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238

Page 238

Wednesday November the 20th. 1805

Some rain last night dispatched Labeech to kill some fowl
for our brackfast he returned in about 2 hours with 8 large
Ducks on which we brackfast I proceeded on to the enterance
of a Creek near a Cabin. No person being at this Cabin and
2 Canoes laying on the opposit Shore from us, I deturmined
to have a raft made and Send a man over for a canoe, a Small
raft was Soon made, and Reuben Fields crossed and brought
over a Canoe. This Creek which is the outlet of a number
of ponds, is at this time (high tide) 300 yds. wide. I proceeded
on up the Beech and was overtaken by three Indians one of
them gave me Some dried Sturgeon and a fiew Wappato roots,
I employ[e]d those Indians to take up one of our Canoes
which had been left by the first party that Came down, for
which Service I gave them each a fishing hook of a large Size.
on my way up I met Several parties of Chinnooks which I had
not before Seen, they were on their return from our Camp.
all those people appeared to know my deturmonation of keeping
every individual of their nation at a proper distance, as they
were guarded and resurved in my presence &c. found maney
of the Chin nooks with Capt. Lewis of whome there was 2 Cheifs
Com com mo ly[52] & Chil-lar-la-wil to whome we gave Medals and
to one a flag. one of the Indians had on a roab made of 2 Sea
Otter Skins the fur of them were more butifull than any fur
I had ever Seen both Capt. Lewis & my self endeavored to
purchase the roab with differant articles[53] at length we precured
it for a belt of blue beeds which the Squar-wife of our
interpreter Shabono wore around her waste. in my absence the
hunters had killed Several Deer and fowl of different kinds.

 
[52]

A daughter of this chief became the wife (1813) of Duncan M'Dougal, one of
the associates of John Jacob Astor. See Irving's Astoria (Phila., 1841), ii, pp.
219–221.—Ed.

[53]

Several of the men have robes made of brant-skins; one of them had a hat
made of the bark of white cedar and bear-grass, very handsomely wrought and waterproof.
One of our party purchased it for an old razor.—Gass (p. 242).