October 18, 1833
In the night, hoarfrost. Early in the morning, calm weather, snow. At seven thirty, 33°F [0.6°C]. After eight o’clock, strong, raw wind; at the same time, driving snow. We worked at home. At midday, twelve o’clock, 35°F [1.7°C]. In a flock of ten to twelve wild geese we saw a pair of all-white ones (Anser hyperboreus); [these] nested individually on the Missouri. After twelve o’clock, some sunshine.
Antoine returned from the lake. He had shot ten muskrats, seven wild geese, and six ducks, as well as two Mergus cucullatus. Later in the afternoon, some Assiniboines came and announced [that] 40 [tipis] of their tribe [would arrive] tomorrow, but there were not [that] many. Dreidoppel went out and shot a small prairie fox. In the afternoon, cold wind and some snow; the nights seemed to be getting colder. The sky was covered with gray clouds.
Mr. Hamilton told me [that] someone shot a bird of paradise at the St. Peter’s [Minnesota] River a few years ago. Mr. Lamont is said to have seen it and [should] be questioned about the likelihood of this matter.
Today I read Morrell’s work (A Narrative of Four Voyages to the South Sea, etc. New York 1822 [sic]) and found [information] about some points of the Brazilian coastline, among others, S. João da Macahé, Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, [and] Bahia; he calls the Ilha das Cobras Island of the Copper Snakes, a very incorrect translation. Unfortunately, this work has no information about natural history; not even a chart is included. In the evening we finished the information on the Osages. In the night we again had a strong, waxing moon.