Sunday 29th. December 1805
rained all the last night a[s] usial, this morning cloudy
without rain, a hard wind from the S.E I gave the Cheif a
razor, and himself and party left us after begging us for maney
articles none of which they recevied as we Could not Spare the
articles they were most in want of. Peter Crusat Sick with a
violent Cold, my Man Y. better; all hands employed about
the Pickets & gates of the fort. we were informed day before
yesterday that a whale had foundered on the coast to the S.W.
near the Kil a mox N. and that the greater part of the Clatsops
were gorn for the oile & blubber, the wind proves too high for
us to proceed by water to See this Monster, Capt. Lewis has
been in readiness Since we first heard of the whale to go and
see it and collect Some of its Oil, the wind has proved too
high as yet for him to proceed. this evining a young Chief 4
Men and 2 womin of the Warciacum nation arrived, and offered
for Sale Dressed Elk Skins and Wappato, the Chief made us
a preasent of about ½ a bushel of those roots. and we purchased
about 1 ½ bushels of those roots for which we gave Some fiew
red beeds Small peaces of brass wire & old Check those roots
proved a greatfull addition to our Spoiled Elk, which has become
verry disagreeable both to the taste & smell we gave
this Chief a Medal of a Small size and a piece of red riben to
tie around the [ILLUSTRATION] top of his hat which was of a Singular
Construction (in Peales Museum) Those people
will not sell all their Wappato to us they inform
us that they are on their way to trade with the Clâtsops.
The Nations above carry on a verry considerable interchange
of property with those in this neighbourhood. they pass altogether
by water, they have no roads or pathes through the
Countrey which we have observed, except across portages from
one creek to another, all go litely dressed ware nothing below
the waste in the Coaldest of weather, a piece of fur around
their bodies and a Short roabe composes the sum total of their
dress, except a few hats, and beeds about their necks arms and
legs Small badly made and homely generally. The flees are
So noumerous and hard to get rid of; that the Indians have
different houses which they resort to occasionally, not withstanding
all their precautions, they never Step into our house
without leaveing Sworms of those tormenting insects; and they
torment us in such a manner as to deprive us of half the nights
Sleep frequently. the first of those insects which we saw on
the Columbian waters was at the Canoe portage at the great
falls. Hard winds & cloudy all day but verry little rain to
day.
