Lewis: May 5, 1805

Sunday May 5th 1805 A fine morning I walked on shore untill 8 A M when we
halted for breakfast and in the course of my walk killed a deer which I
carried about a mile and a half to the river, it was in good order. soon
after seting out the rudder irons of the white perogue were broken by her
runing fowl on a sawyer, she was however refitted in a few minutes with
some tugs of raw hide and nales. as usual saw a great quantity of game
today; Buffaloe Elk and goats or Antelopes feeding in every direction; we
kill whatever we wish, the buffaloe furnish us with fine veal and fat
beef, we also have venison and beaver tales when we wish them; the flesh
of the Elk and goat are less esteemed, and certainly are inferior. we have
not been able to take any fish for some time past. The country is as
yesterday beatifull in the extreme.

saw the carcases of many Buffaloe lying dead along the shore partially
devoured by the wolves and bear. saw a great number of white brant also
the common brown brant, geese of the common kind and a small species of
geese which differ considerably from the common canadian goose; their neck
head and beak are considerably thicker shorter and larger than the other
in proportion to it’s size, they are also more than a third smaller, and
their note more like that of the brant or a young goose which has not
perfectly acquired his notes, in all other rispects they are the same in
colour habits and the number of feathers in the tale, they frequently also
ascociate with the large geese when in flocks, but never saw them pared
off with the large or common goose. The white brant ascociate in very
large flocks, they do not appear to be mated or pared off as if they
intended to raise their young in this quarter, I therefore doubt whether
they reside here during the summer for that purpose.

this bird is about the size of the common brown brant or two thirds of the
common goose, it is not so long by six inches from point to point of the
wings when extended as the other; the beak head and neck are also larger
and stronger; their beak legs and feet are of a redish or fleshcoloured
white. the eye is of moderate size, the puple of a deep sea green
incircled with a ring of yellowish brown. it has sixteen feathers of equal
length in the tale; their note differs but little from the common brant,
their flesh much the same, and in my opinion preferable to the goose, the
flesh is dark. they are entirely of a beatifull pure white except the
large feathers of the 1st and second joints of the wings which are jut
black. form and habits are the same with the other brant; they sometimes
ascociate and form one common flock. Capt Clark found a den of young
wolves in the course of his walk today and also saw a great number of
those anamals; they are very abundant in this quarter, and are of two
species the small woolf or burrowing dog of the praries are the
inhabitants almost invariably of the open plains; they usually ascociate
in bands of ten or twelve sometimes more and burrow near some pass or
place much frequented by game; not being able alone to take a deer or goat
they are rarely ever found alone but hunt in bands; they frequently watch
and seize their prey near their burrows; in these burrows they raise their
young and to them they also resort when pursued; when a person approaches
them they frequently bark, their note being precisely that of the small
dog. they are of an intermediate size between that of the fox and dog,
very active fleet and delicately formed; the ears large erect and pointed
the head long and pointed more like that of the fox; tale long; the hair
and fur also resembles the fox tho is much coarser and inferior. they are
of a pale redish brown colour. the eye of a deep sea green colour small
and piercing. their tallons are reather longer than those of the ordinary
wolf or that common to the atlantic states, none of which are to be found
in this quarter, nor I believe above the river Plat.The large woolf
found here is not as large as those of the atlantic states. they are lower
and thicker made shorter leged. their colour which is not effected by the
seasons, is a grey or blackish brown and every intermediate shade from
that to a creen coloured white; these wolves resort the woodlands and are
also found in the plains, but never take refuge in the ground or burrow so
far as I have been able to inform myself. we scarcely see a gang of
buffaloe without observing a parsel of those faithfull shepherds on their
skirts in readiness to take care of the mamed & wounded. the large
wolf never barks, but howls as those of the atlantic states do. Capt.
Clark and Drewyer killed the largest brown bear this evening which we have
yet seen. it was a most tremendious looking anamal, and extreemly hard to
kill notwithstanding he had five balls through his lungs and five others
in various parts he swam more than half the distance acoss the river to a
sandbar & it was at least twenty minutes before he died; he did not
attempt to attact, but fled and made the most tremendous roaring from the
moment he was shot. We had no means of weighing this monster; Capt. Clark
thought he would weigh 500 lbs. for my own part I think the estimate too
small by 100 lbs. he measured 8 Feet 71/2 Inches from the nose to the
extremety of the hind feet, 5 F. to 1/2 Inch arround the breast, 1 F. 11
I. arround the middle of the arm, & 3 F. 11 I. arround the neck; his
tallons which were five in number on each foot were 4 1/8 Inches in
length. he was in good order, we therefore divided him among the party and
made them boil the oil and put it in a cask for future uce; the oil is as
hard as hogs lard when cool, much more so than that of the black bear.
this bear differs from the common black bear in several respects; it’s
tallons are much longer and more blont, it’s tale shorter, it’s hair which
is of a redish or bey brown, is longer thicker and finer than that of the
black bear; his liver lungs and heart are much larger even in proportion
with his size; the heart particularly was as large as that of a large Ox.
his maw was also ten times the size of black bear, and was filled with
flesh and fish. his testicles were pendant from the belly and placed four
inches assunder in seperate bags or pouches.this animal also feeds
on roots and almost every species of wild fruit.

The party killed two Elk and a Buffaloe today, and my dog caught a goat,
which he overtook by superior fleetness, the goat it must be understood
was with young and extreemly poor. a great number of these goats are
devowered by the wolves and bear at this season when they are poor and
passing the river from S. W. to N. E. they are very inactive and easily
taken in the water, a man can out swim them with great ease; the Indians
take them in great numbers in the river at this season and in autumn when
they repass to the S. W.