Lewis: May 25, 1805
The party set out at 8 A.M. after two canoes returned with meat from the previous day. Headwinds slowed progress, forcing them to rely on the towline and sometimes double their manpower to pull boats past stone barriers at the mouths of gullies. Lewis spotted bighorn sheep on the steep bluffs of the starboard side; Drouillard, Clark, and Bratton each killed one, and Lewis recorded a detailed description of the animal's anatomy, habits, and uses to Native peoples. They passed a dry 20-yard creek and seven islands through high, rocky country. Buffalo were growing scarce.
Saturday May 25th 1805. The Two canoes which we left behind yesterday to
bring on the meat did not arrive this morning untill 8 A M. at which time
we set out; the wind being against us we did not proceed with so much ease
or expedition as yesterday, we imployed the toe line principally which the
banks favored the uce off; the courant strong particularly arround the
points against which the courant happened to set, and at the entrances of
the little gullies from the hills, those rivulets having brought down
considerable quantities of stone and deposited it at their entrances
forming partial barriers to the water of the river to the distance of 40
or 50 feet from the shore, arround these the water run with great
violence, and compelled us in some instances to double our force in order
to get a perorogue or canoe by them. as we ascended the river today I saw
several gangs of the bighorned Anamals on the face of the steep bluffs and
clifts on the Stard. side and sent drewyer to kill one which he
accomplished; Capt. Clark and Bratton who were on shore each killed one of
these anamals this evening. The head and horns of the male which Drewyer
killed weighed 27 lbs. it was somewhat larger than the male of the common
deer, the boddy reather thicker deeper and not so long in proportion to
it’s hight as the common deer; the head and horns are remakably large
compared with the other part of the anamal; the whole form is much more
delicate than that of the common goat, and there is a greater disparity in
the size of the male and female than between those of either the deer or
goat. the eye is large and prominant, the puple of a deep sea green and
small, the iris of a silvery colour much like the common sheep; the bone
above the eye is remarkably prominant; the head nostrils and division of
the upper lip are precisely in form like the sheep. there legs resemble
the sheep more than any other animal with which I am acquainted tho they
are more delicately formed, like the sheep they stand forward in the knee
and the lower joint of the foreleg is smallest where it joins the knee,
the hoof is black & large in proportion, is divided, very open and
roundly pointed at the toe, like the sheep; is much hollowed and sharp on
the under edge like the Scotch goat, has two small hoofs behind each foot
below the ankle as the goat sheep and deer have. the belley, inside of the
legs, and the extremity of the rump and butocks for about two inches
arround the but of the tale, are white, as is also the tale excet just at
it’s extremity on the upper side which is of a dark brown. the tail is
about three inches in length covered with short hair, or at least not
longer than that of the boddy; the outher parts of the anamal are of a
duskey brown or reather a leadcoloured light brown; the anamal is now
sheding it’s winter coat which is thick not quite as long as that of the
deer and appears to be intermixed with a considerable quantity of a fine
fur which lyes next to the skin & conceald by the coarcer hear; the
shape of the hair itself is celindric as that of the antelope is but is
smaller shorter, and not compressed or flattened as that of the deer’s
winter coat is, I believe this anamal only sheds it’s hair once a year. it
has eight fore teeth in the under jaw and no canine teeth. The horns are
lagest at their base, and occupy the crown of the head almost entirely.
they are compressed, bent backwards and lunated; the surface swelling into
wavy rings which incircleing the horn continue to succeed each other from
the base to the extremity and becoming less elivated and more distant as
they recede from the head. the horn for about two thirds of it’s length is
filled with a porus bone which is united with the frontal bone. I obtained
the bones of the upper part of the head of this animal at the big bone
lick. the horns of the female are small, but are also compress bent
backwards and incircled with a succession of wavy rings. the horn is of a
light brown colour; when dressed it is almost white extreemly transparent
and very elastic. this horn is used by the natives in constructing their
bows; I have no doubt but it would eligant and ucefull hair combs, and
might probably answer as many valuable purposes to civilized man, as it
dose to the savages, who form their watercups spoons and platters of it.
the females have already brought forth their young indeed from the size of
the young I suppose that they produce them early in March. they have from
one to two at a birth. they feed on grass but principally on the arromatic
herbs which grow on the clifts and inaccessable hights which they usually
frequent. the places they gerally celect to lodg is the cranies or cevices
of the rocks in the faces of inacessable precepices, where the wolf nor
bear can reach them and where indeed man himself would in many instancies
find a similar deficiency; yet these anamals bound from rock to rock and
stand apparently in the most careless manner on the sides of precipices of
many hundred feet. they are very shye and are quick of both sent and
sight.
