Lewis: February 28, 1806
Hunters Reubin Fields and Collins left early on a hunting trip, while Shields, Joseph Fields, and Shannon returned in the evening reporting five elk killed, two of them far off in the mountains. Sergeant Gass was ordered to lead a party to retrieve the meat. A Clatsop man named Kuskelar and his wife visited to trade anchovies, sturgeon, a beaver robe, and roots, but their prices were too high, so only some sturgeon was purchased. Lewis also recorded detailed observations of the local hare, rabbit, and polecat.
Friday February 28th 1806. Reubin Fields and Collins set out this morning
early on a hunting excurtion. Kuskelar a Clatsop man and his wife visited
us today. they brought some Anchovies, Sturgeon, a beaver robe, and some
roots for sail tho they asked so high a price for every article that we
purchased nothing but a part of a Sturgeon for which we gave a few fishing
hooks. we suffered them to remain all night. Shields Jos. Fields and
Shannon returned late this evening having killed five Elk tho two of them
ar on a mountain at a considerable distance. we ordered these hunters to
return early in the morning and continue their hunt, and Sergt. Gass to
take a party and go in quest of the Elk which they had killed. the hunters
inform us that the Elk are tolerable plenty near the mountains about 9 or
ten miles distant. Kuskelar brought a dog which Cruzatte had purchased.
The hare on this side of the Rocky mountains is exclusively the inhabitant
of the great Plains of Columbia, as they are of those of the Missouri East
of these mountains. they weigh from 7 to eleven pounds. the measure of one
which weighed ten lbs. was as follows. from the extremity of the hinder,
to that of the fore feet when extended 3 F. length from nose to the
extremity of the tail 2 F. 2 I. hight when standing erect 1 F. 3 I. girth
of the body 1 F. 4 I. length of tail 61/2 I. length of ear 51/2 I. width
of do 3 1/8 I. from the hip to the extremity of toe of the hind foot 1 F.
41/4 I.the eye is large and prominent. the pupil is circular, of a
deep sea green and occupys one third of the diameter of the eye, the iris
is of a bright yellowish silver colour. the ears are placed far back on
the head and very near each other, they are flexable and the animal moves
them with great ease and quickness, and can dilate and throw them forward,
or contract and fold them on his back at pleasure. the fold of the front
of the ear is of a redish brown colour, the inner folds or those which lie
together when the ears are thrown back, and which occupy 2/3ds of the
width of the ears are of a pure white except the tips of the ears for
about an inch. the hinder folds or those which lie on the back are of a
light grey. the head neck, back, sholders, sides, & outer part of the
legs and thyes are of a lead coloured grey; the sides as they approach the
belley become gradually more white. the belley, brest, and inner part of
the legs and thyes are white, with a slight shade of the lead colour. the
tail is round and blontly pointed, covered with fine soft white fur not
quite as long as on the other parts of the body. the body is covered with
a deep fine soft close fur. the colours here discribed are those which the
animal assumes from the middle of April to the middle of November, the
ballance of the year they are of a pure white, except the black and redish
brown of the ears which never changes. a few redish brown spots are
sometimes seen intermixed with the white, at this season, on their heads
and upper part of the neck and sholders. the body of this animal is
smaller and longer in proportion to it’s hight than the rabbit. when it
runs it carrys it’s tail streight behind in the direction of it’s body.
they appear to run with more ease and bound with greater agility than any
animal I ever saw. they are extreemly fleet and never burrow or take
sheter in the ground when pursued. it’s teeth are like those of the rabbit
as is also it’s upper lip which is divided as high as the nose. it’s food
is grass, herbs, and in winter feeds much on the bark of several aromatic
shrubs which grow in the plains and the young willow along the rivers and
other wartercourses.I have measured the leaps of this animal and
find them commonly from 18 to 21 feet. they are generally found seperate,
and never seen to asscociate in any number or more than two or three.the
rabbit are the same of our country and are found indifferently either in
the praries or woodlands. they are not very abundant in this country. The
Pole-cat is also found in every part of the country. they are very
abundant on some parts of the columbia, particularly in the neighbourhood
of the great falls and narrows of that river, where they live in the
clifts along the river and feed on the offal of the Indian fishing shores.
