Lewis: May 10, 1805
Strong winds forced the party to halt shortly after setting out, sheltering on the larboard side of the river under cloudy skies and occasional sprinkles of rain. A stray Indian dog appeared, suggesting nearby Assiniboine, so hunters were sent to scout while arms were inspected as a precaution. The hunters found no Indians but killed deer, buffalo, and beaver. Lewis recorded detailed observations of the mule deer, distinguishing it from the common deer by size, ears, coat, antlers, and white rump. Boils and sore eyes continued to afflict the party, including Bratton.
Friday May 10th 1805. Set out at sunrise and proceeded but a short
distance ere the wind became so violent that we were obliged to come too,
which we did on the Lard. side in a suddon or short bend of the river
where we were in a great measure sheltered from the effects of the wind.
the wind continued violent all day, the clouds were thick and black, had a
slight sprinkle of rain several times in the course of the day. we sent
out several hunters to scower the country, to this we were induced not so
much from the want of provision as to discover the Indians whome we had
reasons to believe were in the neighbourhood, from the circumstance of one
of their dogs comeing to us this morning shortly after we landed; we still
beleive ourselves in the country usually hunted by the Assinniboins, and
as they are a vicious illy disposed nation we think it best to be on our
guard, accordingly we inspected the arms and accoutrements the party and
found them all in good order. The hunters returned this evening having
seen no tents or Indians nor any fresh sign of them; they killed two Mule
deer, one common fallow or longtailed deer, 2 Buffaloe and 5 beaver, and
saw several deer of the Mule kind of immence size, and also three of the
Bighorned anamals. from the appearance of the Mule deer and the bighorned
anamals we beleive ourselves fast approaching a hilly or mountainous
country; we have rarely found the mule deer in any except a rough country;
they prefer the open grounds and are seldom found in the woodlands near
the river; when they are met with in the woodlands or river bottoms and
are pursued, they invariably run to the hills or open country as the Elk
do. the contrary happens with the common deer ther are several esscential
differences between the Mule and common deer as well in form as in habits.
they are fully a third larger in general, and the male is particularly
large; I think there is somewhat greater disparity of size between the
male and female of this speceis than there is between the male and female
fallow deer; I am convinced I have seen a buck of this species twice the
volume of a buck of any other species. the ears are peculiarly large; I
measured those of a large buck which I found to be eleven inches long and
31/2 in width at the widest part; they are not so delicately formed, their
hair in winter is thicker longer and of a much darker grey, in summer the
hair is still coarser longer and of a paleer red, more like that of the
Elk; in winter they also have a considerable quantity of a very fine wool
intermixed with the hair and lying next to the skin as the Antelope has.
the long hair which grows on the outer sides of the 1st joint of the
hinder legs, and which in the common deer do not usually occupy more than
2 inches in them occupys from 6 to eight; their horns also differ, these
in the common deer consist of two main beams from which one or more points
project the beam graduly deminishing as the points procede from it, with
the mule deer the horns consist of two beams which at the distance of 4 or
6 inches from the head divide themselves each into two equal branches
which again either divide into two other equal branches or terminate in a
smaller, and two equal ones; having either 2 4 or 6 points on a beam; the
horn is not so rough about the base as the common deer and are invariably
of a much darker colour. the most striking difference of all, is the white
rump and tale. from the root of the tail as a center there is a circular
spot perfectly white, of abot 3 inches radius, which occupys a part of the
rump and extremitys of the buttocks and joins the white of the belley
underneath; the tail which is usually from 8 to 9 inches long, for the
first 4 or 5 inches from it’s upper extremity is covered with short white
hairs, much shorter indeed than the hairs of the body; from hence for
about one inch further the hair is still white but gradually becomes
longer, the tail then terminates in a tissue of black hair of about 3
Inches long. from this black hair of the tail they have obtained among the
French engages the appelation of the black taled deer, but this I conceive
by no means characteristic of the anamal as much the larger portion of the
tail is white. the year and the tail of this anamal when compared with
those of the common (leer, so well comported with those of the mule when
compared with the horse, that we have by way of distinction adapted the
appellation of the mule deer which I think much more appropriate. on the
inner corner of each eye there is a drane or large recepicle which seems
to answer as a drane to the eye which gives it the appearance of weeping,
this in the common deer of the atlantic states is scarcely perceptable but
becomes more conspicuous in the fallow deer, and still more so in the Elk;
this recepticle in the Elk is larger than in any of the pecora order with
which I am acquainted.
