University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Friday September 20th.. 1805.

This morning my attention was called to a species of bird
which I had never seen before. (Copy for Dr. Barton) It was
reather larger than a robbin, tho' much it's form and action.
the colours were a blueish brown on the back the wings and
tale black, as wass a stripe above the croop ¾ of an inch wide
in front of the neck, and two others of the same colour passed
from it's eyes back along the sides of the head. the top of the
head, neck brest and belley and butts of the wing were of a
fine yellowish brick reed [red]. it was feeding on the buries
of a species of shoemake or ash which grows common in [this]
country & which I first observed on 2d. of this month. I have
also observed two birds of a blue colour both of which I believe
to be of the haulk or vulter kind. the one of a blue shining
colour with a very high tuft of feathers on the head a long tale,

it feeds on flesh the beak and feet black. it's note is chă-ăh,
chă-ăh. it is about the size of a pigeon, and in shape and
action resembles the jay bird. another bird of very similar
genus, the note resembling the mewing of the cat, with a white
head and a light blue colour is also common, as are a black
species of woodpecker about the size of the lark woodpecker.
Three species of Phesants, a large black species, with some
white feathers irregularly scattered on the brest neck and
belley—a smaller kind of a dark uniform colour with a red
stripe above the eye, and a brown and yellow species that
a gooddeel resembles the phesant common to the Atlantic
States. we were detained this morning untill ten oclock
in consequence of not being enabled to collect our horses.
we had proceeded about 2 Miles when we found the greater
part of a horse which Capt. Clark had met with and killed for
us. he informed me by note that he should proceed as fast as
possible to the leavel country which lay to the S. W. of us,
which we discovered from the hights of the mountains on the
19th. there he intended to hunt untill our arrival. at one
oclock we halted on a small branch runing to the left and made
a hearty meal on our horse beef much to the comfort of our
hungry stomachs. here I larnt that one of the Packhorses
with his load was missing and immediately dispatched Baptiest
Lapage who had charge of him, to surch for him. he returned
at 3 OC. without the horse. The load of the horse was of
considerable value consisting of merchandize and all my stock
of winter cloathing. I therefore dispatched two of my best
woodsmen in surch of him, and proceeded with the party. Our
rout lay through a thick forrest of large pine the general course
being S. 25. W. and distance about 15. miles. our road was
much obstructed by fallen timber particularly in the evening.
we encamped on a ridge where ther was but little grass for our
horses, and at a distance from water. however we obtained as
much as served our culinary purposes and suped on our beef.
the soil as you leave the hights of the mountains becomes
gradually more fertile. the land through which we passed this
evening is of an excellent quality tho' very broken, it is a
dark grey soil. a grey free stone appearing in large masses
above the earth in many places. (Copy for Dr. Barton) saw
the hucklebury, honeysuckle, and alder common to the Atlantic
states, also a kind of honeysuckle which bears a white bury
and rises about 4 feet high not common but to the western
side of the rockey mountains. a growth which resembles the
choke cherry bears a black bury with a single stone of a sweetish
taste, it rises to the hight of 8 or 10 feet and grows in thick
clumps. the Arborvita is also common and grows to an immence
size, being from 2 to 6 feet in diameter.[48]