At Fort Clatsop near present Astoria, Oregon, Lewis begins his treatise on local fir trees starting with the Sitka spruce. He also notes the better health of elk taken from prairies rather than forests.
Pine Forest, Oregon
J. Drayton after W. E. Tucker, 12 x 18 cm from Charles Wilkes, Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 (Philadelphia: C. Sherman & Son, 1858).
Grass-fed Elk
the Elk are in much better order in the point near the praries than they are in the woody country arround us or up the Netul. in the praries they feed on grass and rushes, considerable quantities of which are yet green and succulet.
—Meriwether Lewis
Lewis’s Five Firs
There are sveral species of fir in this neighbourhood which I shall discribe as well as my slender botanicall skil will enable me and for the convenience of comparison with each other shal number them.
—Meriwether Lewis
Sitka Spruce
(No 1). a species which grows to immence size; very commonly 27 feet in the girth six feet above the surface of the earth, and in several instances we have found them as much as 36 feet in the girth or 12 feet diameter perfectly solid and entire. they frequently rise to the hight of 230 feet, and one hundred and twenty or 30 of that hight without a limb. this timber is white and soft throughout the rives better than any other species which we have tryed.
—Meriwether Lewis
Determining Latitude
Observed Meridian Altitude of
‘s U. L. with Sextant by the direct observation 55° 59′ 15″
Latitude deduced from this observation N. 46° 10′ 16.3″
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
aspect of the weather at Wind at aspect of the weather at 4 OC1 P.M. Wind at 4 O’Clock P.M. fair N E fair N. E. the last night clear and could the Netul frozen over in several places. all the waterfowls before innumerated still continue with us. the bird [varied thrush] which resembles the robbin have now visited us in small numbers saw two of them yesterday about the fort; they are gentle.
—Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of ye Month” 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.
Plan a trip related to February 4, 1806:
Fort Clatsop is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The site is managed by the Lewis and Clark National and State Historic Parks.
Notes
| ↑1 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of ye Month” column and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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