History of the expedition under the command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the sources of the Missouri, thence across the Rocky mountains and down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean : performed during the years 1804-5-6 by order of the government of the United States; Volume 2

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49() January 20 No ice passing to-day. 21 22 23 24 28 February 2 J" 4 5 6 7 Icc running out of the Missoul'i 9 inches thick. Snow 2f inches dc~p. Ice running out of the Missouri, snow 5-! inches deep. Icc stopped. The trees covered with icc. Ice running, cold ~c. ' The wind blew hard, no frost, snow disappearing fast. Frost this morning, the snow has disappeared in spots. Frost this morning, the snow thaws considerably. Frost, number of swan ancl geese from N. and S. Immense quantity of icc running, some of which is 1 1 inches thick. A quantity of soft ice running, white frost, the snow disappeared, swans passing. A small qnantity of floating ice passing, swans passmg. 8 Many swan from N. W. Creek rose and took ofl' the water mark. 9 The rivet rose 2 feet: large quantity of drift icc from the Missouri. 10 Ice sttill drifting in considet·able quantities: some geese pass from the south. ll The sugar maple runs ft·cely: swans pass from the north. 12 Pigeons, ~ecsc and ducks of various kinds have returned. 13 The fit·st appearance of the blue crains. 14 But little drift ice: the l\Iississippi is not broken up: sugar trees run. 15 Immense quantity of sw:Jns. 27 The river rose three inches und fell immediate ly. ~8 Began to snow, and contillued all day. Jl.ppendix. Feb. 29 Snow all ni~ht, and until eleven o'clock A.M. and cleared away. March 7 Saw the fil'st brant return. g Hain succeeded by snow and hail. 9 Cloudy in the morning. 19 The weather has been generally fair but very cold, the ice run for several days in such quantitie5, that it was impossible to pass the river; visited St. Charle5; saw the first snake, which was the kind usually termed the garter snake; saw also a beetle of a black colour, with two red stripes on his back, pa"sing each other crosswise from the but of the wing to the extremity of the same. 20 Heard the firat frogs on my return from S~. Charles. 25 Saw the first white crane return. ~6 Tlle weather warm and fait·. 27 The buds of the spicewooll appeared, and the tas­sels of the mail cottonwood were larger than a lat·ge mulbeny, and with the shape and colout· of that fx·uit: some of them had fallen from the trees. The grass begins to spt·ing; the weather has been warm, and no falling \Yeather until this time, though the atmosphere has been very smoky and thick; a heavy fall of rain commen­ced, which continued until twelve at night, at­tended with thundet· and li ~ htning. Saw large insects which resembled musquitoes, but doubt whether they ar~ really those insects or the fly which pt·oduces them, they attempted to bite my horse, but I could not observe that they ma.de any impression with their beaks. ~1 Windy. April The spicewood is in full bloom, the dog's-tooth VoL.ll. violet, and May apple appeared ab.ovc ground. A northern light appeared at 10 o'clock P. ]\f. ycry reel.