May 25, 1806
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May 25, 1806

 

It rained the greater part of last night and continued untill 6 A. M. our grass tent is impervious to the rain.    the Child is more unwell than yesterday.    we gave it a doze of creem of tartar which did not operate, we therefore gave it a clyster [1] in the evening.    we caused a sweat to be prepared for the indian Cheif in the same manner in which Bratton had been sweated, this we attempted but were unable to succeed, as he was unable to set up or be supported in the place.    we informed the indians that we knew of no releif for him except sweating him in their sweat houses and giving him a plenty of the tea of the horsemint which we shewed them.    and that this would probably nos succeed as he had been so long in his present situation. I am confident that this would be an excellent subject for electricity and much regret that I have it not in my power to supply it.— [2] Drewyer Labuish and Cruzatte set out this morning to hunt towards the quawmash grounds if they can possibly pass Collins's Creek. Joseph and Reuben Feilds passed the river in order to hunt on the opposite side some miles above where the natives inform us that there is an abundance of bear and some deer. Goodrich visited a village about 8 ms. above on the opposite side of the river and returned in the evening; he procured but few roots, he informed us that there were but 8 persons at home; the others were either hunting, diging roots or fishing on Lewis's river.    he saw several salmon in their lodges which they informed him came from that river    these fish were remarkably fat and fine. Gibson and shields returned this evening having killed a Sandhill Crain only.    they had wounded a female bear and a deer but got neither of them. Gibson informed me that the bear had two cubbs one of which was white and other as black as jett.    four indians remained with us this evening.—

Point of observation No. 56

May 25th 1806.
At our camp on the N. E. side of the Kooskooske river.
Observed equal altitudes of the sun with Sextant.

  h m   s     h m s }
altitude
70° 34' 00"
A.M. 5 38 55   P.M. 1 17   5
  " 40 20.5     " 18 34.5
  " 41 49.5     " 20

Observed time and distance of ☉'s and ☽'s nearest limbs. ☉ West, with Sextant.—

  Time Distance   Time Distance
  h    m    s     h    m    s   h      m      s
P.M. 1    26    4 102°    24'    15" P.M. 1    39    34 102    29    30
  "    35    57    "       28     15   "    39    26   "       29    45
  "    37    40    "       29     —   "    40    28   "       30    15

The clouds which had interfered during this observation now obscured boath sun and mooon.—

 

rained moderately the greater part of last night and this morning untill 6 A. M. The child is not So well to day as yesterday. I repeeted the Creem of tarter and the onion poltice. I caused a Swet to be prepared for the Indn. in the Same hole which bratten had been Sweten in two days past Drewyer Labiech and Peter crusatt Set out hunting towards the quarmash grounds if they can cross the Creek which is between this and that place, which has been the bearrer as yet to our hunters. Jos. & R Fields crossed the river to hunt on the opposit side. Goodrich went to the 2d village to purchase roots a fiew of which he precured.    he informed us that only 8 persons remained in the Village.    the men were either hunting on Lewis's river fishing, & the women out digging roots.    he saw Several fresh Salmon which the nativs informed him Came from Lewis's river and were fat and fine.    one of our men purchased a Bear Skin of the nativs which was nearly of a Cream Coloured white.    this Skin which was the Skin of an animal of the middle Size of bears together with the defferent Sizes colours &c. of those which have been killed by our hunters give me a Stronger evidence of the various Coloured bear of this country being one Species only, than any I have heretofore had.    the poil of these bear were infinately longer finer & thicker than the black bear    their tallons also longer & more blunt as worn by digging roots. the white redish brown and bey Coloured bear I saw together on the Missouri; the bey & Grizly have been Seen and killed together here.    for these were the Colours of those which Collins killed on the 14th inst.    in short it is not common to find two bear here of this Species presisely of the same colour, and if we were to attempt to distinguish them by their colours and to denomonate each colour a distinct Species we Should Soon find at least twenty.    〈Some〉 the most Strikeing difference between this Species of bear and the Common black bear are that the former are large and have longer tallens, hair, and tushes, prey more on other animals, do not lie so long or so closely in winter quarters, and will not Climb a tree, tho' ever so hardly pursued.    the varigated bear I believe to be the Same here with those of the Missouri but these are not so ferocious as those on the Missouri perhaps from the Circumstance of their being compeled from the scercity of game in this quarter to live more on roots and of course not so much in the habit of Seizing and debowering liveing animals.    the bear here is far from being as passive as the common black bear, they have atacked and fought our hunters already but not so feircely as those of the Missouri. There are also some of the Common black bear in this neghbourhood tho no So Comon as the other Species.

we attempted to swet the sick indian but could not Suckceed.    he was not able either to Set up or be Supported in the place prepared for him. I therefore deturmined to inform the Nativs that nothing but Sefere Swetts would restore this disabled man, and even that doubtfull in his present Situation.    in the evening Shields & gibson returned haveing killed a Sandhill Crane only.    they Saw a female bear, & 2 Cubs & Several deer.    they Shot the bear and a deer both of which made their escape. Gibson told me that the Cubs were of different Colours one jut black and the other of a whiteish Colour—.    4 indians Continue with us, one return to their village to daey

 

Sunday 25th of May 1806.    a Thunder Shower eairly this evening.    we undertook to Sweet the Sick Indian but he being quite helpless did not carry it into effect.    four of our hunters went out a hunting 2 of which went across the river to the South Side [3]    the canoe being burnt enofe we went at finishing it &C.    two hunters [4] came in this evening    had killd. nothing.

 

Sunday 25th.    There was a cloudy morning, and some light showers of rain fell. Five more hunters went out to day. In the evening yesterday two of the natives brought an Indian [5] to our camp, who had lost the use of his limbs, to see if the officers could cure him, and to day we gave him a sweat.— Our interpreter's child [6] has been very sick, but he is getting better. In the afternoon the two hunters who went out yesterday returned; but had not killed any thing. The weather became clear and we had a fine evening, and three more hunters [7] went out.

1. An enema. Cutright (LCPN), 295. (back)
2. Benjamin Franklin had experimented with electricity in treating paralytic cases, with indifferent results, and by 1800 it had acquired some popularity in treating various diseases. Lewis could have learned of this from Benjamin Rush in Philadelphia in 1803, if he was not already aware of it. Its value in this case would have been primarily psychological. Cutright (LCPN), 295; Chuinard (OOMD), 373–74 n. 8. (back)
3. Five according to Lewis and Clark, with Drouillard, Labiche, and Cruzatte going in one direction, while the Field brothers crossed the river. (back)
4. Gibson and Shields, say the captains. Gass agrees that they had killed nothing, but the captains report that they had killed a sandhill crane. (back)
5. This man may have suffered from hysterical paralysis; see the captains' entries of May 11, 25, and 27. (back)
6. Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, then about fifteen months old; see Lewis's and Clark's entries of May 22. (back)
7. Possibly Collins, Shannon, and Colter, mentioned by the captains as leaving the next day. (back)