At Fort Clatsop near Astoria, Oregon, there is little movement today other than violent winds and rain. Lewis describes Richardson’s ground squirrels and western gray squirrels—the latter new to science.
In Washington City, Arikara chief Too Né (Eagle Feather) draws a map and shows where Lewis and Clark were camped las winter.
Western Gray Squirrel
Sciurus griseus
© 2006 by Franco Folini. Permission to use granted under the GNU Free Documentation License 1.2.
A Stormy Day
It continued to rain and blow so violently that there was no movement of the party today. the Indians left us in the morning on their return to their village. Willard somewhat worse the other Invalledes on the ricovery.
—Meriwether Lewis
Western Gray Squirrel
The large grey squirrel appears to be a native of a narrow tract of country on the upper side of the mountains just below the grand falls of Columbia which is pretty well covered in many parts with a species of white oak . . . . this animal is much larger than the grey squirrel of our country it resembles it much in form and colours.
—Meriwether Lewis
Richardson’s Ground Squirrel
the small grey squirrel common to every part of the rocky mountain which is timbered, difirs from the dark brown squirrel just discribed only in it’s colour.
—Meriwether Lewis
A Few Celestial Observations
I am mortifyed at not having it in my power to make more celestial observations since we have been at Fort Clatsop, but such has been the state of the weather that I have found it utterly impracticable.—
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
aspect of the weather at rise
Wind at aspect of the weather at 4 OC1 P.M. Wind at 4 O’Clock P.M. rain after rain S rain after rain S the wind violent all night and this morning continued until late in the evening when it ceased.
—Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of ye Month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.
Meeting with Too Né
Washington Feby. 25
[Elizabeth Dunlap]
I have been to visit a Chief of the Rickaraw Indians who was mentioned by Mr. Jefferson as an extraordinary man, speaking many Indian tongues & likewise conversing by signs.
. . . . .
he pulled some papers & presented one of them to Mitchill [Samuel Latham Mitchell] who read it aloud. It was a certificate & recommendation from Gen’ Clark & Cap’ Merriweather Lewis . . . . He then presented 3 pieces of paper, which joined lengthwise, presented a map of his rout, of his country, the course of the Missouri, the relative situations of a great many Indian nations, & Captain Lewis’s encampment.[2]William Dunlap to Elizabeth Dunlap, February 25 and 28, 1806, in Diary of William Dunlap (New York Historical Society, 1930), 2:388–92, https://archive.org/details/diaryofwilliamdu0002vari/ … Continue reading
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Notes
| ↑1 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of ye Month” column and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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| ↑2 | William Dunlap to Elizabeth Dunlap, February 25 and 28, 1806, in Diary of William Dunlap (New York Historical Society, 1930), 2:388–92, https://archive.org/details/diaryofwilliamdu0002vari/ accessed 23 Nov 2025. |
