The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Clark, June 7, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Clark, June 7, 1806

Saurday June 7th 1806. The two young cheafs and other Indians who accompanied them Crossed the river and returned to their Village this morning after brackfast; Shabono Sergt Gass McNeal, Whitehouse & Goodrich accompanied them for the purpose of purchaseing or exchangeing old peces of Sane, fish gig, peces of iron, bullets, and old files and Such articles as they Could raise for ropes and Strings for to lash their loads, and bags to Cary their roots in Sergt. Gass, Shabono & McNeal returned at 2 P M haveing precured a String each only. Whitehouse and Goodrich continued at the Village all night. Hohastillpilp crossed the river to day and brought over a horse and gave it to Frazier one of our party who had made him a present previously of a Par of Canidian Shoes. one of our men informed me one of the young Chiefs who had given us two horses already was in Serch of one which he intended to give to me. George Drewyer Set out on a hunting excurtion up Collins's Creek alone. our party are all much engaged in prepareing Sadles and packing up their Stores of Provisions &c.- The Flat Head river is about 150 yards wide at this place and discharges a vast body of water; notwithstanding it's high State the water remains nearly transparent, and it's temperature appears to be quit as cold as that of our best Springs. we met with a butifull little bird in this neighbourhood about the Size and Somewhat the Shape of the large Sparrow. it measures 7 inches from the extremity of the beak to that of the tail, the latter Occupying 21/2 inches. the beak is reather more than half an inch in length, and is formed much like the Virginia Nightingal; red bd. it is thick and large for a bird of it's size, wide at the base, both Chaps convex, and pointed, the upper exceeds the under chap a little is Somewhat cirved and of a brown Colour; the lower chap of a Greenish yellow. the eye full reather large and of a black colour both puple and iris. the plumage is remarkably delicate; that of the neck and head is of a fine orrange yellow and red. the latter predomonates on the top of the head and around the base of the beak from whence it gradually diminishes towards the lower part of the Neck, the orring yellow prevails most, the red has the Appearance of haveing been laid over a Ground of yellow. the breast, the Sides, rump and some long feathers which lie between the legs extend underneath the tail is of a fine orrange yellow. the tail, back and wings are black, except a Small Strip of yellow on the outer part of the Middle joint of the wing, 1/4 of an inch wide and an inch in length. the tail is composed of 12 feathers of which those in the Center are reather Shortest, and the plumage of all the feathers of the tail is longest on that Side of the quill next to the Center of the tail. the legs and feet are black, nails long and Sharp; it has four toes on each foot, of which three are forward and one behind; that behind is as long as the two outer of the three toes in front