The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Clark, May 15, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Clark, May 15, 1806

Thursday 15th of May 1806

This morning Reubin Fields went out to hunt his horse very early and Saw a large bear and no great distance from Camp. Several men went in pursute of the bear, and prosued his trail Some time without gitting Sight of this Monster. Shannon went out with Labeach to hunt and continue out 3 days, Gibson and Hall accompanied them for the meat Labeech killed yesterday which they brought in by 11 A M. this Morning the female was black with white hares intermixed and a white Spot on the breast the Cubs were about the Size of a dog also pore. one of them very black and the other a light redish brown or bey colour. These bear give me a Stronger evidence of the various Coloured bear of this Country being one Specie only, than any I have heretofore had. Several other Colours have been seen. Drewyer and Peter Crusat went up the river. John Shields, R. Fields and Willard hunted in the hills near Camp and returned before 2 P. M without killing any thing except a fiew Grows. they saw but few deer. Some bear Sign. Frazur Jo. Fields and Peter Wizer Complain of a violent pain in their heads. Howard and York with violent Cholicks. the Cause of those disorders we are unable to account for. their diet and the Sudin Change of Climate must contribute. The Great Chief Tin nach-e-moo-tolt (or broken Arm) and 12 of the young men of his nation left us today about 11 oClock and Crossed the river to his Village Hoh-hast-ill-pilt and 3 old men Continued with us untill about 5 P. M when they left us and returnd. to their Village. a party of 14 Indians passed our Camp about 1 P.M. on their way to the leavel uplands to run and kill the deer with their horses and Bows and arrows. Some of them were also provided with deers heads Cased for the purpose of decoying the deer. those men continued withus but a fiew minits and proceeded on. Those people hunt most Commonly on horse back Seround the Deer or Goat which they find in the open plains & kill them with their arrows. tho they Sometimes hunt the deer on foot & decoy them. we had all of our horses drove together to day with a view to fermilurize them to each other. those that were Cut yesterday are Stiff and Several of them much Swelled. we had all our baggage Secured and Covered with a rouf of Straw. our little fortification also completely Secured with brush around which our Camp is formed. the Greater part of our Security from the rains &c. is the grass which is formed in a kind of ruff So as to turn the rain Completely and is much the best tents we have. as the days are worm &c. we have a bowry made to write under which we find not only comfortable but necessary, to keep off the intence heet of the Sun which has great effect in this low bottom. on the high plains off the river the Climate is entirely different cool. Some Snow on the north hill Sides near the top and vegetation near 3 weeks later than in the river bottoms. and the rocky Mountains imedeately in view covered Several say 4 & 5 feet deep with Snow. here I behold three different Climats within a fiew miles a little before dark Hoh-hast-ill-pilt and the 3 old men & one other returned to our Camp and informed us the Canoe was a great way off and they could not cross this evening.