1804 \ pure sky which are invisible in an ordinary one.
December J This evening some light clouds appeared about the sun-setting, which is an indication of change of weather; we now anxiously expect rain, as we wait only for the first rise of the river to go down with safety over the falls and rapids; 5 or 6 feet perpendicular will be sufficient. At night the atmosphere became again extremely bright — at p.m. the therm! was at 21? Extremes 90— 3 8° — It became very cold at 1ol1 p.m.
Monday 31s.' Therm! in air 29° in river water 3 6°—Wind S.E. During the night the Weather altered greatly; the temperature was much molified and the stars disappeared; in the morning one general cloud enclosed the horizon, and from the damp penetrating chilliness of the morning we look for snow: ordered setting poles to be made & every thing to be prepared for the first favorable moment to depart. The day continued cloudy, & in the afternoon the therm! having risen to 3 2° it began to snow and continued all day and part of the night: Examined some of the green moss from the hot-springs, with a view to shew Doctor Hunter one of the Bivalved testaceous animals, found a large one which under the microscope measured '/„ of an inch in
length by the micrometer. 1805 I 5 J
January >
Tuesday 1« J This morning the thermometer was at 260 —
It had ceased snowing in the night but recom- f 1805
menced after day light; the snow was sounded \JanuaT
and found in most places to be from 11 to 13
inches; we are in hopes that the melting of this
snow united to the rain which will probably
accompany the thaw, will be sufficient to take
us down in safety; being desireous however of
ascertaining what aid we had to expect from
the snow, I made the following experiment —
I took a Cylindric Kettle 1 o inches deep & hav-
ing by sounding found a flat piece of snow of
the same depth, I pressed down the Kettle bot-
tom upwards perpendicularly to the ground; I
was thus enabled to return the Kettle completely
filled with its column of snow, and having
thawed it gradually to the temperature of 330
I found the water to measure exactly 1.07
inches, that is, 9.346 inches of snow will yield
one inch of water in the circumstances above
mentioned; it is observable that the snow fell
lightly without wind, it is therefore probable
that the proportion of ten to one may be adopted
as a general standard to be varied according to
circumstances. The snow continued frozen all
day, and the therm! at 3! 1 p.m. did not fall below
the freezing point and in the evening at 8!1 p.m.
it was fallen to 18?
1805 \ large fires with all the covering that could be January] conVeniently used were necessary to render our situation comfortable in a bad tent negligently chosen at New Orleans. The sun arose bright and shone with splendor upon the surface of the snow which covered every object upon the ground; the river alone presented a bleak appearance with a condensed vapor floating upon its surface; the temperature of the river was at the freezing point; a kettle of water being brought up to Camp and placed on the ground four feet from a large fire, its surface began immediately to shoot into icy chrystalizations. — Our hunters are tolerably successful, bringing in every day abundance of Venison and Turkies.— The day became pleasant and agreeable, the temperature at 3* p.m. being 45? and at 8!1 p.m. the thermometer fell to 320
Thursday 3? Thermometer in air 22? in river water 340 — wind moderate at N.W. The atmosphere became cloudy in the night and we looked confidently for a change of weather, but this morning it has become serene and fine; the vicissitudes of the weather have of late been frequent, a change is now extremely desireable but the season seems obstinately bent against all change. The day became pleasant and of an agreeable temperature, the thermometer at p.m. being at 480 and at 8h in the evening 300
Thermometer
Thermometer in air 22? in river water 36° — [1805 Calm — during the night it became cloudy, not jpj^j^tk a star was to be seen but before morning it cleared away & became perfectly serene and cloudless. The day proved fine, the sky over head of a bright but deep prusian blue, the temperature mild, the thermometer at 31? p.m. being up to 500 In the afternoon the Doctor made an excursion upon the river to examine some of the neighbouring hills: I continued to bring up and arrange my Journals. The evening was fine, the thermometer at 8^ p.m. was at 320 — no favorable appearance yet of rain to raise the river; the snow is disappearing without produ-' cing any beneficial effect: we continue here as prisoners, waiting for what is usually called bad weather, to bear us away from this place.
