Day-by-Day / February 8, 1806

February 8, 1806

Bringing in the elk

All three sergeants are dispatched in separate groups to bring into Fort Clatsop the various elk killed on previous days. By day’s end, they all complete their missions. Lewis describes the salal plant.

Shrubs

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

Bringing in the Elk

Sent Sergt. Ordway and two men this morning to join the party with Sergt. Gass and bring the ballance of R. Fields’s Elk. in the evening they returned with the balance of the flesh of five Elk, that of one of them having become tainted and unfit for uce. late in the evening Sergt. Pryor returned with Shannon Labuish [Labiche] and his party down the Netul. they brought with them the flesh of 4 Elk which those two hunters had killed. we have both dined and suped on Elk’s tongues and marrow bones.
Meriwether Lewis

 

Salal

The Shallon is the production of a shrub which I have heretofore taken to be a speceis of loral and mentioned as abounding in this neighbourhood and that the Elk fed much on it’s leaves.
—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.
cloudy after snow, rain, & hail S W cloudy after fair, rain, hail, & snow S W

it was principally rain which fell since 4 P. M. yesterday, it has caused the snow to disappear the rain of the last night has melted down the snow wich has continued to cover the ground since the 24th of January; the feeling of the air and other appearances seem to indicate, that the rigor of the winter have passed; it is so warm that we are apprehensive that our meat will spoil, we therefore cut it in small pieces and hang it seperately on sticks. Saw a number of insects flying about. the small brown flycatch continues with us. this is the smallest of all the American birds except the humming bird.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]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 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 ye Month” column 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.