Lewis: February 17, 1806
Hunters Collins and Windsor went out for fresh meat for the sick, while Shannon, LaBiche, and Frazier returned with elk meat from a kill made by Sergeant Gass's party. Bratton and Gibson were treated with bark, and Gibson was deemed out of danger. Joseph Fields arrived from the salt works, prompting plans to retrieve the salt and kettles. Shannon brought in a wounded California condor and a grey eagle, which were measured and described in detail. Sergeant Gass's party returned with eight elk, and Drouillard and Whitehouse brought one more.
Monday February 17th 1806. Collins and Windsor were permited to hunt today
towards the praries in Point Adams with a view to obtain some fresh meat
for the sick. a little before noon Shannon LaBuishe & Frazier returned
with the flesh and hide of an Elk which had been wouded by Sergt. Gass’s
party and took the water where they pursued it and caught it. they did not
see Sergt. Gass or any of his party nor learn what further success they
had had. continue the barks with Bratton, and commenced them with Gibson
his fever being sufficiently low this morning to permit the uce of them. I
think therefore that there is no further danger of his recovery.at
2 P.M. Joseph Fields arrived from the Salt works and informed us that they
had about 2 Kegs of salt on hand which with what we have at this place we
suppose will be sufficient to last us to our deposits of that article on
the Missouri. we there directed a party of six men to go with Fields in
the morning in order to bring the salt and kettles to the fort. Shannon
brought me one of the large carrion Crow or Buzzads of the Columbia which
they had wounded and taken alive. I bleive this to be the largest bird of
North America. it was not in good order and yet it weighed 25 lbs. had it
have been so it might very well have weighed 10 lbs mor or 35 lbs. between
the extremities of the wings it measured 9 feet 2 inches; from the
extremity of the beak to that of the toe 3 F. 91/2 In. from hip to toe 2
feet, girth of head 93/4 In. girth of the neck 71/2 Inches; do. of body
exclusive of the wings 2 feet 3 Inches; do of leg 3 inches. diameter of
the eye 41/2/toths of an inch. the iris of a pale scarlet red, the puple
of deep sea green or black and occupyed about one third of the diameter of
the eye. the head and a part of the neck as low as the figures 12 is
uncovered with feathers except that portion of it represented by dots (see
likeness). the tail is composed of 12 feathers of equal length, each 14
inches. the legs are 43/4 inches in length and of a white colour un
covered with feathers, they are not entirely smooth but not imbricated;
the toes are four in number three of which are forward and that in the
center much the longes; the fourth is short and is inserted near the inner
of the three other toes and reather projecting forward. the thye is
covered with feathers as low as the knee. the top or upper part of the
toes are imbricated with broad scales lying transversly; the nails are
blak and in proportion to the size of the bird comparitively with those of
the halk or Eagle, short and bluntly pointed. the under side of the wing
is covered with white down and feathers. a white stripe of about two
inches in width, also marks the outer part of the wing, imbracing the
lower points of the feathers, which cover the joints of the wing through
their whole length or width of that part of the wing. all the other
feathers of whatever part are glossey shining black except the down which
is not glossey but equally black. the skin of the beak and head to the
joining of the neck is of a pale orrange yellow the other part uncovered
with feathers is of a light flesh colour. the skin is thin and wrinkled
except on the beak where it is smooth. this bird flys very clumsily nor do
I know whether it ever seizes it’s prey alive, but am induced to beleive
that it dose not. we have seen it feeding on the remains of the whale
& other fish which have been thrown up by the waves on the sea coast.
these I beleive constitute their prinsipal food, but I have no doubt but
they also feed on flesh; we did not met with this bird untill we had
decended the Columbia below the great falls, and have found them more
abundant below tide-water than above. I beleive that this bird is reather
of the Vulture genus than any other, tho it wants some of their
charactaristics particularly the hair on the neck and feathers on the
legs.this is a handsome bird at a little distance. it’s neck is
proportionably longer than those of the hawks or Eagle. Shannon also
brought me a grey Eagle which appeared to be of the same kind common to
the U States; it weighed 15 lb. and measured 7 Feet 7 Inches between the
extremities of the wings.At 4 P.M. Sergt. Gass and party arrived;
they had killed eight Elk. Drewyer and Whitehouse also returned late in
the evening, had killed one Elk.- Labuishe informed me that when he
approached this vulture, after wounding it, that it made a loud noise very
much like the barking of a dog & the tongue is large firm and broad,
filling the under chap and partaking of it’s transverse curvature, or it’s
sides colapsing upwards forming a longitudinal groove; obtuse at the
point, the margin armed with firm cartelaginous prickkles pointed and
bending inwards.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Monday, February 17th, 1806. Collins and Windsor were permitted to hunt today toward the prairies in Point Adams in hopes of obtaining some fresh meat for the sick. A little before noon Shannon, LaBuishe (Labiche), and Frazier returned with the flesh and hide of an elk which had been wounded by Sergt. Gass's party. The elk had taken to the water, where they pursued and caught it. They did not see Sergt. Gass or any of his party, nor did they learn what further success they had had. I continued the bark treatments with Bratton, and began them with Gibson, his fever being sufficiently low this morning to permit their use. I therefore think there is no further danger to his recovery.
