University of Virginia Library

[Clark, first draft:]

December 9th Monday 1805.

rained all the last night we are all wet, send 2 men in
pursute of the Elk & with the other 3 I set out with a view
to find the Ocian in our first direction, which can be at no
great Distance, I crossed 3 Slashes by wadeing to my knees
& was prevented proceeding by the 4th. which was a pond of
200 yds. we. I went around, and was stoped by a 5th. which
apd. to be a rung stream to the right. I then returned to the
raft and recrossd. & proceeded down the stream I first struck
about 2 miles & met 3 Indians, who informed me they
lived on the see cost at a short distance, I determd. to accompany
them to their vilg. & we set out crossed the stream, and
2 of the Indians took the canoe over the wavering open rich
plains for ½ a mile and we crossed the same stream which run
to the left, we then left the canoe and proceeded to the same
stream which runs to the right and empties its self into the see
here I found their vilg. 4 Lodges on the west bank of this little
river which is here 70 yards wide, crossed in a canoe & was

invited to a lodge by a young Chief was treated [with] great
Politeness, we had new mats to set on, and himself and wife
produced for us to eate, fish, Lickorish, & black roots, on neet
small mats, and cramberries & Sackacomey berries, in bowls
made of horn, supe made of a kind of bread made of berries
common to this countrey which they gave me in a neet
wooden trencher, with a Cockle shell to eate it with It began
to rain and with a tremendous storm from the S.W. which
lasted untill 10 oClock P M. when I was disposd. to go to
sleep 2 neet mats was produced & I lay on them but the flees
were so troublesom that I slept but little Those people has
2 plays which they are fond of one is with a Been which they
pass from one hand into the other, and the oponent guess on
this game the resquiset numbr of the white Beeds which is the
principal property. they other game is with round Pices of
wood much the shape of the [blank space in MS.] Backgammon
which they role thro between 2 pins.

Monday 9th. December, 1805

rained all the last night we are all wet, I directed 2 hunters
Drewyer & Shannon to go in pursute of the Elk, with the
other 3 men I determined to proceed on to the Ocian, & Set
out on a Westerley direction crossed 3 Slashes and arived at
a Creek which I could not cross as it was deep and no wood
to make a raft, I proceeded down this Creek a Short distance
and found that I was in a fork of the creek, I then returned to
(the) raft on which we had crossed the day (before), crossed
and kept down about one mile and met 3 Indians loaded with
fresh Salmon which they had Giged in the creek I crossed
yesterday in the hills, those indians made Signs that they
had a town on the Seacoast at no great distance, and envited
me to go to their town which envitation I axcepted and accompand.
them, they had a Canoe hid in the Creek which I had
just before rafted which I had not observed, we crossed in
this little Canoe just large enough to carry 3 men an[d] their
loads after Crossing 2 of the Indians took the Canoe on
theire Sholders and Carried it across to the other Creek about

¼ of a mile, we Crossed the 2d. Creek and proceeded on to the
mouth of the creek which makes a great bend above the
mouth of this Creek or to the S. is 3 houses and about 12
families of the Clatsop Nation, we crossed to those houses,
which were built on the S. exposur of the hill, Sunk into the
ground about 4 feet the walls roof & gable ends are of Split
pine boards, the dores Small with a ladder to decend to the
iner part of the house, the fires are 2 in the middle of
the house their beads ar all around raised about 2 ½ feet from
the bottom flore all covered with mats and under those beads
was Stored their bags baskets and useless mats, those people
treated me with extrodeanary friendship, one man attached
himself to me as Soon as I entered the hut, Spred down new
mats for me to Set on, gave me fish berries rutes &c. on Small
neet platters of rushes to eate which was repeated, all the Men
of the other houses came and Smoked with me Those people
appeared much Neeter in their diat than Indians are Comonly,
and frequently wash theer faces and hands. in the eve[ni]ng
an old woman presented [in] a bowl made of a light coloured
horn a kind of Surup made of Dried berries which is common
to this Countrey which the natives Call Shele wele (She-well)[21]
this Surup I though[t] was pleasent, they Gave me Cockle
Shells to eate a kind of Seuip (Soup) made of bread of the
Shele well berries Mixed with roots in which they presented in
Neet trenchers Made of wood. a flock of Brant lit in the
Creek which was 70 yds wide I took up my Small rifle and
Shot one which astonished those people verry much, they
plunged into the Creek and brought the brant on Shore. in
the evening it began to rain and Continud accompanied with
a Violent wind from the S.W. untill 10 oClock P.M. those
people have a Singular game which they are verry fond of and
is performed with Something (a piece of bone) about the Size of
a large been (bean) which they pass from, one hand into the
other with great dexterity dureing which time they Sing, and
ocasionally, hold out their hands for those who Chuse to
risque their property to guess which hand the been is in; the
individual who has the been is a banker & opposed to all in
the room, on this game they risque their beeds & other parts
of their most valuable effects. this amusement has occupied
about 3 hours of this evening, Several of the lodge in which
I am in have lost all the beeds which they had about them.
they have one other game which a man attempted to Show
me, I do not properly understand it, they make use of maney
peces about the Shape and size of Backgammon Pices (Men)
which they role (on the floor) through between two pins Stuck
up at certain distancies &c.[22] when I was Disposed to go to
Sleep the man who' had been most attentive named Cus-ka. lah
producd 2 new mats and Spred them near the fire, and derected
his wife to go to his bead which was the Signal for all to retire
which they did emediately. I had not been long on my mats
before I was attacked most Violently by the flees and they
kept up a close Siege dureing the night