[Lewis:]
Tuesday May 7th. 1805.
A fine morning, set out at an early hour; the drift wood
begins to come down in consequence of the river's rising; the
water is somewhat clearer than usual, a circumstance I did not
expect on it's rise. at II. A. M. the wind became so hard that
we were compelled to ly by for several hours, one of the
small canoes by the bad management of the steersman filled
with water and had very nearly sunk; we unloaded her and
dryed the baggage; at one we proceed on the wind having in
some measure abated. the country we passed today on the
North side of the river is one of the most beautifull plains we
have yet seen, it rises gradually from the river bottom to the
hight of 50 or 60 feet, then becoming level as a bowling green,
extends back as far as the eye can reach; on the S. side the
river hills are more broken and much higher tho' some little
destance back the country becomes level and fertile. no appearance
of birnt hills coal or pumicestone, that of salts still
continue. vegitation appears to have advanced very little since
the 28
th. Ult°. we continue to see a great number of bald
Eagles, I presume they must feed on the carcases of dead
anamals, for I see no fishing hawks to supp[l]y them with
their favorite food. the water of the river is so terbid that no
bird wich feeds exclusively on fish can subsist on it; from it's
mouth to this place I have neither seen the blue crested fisher
nor a fishing hawk. this day we killed 3 Buffaloe I Elk & 8
beaver; two of the Buffaloe killed by Cap
t Clark near our
encampment of this evening wer in good order dressed them
and saved the meat, the Elk I killed this morning, thought
it fat, but on examination found it so lean that we took the
tongue marrowbones and Skin only.
Courses and distances May 7th. 1805.
|
|
Miles |
| South. |
to the point of a sand bar on Stard. side. |
1 1/2 |
| North |
to a point of woodland on the Lard. side opposite a
low bluff on Stard. side |
2. |
| S. 75°. W. |
to some high timber in the center of a Std. bend. |
2 |
| S. 10°. W. |
to the upper point of a sandbar Stard. side |
2 1/4 |
| S. 40°. W. |
to the upper point of the high timber in the center
of a Lard. bend. |
1 3/4 |
| N. 45°. W. |
to the point of a sandbar Lard. side |
2 1/2 |
| S. 15°. W. |
to the upper part of the high timber near the center
of a Lard. bend, passed the upper part of a large
sandbar on Stard. and encamped on Lard. near the
extremity of this course.[1]
|
3 |
|
Mls. |
15 |
May 7th. 1805 Point of Observation N°. II.
On the Lard. shore near the extremity of the 2ed. course of this day
observed Equal altitudes with Sextant.
|
h m s |
|
h m s |
|
| A.M. |
8. 57. 48.5 |
P.M. |
4. 23. 2.5. |
Altitd by Sext. |
|
". 58.27 |
|
" .24.40. |
° ′ ″ |
|
9.☉–6 |
|
".25.21. |
70.28.15. |
Point of Observation N°. 12.
On the Lard. shore at the extremity of the 5th. course of this day
Observed Meridian Altd. of ☉'s. L. L. with Octant by the back observation
67° 16′.
Latitude deduced from this observation N 47°34′.11″.6
This observation was very satisfactory and may be depended on as
accurate.
May 7th. 1805. Point of Observation N° 13.
At our encampement of this evening observed time and distance of
Ds. Western limb from Spica η χ with Sextant.
Mean of a set of ten Observations.
|
Time |
Distance |
|
h m ″ |
° ′ ″ |
| P.M. |
10. 33. 47.5 |
36. 59. 52.5 |
I could not observe Pollux in consequence of the clouds.
