Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
|
Day of the month |
State of thermom- eter at ☉ rise |
Weather |
Wind at ☉ rise |
State of Thermom- eter at 4 P.M. |
Weather |
Wind at 4 P.M. |
State of the River raised or falln. fet Inch |
| April 1st | 33 a [2] | c | N.W. | 43 a |
c. a. t. l. r. & H. [3] |
W | f 11 |
| 2cd | 28 a | c a r | N. W | 38 a | f. a. c. | W. | f 5 |
| 3rd | 24 a | f. | N. | 44 a | f. | W. [4] | f 4 |
| 4th | 36 a | f. | S. | 55 a | f. | N. W. | f 4 |
| 5th | 30 a | f. | N. W. | 39 a | f. | N. [5] | f 2 |
| 6th | 19 a | f. | N. | 48 a | c. | N. W. | f 1 |
| 7th | 28 a | f. | W. | 64 a | f. | S. W. | r 2 [6] |
| 8th | 19 a | f. | N. W. | 56 a | f. | N. W. | f 2 |
| 9th | 38 a | f. | S. E. | 70 a | f | S. W. | f ½ |
| 10th | 42 a | f | E | 74 a | f | S W. | r ⅛ |
| 11th | 42 a | f | N W | 76 a | f | W. | f ½ |
| 12th | 56 a | f | N. W. | 74 a | c a r T & L | W. | r ⅛ |
| 13th | 58 a | f | S. E. | 80 a | f | S. E. | f 1 |
| 14th | 52 a | c | S E | 82 a | f | S. W. | f ¾ |
| 15th | 51 a | f | E | 78 a | f | S W. | f ½ |
| 16th | 54 a | f | S E | 78 a | f | S. | f ½ |
| 17th | 56 a | f | N. E. | 74 a | c | S. W. | f ½ |
| 18th | 52 a | f | N. E. | 64 a | c | N. | |
| 19th | 45 a [7] | c | N. W. | 56 a | c | N. W. | |
| 20th | 40 a | c | N W | 42 a | c a s | N W | |
| 21st | 28 a | f | N W | 40 a | c | N. W. | f ½ |
| 22nd | 34 a | f a c | W. | 40 | f | N W | r 2 |
| 23rd | 34 a | f | W. | 52 | c | N. W. | r 2 |
| 24th | 40 a | f | N. | 56 | f | N | r 1 |
| 25th | 36 a | f. | N | 52 a | f | N W | r 2 |
| 26th | 32 a | f | S | 63 a | f | S E | r 3 |
| 27th | 36 a | f | S W | 64 a | f | N W | f 2 |
| 28th | 44 a | f | S. E. | 63 a | f | S E | f 1 ½ |
| 29th | 42 a | f | N E | 64 a | f | E | f 1 ½ |
| 30th | 50 a | f | N. W. | 58 a | f | S E | f ½ |
| 1st | ice ceases to run A fine refreshing shower of rain fell about 2 P. M. this was the first shower of rain that we had witnessed since the fifteenth of September 1804 tho' it several times has fallen in very small quantities, and was noticed in this diary of the weather. the cloud came from the west, and was attended by hard [EC: thun]der and Lightning. I have observed that all thunderclouds in the Western part of the continent, proceed from the westerly quarter, as they do in the Atlantic States. the air is remarkably dry and pure in this open country, very little rain or snow ether winter or summer. the atmosphere is more transparent than I ever observed it in any country through which I have passed. |
| 2cd | rained hard and without intermission last night |
| 3rd | frost last night [9] |
| 4th | Observed a flock of brant passing up the river today; the wind blew very ha[r]d as it dose frequently in this quarter; there is sarcely any timber to brake the wind from the river, & the coun- try on both sides being level plains, wholy destitute of timber, the wind blows 〈over them〉 with astonishing violence. in this open country the winds form a great obstruction to the naviga- tion of this river particularly with small vessels, which can nei- ther ascend or descend should the wind be the least violent.— |
| 6th | This day a flock of cherry or cedar birds [10] were seen, one of the men killed, several of them which gave me an opportunity of ex- amining them. they are common in the United States; usually ascociate in large flocks and are frequently distructive to the chery orchards, and in winter in the lower parts of the states of Virginia & Maryland feed on the buries of the Cedar. they are a small bluish brown bird, crested with a tuft of dark brown feathers with a narrow black stripe passing on each side of the head underneath the eye from the base of the upper beak to the back of the head. it is distinguished more particularly by some of the shorter feathers of the wing, which are tiped with a red spots that have much the appearance at a little distance of seal- ing wax. all the birds that we believe visit this country have now returned.— |
| 7th | Visited by a Ricara Chief wind very high. set out on our voyage at 5 P. M. encampt a 4 me. S. S. |
| 8th | the Kildee, and large Hawk have returned. [11] buds of the Elm swolen and appear red— [12] the only birds that I obseved during the winter at Fort Mandan was the Missouri Magpie, a bird of the Corvus genus, the raven in immence numbers, [13] the small [EC: wood] woodpecker or sapsucker [14] as they are sometimes called, 〈and〉 the [EC: beau] beautifull eagle, or calumet bird, so called from the circumstance of the natives decorating their pipe-stems with it's plumage and the Prarie Hen or grouse.— [15] |
| 9th | the Crow has also returned saw the first today. & the corvus bird disappears the Musquitoes revisit us, saw several of them. Capt. Clark brought me a flower in full blo. it is a stranger to me.— the peroque 〈shakes with〉 is so unsteady that I can scarcely write |
| 10th | the prarie lark, bald Eagle, & the large plover have returned. [16]
the grass begins to spring, and the leaf buds of the willow to appear.— Chery birds disappear. |
| 11th | The lark wood pecker, [17] with yellow wings, and a black spot on the brest common to the U' States has appeared, with sundry small birds.— many plants begin to appear above the ground.— saw a large white gull today— the Eagle is now laying their eggs, and the gees have mated.— the Elm, large leafed, willow and the bush which bears a red berry, called by the engages greas de buff are in blume— [18] |
| 12th | small shower from the W. attended with hard wind. |
| 13th | The leaves of the Choke cherry are about half grown; the Cotton wood is in blume the flower of this tree resembles that of the aspen in form, and is of a deep perple colour.— [19] |
| 15th | several flocks of white brant with black wings pass us today, their flights was to the N. W. the trees now begin to assume a green appearance, tho' the earth at the debt of about three feet is not yet thawed, which we discovered by the banks of the river, falling in 〈to the river〉 and disclosing a strata of frozen eath.— |
| 16th | saw the first leather winged bat. [20] it appeared about the size of those common to the U' States. |
| 17th | thunder Shower passed above us from S. W. to N. E. 〈no〉 rain where we were. [21] |
| 18th | Wind very violent a heavy dew this morning. which is the first and only one we have seen since we passed the council bluffs last summer. there is but little dew in this open country.— saw a flock of pillecan [22] pass from S. W. to N. E. they appeared to be on a long flight.— |
| 19th | wind violent. The trees have now put forth their leaves. the goosbury, current, servisbury, and wild plumbs are in blume. |
| 20th | wind violent. |
| 21st | wind violent white frost last night— the earth friezed along the water's edge.— |
| 22nd | wind very hard greater part of the day— |
| 23d | Do Do Do saw the first robbin. [23] also the brown Curloo. |
| 24th | do. this morning. |
| 25th | do. until 5 oClock P M |
| 27th | wind very hard from 11 to 4 oClock |
| 28th | Vegetation has progressed but little since the 18th in short the change is scarcely perceptible. |
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.