At Long Camp, everything is ready for tomorrow’s move to Weippe Prairie. Cut Nose harvests eagle feathers by capturing live birds from their nests, and the falling river gives hope that the mountain snows have melted. Lewis takes celestial observations and collects a specimen of varileaf phacelia (Phacelia heterophylla)—new to science.
Party Exalted
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
Clearwater River, Kamiah, Idaho
© 9 July 2008 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Falling River, Rising Hopes
the river has been falling for several days and is now lower by near six feet than it has been; this we view as a strong evidence that the great body of snow has left the mountains, though I do not conceive that we are as yet loosing any time as the roads is in many parts extreemly steep rocky and must be dangerous is wet and slippry; a few days will dry the roads and will also improve the grass.—
—Meriwether Lewis
Ready to Move
our party seem much elated with the idea of moving on towards their friends and country, they all seem allirt in their movements today; they have every thing in readiness for a move, and notwithstanding the want of provision have been amusing themselves very merrily today in runing footraces pitching quites, prison basse &c.
—Meriwether Lewis
Eagle Feather Bonnet
Provided by U.S. National Park Service, Nez Perce National Historical Park, NEPE 169.
Golden Eagle Feathers
a chief we call cut nose went Some distance after young Eagles. got Several by climbing a tree by a rope. the feathers of these eagles the Indians make head dresses war like & paint them & is a great thing among them.
—John Ordway
Celestial Observations
by octant
‘s L.L. 51 20’ June 9th 1806
June 9th 1806.
Error of the Sextant 6′ 15— or Subtraction
—Meriwether Lewis
Varileaf Phacelia
Phacelia heterophylla, Pursh
Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service.
Varileaf Phacelia Specimen
Root fibrous. plant from 3-4 high; dry Situation. On the Kooskooskee [Clearwater River] Jun 9th 1806.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]Phacelia heterophylla. Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 127.
Weather Diary
State of the weather at rise
Wind at State of the weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. State of the Kooskooskee at cloudy S E fair after cloudy N W fallen 3½ in. river fell 9 In. yesterday.
—Meriwether Lewis[3]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the river columns have been merged, and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
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 | Phacelia heterophylla. Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 127. |
| ↑3 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the river columns have been merged, and some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
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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.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
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- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
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- Yellowstone Public Radio
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).