December 11, 1804
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

December 11, 1804

 

a verry Cold morning    Wind from the north    The Thermomettr at (4 oClock A M at 21°) [1] Sunrise at 21°    See list. [2] below 0 which is 53° below the freesing point and getting colder, the Sun Shows and reflects two imigies, the ice floating in the atmespear being So thick that the appearance is like a fog Despurceing—

Sent out three horses for meat & with Derections for all the hunters to return to the fort as Soon as possible    at 1 oClock the horses returned loaded    at night all the hunters returned, Several a little frosted, The Black Cat Chief of the Mandans paid us a Visit to day    continue Cold all day    river at a Stand

 

Tuesday 11th Decr.    a clear cold morning.    three men Started eairly for the horses in order to go down to the camp for the meat and for the men to all return to the Fort.    the men returned in the afternoon with the horses loaded with meat.    one of the hunters who came from the camp had killed a Buffaloe.    the rest of the hunters all returned.    had killed 5 Buffalow but the weather was so cold that they did not dress but one of them.

 

Tuesday 11th.    Captain Lewis and Captain Clarke thinking the weather too cold to hunt, sent men down to the camp to bring up the remainder of the meat, and orders for the hunters to return. The hunters came in at dark. They had killed four buffaloe, and had dressed two of them. The cold was so severe they could do nothing with the other two.

1. Clark seems to have bracketed this passage; we have used parentheses. (back)
2. Perhaps a reference to the Weather Diary for this date. (back)