Wednesday March 12th 1806
We sent a party again in serch of the Canoe but they returned
unsucksessfull as yesterday sent one hunter out on
this side of the Netul he did not return this evening. Our
party are now furnished with 358 par of Mockersons exclusive
of a good portion of Dressed leather, they are also
previded with shirts overalls capoes of dressed Elk skins for
the homeward journey.
Besides the fish of this coast and river already mentioned
we have met with the following species. viz. the Whale,
Porpus, Skaite, flounder, Salmon, red-carr, two Specis of
salmon trout, mountain or speckled trout, and a Species
similar to one of those noticed on the Missouri within the
mountains, called in the Eastern States, bottle nose. I have
no doubt but there are many other species of fish which also
exist in this quarter at different seasons of the year, which we
have not had an oppertunity of seeing. the Shell fish are the
Clam, perriwinkle, common Muscle, cockle, and a species with
a circular flat shell.
The Whale is sometimes pursued harpooned and taken by
the Indians of this coast; tho I believe it is much more
frequently killed by running on the rocks of the coast to S.S.W.
in violent storms, and thrown on different parts of the coast
by the winds and tide. in either case the Indians preserve
and eat the blubber and oil as has been before mentioned.
the whale bone they also carefully preserve for sale.
The Reptiles of this country are the rattlesnake, garter snake
a common brown Lizzard. the season was so far advanced on
this side of the Rocky Mountains that but fiew rattle snakes
were seen. I did not remark one particularly my self nor do
I know if they are of either of the four species found in different
parts of the United States, or of that species before observed
only on the upper parts of the Missouri & its branches.
The Garter snake so called in the U States is very common
in this country, they are found in great numbers on the open
and sometimes marshy grounds in this neighbourhood. they
differ not at all from those of the United States. the Black
or dark brown Lizzard we saw at the long narrows or commencement
of the woody country on the Columbia; they are
also the same with those of the U. States. The snail is noumerous
in the woodey country on the Columbia; they are in
shape like those of the U. States, but are at least five times
their bulk. there is a specis of water Lizzard of which I only
saw one just above the grand rapid of the Columbia. it is
about 9 inches long the body is reather flat and about the size
of a mans finger, covered with a soft skin of dark brown
colour with an uneaven surface covered with little pimples, the
neck and head are short, the latter termonateing in an accute
angular point and flat. the fore feet each have four toes, the
hinder ones five unconnected with a web and destitute of
tallons. it's tail was reather longer than the body, and in form
like that of the Muskrat, first riseing in an arch higher than
the back, and decending lower than the body at the extremety,
and flated perpendicularly. the belley and under part of
the neck and head were of a Brick red every other part of
the colour of the upper part of the body are dark brown. the
mouth was smooth without teeth.
The horns of some of the Elk have not yet fallen off and
those of others have Grown to the length of six inches. the
latter are in the best order, from which it would seem that the
pore Elk retain their horns longer.
