Day-by-Day / February 23, 1805

February 23, 1805

Freeing the white pirogue

Fort Mandan, ND The men take advantage of the warm day to free the white pirogue from the ice that threatens to sink it. The Indian boy with amputated toes is taken home on a sled.

Our Boats, Gripped in Ice (Detail)

Charles Fritz

painting of a white sailboat half-sunk in the river ice and snow

© 2009 by Charles Fritz. Used by permission.

Icebound Pirogue[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

Freeing the White Pirogue

all our party were employ’d in cutting the Ice from round the Boat & Pettyaugers [pirogues]. at one o’Clock we got one of the Pettyaugers out of the Ice on Shore.—
—Joseph Whitehouse

Indian Boy Returns Home

The father of the Boy whose feet were frose near this place, and nearly Cured by us took him home in a Slay—
—William Clark

For the story of this Indian boy, see January 10, 1805.

Longitude from Lunar Distances

Immediately after the Lunar observations observed Equal altitudes of the sun symbol with Sextant and artificial Horizon with water.
—Meriwether Lewis

See also “Longitude From Lunar Distances” in Fort Mandan Observations by Robert N. Bergantino.

 

Weather Diary

State of the Ther. at sun symbol rise Weather Wind at sun symbol rise Thermt. at 4 oCk. P.M. Weather Wind at 4 oCk. P.M. River
18 [above 0] fair N W 32 [above 0] fair W raise ½ in.

got the poplar perogue out of the ice.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the River at sun symbol rise” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Related: Thermometers and Temperatures | Weather Observations

logo: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail logo: National Park Service

Fort Mandan is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The North Dakota Department of Parks and Recreation manages a modern reconstruction and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center located at US Hwy 83 and ND Hwy 200A.

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. A unit of the National Park System, the site is located at 564 County Road 37, one-half mile north of Stanton, North Dakota. It has exhibits, trails, and a visitor center.

Notes

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 date column, merged the “State of the River at sun symbol rise” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

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.

This site is provided as a public service by the
Logo: Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:

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).