Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 5, 1805
Clear and pleasant weather as the party set off early. A hunter who had spent the night on the south side rejoined them at breakfast with two buffalo calves. They saw abundant game—buffalo, elk, deer, goats, and four bears on a sandbar—while passing bottoms and plains. The officers issued a half gill of spirits at the dinner halt. Joseph Fields fell very ill. Toward evening they killed a huge brown bear in the river, measured it in detail, dressed it, and rendered about six gallons of grease. Another hunter killed an elk. They traveled 16 miles.
Clear and pleasant. we Set off eairly. one of the hunters
lay on the S. S. last night,’joined us at breakfast-time had
killed two buffaloe Calfs. we proceeded on. Saw buffaloe
Elk Deer & goats on each side of the River. passed bottoms
and plains on each side. at 12 oC. we Saw 4 bair on a Sand
beach on S.S. passed a handsom large plain on the N.S. we
halted to dine on the South Side at a bottom of timber. our
officers Gave out to the party a half a Gill of ardent Spirits.
we Saw buffaloe and flocks of Goats. Jo. Fields verry sick.
we proceeded on. towards evening, we killed a verry large
bair in the River. the Natives call it white but it is of a light
brown coulour the measuer of the brown bair is as follows.
round the head is three-feet 5 Inches, d? the neck 3 feet 11
Inches, d° the breast 5 feet 10% Inches. also round the
middle of the arm one foot 11 inches. the length from the
nose to the extremity of the hind toe is 8 feet 7%4 Inches.
the length of tallons 4 feet 3¢ Inches’ his teeth or tuskes
were allmost worn out. the toe nales ware worn Short. when
we got him to Shore we halted for the night on the N. S.
dressed the s? brown bair found a fish in him, which he had
caught & eat. we rendred out about 6 Gallons of Greese and
did not render only a part of it he was not fat but reckened
to be about 600 weight as he was killed. one of the hunters
went out and killed an elk & Saw another bair nearly of the
Same discription. Came 16 miles this day.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Clear and pleasant. We set off early. One of the hunters who slept on the south side last night joined us at breakfast time, having killed two buffalo calves. We proceeded on. We saw buffalo, elk, deer, and goats on each side of the river. We passed bottoms and plains on each side. At 12 o'clock we saw 4 bears on a sand beach on the south side. We passed a handsome large plain on the north side. We halted to dine on the south side at a timbered bottom. Our officers gave out to the party a half a gill of ardent spirits. We saw buffalo and flocks of goats. Jo. Fields is very sick. We proceeded on.
Toward evening, we killed a very large bear in the river. The natives call it white, but it is of a light brown color. The measurements of the brown bear are as follows: around the head, three feet 5 inches; around the neck, 3 feet 11 inches; around the breast, 5 feet 10½ inches; also around the middle of the arm, one foot 11 inches. The length from the nose to the extremity of the hind toe is 8 feet 7¾ inches. The length of the talons is 4 feet 3¾ inches. His teeth or tusks were almost worn out. The toenails were worn short.
When we got him to shore, we halted for the night on the north side. We dressed the said brown bear and found a fish in him, which he had caught and eaten. We rendered out about 6 gallons of grease, and did not render only a part of it. He was not fat, but reckoned to be about 600 weight as he was killed. One of the hunters went out and killed an elk and saw another bear nearly of the same description. Came 16 miles this day.
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