Friday June 6th. 1806
This morning Frazier returned having been in quest of
some roots and bread: which [he] had left at the lodg of the
Twisted hair when on his way to the fishery on Lewis's river.
the Twisted hair came with him but I was unable to converse
with him for the want of an interpreter, Drewyer being absent
with Capt. C. This Cheif left me in the evening and returned
to his village. Capt. C. Visited the Broken arm to day agreeably
to his promise; he took with him Drewyer and several
others. they were received in a friendly manner. The Broken
Arm informed Capt. C. that the nation would not pass the
mountain untill the latter end of the summer, and that with
rispect to the young men whom we had requested should accompany
us to the falls of the Missouri, [they] were not yet
scelected for that purpose nor could they be so untill there was
a meeting of the nation in counsil. that this would happen in
the course of ten or twelve days as the whole of the lodges
were about to remove to the head of the Commeâp Creek in
the plain near Lewis's river, that when they had assembled
themselves they would hold a council and scelect the young
men. that if we set out previously to that period the men
would follow us. we therefore do not calculate on any assistance
from them as guides, but depend more upon engageing
some of the Ootlashoots in the neighborhood of Travellers
rest C. for that purpose. The broken arm gave Capt. C. a
few dryed Quawmas roots as a great present, but in our estimation
those of cows are much better, I am confident they are
much more healthy. The men who were with Capt. C. obtained
a good store of roots and bread in exchange for a
number of little
notions, using the Yanke phrase, with which
their own enginuity had principally furnished them. on examination
we find that our whole party have an ample store of
bread and roots for our voyage, a circumstance not unpleasing.
They returned at 5 P. M. shortly after which we were visited
by Hohâstillpilp the two young Cheifs who gave us the horses
in behalf of the nation some time since and several others, who
remained all night. The Kooskooske is about 150 y
ds. wide at
this place and discharges a vast body of water; notwithstanding
it[s] high state the water remains nearly transparent, and it's
temperature appea[r]s to be quite as cold as that of our best
springs. we meet with a beautifull little bird in this neighbourhood
about the size and somewhat the shape of the large
sparrow, it is reather longer in proportion to it's bulk than
the sparrow, it measures 7 inches from the extremity of the
beek to that of the tail, the latter occupying 2-1/2 inches. the
beak is reather more than half an inch in length, and is formed
much like the Virginia nitingale; it is thick and large for a
bird of it's size; wide at the base, both chaps convex, and
pointed, the uper exceeds the under chap a little is somewhat
curved and of a brown colour; the lower chap of a greenish
yellow. the eye full reather large and of a black colour both
puple and iris. the plumage is remarkably delicate; that of
the neck and head is of a fine orrange yellow and red, the
latter predominates on the top of the head and arround the
base or the beak from whence it graduly deminishes & towards
the lower part of the neck, the orrange yellow prevails most;
the red has the appearance of being laid over a ground of
yellow. the breast, the sides, rump and some long feathers
which lie between the legs and extend underneath the tail are
of a fine orrange yellow. the tail, back and wings are black,
e[x]cept a small stripe of yellow on the outer part of the
middle joint of the wing, 1/4 of an inch wide and an inch in
length, the tail is composed of twelve feathers of which those
in the center are reather shortest, and the plumage of all the
feathers of the tail is longest on that side of the quill next the
center of the tail. the legs and feet are black, nails long and
sharp; it has four toes on each foot, of which three are forward
and one behind; that behind is as long as the two outer
of the three toes in front.
[39]
Observed equal altitudes of the sun with Sextant.
|
h |
m |
s |
|
h |
m |
s |
|
|
|
| A. M. |
1. |
55. |
4.5 |
P. M. |
10. |
17. |
48 |
|
|
|
|
". |
56. |
30 |
|
". |
19. |
12 |
|
altitude |
|
|
". |
57. |
57 |
|
". |
20. |
40 |
64°. |
42′. |
30″ |
Chronometer too slow on M. T. [blank space in MS.]
