Monday (Sunday) January 26th. 1806.
Werner and Howard who were sent for salt on the 23rd. have
not yet returned, we are apprehensive that they have missed
their way; neither of them are very good woodsmen, and this
thick heavy timbered pine country added to the constant
cloudy weather makes it difficult for even a good woodsman to
steer for any considerable distance the course he wishes. we
ordered Collins to return early in the morning and rejoin the
salt makers, and gave him some small articles of merchandize
to purchase provisions from the Indians, in the event of their
still being unfortunate in the chase. The Shallun (see Feby. 8.
1806) or deep purple berry is in form much like the huckkleberry
and terminates bluntly with a kind of cap or cover at the
end like that fruit; they are attatched seperately to the sides
of the boughs of the shrub by a very short stem hanging
underneath the same and are frequently placed very near each
other on the same bough; it is a full bearer. the berry is
easily geathered as it seperates from the bough readily, while
the leaf is strongly affixed. the shrub which produces this
fruit rises to the hight of 6 or 8 feet sometimes grows on the
high lands but moste generally in the swampy or marshey
grounds; it is an evergreen. the stem or trunk is from three
to 10 Inches in circumference irregularly and much branched,
seldom more than one steem proceding from the same root,
tho' they are frequently associated very thickly. the bark is
somewhat rough and of a redish brown colour. the wood is
very firm and hard. the leaves are alternate declining and
attatched by a short fotstalk to the two horizontal sides of the
boughs; the form is a long oval, reather more accute towards
its apex than at the point of insertion; it's margin slightly
serrate, it's sides colapsing or partially foalding upwards or
channelled; it is also thick firm [s]mothe and glossey, the upper
surface of a fine deep green, while the under disk is of a pale
or whiteish green. this shrub retains it's virdure very perfectly
during the winter and is a beautifull shrub.
[8]
the natives
either eat these berrys when ripe immediately from the bushes
or dryed in the sun or by means of their sw[e]ating kilns; very
frequently they pound them and bake them in large loaves of
10 or fifteen pounds; this bread keeps very well during one
season and retains the moist jeucies of the fruit much better
than by any other method of preservation. this bread is
broken and stired in could water untill it be sufficiently thick
and then eaten; in this way the natives most generally use it.
