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This morning some of the hunters turned out and returned in a few hours with four fat bucks, the venison is now very fine we have killed no mule deer since we lay here, they are all of the longtailed red deer which appear qu[i]te as large as those of the United States. [1] the hunters brought in a living young sandhill crain; [2] it has nearly obtained it's growth but cannot fly; they had pursued it and caught it in the meadows. it's colour is precisely that of the red deer. we see a number of the old or full grown crains of this species feeding in these meadows. this young animal is very ferce and strikes a severe blow with his beak; after amusing myself with it I had it set at liberty and it moved off apparently much pleased with being releived from his captivity. the men have been busily engaged all day in dising [dressing?] skins and making them into various garments all are leather dressers and taylors. we see a great abundance of fish in the stream some of which we take to be trout [3] but they will not bite at any bate we can offer them. the King fisher [4] is common on the river since we have left the falls of the Missouri. we have not seen the summer duck [5] since we left that place, nor do I beleive that it is an inhabitant of the Rocky mountains. the Duckanmallard [6] were first seen with their young on the 20th inst. and I forgot to note it; they are now abundant with their young but do not breed in the missouri below the mountains. the grasshopers and crickets [7] are abundant in the plains as are also the small birds frequently mentioned. there is also in these plains a large ant [8] with a redish brown body and legs, and a black head and abdomen; they construct little perimids of small gravel in a conic shape, about 10 or 12 inches high without a mixture of sticks and with but little earth. Capt. Clark is much better today, is perfectly clear of fever but still very languid and complains of a general soarness in all his limbs. I prevailed on him to take the barks [9] which he has done and eate tolerably freely of our good venison.
Today I continued my observations. ☉'s magnetic Azimt.
|
Time by Chronometer |
Azimuth by Circumferentor |
Altitude of ☉ L. L. with sextant |
| h m s | ||
| A. M. 8 48 9 | N. 85° E | 73° —' —" |
| 8 53 57 | N. 86° E | 74 58 15 |
| h | m | s | h | m | s | |||||
| A. M. | 8 | 57 | 5.5 | P. M. | 4 | 5 | 50 | } | Altitude by Sextant at the time of Observts. 77° 4' 45" |
|
| " | 58 | 41 | " | 7 | 24 | |||||
| 9 | — | 14 | " | 8 | 29 |
Observed Meridian Altitude of the ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observation 59° 7' —
Latitude deduced from this observation N. 45° 23' 23.1"
Mean Latitude from 2 Merds. Altds. of ☉'s L. L. N. 45° 24' 8.5"
Observed time and Distance of ☉'s and ☽'s nearest Limbs wit Sextant. ☉ West.
| Time | Distance | ||
| h m s | |||
| P.M. | 4 14 42 | 49 43' 30" | |
| " 17 24 | " 44 — | ||
| " 19 34 | " 44 45 | ||
| " 21 12 | " 45 — | ||
| " 22 9 | " 45 54 | ||
| " 23 12 | " 46 30 | ||
| " 24 14 | " 46 45 | ||
| " 25 18 | " 47 — | ||
| " 26 26 | " 47 15 | ||
| " 27 24 | " 47 30 | ||
| Time | Distance | ||
| h m s | |||
| P.M. | 4 45 25 | 49° 54' —" | |
| " 46 37 | " 54 45 | ||
| " 47 40 | " 55 15 | ||
| " 48 52 | " 55 45 | ||
| " 49 47 | " 56 15 | ||
| " 50 44 | " 56 45 | ||
| " 51 36 | " 57 15 | ||
| " 52 36 | " 57 45 | ||
| " 53 37 | " 58 — | ||
| " 54 36 | " 58 15 |
Observed Magnetic Azimuth of the Sun.
|
Time by Chronometer |
Azimuth by Circumfert |
Altitude of ☉'s L. L. by Sextant |
| h m s | ||
| P.M. 5 7 47 | S. 72° W. | 55° 44' 30" |
| 5 13 4 | S. 73 W. | 53 52 45 |
Observed Time and Distance of ☽'s Western limb from α Antares, with Sextant ★ East.
| Time | Distance | ||
| h m s | |||
| P.M. | 8 42 16 | 68° 56' —" | |
| " 50 55 | " 52 30 | ||
| " 54 44 | " 49 45 | ||
| " 55 56 | " 49 — | ||
| " 58 53 | " 49 15 | ||
| Time | Distance | ||
| h m s | |||
| P.M. | 9 1 12 | 68° 46' —" | |
| " 3 1 | " 45 30 | ||
| " 4 47 | " 45 — | ||
| " 6 27 | " 44 — | ||
| " 8 31 | " 13 45 |
Observed the Azimuth of the Pole Star.
| Time by Chronometer | Azimuth by Circumferenter | |
| h m | ||
| P.M. 9 27 — | N. 13° W. |
A fair morning wind from the North I feel my Self something better to day, made some Celestial observations took two Merdn. altitudes which gave for Latd. 45° 22' 34" N men all dressing Skins &c.
July 29th Monday 1805. a clear pleasant morning. Several men went out eairly a hunting we conclude to lay at this Camp all day &C. Capt. Clark a little better. the day warm. the wind from the East. The Latitude at this place is 45° 22m 34s 5/10ths North. the width of the three Rivers at the forks we alow the North fork to be about 60 yds. wide the middle fork about the Same the South forks not So wide nor large. all appear rapid but not verry deep. towards evening the hunters returned had killed 2 or 3 fat bucks deer, and caught a curious redish couloured long leged crain which they brought in a live, and it ran about the Camp Some time &C.
Monday 29th July 1805. a clear pleasant morning. Several hunters went out eairly to hunt. we conclude to lay at this Camp to day. Capt. Clark Some better. the day verry warm the wind from the East. the Latitude of this place is 45° 22m 34s 5/10th North. the width of the Rivers at the forks we alow the North fork to about 60 yards wide, the west fork about the Same, the South fork about 40 yards wide. towards evening the hunters came in had killed 2 fat buck deer, and brought in a curious long leged redish couloured crain.
Monday July 29th This morning we had very pleasant clear weather, Several of our hunters went out early to hunt, Our officers concluded to lay here this day, Captain Clark had got much better.— The day proved since 9 o'Clock A. M very warm, the wind blowing from the East.— Captain Lewis took the Suns altitude, and found the Latitude of this place to be in 45° 2M 34S North— We measured also the width of the 3 Rivers at the 〈forks〉 confluence of them. We found the North & West forks of the same width of Water 90 Yards wide which is Jefferson & Maddison Rivers and the South fork only 70 Yards wide which they named Galatin River, [11] the North fork having the most rapid Current, all those Rivers having fine Clear water in them.— towards evening our Hunters returned, and brought in to our Camp 2 large Deer, which were very fat, also a curious long legged reddish Coloured Crane.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.