Lewis: February 5, 1805

5th February Tuesday 1805. Pleasent morning wind from N. W. fair; visited
by many of the natives who brought a considerable quanty of corn in
payment for the work which the blacksmith had done for themthey are
pecuarly attatched to a battle ax formed in a very inconvenient manner in
my opinion. it is fabricated of iron only, the blade is extreemly thin,
from 7 to nine inches in length and from 43/4, to 6 Inches on it’s edge,
from whence the sides proceed nearly in a straight line to the eye where
it’s width is generally not more than an inch. The eye is round &
about one inch in diameter. the handle seldom more than fourteen inches in
length, the whole weighing about one poundthe great length of the
blade of this ax, added to the small size of the handle renders a stroke
uncertain and easily avoided, while the shortness of the handel must
render a blow much less forceable if even well directed, and still more
inconvenient as they uniformly use this instrument in action on horseback.
The oalder fassion is still more inconvenient, it is somewhat in the form
of the blade of an Espantoon but is attatchd to a helve of the dementions
before discribed the blade is sometimes by way of ornament purforated with
two three or more small circular holesthe following is the general
figure it is from 12 to 15 inces in length