University of Virginia Library

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327

LVII. LVII

JEFFERSON TO CONSTANTIN FRANÇOIS DE CHASSEBŒUF
COMTE DE VOLNEY[1]

LVII. [Extract—Ford, viii, p. 419.]

[Feb. 11, 1806]

Our last news of Captn Lewis was that he had reached the upper
part of the Missouri, & had taken horses to cross the Highlands to
the Columbia river.[2] He passed the last winter among the Mandans
1610 miles above the mouth of the river. So far he had delineated it
with as great accuracy as will probably be ever applied to it, as his
courses & distances by mensuration were corrected by almost daily observations
of latitude and longitude. With his map he sent us specimens
or information of the following animals not before known to the northern
continent of America. 1. The horns of what is perhaps a species of
Ovis Ammon. 2. A new variety of the deer having a black tail. 3.
An antelope. 4. The badger, not before known out of Europe. 5. A
new species of marmotte. 6. A white weasel. 7. The magpie.
8. The Prairie hen, said to resemble the Guinea hen (peintade). 9.
A prickly lizard. To these are added a considerable collection of
minerals, not yet analyzed. He wintered in Lat. 47° 20′ and found the
maximum of cold 43° below the zero of Fahrenheit. We expect he
has reached the Pacific, and is now wintering on the head of the Missouri,
and will be here next autumn.