The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Clark, May 25, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Clark, May 25, 1806

Sunday 25th May 1806

rained moderately the greater part of last night and this morning untill 6 A.M. The child is not So well to day as yesterday. I repeeted the Creem of tarter and the onion poltice. I caused a Swet to be prepared for the Indn. in the Same hole which bratten had been Sweeten in two days past Drewyer Labiech and Peter crusatt Set out hunting towards the quarmash grounds if they can cross the Creek which is between this and that place, which has been the bearrer as yet to our hunters. Jos. & R Fields crossed the river to hunt on the opposit side. Goodrich went to the 2d village to purchase roots a fiew of which he precured. he informed us that only 8 persons remained in the Village. the men were either hunting on Lewis's river fishing, & the women out digging roots. he saw Several fresh Salmon which the nativs informed him Came from Lewis's river and were fat and fine. one of our men purchased a Bear Skin of the nativs which was nearly of a Cream Coloured white. this Skin which was the Skin of an animal of the middle Size of bears together with the defferent Sizes colours &c. of those which have been killed by our hunters give me a Stronger evidence of the various Coloured bear of this country being one Species only, than any I have heretofore had. the poil of these bear were infinately longer finer & thicker than the black bear their tallons also longer & more blunt as worn by digging roots. the white redish brown and bey Coloured bear I saw together on the Missouri; the bey & Grizly have been Seen and killed together here. for these were the Colours of those which Collins killed on the 14th inst. in short it is not common to find two bear here of this Species presisely of the same colour, and if we were to attempt to distinguish them by their colours and to denomonate each colour a distinct Species we Should Soon find at least twenty. the most Strikeing difference between this Species of bear and the Common black bear are that the former are large and have longer tallens, hair, and tushes, prey more on other animals, do not lie so long or so closely in winter quarters, and will not Climb a tree, tho ever so hardly pursued. the varigated bear I believe to be the Same here with those of the Missouri but these are not so ferocious as those on the Missouri perhaps from the Circumstance of their being compeled from the scercity of game in this quarter to live more on roots and of course not so much in the habit of Seizing and debowering liveing animals. the bear here is far from being as passive as the common black bear, they have atacked and fought our hunters already but not so feircely as those of the Missouri. There are also some of the Common black bear in this neghbourhood tho no So Common as the other Species.

we attempted to swet the sick indian but could not Suckceed. he was not able either to Set up or be Supported in the place prepared for him. I therefore deturmined to inform the Nativs that nothing but Sefere Swetts would restore this disabled man, and even that doubtfull in his present Situation. in the evening Shields & gibson returned haveing killed a Sandhill Crane only. they Saw a female bear, & 2 Cubs & Several deer. they Shot the bear and a deer both of which made their escape. Gibson told me that the Cubs were of different Colours one jut black and the other of a whiteish Colour-. 4 indians Continue with us, one return to their village to daey