Lewis: May 12, 1805
On a clear, calm Sunday morning, the expedition set out early. Lewis walked ashore for exercise, armed with rifle and espontoon, resolving to act defensively if he encountered grizzly bears in open country. He observed the rough, broken terrain on both sides of the river, noting scattered pine and cedar, and described the choke cherry in detail, including how Missouri Indians prepare it for food. Around noon, strong northwest winds forced the party to halt for the rest of the day. Game was abundant. Rain began at sunset, and high winds continued through the night.
Sunday May 12th 1805. Set out at an early hour, the weather clear and
Calm; I walked on shore this morning for the benifit of exersize which I
much wanted, and also to examine the country and it’s productions, in
these excurtions I most generally went alone armed with my rifle and
espontoon; thus equiped I feel myself more than an equal match for a brown
bear provided I get him in open woods or near the water, but feel myself a
little diffident with respect to an attack in the open plains, I have
therefore come to a resolution to act on the defencive only, should I meet
these gentlemen in the open country. I ascended the hills and had a view
of a rough and broken country on both sides of the river; on the North
side the summits of the hills exhibit some scattering pine and cedar, on
the South side the pine has not yet commenced tho there is some cedar on
the face of the hills and in the little ravines. the choke cherry also
grows here in the hollows and at the heads of the gullies; the choke
Cherry has been in blume since the ninth inst. this growth has freequently
made it’s appearance on the Missouri from the neighbourhood of the
Baldpated Prarie, to this place in the form of it’s leaf colour and
appearance of it’s bark, and general figure of it’s growth it resembles
much the Morillar cherry,1 tho much smaller not generally rising to a
greater hight than from 6 to 10 feet and ascociating in thick clusters or
clumps in their favorit situations which is usually the heads of small
ravines or along the sides of small brooks which flow from the hills. the
flowers which are small and white are supported by a common footstalk as
those of the common wild cherry are, the corolla consists of five oval
petals, five stamen and one pistillum, and of course of the Class and
order Pentandria Monogynia. it bears a fruit which much resembles the wild
cherry in form and colour tho larger and better flavoured; it’s fruit
ripens about the begining of July and continues on the trees untill the
latter end of SeptemberThe Indians of the Missouri make great uce
of this cherry which they prepare for food in various ways, sometimes
eating when first plucked from the trees or in that state pounding them
mashing the seed boiling them with roots or meat, or with the prarie beans
and white-apple; again for their winter store they geather them and lay
them on skins to dry in the sun, and frequently pound them and make them
up in small roles or cakes and dry them in the sun; when thus dryed they
fold them in skins or put them in bags of parchment and keep them through
the winter either eating them in this state or boiling them as before
mentioned. the bear and many birds also feed on these burries. the wild
hysop sage, fleshey leaf thorn, and some other herbs also grow in the
plains and hills, particularly the arromatic herb on which the Antelope
and large hare feed. The soil has now changed it’s texture considerably;
the base of the hills and river bottoms continue the same and are composed
of a rich black loam while the summits of the hills and about half their
hight downwards are of a light brown colour, poor sterile and intermixed
with a coarse white sand. about 12 OClock the wind veered about to the N.
W. and blew so hard that we were obliged to Ly by the ballance of the day.
we saw great quantities of game as usual. the bottom lands still becomeing
narrower.
About sunset it began to rain, and continued to fall a few drops at a time
untill midnight; the wind blew violently all night.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Sunday, May 12th, 1805. We set out at an early hour, with clear and calm weather. I walked on shore this morning for the benefit of exercise, which I much needed, and also to examine the country and its productions. On these excursions I most generally went alone, armed with my rifle and espontoon. Thus equipped, I feel myself more than an equal match for a brown bear, provided I get him in open woods or near the water, but I feel myself a little diffident with respect to an attack in the open plains. I have therefore come to a resolution to act on the defensive only, should I meet these gentlemen in the open country. I ascended the hills and had a view of a rough and broken country on both sides of the river. On the north side, the summits of the hills exhibit some scattered pine and cedar; on the south side, the pine has not yet begun, though there is some cedar on the face of the hills and in the little ravines. The choke cherry also grows here in the hollows and at the heads of the gullies. The choke cherry has been in bloom since the ninth of this month. This growth has frequently appeared along the Missouri from the neighborhood of the Baldpated Prairie to this place. In the form of its leaf, color and appearance of its bark, and general figure of its growth, it much resembles the Morillar cherry, though much smaller, not generally rising to a greater height than from 6 to 10 feet, and associating in thick clusters or clumps in their favorite situations, which are usually the heads of small ravines or along the sides of small brooks that flow from the hills. The flowers, which are small and white, are supported by a common footstalk, as those of the common wild cherry are. The corolla consists of five oval petals, five stamens, and one pistil, and is of course of the Class and Order Pentandria Monogynia. It bears a fruit which much resembles the wild cherry in form and color, though larger and better flavored. Its fruit ripens about the beginning of July and remains on the trees until the latter end of September.
The Indians of the Missouri make great use of this cherry, which they prepare for food in various ways, sometimes eating it when first plucked from the trees, or in that state pounding it, mashing the seed, boiling it with roots or meat, or with the prairie beans and white-apple. Again, for their winter store, they gather them and lay them on skins to dry in the sun, and frequently pound them and make them up into small rolls or cakes and dry them in the sun. When thus dried, they fold them in skins or put them in bags of parchment and keep them through the winter, either eating them in this state or boiling them as before mentioned. The bear and many birds also feed on these berries. The wild hyssop sage, fleshy-leaf thorn, and some other herbs also grow in the plains and hills, particularly the aromatic herb on which the antelope and large hare feed. The soil has now changed its texture considerably. The base of the hills and the river bottoms continue the same and are composed of a rich black loam, while the summits of the hills and about half their height downward are of a light brown color, poor and sterile, and mixed with a coarse white sand. About 12 o'clock the wind veered around to the northwest and blew so hard that we were obliged to lie by for the rest of the day. We saw great quantities of game as usual. The bottom lands are still becoming narrower.
About sunset it began to rain, and a few drops continued to fall at a time until midnight. The wind blew violently all night.
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