The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Clark, March 3, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Clark, March 3, 1806

Monday March 3rd 1806

Two of our Canoes have been lately injured very much in consequence of the tide leaveing them partially on Shore. they Split by this means with their own weight. we had them drawn out on Shore. our convalessents are Slowly on the recovery. La page is taken Sick. gave him Some of Scotts Pills which did not opperate. no movement of the party to day worthey of notice. every thing moves on in the old way and we are Counting the days which Seperate us from the 1st of April, & which bind us to Fort Clatsop.-.-.

The Small Speckled Pheasant found in the Rocky Mountains, and differ from the large black and white pheasant only in point of Size, and Somewhat in colour. it is scercely half the Size of the other; assosiates in much larger flocks and is also very gentle. the black is more predominate and the dark brown feathers less frequent in this than the larger Species. the mixture of white is also more general on every part of this bird. it is considerably Smaller than our Pheasant and the body reather more round. in other particulars they differ not at all, from the large black and white Pheasant. this by way of distinction I have called the Speckled Pheasant. the flesh of both these Species of party coloured Pheasant is of a dark colour, and with the means we had of cooking them were only tolerably flavoured tho these birds would be fine well cooked.

The small Brown Pheasant is an inhabitant of the Same Country and is of the Size and Shape of the Speckled Pheasant, which it also resembles in it's economy and habits, the Stripe above the eye in this Species is scercely preceptable and is when closely examined of a yellow or orrange colour in Sted of the vermillion of the others. it's colour is of a uniform mixture of dark and yellowish brown with a Slight mixture of brownish white on the breast belley and the feathers under the tail. the whole Compound is not unlike that of the Common quaile only darker. this is also booted to the toes. the flesh is tolerable and that of the breast is as white as the Pheasant of the atlantic coast. the redish brown Pheasant has been previously discribed.-.

The Crow Ravin and large Blackbird are the Same as those of our Country, only that the Crow here is much Smaller, yet its note is the Same. I observe no difference between the Hawk of this Coast and those of the Atlantic. I have observed the large brown Hawk, the Small or Sparrow hawk, and a hawk of an intermediate Size with a long tail and blewish coloured wings, remarkably Swift in flight and very ferce. Sometimes called in the Un. States the hen Hawk. those birds Seam to be common to every part of this Country in greater or smaller numbers, and the Hawks, Crows, and ravins build their nests in great numbers along the high & inaxcessable clifts of the Columbia, and Lewis's rivers when we passd along them. we also met with the large hooting Owl under the Rocky mountains on the Kooskooske R. it's Colour reather deeper than with us, but differ in no other respect from those of the U States.