Meriwether Lewis: September 11, 1803

11^th September.

Set out about sunrise, passed Sunfish creek 1 Mile &c &c entered the long reach, so called from the ohio runing in strait direction for 18 miles in this reach there are 5 Islands from three to 2 miles in length each—observed a number of squirrels swiming the Ohio and universally passing from the W. to the East shore they appear to be making to the south; perhaps it may be mast or food which they are in serch of but I should reather suppose that it is climate which is their object as I find no difference in in the quantity of mast on both sides of this river it being abundant on both except the beach nut which appears extreemly scarce this season. the walnuts and Hickery nuts the usual food of the squirrell appears in great abundance on either side of the river—I made my dog take as many each day as I had occation for, they wer[e] fat and I thought them when fryed a pleasent food—many of these squirrils were black, they swim very light on the water and make pretty good speed—my dog was of the newfoundland breed very active strong and docile, he would take the squirel in the water kill them and swiming bring them in his mouth to the boat. we lay this night below the fifth Island in the long reach on the E. side of the river having come 26 miles.

Source: Lewis’s 1803 journal, printed in Quaife, The Journals of Captain Meriwether Lewis and Sergeant John Ordway (Wisconsin Historical Society, 1916), pp. 42-43. Public domain.