At 2 P.M. Joseph Fields arrived from the salt works and informed us that they had about 2 kegs of salt on hand, which, with what we have at this place, we suppose will be sufficient to last us to our caches of that article on the Missouri. We therefore directed a party of six men to go with Fields in the morning in order to bring the salt and kettles to the fort.
Shannon brought me one of the large carrion crows or buzzards of the Columbia, which they had wounded and taken alive. I believe this to be the largest bird of North America. It was not in good condition, and yet it weighed 25 lbs. Had it been in good condition, it might very well have weighed 10 lbs more, or 35 lbs. Between the extremities of the wings it measured 9 feet 2 inches; from the extremity of the beak to that of the toe, 3 ft. 9 1/2 in.; from hip to toe, 2 feet; girth of head, 9 3/4 in.; girth of the neck, 7 1/2 inches; girth of body, exclusive of the wings, 2 feet 3 inches; girth of leg, 3 inches. The diameter of the eye is 4 1/2 tenths of an inch. The iris is a pale scarlet red; the pupil is a deep sea green or black, and occupies about one third of the diameter of the eye. The head and a part of the neck, as low as the figures 12, are uncovered with feathers, except for that portion represented by dots (see likeness). The tail is composed of 12 feathers of equal length, each 14 inches. The legs are 4 3/4 inches in length and of a white color, uncovered with feathers; they are not entirely smooth, but not scaled either. The toes are four in number, three of which are forward, and the center one is much the longest; the fourth is short and is inserted near the inner of the three other toes, projecting somewhat forward. The thigh is covered with feathers as low as the knee. The top or upper part of the toes are scaled with broad plates lying transversely. The nails are black and, in proportion to the size of the bird compared with those of the hawk or eagle, short and bluntly pointed. The underside of the wing is covered with white down and feathers. A white stripe of about two inches in width also marks the outer part of the wing, embracing the lower points of the feathers which cover the joints of the wing through their whole length, or width, of that part of the wing. All the other feathers, of whatever part, are glossy shining black, except the down, which is not glossy but equally black. The skin of the beak and head, to the joining of the neck, is of a pale orange yellow; the other part uncovered with feathers is of a light flesh color. The skin is thin and wrinkled, except on the beak, where it is smooth. This bird flies very clumsily, nor do I know whether it ever seizes its prey alive, but I am inclined to believe that it does not. We have seen it feeding on the remains of the whale and other fish which have been thrown up by the waves on the sea coast. These, I believe, constitute their principal food, but I have no doubt that they also feed on flesh. We did not meet with this bird until we had descended the Columbia below the Great Falls, and have found them more abundant below tidewater than above. I believe that this bird is of the vulture genus rather than any other, though it lacks some of their characteristics, particularly the hair on the neck and feathers on the legs. This is a handsome bird at a little distance. Its neck is proportionally longer than those of the hawks or eagle.
Shannon also brought me a gray eagle which appeared to be of the same kind common to the U.S.; it weighed 15 lbs. and measured 7 feet 7 inches between the extremities of the wings.
At 4 P.M. Sergt. Gass and party arrived; they had killed eight elk. Drewyer and Whitehouse also returned late in the evening, having killed one elk.
Labuishe (Labiche) informed me that when he approached this vulture after wounding it, it made a loud noise very much like the barking of a dog, and the tongue is large, firm, and broad, filling the under jaw and partaking of its transverse curvature, or its sides collapsing upwards, forming a longitudinal groove; obtuse at the point, the margin armed with firm cartilaginous prickles, pointed and bending inwards.
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