[Lewis:]
Sunday February 16th. 1806.
By several trials made today in order to adjust my Octant
and ascertain her error in the direct observation, I found that
it was 2° 1'.45".+ or additive, beyond the fracture; this error
was ascertained by a comparison with my Sextant the error of
which had been previously ascertained. the error of Octant
in the direct observation on the broken limb next to o. or
below 55° .20'. inclusive is 2° additive only. Sent Shannon
Labuish and Frazier this morning on a hunting excurtion up
the Kil-haw-a nak-kle river[42]
which discharges itself into the
head of the bay. no tidings yet of Sergt. Gass and party.
Bratton is still very weak and complains of a pain in the lower
part of the back when he moves which I suppose proceeds
from dability. I gave him barks. Gibson's fever still continues
obstenate tho' not very high; I gave him a doze of
D
r. Rush's which in many instances I have found extreemly
efficatious in fevers which are in any measure caused by the
presence of boil. the nitre has produced a profuse perspiration
this evening and the pills operated late at night his fever after
which abated almost entirely and he had a good night's rest.
The Indian dog is usually small or much more so than the
common cur. they are party coloured; black white brown
and brindle are the most usual colours. the head is long and
nose pointed eyes small, ears erect and pointed like those of
the wolf, hair short and smooth except on the tail where it is
as long as that of the curdog and streight. the natives do not
eat them nor appear to make any other use of them but in
hunting the Elk as has been before observed. The brown
white or grizly bear are found in the rocky mountains in the
timbered parts of it or Westerly side but rarely; they are more
common below the rocky Mountain on the borders of the
plains where there are copses of brush and underwood near
the watercourses. they are by no means as plenty on this side
of the rocky mountains as on the other, nor do I beleive that
they are found at all in the woody country, which borders this
coast as far in the interior as the range of mountains which,
pass the Columbia between the Great Falls and rapids of that
river. the black bear differs not any from those common to
the United states and are found under the rocky Mountains in
the woody country on the borders of the great plains of columbia
and also in this tract of woody country which lie between
these plains and the Pacific Ocean. their oconimy and habits
are also the same with those of the United States.
