July 6, 1805
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July 6, 1805

 

In the couse of last night had several showers of hail and rain attended with thunder and lightning.    about day a heavy storm came on from the S W attended with hail rain and a continued roar of thunder and some lightning.    the hail was as large as musket balls and covered the ground perfectly.    we hand some of it collected which kept very well through the day and served to cool our water. These showers and gusts keep my boat wet in dispite of my exertions.    she is not yet ready for the grease and coal.    after the hail and rain was over this morning we dispatched 4 hunters and two canoes to the head of the rappids as we had determined last evening.    the red and yellow courants [1] are now ripe and abundant, they are reather ascid as yet. There is a remarkable small fox which ascociate in large communities and burrow in the praries something like the small wolf but we have not as yet been able to obtain one of them; [2] they are extreemly watchfull and take reffuge in their burrows which are very deep; we have seen them no where except near these falls.

 

a heavy wind from the S W and Some rain about mid night last, at day light this morning a verry black Cloud from the S W, with a Contined rore of thunder & Some lightining and rained and hailed tremendiously for about ½ an hour, the hail was the Size of a musket ball and Covered the ground.    this hail & rain was accompand. by a hard wind which lasted for a fiew minits. Cloudy all the forepart of the day, after Part Clear.    dispatched 4 men in 2 Canoes to the falls, to kill Buffalow, for their Skins & Meat    others employd about the boat, I cought Some Small fish this evening.

 

July 6th Saturday 1805.    verry hard Showers of rain and hail through the course of last night, hard Thunder & lightning, at day light this morning a hard Shower came up of a Sudden attended with high wind, & large hail one of the men Saved a Small tin kittle full of the hail which did not all disolve through the day.    the morning cloudy.    4 men dispached with 2 canoes to go down to the head of the falls in order to kill buffalow & git Skins to cover our crafts & meat to dry &.C. Some men employed finishing the Iron boat &.C.    a part of the day clear.    light Showers of rain in the afternoon. Some men dressing Skins to make themselves cloaths &.C.    the wind high from the west.    this evening the hunters did not return this evening (Caught a fiew Small fish).

 

Saturday 6th.    As many of the hands as could find room to work were engaged at the boat; and four went down the river to hunt buffaloe, in order to get their skins to cover our craft. This was a beautiful and pleasant day.

 

July 6th Saturday 1805.    verry hard Showers of rain and hail through the course of last night.    hard Thunder.    at day light a hard Shower of rain and large hail    one of the men gethered a Small kittle full of the hail which kept the most part of the day—    the morning cloudy.    4 men Set out in 2 canoes in order to go down to the head of the falls to kill buffalow for Skins to cover our crafts & meat &c.    Some men employed finishing off the Iron boat others dressing Skins &c.    the day proved clear.    light Showers in the afternoon.    the hunters did not return this evening.

Saturday July 6th    We had very hard showers of Rain & hail, through the course of last night, and at daylight this morning, we had a hard shower of rain, thunder & hail also; one of our Men gathered a small kettle full of the hail, which he kept most part of the day, without it melting; the morning continued Cloudy, four of our party set out from the Camp in two Canoes, in order to go down to the head of the falls to kill buffalo, for their hides to cover our Crafts, the meat &ca, some of the party were employed in finishing off the Iron boat, dressing Skins &ca—    In the afternoon, it cleared up with some light showers of rain, the hunters did not return this Evening.—

1. Probably the squaw currant which Lewis called a gooseberry on June 18, 1805. It is commonly found on dry slopes and ridges. (back)
2. The swift fox (sometimes called the kit fox), then unknown to science. Cf. Cutright (LCPN), 166; Burroughs, 90–91; Jones et al., 256–58; Hall, 2:939–41. It was probably Biddle who drew a red vertical line through this passage about the fox. (back)