The ‘Grand Bend’ of the Mississippi, MO As they continue up the Mississippi, Lewis continues to make adjustments to his celestial observations. He also observes the mistletoe and bufflehead duck.
Bufflehead Duck
Bucephala albeola
Unknown author. Permission via the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
“White Pided Ducks”
saw a number of black & white pided ducks,shot at them with my rifle and crippled one but could not obtain it, I cannot therefore discribe them so manutely as could wish they are about the size of the wood duck,—
—Meriwether Lewis
Mistletoe, NE Texas
Phoradendron leucarpum
David R. Tribble. Permission via the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Mistletoe
observed a large quantity of Misseltoe on the trees bordering on the river, on the main shore Lard. side: in dscending the Ohio I furst observed this plant about the mouth of the Muskingum river; which is the point at which I date the commencement of the fever and Ague & bilious fever, to commence, or become common among the inhabitants of it’s borders; it [mistletoe] continued increasing until I arrived at the mouth of the Ohio and sill continues in larger quantities on this than on the Ohio, insomuch that the trees at this place were perfectly loaded with it
—Meriwether Lewis
Up the Grand Bend
just below the place of observation the grand bend as it is stiled by the french watermen, commences on the Lard. quarter and continues bearing from S. E. to N. W. about 6 miles; about the center of the hollow of this bend on lard. quarter a byo makes out
—Meriwether Lewis