Boils and imposthumes have been very common with the party Bratton is now
unable to work with one on his hand; soar eyes continue also to be common
to all of us in a greater or less degree. for the imposthume I use
emmolient poltices, and for soar eyes a solution of white vitriol and the
sugar of lead in the proportion of 2 grs. of the former and one of the
latter to each ounce of water.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday, May 10th, 1805. We set out at sunrise and had gone only a short distance when the wind became so violent that we were forced to put to shore, which we did on the larboard side in a sudden or short bend of the river where we were largely sheltered from the effects of the wind. The wind continued violent all day; the clouds were thick and black, and we had a slight sprinkle of rain several times during the day. We sent out several hunters to scour the country, induced to do so not so much by the need for provisions as to discover the Indians whom we had reason to believe were in the neighborhood, since one of their dogs had come to us this morning shortly after we landed. We still believe ourselves in the country usually hunted by the Assiniboines, and as they are a vicious, ill-disposed nation, we thought it best to be on our guard. Accordingly, we inspected the arms and accoutrements of the party and found them all in good order. The hunters returned this evening having seen no tents or Indians nor any fresh sign of them; they killed two mule deer, one common fallow or long-tailed deer, two buffalo, and five beaver, and saw several deer of the mule kind of immense size, and also three of the bighorn animals. From the appearance of the mule deer and the bighorn animals, we believe ourselves rapidly approaching a hilly or mountainous country. We have rarely found the mule deer in any but a rough country; they prefer the open grounds and are seldom found in the woodlands near the river. When they are met with in the woodlands or river bottoms and are pursued, they invariably run to the hills or open country as the elk do. The contrary happens with the common deer.
There are several essential differences between the mule and common deer, both in form and in habits. They are fully a third larger in general, and the male is particularly large. I think there is somewhat greater disparity of size between the male and female of this species than there is between the male and female fallow deer. I am convinced I have seen a buck of this species twice the size of a buck of any other species. The ears are peculiarly large; I measured those of a large buck and found them to be eleven inches long and three and a half inches wide at the widest part. They are not so delicately formed. Their hair in winter is thicker, longer, and of a much darker gray; in summer the hair is still coarser, longer, and of a paler red, more like that of the elk. In winter they also have a considerable quantity of very fine wool intermixed with the hair and lying next to the skin, as the antelope has. The long hair which grows on the outer sides of the first joint of the hind legs, and which in the common deer does not usually occupy more than two inches, in them occupies from six to eight. Their horns also differ. In the common deer, the horns consist of two main beams from which one or more points project, the beam gradually diminishing as the points proceed from it. With the mule deer, the horns consist of two beams which, at a distance of four or six inches from the head, divide themselves each into two equal branches, which again either divide into two other equal branches or terminate in a smaller and two equal ones, having either two, four, or six points on a beam. The horn is not so rough about the base as that of the common deer and is invariably of a much darker color. The most striking difference of all is the white rump and tail. From the root of the tail as a center there is a circular spot perfectly white, of about three inches radius, which occupies a part of the rump and extremities of the buttocks and joins the white of the belly underneath. The tail, which is usually from eight to nine inches long, for the first four or five inches from its upper extremity is covered with short white hairs, indeed much shorter than the hairs of the body; from there for about one inch further the hair is still white but gradually becomes longer; the tail then terminates in a tuft of black hair about three inches long. From this black hair of the tail they have obtained among the French engagés the name of the black-tailed deer, but this I consider by no means characteristic of the animal, as much the larger portion of the tail is white. The ear and the tail of this animal, when compared with those of the common deer, so well compare with those of the mule when compared with the horse, that we have, by way of distinction, adopted the name of the mule deer, which I think much more appropriate. On the inner corner of each eye there is a drain or large receptacle which seems to serve as a drain for the eye and gives it the appearance of weeping. This in the common deer of the Atlantic states is scarcely perceptible, but becomes more conspicuous in the fallow deer, and still more so in the elk. This receptacle in the elk is larger than in any of the pecora order with which I am acquainted.
Boils and abscesses have been very common with the party. Bratton is now unable to work due to one on his hand. Sore eyes also continue to be common to all of us in a greater or lesser degree. For the abscesses I use emollient poultices, and for sore eyes a solution of white vitriol and sugar of lead in the proportion of two grains of the former and one of the latter to each ounce of water.
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