Lewis: February 19, 1806
Sergeant Ordway departed overland with a party for the salt works, while Sergeant Gass returned in the evening with eight elk carcasses and seven hides, leaving Shannon and Labiche across the Netul River to continue hunting. The elk skins were distributed among the messes to be prepared as baggage covers for the spring departure. The sick members of the party were slowly recovering. Lewis devoted much of the entry to describing two deer species: the long-tailed common red deer found near the Rocky Mountains and Columbia falls, and the black-tailed fallow deer unique to the coast.
Wednesday February 19th 1806. Sergt. Ordway set out again this morning
with a party for the salt works by land. in the evening Sergt. Gass
returned with the flesh of eight Elk, and seven skins; having left one
skin with Shannon and Labuishe who remained over the netul to continue the
chase. we had the Elk skins divided among the messes in order that they
might be prepared for covering our baggage when we set out in the spring.
our sick are recovering but they appear to strengthen but slowly. The
common red deer we found under the rocky mts. in the neighbourhood of the
Chopunnish, and about the great falls of the Columbia river and as low
down the same as the commencement of tide water. these do not appear to
differ essentially from those of our country being about the same size
shape and appearance in every rispect except their great length of tail
which is more than half as long again as our deer I measured one of them
which was 17 inches long. The Black tailed fallow deer are peculiar to
this coast and are a distinct species of deer partaking equally of
peculiarities of the mule deer and the common deer. their ears are reather
larger and their winter coat darker than the common deer; the recepticle
of the eye or drane is mor conspicuous; their legs shorter and body
thicker and larger than the common deer; their tail is about the length of
our deer or from 8 to 10 inches the hair on the underside of which is
white, and that of it’s sides and top quite black the horns resemble in
form and colour those of the mule deer which it also resembles in it’s
gate; that is bounding with all four feet off the ground at the same time
when runing at full speed and not loping as the common deer or antelope
do. they are sometimes found in the woodlands but most frequently in the
praries and open grounds. they may be said generally to be a size larger
than the common deer and that less than the mule deer. they are very
seldom found in good order, or fat, even in the season which the common
deer are so, and their flesh is inferior to any species of deer which I
have ever seen.-
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Wednesday, February 19th, 1806. Sergeant Ordway set out again this morning with a party for the salt works by land. In the evening, Sergeant Gass returned with the flesh of eight elk and seven skins, having left one skin with Shannon and Labuishe (Labiche), who remained across the Netul to continue the chase. We had the elk skins divided among the messes so they could be prepared for covering our baggage when we set out in the spring. Our sick are recovering, but they seem to be gaining strength only slowly.
The common red deer we found below the Rocky Mountains in the neighborhood of the Chopunnish, and around the Great Falls of the Columbia River, and as far down the same river as the beginning of tidewater. These do not appear to differ in any essential way from those of our country, being about the same size, shape, and appearance in every respect except for the great length of their tails, which are more than half again as long as those of our deer. I measured one that was 17 inches long.
The black-tailed fallow deer are peculiar to this coast and are a distinct species of deer, sharing equally the peculiarities of the mule deer and the common deer. Their ears are rather larger and their winter coat darker than those of the common deer; the receptacle of the eye, or drain, is more conspicuous; their legs are shorter, and their body thicker and larger than the common deer. Their tail is about the length of our deer's, from 8 to 10 inches, the hair on the underside being white, and that on its sides and top quite black. The horns resemble in form and color those of the mule deer, which it also resembles in its gait—that is, bounding with all four feet off the ground at the same time when running at full speed, and not loping as the common deer or antelope do. They are sometimes found in the woodlands, but most frequently in the prairies and open grounds. They may generally be said to be a size larger than the common deer and smaller than the mule deer. They are very seldom found in good condition, or fat, even in the season when the common deer are, and their flesh is inferior to any species of deer I have ever seen.
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