Fort Clatsop, OR Lewis briefly describes aquatic birds: four seagull species, the black cormorant, Arctic loon, and western grebe. Bratton‘s back pain worsens, and the elk hunters have a little success.
Bratton Gets a Message[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
Aquatic Birds
Bonaparte’s Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia (previously Larus philadelphia)
© 2009 by Basar. Permission granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Bonaparte’s Gull
there are four speceis of larus or gull on this coast and river, 1st a small speceis about the size of a pigeon; white except some black spots about the head and a little brown on the but of the wings
—Meriwether Lewis
Glaucous-winged Gull
2nd a speceis somewhat larger of a light brown colour with a whitish or mealy coloured back.
—Meriwether Lewis
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Seaside, Oregon, 20 December 2010. © by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Western Gull
3rd the large grey gull, or white larus with a greyish brown back and a light grey belley and breast, about the size of a well grown pullet or reather larger. the wings are remarkably long in proportion to the size of the body and it’s under chap towards the extremity is more gibbous and protuberant than in either of the other speceis.
—Meriwether Lewis
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
© 2006 by Mbz1. Permission granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Northern Fulmar
4th a white gull about the size of the second with a remarkable beak; adjoining the head and at the base of the uper Chap there is an elivated orning of the same substance with the beak which forms the nostrils; it is some what in this form.
—Meriwether Lewis
Northern Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialis
© 2006 by T. Miller. Permission granted under the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later license.
Black Comorant
The cormorant is a large black duck which feeds on fish; I perceive no difference between it and those found in the Potomac and other rivers on the Atlantic Coast. tho’ I do not recollect seeing those on the atlantic so high up the rivers as those are found here. we first met with them on the Kooskooske at the entrance of Chopunnish river. they increased in quantity as we decended, and formed much the greatest portion of the waterfowl which we saw on the Columbia untill we reached tidewater where they also abound but do not bear a similar proportion to the other fowls found in this quarter.—
—Meriwether Lewis
Black Comorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
© 2009 by Andreas Trepte. Permission granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
Arctic Loon
There are two speceis of loons. 1st the Speckled loon found on every part of the rivers of this country. they are the same size colours and form with those of the Atlantic coast.
—Meriwether Lewis
Arctic Loon
Gavia arctica
Created by Robert Bergman, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Western Grebe
[This] speceis we first met with at the great falls of the Columbia and from thence down. this bird is not more than half the size of the speckled loon, it’s neck is long, slender and white in front. the Colour of the body and back of the neck and head are of a dun or ash colour, the breast and belley are white. the beak is like that of the speckled loon and like them it cannot fly but flutters along on the top of the warter or dives for security when pursued.—
—Meriwether Lewis
Western Grebe
Aechmophorus occidentalis
© 2006 by Deadcode. Permission granted under the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later license.
Treating Bratton
Bratton is much wose today, he complains of a violent pain in the small of his back and is unable in consequence to set up. we gave him one of our flanel shirts, applyed a bandage of flannel to the part and bathed and rubed it well with some vollatile linniment which I prepared with sperits of wine, camphor, castile soap and a little laudinum. he felt himself better in the evening.—
—Meriwether Lewis
One Elk Only
The wind was so high that Comowol did not leave us untill late this evening. Labuish [Labiche] and Drewyer returned at sunset having killed one Elk only. they report that there are some scattering male Elk in the neighbourhood of the place they killed this one or about 5 miles up the Netul on this side.—
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
Aspect of the weather at Rise
Wind at Aspect of weather at 4 O’Ck P. M. Wind at 4 OCk. P. M. rain after rain & hail S E rain after fair, rain, hail, clouds & fair S E Sudden changes & frequent, during the day, scarcly any two hours of the same discription. the Elk now being to shed their horns. a bird of a scarlet colour as large as a common pheasant with a long tail has returned, one of them was seen today near the fort by Capt. Clark’s black man, I could not obtain a view of it myself.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of the Month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.
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 | 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 the Month” column and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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- 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.
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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).