Lewis: July 2, 1805
After early morning rain, the men retrieved the last baggage from the six-mile stake, completing the arduous portage. Shields and Bratton tended a tar kiln, while Pryor and Gass worked on waystrips. Lewis and others assembled the iron-frame boat in about three hours, then began sewing leather over its crossbars. Mosquitoes were troublesome and a strong southwest wind blew, prompting Lewis to theorize about its origin in the snowy mountains. Later, Lewis, Clark, and twelve men hunted bear on a large island, where Drouillard killed a 400-pound male. They also captured an unfamiliar large rat.
Tuesday July 2cd 1805 A shower of rain fell very early this morning after
which we dispatched the men for the remaining baggage at the 6 mile stake.
Shields and Bratton seting their tarkiln, Sergts. Pryor and Gass at work
on the waystrips and myself and all other hands engaged in puting the boat
together which we accomplished in about 3 hours and I then set four men at
work sewing the leather over the cross bars of Iron on the inner side of
the boat, which form the ends of the sections. about 2 P.M. the party
returned with the baggage, all well pleased that they had completed the
laborious task of the portage. The Musquetoes uncommonly troublesome the
wind hard from the S. W. all day I think it possible that these almost
perpetual S. W. winds proceede from the agency of the Snowey Mountains and
the wide level and untimbered plains which streach themselves along their
bases for an immence distance (i e) that the air comeing in contact with
the snow is suddonly chilled and condenced, thus becoming heaver than the
air beneath in the plains, it glides down the sides of these mountains
& decends to the plains, where by the constant action of the sun on
the face of an untimbered country there is a partial vacuum formed for
it’s reception. I have observed that the winds from this quarter are
always the coldest and most violent which we experience, yet I am far from
giving full credit to my own hypothesis on this subject; if hoever I find
on the opposite side of these mountains that the winds take a contrary
direction I shall then have more faith. After I had completed my
observation of Equal Altitudes today Capt. Clark Myself and 12 men passed
over to the large Island to hunt bear. the brush in that part of it where
the bear frequent is an almost impenetrable thicket of the broad leafed
willow; this brush we entered in small parties of 3 or four together and
surched in every part. we found one only which made at Drewyer and he shot
him in the brest at the distance of about 20 feet, the ball fortunately
passed through his heart, the stroke knocked the bear down and gave
Drewyer time to get out of his sight; the bear changed his course we
pursued him about a hundred yards by the blood and found him dead; we
surched the thicket in every part but found no other, and therefore
returned. this was a young male and would weigh about 400 lbs. the water
of the Missouri here is in most places about 10 feet deep. after our
return, in moving some of the baggage we caught a large rata it was
somewhat larger than the common European rat, of lighter colour; the body
and outer part of the legs and head of a light lead colour, the belly and
inner side of the legs white as were also the feet and years. the toes
were longer and the ears much larger than the common rat; the ears
uncovered with hair. the eyes were black and prominent the whiskers very
long and full. the tail was reather longer than the body and covered with
fine fur or poil of the same length and colour of the back. the fur was
very silkey close and short. I have frequently seen the nests of these
rats in clifts of rocks and hollow trees but never before saw one of them.
they feed very much on the fruit and seed of the prickly pear; or at least
I have seen large quantities of the hulls of that fruit lying about their
holes and in their nests.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Tuesday, July 2nd, 1805. A shower of rain fell very early this morning, after which we dispatched the men to fetch the remaining baggage at the 6 mile stake. Shields and Bratton were setting up their tar kiln, Sergeants Pryor and Gass were working on the way strips, and I and all the other hands were engaged in putting the boat together, which we accomplished in about 3 hours. I then set four men at work sewing the leather over the cross bars of iron on the inner side of the boat, which form the ends of the sections. About 2 P.M. the party returned with the baggage, all well pleased that they had completed the laborious task of the portage. The mosquitoes were uncommonly troublesome and the wind blew hard from the S.W. all day.
I think it possible that these almost perpetual S.W. winds proceed from the influence of the Snowy Mountains and the wide, level, and untimbered plains that stretch along their bases for an immense distance. That is, the air coming in contact with the snow is suddenly chilled and condensed, thus becoming heavier than the air beneath on the plains; it glides down the sides of these mountains and descends to the plains, where, by the constant action of the sun on the face of an untimbered country, a partial vacuum is formed for its reception. I have observed that the winds from this quarter are always the coldest and most violent which we experience, yet I am far from giving full credit to my own hypothesis on this subject; however, if I find on the opposite side of these mountains that the winds take a contrary direction, I shall then have more faith in it.
After I had completed my observation of equal altitudes today, Capt. Clark, myself, and 12 men crossed over to the large island to hunt bear. The brush in that part of the island where the bears frequent is an almost impenetrable thicket of broad-leafed willow. We entered this brush in small parties of 3 or 4 together and searched every part. We found only one, which charged at Drouillard (Drewyer), and he shot it in the breast at a distance of about 20 feet. The ball fortunately passed through its heart; the stroke knocked the bear down and gave Drouillard time to get out of its sight. The bear changed its course; we pursued it about a hundred yards by the blood trail and found it dead. We searched the thicket in every part but found no other, and therefore returned. This was a young male and would weigh about 400 pounds. The water of the Missouri here is in most places about 10 feet deep.
After our return, while moving some of the baggage we caught a large rat. It was somewhat larger than the common European rat and of a lighter color; the body and outer part of the legs and head were a light lead color, while the belly and inner side of the legs were white, as were also the feet and ears. The toes were longer and the ears much larger than those of the common rat; the ears were uncovered with hair. The eyes were black and prominent, and the whiskers very long and full. The tail was rather longer than the body and covered with fine fur or hair (poil) of the same length and color as the back. The fur was very silky, close, and short. I have frequently seen the nests of these rats in cliffs of rocks and hollow trees but had never before seen one of the rats themselves. They feed very much on the fruit and seed of the prickly pear, or at least I have seen large quantities of the hulls of that fruit lying about their holes and in their nests.
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