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Lewis & Clark Expedition

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September 30, 1804
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September 30, 1804

[Lewis and Clark]

[Weather, September 1804] [1]
 
1804
Day of
the month 		Thermot.
at ☉
rise

Weather 		Wind at
☉ rise 		thermotr.
at 4
P. M.

Weather 		Wind
at 4 oC.
P. M.
Septr. 19 46 a f. S. E. 71 a f. S. E.
           20 51 a f S. E. 70 a f S. E
           21 58 a f. S. W 88 a f S. W.
           22 52 a f E. 82 a f S. E.
           23 50 a f S E 86 f S. E.
           24th 54 a f E. 82 f W.
           25 50 f S. W. 79 f. W.
           26th 54 f W 78 f. S. W.
           27 52 f W. 86 f. S. W.
           28 45 f S. E 80 f. S. E.
           29th 45 a f S. E. 67 f. S E
           30h 42 a C a r S. E. 52 C a r S. E.
[Remarks] [2]
September 19th the leaves of some of the cottonwood begin to fade.    yes-
terday saw the first Brant passing from the N. W. to
S. E.—
  20th the antelope is now ruting, the swallow [3] has disappeared
12 days
  21st Antilopes ruting, as are the Elk, the Buffaloe is nearly
ceased—    the latter commence the latter end of July or
first of August.
  22nd a little foggy this morning, a great number of green
leged plove [4] passing down the river, also some geese &
brant—
  23rd aire remarkably dry-plumbs & grapes fully ripe—    in
36 hours two Spoonfuls of water aveporated in a sauser
  24th three tetons swam the river and came to our encamp-
ment this evening informed us that 30 longed [lodges]
of their nation were near[by?]
  [25] This day the Tetons and ourselves had nearly come to
an open a ruptr [rupture]
  27th Saw a large flock of white Gulls with wings tiped with
black [5]
  28th this day about 12 oCk. had a severe struggle to get away
from the tetons [6]
  29th 〈the Tetons〉 the 2nd Chief came on Lard. Shore [7] we
gave some tobacco and passed them over the river—
saw Indns.
  30th passed the remainder of the band. [8]    gave tobacco, the
chief left us [9]
1. Both captains resumed tabled weather observations, including two daily temperature readings, on September 19, 1804, having broken off after May 14, 1804. Neither gives any explanation of the hiatus. Historian Doane Robinson has argued that the thermometer had been misplaced in packing and was found when the party dried and rearranged their baggage on September 16–17. Lewis's pre-expedition list of requirements includes three thermometers. This seems a small number for such an enterprise, but it appears unlikely that they could lose all three for four months, and the single August 25 reading disproves the theory. Robinson, 557; Lewis List of Requirements, Jackson (LLC), 1:69, 75 n. 1. The table and remarks here follow Lewis's observations in his Weather Diary, with a few variations in Clark Codex C remarks being noted. Neither recorded any information about the rise or fall of the river during the month, Lewis not even leaving a space for such observations in his table. See Weather Diary, January 1804, for further notes on the keeping of these weather tables. (back)
2. Lewis's remarks in his Weather Diary were placed beside his tabled daily entries; Clark's remarks in Codex C are on a separate page from his table. The two agree in substance, but a few variations by Clark are noted. The dates are Clark's, except on September 25; Clark repeats Lewis's note of that day on September 26. (back)
3. Perhaps the barn swallow, Hirundo rustica [AOU, 613]. Holmgren, 33. (back)
4. Perhaps the stilt sandpiper, Calidris himantopus [AOU, 233], or the pectoral sandpiper, C. melanotos [AOU, 239]. Ibid. (back)
5. There are only two species of gulls likely to be on the upper Missouri: the herring gull, Larus argentatus [AOU, 51], and the ring-billed gull, L. delawarensis [AOU, 54]; both have black wingtips. Ibid., 30. (back)
6. Clark, at the start of the entry, adds, "lost our Anchor last night." (back)
7. Clark says, "The 2d Cheif came and offered women." See his Field Notes entry for this date. (back)
8. Clark says, "Passed 60 Lodges of Tetons." (back)
9. Clark's September remarks in Codex C, from September 22 on, have been crossed out. (back)
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