Day-by-Day / February 4, 1806

February 4, 1806

Lewis's five firs

Fort Clatsop, Astoria, OR 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.

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 sun symbol‘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 sun symbol rise Wind at sun symbol rise 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.

 

Notes

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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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.