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Sent a party of eight men [1] up the river this morning to renew their surch for the Elk and also to hunt; they proceded but a few miles before they found the river so obstructed with ice that they were obliged to return. Joseph Fields arrived this evening, informed us that he had been hunting in company with Gibson and Willard for the last five days in order to obtain some meat for himself and the other Salt makers, and that he had been unsuccessfull untill yesday evening when he had fortunately killed two Elk, about six miles distant from this place and about 8 from the salt works; he left Gibson and Willard to dry the meat of these Elk and had come for the assistance of some men to carry the meat to the salt camp; for this purpose we ordered four men to accompany him early in the morning. discovered that McNeal had the pox, gave him medecine. Charbono found a bird [2] dead lying near the fort this morning and brought it to me I immediately recognized it to be of the same kind of that which I had seen in the Rocky mountains on the morning of the 20th of September last. this bird is about the size as near as may be of the robbin. it's contour also is precisely the same with that bird. it measures one foot 3¼ Inches from tip to tip of the wings when extended. 9¼ inches from the extremity of the beak to that of the tail. the tail is 3¾ inches in length, and composed of eleven feathers of the same length. The beak is smoth, black, convex and cultrated; one and ⅛ inches from the point to the opening of the chaps and ¾ only uncovered with feathers; the upper chap exceeds the other a little in length. a few small black hairs garnish the sides of the base of the upper chap. the eye is of a uniform deep sea green or black, moderately large. it's legs feet and tallons are white; the legs are an inch and a ¼ in length and smoth; four toes on each foot, of which that in front is the same length with the leg including the length of the tallon, which is 4 lines; [3] the three remaining toes are ¾ of an inch, each armed with proportionably long tallons. the toes are slightly imbricated. the tallons are curved and sharply pointed. The crown of the head from the beak back to the neck, the back of the neck imbracing reather more than half the circumpherence of the neck, the back and tale, are of bluish dark brown; the two outer feathers of the tale have a little dash of white near their tips not percemtible when the tail is foalded. a fine black forms the ground of the wings; two stripes of the same colour pass on either side of the head from the base of the beak along the side of the head to it's junction with the neck, and imbraces the eye to it's upper edge; a third stripe of the same colour ¾ of an inch in width passes from the sides of the neck just above the butts of the wings across the croop in the form of a gorget. [4] the throat or under part of the neck brest and belly is of a fine yellowish brick red. a narrow stripe of this colour also commences just above the center of each eye, and extends backwards to the neck as far as the black stripe reaches before discribed, to which, it appears to answer as a border. the feathers which form the 1st and second ranges of the coverts of the two joints of the wing next the body, are beautifully tiped with this brick red; as is also each large feathre of the wing on the short side of it's plumage for ½ an inch in length commening at the extremity of the feathers which form the first or main covert of the wing. this is a beatifull little bird. I have never heard it's note it appears to be silent. [5] it feeds on berries, and I beleive is a rare bird even in this country, or at least this is the second time only that I have seen it.— between the legs of this bird the feathers are white, and those which form the tuft underneath the tail are a mixture of white and a brick red.—
Observed equal altitudes today with Sextant.
