December 12, 1804
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

December 12, 1804

 

a Clear Cold morning    wind from the north    the Thormometer at Sun rise Stood at 38° below 0, moderated untill 6 oClock at which time it began to get Colder. I line my Gloves and have a cap made of the Skin of the Louservia (Lynx) (or wild Cat of the North) [1] the fur near 3 inches long    a Indian Of the Shoe [NB: Maharha or Mocassin ] nation Came with the half of a Cabra ko kâ [2] or Antilope which he killed near the Fort, Great numbers of those animnals are near [NB: so that they do not all return to rock mountain (goat] our fort but the weather is So Cold that we do not think it prudent to turn out to hunt in Such Cold weather, or at least untill our Consts. [3] are prepared to under go this Climate. I measure the river from bank to bank on the ice and make it 500 yards

 

Wednesday 12th Decr.    clear and cold.    the frost was white in the Guard chimney where their was a fire kept all last night.    it is Several degrees colder this morning than it has been before, so that we did nothing but git wood for our fires.    our Rooms are verry close and warm So we can keep ourselves warm and comfortable, but the Sentinel who Stood out in the open weather had to be relieved every hour all this day.—

 

Wednesday 12th.    We all remained at the garrison, the weather being intensely cold. We made three small sleds to haul in the meat with.

1. Clark refers to the loup cervier, the French name for the Canada lynx. Alternatively, the pelt may have belonged to a northern bobcat, Lynx rufus. One skin of a "louservia," probably not the one Clark used in his gloves and cap, was sent to Jefferson in the spring of 1805. Reid, 102 n. 34; Burroughs, 92. (back)
2. Kóke is the Mandan word for pronghorn. (back)
3. Probably "constitutions." (back)