[Lewis:]
Monday July 8th. 1805.
Capt. Clark Determined to make a second effort to replace
the notes which he had made with rispect to the river and
falls accordingly he set out after an early breakfast and took
with him the greater part of the men with a view also to kill
buffaloe should there be any in that quarter. after geting
some distance in the plains he divided the party and sent
them in different directions and himself and two others struck
the Missouri at the entrance of medicine river and continued
down it to the great Cataract, from whence he returned through
the plains to camp where he arrived late in the evening. the
hunters also returned having killed 3 buffaloe 2 Antelopes and
a deer. he informed me that the immence herds of buffaloe
which we had seen for some time past in this neighbourhood
have almost entirely disappeared and he beleives are gone
down the river.
The day being warm and fair about 12 OCk. the boat was
sufficiently dry to receive a coat of the composition which I
accordingly applyed. this adds very much to her appearance
whether it will be effectual or not. it gives her hull the appearance
of being formed of one solid piece. after the first
coat had cooled I gave her a second which I think has made
it sufficiently thick.[13]
The mountains which ly before us from the South, to the
N.W. still continue covered with snow. one hunter also
passed the river to hunt this morning in the evening he returned
having killed a Buck and a male Antelope. The party
who were down with Cap
t. Clark also killed a small fox which
they brought with them. it was a female appeared to give
suck, otherwise it is so much like the comm[on] small fox of
this country commonly called the kit fox that I should have
taken it for a young one of that species; however on closer
examination it did apear to differ somewhat; it's colour was
of a lighter brown, it's years proportionably larger, and the
tale not so large or the hair not so long which formed it.
they are very delicately formed, exceedingly fleet, and not as
large as the common domestic cat. their tallons appear longer
than any species of fox I ever saw and seem therefore prepared
more amply by nature for the purpose of burrowing. ther is
sufficient difference for discrimination between it and the kit
fox, and to satisfy me perfectly that it is a distinct species.
the men also brought me a living ground squirrel which is
something larger than those of the U' States or those of that
kind which are also common here. this is a much ha[n]dsomer
anamal. like the other it's principal colour is a redish
brown but is marked longitudinally with a much greater
number of black or dark bro[w]n stripes; the spaces between
which is marked by ranges of pure white circular spots, about
the size of a brister blue shot. these colours imbrace the head
neck back and sides; the tail is flat, or the long hair projecting
horizontally from two sides of it only gives it that appearance.
the belly and breast are of much lighter brown or nearly white.
[14]
this is an inhabitant of the open plain altogether, wher it burrows
and resides; nor is it like the other found among clifts
of rocks or in the woodlands. their burrows sometimes like
those of the mole run horizontally near the surface of the
ground for a considerable distance, but those in which they
reside or take refuge strike much deeper in the earth. slight
rain this afternoon. musquetoes troublesome as usual.
