Monday March 10th. 1806.
About 1. P.M. it became fair and we sent out two parties
of hunters on this side of the Netul the one below and the
other above. we also directed a party to set out early in the
morning and pass the bay and hunt beyond the Kilhowanackkle.
from the last we have considerable hope as we have
as yet hunted but little in that quarter. it blew hard all day.
in the evening the Indians departed. The hunters who were
over the Netull the other day informed us that they measured
a pine tree, (or fir N°. 1) which at the hight of a man's breast
was 42 feet in the girth; about three feet higher, or as high
as a tall man could reach, it was 40 feet in the girth which was
about the circumpherence for at least 200 feet without a limb,
and that it was very lofty above the commencement of the
limbs. from the appearance of other trees of this speceis of
fir and their account of this tree, I think it may be safely estimated
at 300 feet. it had every appearance of being perfectly
sound.
The black and white duck are small; ab[o]ut the size of
the blue-winged teal, or reather larger. the male is beautifully
variagated with black and white. the white occupys the
sides of the head, breast and back, black, the tail feathers of
the wings two tufts of feathers which cover the upper part of
the wings when foalded, the neck and head, the female is
darker or has much less white about her. I take this to be
the same speceis of duck common to the Atlantic coast, and
frequently called the butterbox. the beak is wide and short,
and as well as the legs, of a dark colour. the flesh of this
duck is very well flavored, the brown duck is much in form
like the duckinmallard, tho' not much more than half it's size.
the colour is an uniform mixture of yellowish and dark brown.
there is nothing remarkable in the appearance of this duck;
it generally resorts the same kind of grassey marshes with the
duckinmallard and feeds in a similar manner, on grass seed,
and roots. both these ducks are common to the river for
some distance above tide water as well as below. The black
duck is about the size of the bluewinged teal. their colour
is a duskey black the breast and belley somewhat lighter than
the other parts, or a dark brown. the legs stand longitudinally
with the body, and the bird when on shore stands of
cours very erect. the legs and feet are of a dark brown, the
toes are four on each foot, a short one at the heel and three
long toes in front, which are unconnected with a web. the
webs are attatched to each sides of the several joints of the toe,
and divided by deep sinuses at each joint. the web assuming
in the intermediate part an eliptical figure. the beak is about
two inches long, streight, flated on the sides, and tapering to
a sharp point. the upper chap somewhat longest, and bears
on it's base at the joining of the head, a little conic protuberance
of a cartelagenous substace, being redish brown at the
point. the beak is of an ivory white colour. the eye dark.
these ducks usually associate in large flocks, and are very
noisey; their note being a sharp shrill whistle. they are usually
fat and agreeably flavored; and feed principally on moss,
and other vegitable productions of the water. we did not meet
with them untill we reached tide-water, but I beleive them not
exclusively confined to that district at all seasons, as I have
noticed the same duck on many parts of the Rivers Ohio and
Mississippi. the gizzard and liver are also remarkably large
in this fowl.
[85]
the divers are the same with those of the Atlantic
States. the smaller species has some white feathers about
the rump with no perceptable tail and is very active and qu[i]ck
in it's motion; the body is of a redish brown. the beak sharp
and somewhat curved like that of the pheasant. the toes are
not connected but webed like those discribed of the black
duck. the larger speceis are about the size of the teal and
can flye a short distance which the small one scarcely ever atta[m]pts.
they have a short tail. their colour is also an uniform
brickredish brown, the beak is streight and pointed. the
feet are of the same form of the other speceis and the legs are
remarkably thin and flat one edge being in front. the food of
both speceis is fish, and the flesh unfit for uce.
[86]
the blue-winged
teal are a very excellent duck, and are the same with
those of the Atlantic coast. There are some other speceis of
ducks which shall be hereafter discribed as I may hereafter
have an opportunity to examine them.