| h | m | s | h | m | s | |||
| A. M. | 8 | 55 | 24 | P. M. | 1 | 11 | 58 |
Altitude by Sextn. 40° 32' —
| h | m | S | |
| Chronomometer too slow on Mean Equated Solar time. | 1 | 10 | 26.1 |
☞ The days of the month for January are right, but the days of the weak as affixed are all wrong, nor did I discover it untill this morning.——
Sent a party of Eight men with the hunters to renew their Serch for the Elk, and also to hunt; they proceeded but a fiew miles before they found the river So obstructed with ice that they were obliged to return. Jo Field arrives this evening, informs us That he had been hunting in Company with gibson and Willard for the last four days in order to obtain some meat for himself and the other Salt-makers, and that he had been unsucksessfull untill yesterday evening when he had fortunately killed two Elk, about six miles distant from this place and about 8 from the Salt works; he left gibson and Willard to dry the meat of those Elk, and had come for assistance to carry the meat to the Salt Camp; for this purpose we ordered four men to accompany him early in the morning. discovered that McNeal had the pox, gave him medicine. Chabono found a bird dead lying near the Fort this morning and brought it in, I recognized it to be the Same kind of that which I had Seen in the Rocky Mountains at severl different times. this berd is about the Size as near as may be of the robin. it's contour is also presisely the Same with that bird. it measured one foot ¾ inches from tip to tip of the wings when extended. 9¼ inches from the extremity of the beak to that of the tail. the tail is 3¾ inches in length, and Composed of 11 feathers of the Same length. The beak is Smoth, black, convex and cultrated; 1⅛ inches from the point to the opening of the Chaps and ¾ only uncovered with feathers, the upper Chap exceeds the other a little in length. a fiew Small black hairs garnish the Side of the upper chap. The Eye is of a uniform deep Sea green or black, moderatley large. it's legs feet and tallants are white; the legs are of 1¼ in length and Smoth; four toes on each foot, of which that in front is the Same length of the leg including the tallants, which is 4 lines; the 3 remaining toes are ¾ of an inch, each armed with proportionably large tallons. the toes are Slightly imbricated. the tallons are curved and Sharply pointed. The Crown of the head from the beak back to the neck imbracing rather more than half the circumphrence of the neck, the Back and tail is of a bluish dark brown; the two outer feathers of the tail have a little dash of white near the tips, not proceivable when the tail is foalded. a fine black forms the ground of the wings; two Stripes of the same colour passes on either side of the Head from the base of the Back along the Side of the head to it's junction with the neck, and embraces the eye to its upper edge; a third Stripe of the Same Colour ¾ of an inch in width passes from the Side of the neck just above the buts of the wings across the croop in the form of a gorget. the throat or under part of the neck brest and belly is of a fine Yellowish brick red. a narrow Stripe of this Colour also Commences just above the center of each eye, and extends backwards to the Neck as far as the black Spots reaches before discribed, to which it appears to answer as a border. the feathers which form the 1st and Second range of the coverts of the two joints of the wings next the body are butifully tiped with this Brick red; as is also each large feather of the wing on the Short Side of its plumage for 1/2 an inch in length Comencing at the extremity of the feather which form the first or main Covert of the wing. This is a butifull little bird. I have never herd its notes it appears to be Silent. it feeds on berries, and I believe is a rare bird even in this country—. between the legs of this bird the feathers are white, and those which form the tuft underneath the tail are a mixture of white and Brick red.
Observed equal altitudes today with Sextant.
| h | m | s | h | m | s | |||
| A. M. | 8 | 55 | 24 | P. M. | 1 | 11 | 58 |
altd. by Sextt. 40° 32' —
| h | m | S | |
| Chronomometer too Slow on mean Equated Solar time— | 1 | 10 | 26.20 |
Equal altitudes the [blank] Day 31st of January 1806 at Fort Clat Sop with Sextant—
| h | m | s | h | m | s | ||||
| 8 | 52 | 28 | P. M. | 1 | 9 | 3 | } | altd. 40° 32' 00" | |
| " | 55 | 24 | " | 12 | 13 | ||||
| " | 58 | 21 | " | 14 | 53 |
| h m S. | ||
| Chronomometer too slow on Mean Equated Solar time— | 1 10 26.1 | |
| 1 9 3 | ||
| + 12 hours— | 12 | |
| 13 9 3 | ||
| - corrisponding observt P. M. | 8 58 21 | |
| of which take half— | 2 | | 4 10 42 |
| = to half interval of obst. | 2 5 21 | |
| + forenoon or A. M.— | 8 58 21 | |
| time that the ☉'s center was on the | } | 11 3 42 |
| Meridian as shown by the Chronometer— |
Friday 31st Jany. 1806. a clear cold freezeing morning. Sergt. Gass and Six men set out a hunting took a canoe found Ice in the River So that they turned back. in the evening one [8] of the hunters returned from the Salt Camps he had killed two Elk which is the 1st that has been killed by the Salt makers a long time.—
Friday 31st. This was a clear cold morning.— Seven of us went up the small river in a canoe to hunt; but after we had gone a mile, we were stopped by the ice and had to return to the fort. One of the men [9] at the salt works had been out hunting, and killed an elk; and called at the fort for men to assist him in taking the meat to their camp.
Friday January 31st A Clear cold morning with frost. Serjeant Gass & six of our party set out from the fort in a Canoe, in order to go up the River to hunt, They soon returned, & informed us that the River was froze across a short distance up it, & that they could not proceed.— In the afternoon One of the hunters [10] came in from the Salt Camp, & informed us, that they had killed 2 Elk up the River some distance which were the first they had killed a long time.
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.