Thermometer in air 2 2° in river water 36! Saturday s1." Wind N.W. The atmosphere became cloudy in the night, but was perfectly serene and clear at day-break, so that we have no near prospect of our departure. The day became fine and seemed to invite us to recommence astronomical observations, and altho' a sufficient series had been made both for Latitude and longitude at the hot-springs connected by survey with this place, yet we began a new series. Equal altitudes of the sun were taken before and after noon; three distances of the moon and sun's limbs
were
1805 1 were taken near 2h p.m. and in the evening January J three distances of the moon's west limb from Aldebaran were taken between 6 & yh p.m. — a greater number would have been taken, but in the first case the Sun got behind some trees and in the second case, the moon was in a similar situation, if tomorrow proves fine we shall prosecute the same operations to more advantage, having ordered several trees to be cut down which stood in the way — Wind S.E.
The day continued fine and of a mild temperature; some few clouds keep up our hopes of a change — Thermometer at 81! p.m. 280— 'Extremes 22°-55°
Sunday 6'.h Thermometer before sun-rise in air 2 8° in river water 3 8° This morning proved cloudy contrary to expectation and revived our hopes of a change of weather favorable to our descent: This state of the atmosphere continued all day; from time to time there was a little light rain or mist. The rain increased a little after dark, but still very light: the snow seems now melted away to about one fifth or sixth of the original quantity; we began to apprehend that the whole would disappear without any influence upon the river, but now it has risen about 12 inches: Thermometer at 81? p.m. 440 Extremes 28°-50°
Monday 7'.h Thermometer in air 64? in river water 440
Last Last night it rained very lightly by intervals, so [1805 little indeed that a cylindric vessel placed to re- [January ceive it, did not contain enough to be measured. During the night the temperature was extremely warm, and the weather continues to be cloudy, but not very dark, so that our prospect of rain is not very flattering; the river has nevertheless risen 18 inches since last night, which has no doubt been caused by the melting of the snows. The sun shews himself at intervals between the clouds: it became so warm that we dined abroad under the shade of lofty pine and oak trees, upon the wild game of the forest and the river, such as Venison, wild Turkey, bear, Cygnet &c: The thermometer at the hour of dinner was at 750 which at this season produces the sensation of a summer's sun of 900; the river continues to rise, and we have taken the resolution to wait the issue of the present state of the weather and to set out at all events; if there be not water enough to go over the falls with safety by the oar, we shall pass along by letting ourselves down by the help of a rope, step by step, until the danger is passed. Thermometer at 8!1 p.m. 3 8° Extremes 380—78? In the evening the river continues to rise.
1805 \ be about 6 feet perpendicular, higher than the January] levej Qf the river when we came up, we now
think ourselves secure of going down with speed and safety; orders were therefore given to embark, our baggage and prepare for departing. We had the satisfaction of taking with us an abundance of fresh provision chiefly venison, to supply us to the Post of the Washita. We accordingly set off between 9 & 10 o'clock and landed a little below upon the opposite shore and went to examine the first rapids, which we found to be very safe; we re-embarked, and by directing our course between the breakers, passed along with the rapidity of an arrow in perfect security: we continued moving with great rapidity on the face of the current, but thought it prudent to land and view a second rapid, and after exploring the best passage we passed down in perfect safety.
We got over the great 'Chutes' about 1 o'clock, two of our oars having been violently dashed overboard by the willows, the Pilot thinking it safest to keep the eastern shore on board; we halted below and regained our oars by sending up the Canoe. There we dined and went on & stopped a little below to examine the flinty promontory already noticed on the 3d December. We took some specimens of the rock resembling the Turkey oil-stone: it appears to me to be too hard; I remarked that the strata
of
of this chain ran perpendicularly nearly East and f 1805
West, crossed by fissures at right angles 5, 6 to \January
8 feet apart; the laminae were from % to 4 or
5 inches thick. About a league below on the
same side, landed at Whetstone hill and took
several specimens; this projecting hill consists
of a mass of greyish blue schistus of consider-
able hardness and about 20 feet perpendicular;
near the top, it was in a state of progression
towards decomposition, being there extremely
crumbly and part of it changing into a dirty
yellowish color: the lamina? were in general
perpendicular, but not regularly so, and from
}4 to 2 inches in thickness, but did not split
asunder with an even surface: went on and en-
camped about ten leagues below Ellis' Camp.
Thermometer at 8^ p.m. 37? Extremes 280—370
It rained lightly after we encamped, which ren-
dered the flat ground of our encampment very
wet and the wood difficult to burn.
Thermometer in air 42°, in river water 440 Wednesday 9'? — The river fallen about six inches — During the night it rained by intervals, but very lightly, the air was moist and cold, the soil here immediately under the vegetable stratum is yellowish and of little consistency, resembling greatly the understratum observed near the hot springs, produced probably by the same cause, the decomposition of schistus. Last evening ordered
provisions