Day-by-Day / March 25, 1805

March 25, 1805

The spring break-up

At Fort Mandan amongst the Knife River Villages in present North Dakota, the river ice begins breaking up, and the new canoes are endangered as they travel to the fort. Two men make a new steering oar for the barge and Lewis observes the sun’s magnetic azimuth.

Canoes Near Destroyed by Ice

by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading

New Canoes in Peril

The ice began to brake away this evening and was near distroying our Canoes as they wer decnding to the fort
William Clark

Steering Oar

2 men Set at making a Stearing oar for the Big Barge &.C. others Shelling corn &.C.—
John Ordway

Magnetic Declination

Observed sun symbol‘s magnetic Azimuth with Circumferenter
Meriwether Lewis

 

Weather Diary

State of Ther. at sun symbol rise Weather wind at sun symbol rise State of Thermt. at 4 OClock Weather at 4 Ock Wind at 4 OClock State of the River
16 fair E. 32 [above 0] fair S. rise 5 in.

a gang of swan return to day the ice in the river has given way in many places and it is with some difficulty it can be passed—
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of Month 1805” column and spelled out some abbreviations.

Notes

Notes
1 Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio.
2 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of Month 1805” column and spelled out some abbreviations.

Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail

The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Logo: Lewis and Clark.travel

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.