[Clark:]
Sunday February 9th 1806
This morning Collins and Wiser set out on a hunting
excurtion; in the evening Drewyer returned; had Killed
nothing but one Beaver. he saw one black Bear, which is the
only one which has been seen in the neighbourhood since our
arrival. the Indians inform us that they are abundant but
are now in their holes.
In the marshey grounds frequently overflown by the tides
there grows a species of fir which I took to be the same of
N°. 5. from examonation I find it a distinct species of fir. it
is more perfusely branched. This tree seldom rises to a greater
hight than 35 or 40 feet and is from 2 to 4 feet in Diamieter;
the Bark the same with that of N°. 1. only reather more
rugid. the leaf is acerose, 2/10 of an inch in width and 3/4 in
length, they are firm stiff and somewhat accuminated, ending
in a short pointed hard tendril, gibbous thickly scattered on
all sides of the bough as respects the 3 upper sides only;
those which have their insertion on the under side incline sidewise
with their points upwards giveing the leaf the shape of a
sythe. the others are perpindicular or pointing upwards, growing
as in N°. 1. from small triangular pedestals of a soft
spungy elastic bark. the under disk of these leaves or that
which grows nearest to the Base of the bough is of a dark
glossy green, while the upper or opposit side is of a whitish
pale green; in this respect differing from almost all leaves.
The boughs retain their leaves as far back as almost to the
sixth year's groth. the peculiarity of the budscales observed
in N°. 1. is obs
d in this species. The cone is 3 1/2 Inches in
length, and 3 in circumfrance, of an ovale figure being thickest
in the middle and tapering and terminateing in two obtuce
points. it composes several flexable, thin, obtusely pointed
smoth and redish brown imbricated scales. each scale covering
two small winged seed and being itself covered in the center by
a small thin inferior scale accutely pointed. The Cone is some
what of this figure.
[ILLUSTRATION] they proceed from the sides as
well as the extremities of the bough, but in the
former case allways at or near the commencement of
some one years groth which in some instances are as
far back as the third year.
The stem of the Black Alder of this country before
mentioned as ariveing at great size, is simple branching
and defuse, the bark is smoth of a light colour with white
coloured spredding spots or blotches, resembling much that of
beech. the leaf is procisely that of the common alder of the
United States or Virginia. those trees grow seperately from
different roots and not in clusters or clumps, as those of the
atlantic States, casts its foliage about the Ist of December.
Fearing that our meat would spoil we set six men to jurking
it today which they are obliged to perform in a house
under shelter from the repeated rains.
