[Lewis:]
Wednesday May 28th. 1806
We sent Goodrich to the village of the broken arm this
morning he returned in the evening with some roots bread and
a parsel of goats-hair for making our saddle pads. Reubin
and Joseph Feilds set out this morning to hunt high up on
a creek which discharges itself into this river about 8 miles
above us. at Noon Charbono, York and Lapage returned,
they had obtained four bags of the dryed roots of Cows and
some bread. in the evening Collins Shannon and Colter
returned with eight deer. they had fortunately discovered a
ford on Collin's Creek where they were enabled to pass it with
their horses and had hunted at the quawmash ground where
we first met with the Chopunnish last fall. deer were very
abundant they informed us, but there were not many bear.
The sick Cheif was much better this morning he can use his
hands and arms and seems much pleased with the prospect of
recovering, he says he feels much better than he has for a
great number of months. I sincerely wish these sweats may
restore him; we have consented that he should still remain
with us and repeat these sweats. he set up a great proportion
of the day. The Child is also better, he is free of fever, the
imposthume is not so large but seems to be advancing to
maturity. since my arrival here I have killed several birds of
the
corvus genus of a kind found only in the rocky mountains
and their neighbourhood.
[23]
I first met with this bird above the
three forks of the Missouri and saw them on the hights of the
rocky Mountains but never before had an opportunity of examining
them closely. the small
corvus discribed at Fort Clatsop
is a different speceis, tho' untill now I had taken it to be
the same, this is much larger and has a loud squawling note
something like the mewing of a cat. the beak of this bird is
1-1/2 inches long, is proportionably large, black and of the form
which characterizes this genus. the upper exceeds the under
chap a little. the head and neck are also proportionably large.
the eye full and reather prominent, the iris dark brown and
puple black. it is about the size and somewhat the form of
the Jaybird tho reather rounder or more full in the body. the
tail is four and a half inches in length, composed of 12 feathers
nearly of the same length. the head neck and body of this
bird are of a dove colour. the wings are black except the
extremities of six large f[e]athers occupying the middle joint
of the wing which are white. the under disk of the wing is
not of the shining or gr[l]ossy black which marks its upper
surface. the two feathers in the center of the tail are black as
are the two adjacent feathers for half their width the ballance
are of a pure white. the feet and legs are black and imbricated
with wide scales. the nails are black and remarkably long and
sharp, also much curved. it has four toes on each foot of
which one is in the rear and three in front. the toes are long
particularly that in the rear. This bird feeds on the seed of
the pine and also on insects. it resides in the rocky mountains
at all seasons of the year, and in many parts is the only bird
to be found. our hunters brought us a large hooting Owl
which differs considerably from those of the Atlantic States
which are also common here. the plumage of this owl is an
uniform mixture of dark yellowish brown and white, in which
the dark brown predominates. it's colour may be properly
termed a dark iron grey. the plumage is very long and remarkably
silky and soft. these have not the long feathers on
the head which give it the appearance of ears or horns. the
feathers of the head are long narrow and closely set, they rise
upwright nearly to the extremity and then are bent back suddenly
as iff curled. a kind of ruff of these feathers incircle the
th[r]oat. The head has a flat appearance being broadest before
arid behind and is 1 foot 10 I
s. in circumference, incircling the
eyes and extending from them like rays from the center a tissue
of open hairy long feathers are placed of a light grey colour,
these conceal the ears which are very large and are placed close
to the eyes behind and extending below them. These feathers
meet over the beak which they nearly conceal and form the
face of the owl. they eyes are remarkably large and prominent,
the iris of a pale goald colour and iris [
sc. pupil] circular and
of a deep sea green. the beak is short and wide at its base.
the upper chap is much curved at the extremity and comes
down over and in front of the under chap. this bird is about
the size of the largest hooting Owl. the tail is composed of
eleven feathers, of which those in the center are reather the
longest. it is booted to the extremity of the toes, of which it
has four on each foot, one in the rear one on the outer side
and two in front. the toes are short particularly that in the
rear, but are all armed with long keen curved nails of a dark
brown colour. the beak is white and nostrils circular large and
unconnected. the habits and note of this owl is much that of
the common large hooting owl.
[24]
