Lewis: February 26, 1806
With provisions reduced to three days of tainted dried elk, the captains sent out multiple hunting and fishing parties: Drouillard and two men took the Indian canoe up the Columbia for sturgeon and anchovy or to trade for fish, Shields, Joseph Fields, and Shannon went up the Netul for elk, and Reubin Fields and others hunted toward Point Adams. Lewis spent much of the entry describing two animals: the sewelel, a small reddish-brown furbearer whose skins the Chinooks and Clatsops use for robes, and the braro (badger), detailing its anatomy, coloring, burrowing habits, and diet.
Wednesday February 26th 1806. This morning we dispatched Drewyer and two
men in our Indian canoe up the Columbia River to take sturgeon and
Anchovey. or if they were unsuccessfull in fishing we directed them to
purchase fish from the natives for which purpose we had furnished them
with a few articles such as the natives are pleased with. we also Sent
Shields, Joseph Fields and Shannon up the Netul to hunt Elk. and directed
Reubin Fields and some others to hunt in the point towards the praries of
Point Adams. thus we hope shortly to replenish our stock of provision
which is now reduced to a mere minnamum. we have three days provision only
in store and that of the most inferior dryed Elk a little tainted. a
comfortable prospect for good living. Sewelel is the Chinnook and Clatsop
name for a small animal found in the timbered country on this coast. it is
more abundant in the neighbourhood of the great falls and rapids of the
Columbia than immediately on the coast. the natives make great use of the
skins of this animal in forming their robes, which they dress with the fur
on them and attatch together with sinews of the Elk or deer. I have never
seen the animal and can therefore discribe it only from the skin and a
slight view which some of our hunters have obtained of the living animal.
the skin when dressed is from 14 to 18 inches in length and from 7 to 9 in
width; the tail is always severed from the skin in forming their robes I
cannot therefore say what form or length it is. one of the men informed me
that he thought it reather short and flat. that he saw one of them run up
a tree like a squirrel and that it returned and ran into a hole in the
ground. the ears are short thin pointed and covered with short fine hair.
they are of a uniform colour, a redish brown; tho the base of the long
hairs, which exceed the fur but little in length, as well as the fur
itself is of a dark colour for at least two thirds of it’s length next to
the skin. the fur and hair are very fine, short, thickly set and silky.
the ends of the fur and tips of the hair being of the redish brown that
colour predominates in the ordinary appearance of the animal. I take this
animal to be about the size of the barking squirrel of the Missouri. and
beleive most probably that it is of the Mustela genus, or perhaps the
brown mungo itself. I have indeavoured in many instances to make the
indians sensible how anxious I was to obtain one of these animals entire,
without being skined, and offered them considerable rewards to furnish me
with one, but have not been able to make them comprehend me. I have
purchased several of the robes made of these skins to line a coat which I
have had made of the skins of the tiger cat. they make a very pleasant
light lining. the Braro so called by the French engages is an animal of
the civit genus and much resembles the common badger. this is an
inhabitant of the open plains of the Columbia as they are of those of the
Missouri but are sometimes also found in the woody country. they burrow in
the hard grounds of the plains with surprising ease and dexterity an will
cover themselves in the ground in a very few minutes. they have five long
fixed nails on each foot; those of the forefeet are much the longest; and
one of those on each hind foot is double like those of the beaver. they
weigh from 14 to 18 lbs. the body is reather long in proportion to it’s
thickness. the forelegs remarkably large and muscular and are formed like
the ternspit dog. they are short as are also the hind legs. they are broad
across the sholders and brest. the neck short. the head is formed much
like the common fist dog only that the skull is more convex. the mouth is
wide and furnished with sharp streight teeth both above and below, with
four sharp streight pointed tusks, two in the upper and two in the lower
jaw. the eyes are black and small. whiskers are plased in four points on
each side near the nose and on the jaws near the opening of the mouth. the
ears are very short wide and appressed as if they had ben cut off. the
apperture through them to the head is remarkably small. the tail is about
4 inches long; the hair longest on it at it’s junction with the body and
becoming shorter towards it’s extremity where it ends in an accute point.
the hairs of the body are much longer on the side and rump than any other
part, which gives the body and apparent flatness, particularly when the
animal rests on it’s belley. this hair is upwards of 3 inches in length
particularly on the rump where it extends so far towards the point of the
tail that it almost conceals the shape of that part and gives to the whole
of the hinder part of the body the figure of an accute angled triangle of
which the point of the tail forms the accute angle. the small quantity of
coarse fur which is intermixed with the hair is of a redish pale yellow.
