Friday May 30th. 1806
Lapage and Shabono set out early this morning to the
Indian Village in order to trade with them for roots; Serjt.
Gass was sent this morning to obtain some goats hair to stuff
the pads of our Saddles; he assended the river on this side
and being unable to pass the river to the village he wished to
visit returned in the evening unsucksessfull. Shannon and
Collins were permited to pass the river in order to trade with
the nativs and lay in a store of roots and bread for themselves
with their proportion of the merchendize as others had done;
on landing on the opposit shore the canoe was driven broad
side with the full force of a very strong current against some
Standing trees and instantly filled with water and sunk. Potts
who was with them is an indifferent swimer, it was with dificuelty
he made the land. they lost three blankets and a
Blanket Cappo and their pittance of merchindize. in our
bear state of clothing this was a serious loss. I sent Serjt.
Pryor and a party over in the Indian canoe in order to raise
and secure ours but the debth of the water and the strength
of the current baffled every effort. I fear that we have also
lost our canoe. all our invalides are on the recovery. we
gave the sick Chief a severe Swet to day, shortly after which
he could move one of his legs and thy's and work his toes
pritty well, the other leg he can move a little; his fingers and
arms seem to be almost entirely restored. he seems highly
delighted with his recovery. I begin to entertain strong hope
of his recovering by these sweats. in the evening Joseph
Fields returned in serch of his horses which had left them last
evening and returned to camp. Field informed us that himself
and his brother whome he had left at their Camp 6 m
s.
distant on Collins Creek had killed 3 Deer. The
reptiles
which I have observed in this quarter are the rattle snake of
the species discribed on the Missouri, they are abundant in
every part of the country and are the only poisonous snake
which we have met with since we left S
t. Louis. the second
species of snake of an inosent kind already discrib
d. the common
black Lizzard, the horned Lizzard, a small green tree-frog;
the same frog which is common to our country which sings in
the Spring of the year. a large species of frog which resorts
the water considerably larger than our bull-frog, it's shape
seems to be a medium between the delicate and lengthy form
of our bullfrogs and that of our land frog or toad as they are
sometimes called in the United States, like the latter their
bodies are covered with little pustles or lumps, elevated above the
ordinary surface of the body; I never heard them make any
sound or noise, the Mockerson Snake or copper head, a
number of vipers, a variety of Lizzards, the toad bullfrog &c.
common to the U. States are not to be found in this country.
Most of the insects common to the U States are found here.
the butterfly, common house and blowing flies, the horse flies,
except the gold coloured ear fly. tho' in stead of this fly we
have a brown coloured fly about the same size which attatches
itself to that part of the horse and is equally as troublesom.
the silk worm is also found here. a great variety of beatles
common to the atlantic states are seen here likewise. except
from this order the large cow beatle and the black beatle
usially termed tumble bug which are not found here. the
hornet, the wasp and yellow wasp or yellow jacket as they are
frequently called are not met with in this quarter. there is an
insect which much resembles the latter only a vast deel larger
which are very noumerous particular in the Rocky Mountains
on the waters of the Columbia, those build in the ground
where they form a nest like the hornet with an outer covering
to the comb in which they deposit their eggs and raise their
young. the sheets of this comb are attatched to each other
as those of the hornets are. their wings are four of a dark
brown colour. the head is black, the body and abdomin are
yellow insercled with transverce rings of black, they are firce
and sting very severely; we found them troublesom in frightening
our horses as we passed through [the] mountains. the
honey bee is not found here. the bumble bee is. one of the
men brought me to day some onions from the high plains of
a different species from those near the borders of the river as
they are also from the shive or small onion noticed below the
Falls of Columbia. these onions were as large as an nutmeg,
they generally grow double or two bulbs connected by the
same tissue of radicles; each bulb has two long line[a]r flat
solid leaves. the pedencle is solid celindric and cround with
an umble of from 20 to 30 flowers. this onion is exceedingly
crisp and delicately flavoured indeed. I think more sweet
and less strong than any I ever tasted, it is not yet perfectly
in blume, the parts of the flower are not distinct.
