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Saw Several Indians on the hills at a distance this evening viewing us. our encampment of this evening was a very disagreable one, bleak exposed to the winds, and the Sand wet. I pitched on this Situation to prevent being disturbed by those Scioux in the Course of the night as well as to avoid the Musquetors-. Killed 9 whistleing squirels.
I observe great numbers of the whistleing Squirel which burrows their holes Scattered on each Side of the glades through which we passed. Shields killed a hare of the large mountain Species. the after part of the day we passed on the hill Side N of the Creek for 6 Ms.
Drewyer informed us that there was an indian camp of eleven leather lodges which appeared to have been abandoned about 10 days, the poles only of the lodges remained. we are confident that these are the Minnetares of fort de prarie and suspect that they are probably at this time somewhere on the main branch of Maria's river on the borders of the buffaloe, under this impression I shall not strike that river on my return untill about the mouth of the North branch. near this place I observe a number of the whistleing squirrel of the speceis common to the plains and country watered by the Columbia river, this is the first instance in which I have found this squirrel in the plains of the Missouri. the Cottonwood of this place is also of the speceis common to the Columbia. we have a delightfull pasture for our horses where we are.
The large Swan is precisely the same common to the Atlantic States. the small swan differs only from the larger one in size and it's note. it is about one fourth less and it's note entirely different. the latter cannot be justly immetated by the sound of letters nor do I know any sounds with which a comparison would be pertinent. it begins with a kind of whistleing sound and terminates in a round full note which is reather louder than the whistleing, or former part; this note is as loud as that of the large swan. from the peculiar whistleing of the note of this bird I have called it the whistleing swan it's habits colour and contour appear to be precisely those of the large Swan. we first saw them below the great narrows of the Columbia near the Chilluckkittequaw nation.
Well we didn't have no births on the French R. R. and it wouldn't of done us no good to of had them because you wouldn't no sooner dose off when the engine would let off a screem that sounded like a woman that seen a snake and 1 of the boys says that on acct. of all the men being in the army they had women doing the men's work and judgeing by the noise they even had them whistleing for the crossings.
The little animal found in the plains of the Missouri which I have called the barking squirrel weighs from 3 to 31/2 pounds. it's form is that of the squirrel. it's colour is an uniform light brick red grey, the red reather predominating. the under side of the neck and bely are lighter coloured than the other parts of the body. the legs are short, and it is wide across the breast and sholders in propotion to it's size, appears strongly formed in that part; the head is also bony muscular and stout, reather more blontly terminated wider and flatter than the common squirrel. the upper lip is split or divided to the nose. the ears are short and lie close to the head, having the appearance of being cut off, in this particular they resemble the guinea pig. the teeth are like those of the squrrel rat &c. they have a false jaw or pocket between the skin and the mustle of the jaw like that of the common ground squrrel but not so large in proportion to their size. they have large and full whiskers on each side of the nose, a few long hairs of the same kind on each jaw and over the eyes. the eye is small and black. they have five toes on each foot of which the two outer toes on each foot are much shoter than those in the center particularly the two inner toes of the fore feet, the toes of the fore feet are remarkably long and sharp and seem well adapted to cratching or burrowing those of the hind feet are neither as long or sharp as the former; the nails are black. the hair of this animal is about as long and equally as course as that of the common grey squrrel of our country, and the hair of the tail is not longer than that of the body except immediately at the extremity where it is somewhat longer and frequently of a dark brown colour. the part of generation in the female is placed on the lower region of the belly between the hinder legs so far forward that she must lie on her back to copolate. the whole length of this animal is one foot five inches from the extremity of the nose to that of the tail of which the tail occupyes 4 inches. it is nearly double the size of the whistleing squirrel of the Columbia. it is much more quick active and fleet than it's form would indicate. these squirrels burrow in the ground in the open plains usually at a considerable distance from the water yet are never seen at any distance from their burrows. six or eight usually reside in one burrow to which there is never more than one entrance. these burrows are of great debth.
When you approach a burrow the Squirels one, or more, usially Set erect on these Mounds and make a kind of Shrill whistleing nois, Something like tweet, tweet, tweet &c. they do not live on grass as those of the Missouri but on roots. one which I examoned had in his mouth two Small bulbs of a Species of grass, which resembles very much what is Sometimes Called the Grass Nut. the intestins of these little animals are remarkably large for it's Size; fur Short and very fine. the grass in their village is not Cut down as in these of the plains of the Missouri.
The Small Swan differ only from the large one in Size and it's note. it is about 1/4th less, and its notes entirely different. the latter cannot be justly immetated by the Sound of letters nor do I know any Sound with which a comparison would be perti-nent. it begins with a kind of whistling Sound and terminates in a round full note which is reather louder than the whistling, or former part; this note is as loud as that of the large Swan. from the peculiar whistling of the note of this bird I have Called it the Whistleing Swan. it's habits colour and contour appear to be precisely those of the large swan. we first saw them below the great narrows of the Columbia near the Chilluckkittequaw Nation. they are very abundant in this neighbourhood and have remained with us all winter. in number they are fully five for one of the large Species of the Swan's.
At the commencement of the firing the four fishermen concealed themselves below deck, out of danger, and our Portuguese attempting to follow their example was forced back. I remained on the forecastle watching the vessel until the whistleing of six or seven bullets by my ears, warned me of my danger.
There is a Species of whistleing Squirel common in these plains which in their habit Somewhat resembles those of the Missouri but are a distinct Species. this little animale measures 1 foot 5 inches & a half from the nose to the extremity of the tail, of which the tail occupies 21/4 inches only; in the girth it is 11 inches the body is perpotionably long, the neck and legs Short; the ears are Short, obtusely pointed, and lye close to the head; the aperture of the ear is larger proportionably than most animals which burrow. the eyes are of Moderate Size, the puple black and iris of a dark dusky brown. the teeth are like those of the Squirel as is it's whole contour. the whiskers are full, long and black; it has also Some long black hars above the eye-. it has five toes on each foot; the 2 iner toes of the fore feet are remarkably Short, and have Short blunt nails. the remaining toes on these feet are long Slightly Curved, black and Sharply pointed. the outer and inner toes of the hind feet are not Short yet they are by no means as long as the three toes in the Center of the foot which are remarkably long but the nails are not as long as those of the fore feet tho of the Same form and colour. the bars of the tail tho thickly inserted on every part respects the two Sides only. this givs it a flat appearance and a long oval form. the tips of the hair which forms the outer edges of the tail are white. the bace of the hair are either black or a fox red. the under disk of the tail is an iron gray, the upper a redish brown. the lower part of the jaws, under part of the neck, legs and feet from the body down and belly are of a light brick red. the nose as high as the eyes is of a darker brick red. the upper part of the head neck and body are of a curious brownish gray colour with a cast of the brick red. the longer hairs of these parts being of a redish white colour at their extremities fall together in Such a Manner as to give it to the appearance of being Spekled at a little distance. these animals form large ascoations as those of the Missouri, occupying with their burroughs one or Sometimes 200 acres of Land. the burrows are Seperate and are each occupyed perhaps by 10 or 12 of those Animals. there is a little Mound in front of the hole formed of the earth thrown out of the burrow and frequently there are three or four distinct holes forming what I call one burrow, around the base of the mound, which Seams to be occupied as a watch tower in common by the inhabitents of those Several holes. these Mounds are Sometimes as much as 2 feet high, and 4 feet in diameter, and are irregularly distributed over the tract they occupy at the distance of from ten to 30 or forty yards.
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