these are the same as those of other parts of North America.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday, February 28th, 1806. Reubin Fields and Collins set out early this morning on a hunting excursion. Kuskelar, a Clatsop man, and his wife visited us today. They brought some anchovies, sturgeon, a beaver robe, and some roots to sell, though they asked such a high price for every article that we purchased nothing but a part of a sturgeon, for which we gave a few fishing hooks. We allowed them to remain all night. Shields, Jos. Fields, and Shannon returned late this evening, having killed five elk, though two of them are on a mountain at a considerable distance. We ordered these hunters to return early in the morning and continue their hunt, and Sergt. Gass to take a party and go in quest of the elk they had killed. The hunters inform us that the elk are tolerably plentiful near the mountains, about nine or ten miles distant. Kuskelar brought a dog that Cruzatte had purchased.
The hare on this side of the Rocky Mountains is found exclusively in the Great Plains of the Columbia, just as they are in those of the Missouri east of these mountains. They weigh from 7 to 11 pounds. The measurements of one that weighed 10 lbs. were as follows: from the extremity of the hind feet to that of the fore feet when extended, 3 feet; length from nose to the extremity of the tail, 2 feet 2 inches; height when standing erect, 1 foot 3 inches; girth of the body, 1 foot 4 inches; length of tail, 6½ inches; length of ear, 5½ inches; width of ear, 3 1/8 inches; from the hip to the extremity of the toe of the hind foot, 1 foot 4¼ inches. The eye is large and prominent. The pupil is circular, of a deep sea green, and occupies one third of the diameter of the eye; the iris is of a bright yellowish silver color. The ears are placed far back on the head and very near each other; they are flexible, and the animal moves them with great ease and quickness, and can dilate and throw them forward, or contract and fold them on its back at pleasure. The fold of the front of the ear is of a reddish brown color; the inner folds, or those which lie together when the ears are thrown back, and which occupy two-thirds of the width of the ears, are pure white, except the tips of the ears for about an inch. The hinder folds, or those that lie on the back, are of a light grey. The head, neck, back, shoulders, sides, and outer parts of the legs and thighs are of a lead-colored grey; the sides, as they approach the belly, become gradually more white. The belly, breast, and inner parts of the legs and thighs are white, with a slight shade of lead color. The tail is round and bluntly pointed, covered with fine soft white fur, not quite as long as on the other parts of the body. The body is covered with a deep, fine, soft, close fur. The colors here described are those which the animal assumes from the middle of April to the middle of November; the rest of the year they are pure white, except for the black and reddish brown of the ears, which never changes. A few reddish brown spots are sometimes seen intermixed with the white at this season, on their heads and the upper parts of the neck and shoulders. The body of this animal is smaller and longer in proportion to its height than the rabbit. When it runs, it carries its tail straight behind in line with its body. They appear to run with more ease and bound with greater agility than any animal I ever saw. They are extremely fleet and never burrow or take shelter in the ground when pursued. Its teeth are like those of the rabbit, as is also its upper lip, which is divided as high as the nose. Its food is grass, herbs, and in winter it feeds much on the bark of several aromatic shrubs that grow in the plains, and on the young willow along the rivers and other watercourses. I have measured the leaps of this animal and find them commonly from 18 to 21 feet. They are generally found separate, and are never seen to associate in any number greater than two or three.
The rabbits are the same as those of our country, and are found indifferently either in the prairies or woodlands. They are not very abundant in this country. The polecat is also found in every part of the country. They are very abundant in some parts of the Columbia, particularly in the neighborhood of the Great Falls and narrows of that river, where they live in the cliffs along the river and feed on the offal at the Indian fishing shores. These are the same as those of other parts of North America.
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