Lewis: March 9, 1806

Sunday March 9th 1806. This morning the men set out at daylight to go in
gust of the Elk which Collins had killed, they returned with it at eleven
A.M. Bratton complains of his back being very painfull to him today; I
conceive this pain to be something of the rheumatism. we still apply the
linniment and flannel; in the evening he was much better. Drewyer and
Joseph Fields returned not having found any Elk. Sergt. Pryor and the
fishing party not yet arrived, suppose they are detained by the winds.
visited by 3 Clatsop men who brought a dog some fish and a Sea Otter skin
for sale. we suffered them to remain all night. we set Shields at work to
make some sacks of Elk skin to contain various articles. The large Swan is
precisely the same common to the Atlantic States. the small swan differs
only from the larger one in size and it’s note. it is about one fourth
less and it’s note entirely different. the latter cannot be justly
immetated by the sound of letters nor do I know any sounds with which a
comparison would be pertinent. it begins with a kind of whistleing sound
and terminates in a round full note which is reather louder than the
whistleing, or former part; this note is as loud as that of the large
swan. from the peculiar whistleing of the note of this bird I have called
it the whistleing swan it’s habits colour and contour appear to be
precisely those of the large Swan. we first saw them below the great
narrows of the Columbia near the Chilluckkittequaw nation. They are very
abundant in this neighbourhood and have remained with us all winter. in
number they are fully five for one of the large speceis. The duckinmallard
or common large duck wich resembles the domestic duck are the same here
with those of the U Sts. they are abundant and are found on every part of
the river below the mountains. they remain here all winter but I beleive
they do not continue during winter far above tidewater. a beautifull duck
and one of the most delicious in the world is found in considerable
quantities in this neighbourhood during the Autumn and winter. this is the
same with that known in the Delliware, Susquehannah, and Potomac by the
name of the Canvisback and in James River by that of shell-Drake; in the
latter river; however I am informed that they have latterly almost
entirely disappeared. to the epicure of those parts of the union where
this duck abounds nothing need be added in praise of the exqusite flavor
of this duck. I have frequently eaten of them in several parts of the
Union and I think those of the Columbia equally as delicious. this duck is
never found above tide-water; we did not meet with them untill after we
reached the marshey Islands; and I beleive that they have already left
this neighbourhood, but whether they have gone northwardly or Southwardly
I am unable to determin; nor do I know in what part of the Continent they
raise their young.The read headed fishing duck is common to every
part of the river and are found as well in the Rocky Mountains as
elsewhere; in short this was the only duck we saw on the waters of the
Columbia within the mountains. they feed principally on crawfish and are
the same in every rispect as those on the rivers in the mountains of the
Atlantic Ocean.