noon we dispatched Gibson, Shannon, Howard & Wiser in one of the light Canoes, with orders to proceed up the Columbia to a large bottom on the South Side about Six Miles above us and there to hunt untill our arrival. late in the evening Jos Fields and Drewyer returned with a load of dried meat. they had killed two deer yesterday and informed us that the meat would be dryed by Mid-day tomorrow. We directed Drewyer and Field's to assend the river tomorrow and join Gibson & party, and hunt untill our arrival. this evening being fair observed time and distance of moon's Eastern Limb from regulus with Sextant * West
[Lewis, April 5, 1806]
Saturday April 5th 1806. This morning was so cloudy that I could not obtain any lunar observations with a Aquila as I wished. Joseph Fields and Drewyer departed this morning agreeably to their orders of last evening. at 9 A.M. we Sent Sergt. Ordway and a party to assist Sergt. Pryor in bringing in the meat of four Elk which he had dryed. at 1 P. M the party returned with the meat. it had been so illy dryed that we feared it would not keep. we therefore directed it to be cut thinner and redryed over a fire this evening, as we purpose setting out early in the morning. the deerskins which we have had cased for the purpose of containing our dryed meat are not themselves sufficiently dryed for that purpose, we directed them to be dryed by the fire also. the weather has been so damp that there was no possibility of pounding the meat as I wished.—we were visited today by several parties of the natives as usual; they behaved themselves in a very orderly manner. Observed Magnetic Azimuth and altitude of the sun with Circumferenter and Sextant.
Saw the Log cock, the hummingbird, gees ducks &c today. the tick has made it's appearance it is the same with those of the Atlantic States. the Musquetoes have also appeared but are not yet troublesome.—this morning at 10 OClock Sergt. Gass returned with Collins and Windsor they had not succeeded in killing the female bear tho they brought the three cubs with them. the Indians who visited us today fancyed these petts and gave us wappetoe in exchange for them. Drewyer informed me that he never knew a female bear return to her young when they had been allarmed by a person and once compelled to leave them. The dogwood grows abundantly on the uplands in this neighbourhood. it differs from that of the United States in the appearance of it's bark which is much smoother, it also arrives here to much greater size than I ever observed it elsewhere sometimes the stem is nearly 2 feet in diameter. we measured a fallen tree of fir No 1 which was 318 feet including the stump which was about 6 feet high. this tree was only about 31/2 feet in diameter. we saw the martin, small gees, the small speckled woodpecker with a white back, the Blue crested Corvus, ravens, crows, eagles Vultures and hawks. the mellow bug and long leged spider have appeared, as have also the butterfly blowing fly and many other insects. I observe not any among them which appear to differ from those of our country or which deserve particular notice.
[Clark, April 5, 1806]
Saturday April 5th 1806. This morning was So Cloudy that we could not obtain any lunar observations with a Aquila as we wished.
Joseph Field & Drewrey left us this morning agreeably to their orders of last evening. at the Same time we Sent Sergt. Ordway and five men to assist Sergt. Pryor in bringing in the meat of four Elk which he had dried in the woods. at 1 p.m.the party returned with the meat. it was not Sufficiently dryed to keep. we had it cut thiner and redryed over a fire this evening, as we purpose Setting out early in the morning. the dear skins which we had cased for the purpose of holding our dried meat is not Sufficently dry for that purpose, we derected them to be dried by the fire also. the weather being So damp that there was no possibullity of pounding the meat as I wished.—We were visited by Several parties of the nativs to day; they behaved themselves in a very orderly manner.