At the distance of two 3/4 miles above our encampment of last evening we
passed a Creek 20 yard wide affording no runing water, we also passed 7
Islands in the course of the day. The Country on either hand is high
broken and rockey; the rock is either soft brown sand stone covered with a
thin strata of limestone, or a hard black rugged grannite, both usually in
horizontal stratas and the Sandy rock overlaying the other.Salts
and quarts still appear, some coal and pumice stone also appear; the river
bottoms are narrow and afford scarcely any timber. the bars of the river
are composed principally of gravel, but little pine on the hills. We saw a
Pole-cats this evening it is the first we have seen for many days.
buffalow are now scarce and I begin to fear our harvest of white puddings
are at an end.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Saturday May 25th 1805. The two canoes which we left behind yesterday to bring on the meat did not arrive this morning until 8 A.M., at which time we set out. The wind being against us, we did not proceed with as much ease or speed as yesterday. We employed the tow line principally, which the banks favored the use of. The current was strong, particularly around the points against which the current happened to set, and at the entrances of the little gullies from the hills. These rivulets had brought down considerable quantities of stone and deposited it at their entrances, forming partial barriers to the water of the river to the distance of 40 or 50 feet from the shore. Around these the water ran with great violence, and compelled us in some instances to double our force in order to get a pirogue or canoe past them.
As we ascended the river today I saw several gangs of the bighorned animals on the face of the steep bluffs and cliffs on the starboard side, and sent Drewyer (Drouillard) to kill one, which he accomplished. Capt. Clark (Captain Clark) and Bratton, who were on shore, each killed one of these animals this evening. The head and horns of the male which Drewyer killed weighed 27 lbs. It was somewhat larger than the male of the common deer, the body rather thicker, deeper, and not so long in proportion to its height as the common deer. The head and horns are remarkably large compared with the other parts of the animal. The whole form is much more delicate than that of the common goat, and there is a greater disparity in the size of the male and female than between those of either the deer or goat.
The eye is large and prominent, the pupil of a deep sea green and small, the iris of a silvery color much like the common sheep. The bone above the eye is remarkably prominent. The head, nostrils, and division of the upper lip are precisely in form like the sheep. Their legs resemble the sheep more than any other animal with which I am acquainted, though they are more delicately formed. Like the sheep, they stand forward in the knee, and the lower joint of the foreleg is smallest where it joins the knee. The hoof is black and large in proportion, is divided, very open and roundly pointed at the toe, like the sheep. It is much hollowed and sharp on the under edge like the Scotch goat, and has two small hoofs behind each foot below the ankle, as the goat, sheep, and deer have.
The belly, inside of the legs, and the extremity of the rump and buttocks for about two inches around the butt of the tail are white, as is also the tail except just at its extremity on the upper side, which is of a dark brown. The tail is about three inches in length, covered with short hair, or at least not longer than that of the body. The other parts of the animal are of a dusky brown, or rather a lead-colored light brown. The animal is now shedding its winter coat, which is thick, not quite as long as that of the deer, and appears to be intermixed with a considerable quantity of a fine fur which lies next to the skin and is concealed by the coarser hair. The shape of the hair itself is cylindrical as that of the antelope is, but is smaller, shorter, and not compressed or flattened as that of the deer's winter coat is. I believe this animal only sheds its hair once a year. It has eight front teeth in the under jaw and no canine teeth.
The horns are largest at their base, and occupy the crown of the head almost entirely. They are compressed, bent backwards, and crescent-shaped; the surface swelling into wavy rings which, encircling the horn, continue to succeed each other from the base to the extremity, and becoming less elevated and more distant as they recede from the head. The horn for about two thirds of its length is filled with a porous bone which is united with the frontal bone. I obtained the bones of the upper part of the head of this animal at the Big Bone Lick. The horns of the female are small, but are also compressed, bent backwards, and encircled with a succession of wavy rings. The horn is of a light brown color; when dressed it is almost white, extremely transparent, and very elastic. This horn is used by the natives in constructing their bows. I have no doubt but it would make elegant and useful hair combs, and might probably answer as many valuable purposes to civilized man as it does to the natives, who form their water cups, spoons, and platters of it.
The females have already brought forth their young; indeed, from the size of the young, I suppose that they produce them early in March. They have from one to two at a birth. They feed on grass, but principally on the aromatic herbs which grow on the cliffs and inaccessible heights which they usually frequent. The places they generally select to lodge are the crannies or crevices of the rocks in the faces of inaccessible precipices, where neither the wolf nor bear can reach them, and where indeed man himself would in many instances find a similar deficiency. Yet these animals bound from rock to rock and stand apparently in the most careless manner on the sides of precipices of many hundred feet. They are very shy and are quick of both scent and sight.
At the distance of two 3/4 miles above our encampment of last evening we passed a creek 20 yards wide affording no running water. We also passed 7 islands in the course of the day. The country on either hand is high, broken, and rocky. The rock is either soft brown sandstone covered with a thin layer of limestone, or a hard black rugged granite, both usually in horizontal layers, and the sandy rock overlaying the other. Salts and quartz still appear; some coal and pumice stone also appear. The river bottoms are narrow and afford scarcely any timber. The bars of the river are composed principally of gravel. There is little pine on the hills. We saw a polecat this evening; it is the first we have seen for many days. Buffalo are now scarce, and I begin to fear our harvest of white puddings is at an end.
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