Thursday June 5th. 1806
Colter and Bratton were permitted to visit the indian villages
to day for the purpose of trading for roots and bread, they were
fortunate and made a good return, we gave the indian cheif
another sweat today, continuing it as long as he could possibly
bear it; in the evening he was very languid but appeared still
to improve in the use of his limbs. the child is recovering
fast the inflamation has subsided intirely, we discontinued the
poltice, and applyed a plaster of basilicon; the part is still considerably
swolen and hard. in the evening R. Feilds Shannon
and Labuish return from the chaise and brought with them five
deer and a brown bear. among the grasses of this country I
observe a large speceis which grows in moist situations; it rises
to the hight of eight or ten feet, the culm is jointed, hollow,
smooth, as large as a goos quill and more firm than ordinary
grasses; the leaf is linnear broad and rough; it has much the
appearance of the maden cain as it is called in the state of
Ge[o]rgia, and retains its virdure untill late in the fall. this
grass propegates principally by the root which is horizontal and
perennial. a second speceis grows in tussucks and rises to the
hight of six or eight feet; it seems to delight in the soil of the
river bottoms which possess a greater mixture of sand than
the hills in this neighbourhood. this is also a harsh course
grass; it appears to be the same which is called the Corn grass
in the Southern states, and the foxtail in Virginia. a third
speceis resembles the cheet, tho' the horses feed on it very
freely. a fourth and most prevalent speceis is a grass which
appears to be the same called the blue grass common to many
parts of the United States; it is common to the bottom as
well as to the uplands, is now seeding and is from 9 inches to
2 feet high; it affords an excellent pasture for horses and appears
to bear the frosts and snow better than any grass in our
country; I therefore regret very much that the seed will not
be ripe before probable departure. this is a fine soft grass
and would no doubt make excellent hay if cultivated.
[37]
I do
not find the greensweard here which we met with on the lower
part of the Columbia. there are also several speceis of the
wild rye to be met with in the praries. among the plants and
shrubs common to our co[u]ntry I observe here the seven
bark, wild rose, vining honey sickle, sweet willow, red willow,
longleafed pine, Cattail or cooper's flag, lamsquarter, strawberry,
raspberry, tonge grass, musterd, tanzy, sinquefeild
[cinquefoil], horsemint, coltsfoot, green plantin, cansar weed,
[cancerwort] elder, shoeraate and several of the pea blume
flowering plants.
[38]
Observed equal Altitudes of the sun with Sextant.
|
h |
m |
s |
|
h |
m |
s |
|
|
|
| A. M. |
3. |
7. |
13 |
P. M. |
11. |
39. |
37 |
|
|
|
|
". |
8. |
39.5 |
|
". |
41. |
7 |
|
Altitude |
|
|
". |
10. |
5 |
|
". |
42. |
31 |
62°. |
46′. |
30″ |
Observed ☉'s Magnetic Azimuth with Circumferenter &c.
|
Time by Crotr. |
|
|
Azimuth |
Altd. of ☉'s U. L. with Sextant |
|
h |
m |
s |
|
|
| P. M. |
11. |
53. |
27 |
S. 76°. W. |
58°. 46′. 15″ |
| " " |
11. |
59. |
59 |
S. 77. W |
56. 24. - |