the hair of the back, sides, upper part of the neck and tail, are of a
redish light or pale yellow for about 2/3rds of their length from the
skin, next black, and then tiped with white; forming a curious mixture of
grey and fox coloured red with a yellowish hue. the belley flanks and
breast are of the foxcoloured redish yellow. the legs black. the nails
white the head on which the hair is short, is varia gated with black and
white. a narrow strip of white commences on the top of the nose about 1/2
an inch from it’s extremity and extends back along the center of the
forehead and neck nearly to the sholderstwo stripes of black
succeed the white on either side imbracing the sides of the nose, the
eyes, and extends back as far as the ears. two other spots of black of a
ramboidal figure are placed on the side of the head near the ears and
between them and the opening of the mouth. two black spots also
immediately behind the ears. the other parts of the head white. this
animal feeds on flesh, roots, bugs, and wild fruits.it is very
clumsy and runs very slow. I have in two instances out run this animal and
caught it. in this rispect they are not much more fleet than the
porcupine.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Wednesday, February 26th, 1806. This morning we sent Drewyer and two men in our Indian canoe up the Columbia River to catch sturgeon and anchovy. If they were unsuccessful at fishing, we directed them to purchase fish from the natives, and for that purpose we furnished them with a few articles the natives like. We also sent Shields, Joseph Fields, and Shannon up the Netul to hunt elk, and directed Reubin Fields and some others to hunt on the point toward the prairies of Point Adams. Thus we hope shortly to replenish our stock of provisions, which is now reduced to a mere minimum. We have only three days' provisions in store, and that consists of the poorest dried elk, a little tainted. A comfortable prospect for good living!
Sewelel is the Chinook and Clatsop name for a small animal found in the timbered country on this coast. It is more abundant in the neighborhood of the great falls and rapids of the Columbia than immediately on the coast. The natives make great use of the skins of this animal in forming their robes, which they dress with the fur still on them and fasten together with sinews of elk or deer. I have never seen the animal and can therefore describe it only from the skin and from a brief glimpse some of our hunters have had of the living animal. The skin when dressed is from 14 to 18 inches in length and from 7 to 9 in width. The tail is always cut from the skin when forming their robes, so I cannot say what shape or length it is. One of the men told me he thought it was rather short and flat, and that he saw one of them run up a tree like a squirrel, then come back down and run into a hole in the ground. The ears are short, thin, pointed, and covered with short, fine hair. They are of a uniform color, a reddish brown; though the base of the long hairs (which exceed the fur but little in length), as well as the fur itself, is of a dark color for at least two thirds of its length next to the skin. The fur and hair are very fine, short, thickly set, and silky. Since the ends of the fur and the tips of the hair are reddish brown, that color predominates in the ordinary appearance of the animal. I take this animal to be about the size of the barking squirrel of the Missouri, and most likely believe that it belongs to the Mustela genus, or perhaps is the brown mungo itself. I have tried many times to make the Indians understand how anxious I was to obtain one of these animals whole, without being skinned, and offered considerable rewards to anyone who would furnish me with one, but I have not been able to make them comprehend me. I have purchased several of the robes made of these skins to line a coat I have had made from the skins of the tiger cat. They make a very pleasant, light lining.
The Braro, as it is called by the French engagés, is an animal of the civet genus and much resembles the common badger. It is an inhabitant of the open plains of the Columbia, as they are of those of the Missouri, but they are sometimes also found in the woody country. They burrow in the hard grounds of the plains with surprising ease and dexterity, and can cover themselves in the ground in just a few minutes. They have five long, fixed nails on each foot; those on the forefeet are much the longest, and one of those on each hind foot is double like those of the beaver. They weigh from 14 to 18 pounds. The body is rather long in proportion to its thickness. The forelegs are remarkably large and muscular and are formed like those of the turnspit dog. They are short, as are also the hind legs. They are broad across the shoulders and breast. The neck is short. The head is shaped much like that of the common fist dog, except that the skull is more convex. The mouth is wide and furnished with sharp, straight teeth both above and below, along with four sharp, straight, pointed tusks, two in the upper and two in the lower jaw. The eyes are black and small. Whiskers are placed in four points on each side near the nose and on the jaws near the opening of the mouth. The ears are very short, wide, and pressed close, as if they had been cut off. The opening through them to the head is remarkably small. The tail is about 4 inches long; the hair is longest on it at its junction with the body and becomes shorter toward its tip, where it ends in an acute point. The hairs of the body are much longer on the sides and rump than any other part, which gives the body an apparent flatness, particularly when the animal rests on its belly. This hair is upwards of 3 inches in length, particularly on the rump, where it extends so far toward the point of the tail that it almost conceals the shape of that part and gives the whole hinder part of the body the figure of an acute-angled triangle, of which the point of the tail forms the acute angle. The small quantity of coarse fur intermixed with the hair is of a reddish pale yellow. The hair of the back, sides, upper part of the neck, and tail is a reddish light or pale yellow for about two-thirds of its length from the skin, then black, and then tipped with white, forming a curious mixture of gray and fox-colored red with a yellowish hue. The belly, flanks, and breast are of the fox-colored reddish yellow. The legs are black. The nails are white. The head, on which the hair is short, is variegated with black and white. A narrow strip of white begins on the top of the nose about half an inch from its tip and extends back along the center of the forehead and neck nearly to the shoulders. Two stripes of black follow the white on either side, framing the sides of the nose and the eyes, and extending back as far as the ears. Two other spots of black, of a rhomboidal shape, are placed on the side of the head near the ears, between them and the opening of the mouth. Two black spots also lie immediately behind the ears. The other parts of the head are white. This animal feeds on flesh, roots, bugs, and wild fruits. It is very clumsy and runs very slowly. I have in two instances outrun this animal and caught it. In this respect they are not much more fleet than the porcupine.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
