[Clark, first draft:]
December 31st.. Tuesday 1805.
A Cloudy night & some rain, this day proved cloudy and
some showers of rain to day all the Indians continued at their
camp near us, 2 others canoes came one from the War-ci-a-cum
Village, with three Indians, and the other from higher
up the river of the Skil-lute nation with three men and a Squar;
Those people brought with them some Wap to roots, mats
made of flags, & rushes, dried fish and some fiew She-ne-tock-we
(or black) roots & Dressed Elk skins, all of which
they asked enormous prices for, particularly the Dressed Elk
Skins; I purchased of those people some Wapto roots, two
mats and a small pouch of Tobacco of their own manufactory,
for which I gave large fish hooks, [of] which they were verry
fond, those Indians are much more reserved and better behaved
to day than yesterday the sight of our Sentinal who
walks on his post, has made this reform in those people who
but yesterday was verry impertenant and disagreeable to all.
This evening they all cleared out before the time to shut the
gates, without being derected to doe So. I derected sinks to
be dug and a Sentinal Box which was accomplished
One of those Indeans brought a Musquet to be repared,
which only wanted a Screw flattened, for which he gave me
a Peck of Wapto roots, I gave him a flint and a pice of Sheep
Skin of which he was pleased. January 1st. Wednesday 1806
in another book[33]
Tuesday 31st. December 1805
last night was cloudy and Some rain, this day prove
Cloudy and Showerry all day, all the Indians continue at
their camp near us, two other canoes arrived, one from the
Warciâcum Village with 3 indians and the other [of 3 men & a
squar] from higher up the river and are of the Skil-lute Nation,
those people brought with them Some Wappato roots, mats
made of flags and rushes dried fish, and fiew Shaw-na-tâh-que
and Dressed Elk Skins, all of which they asked enormous
prices for, perticularly the dressed Elk Skins, I purchased
of those people Some Wappato two mats and about 3 pipes
of their tobacco in a neet little bag made of rushes. This tobacco
was much like what we had Seen before with the Sosone
or Snake indians, for those articles I gave a large fishing hook
and Several other Small articles, the fishinghooks they were
verry fond of. Those Skillutes are much better behaved than
the Warciacum indeed we found a great alteration in the conduct
of them all this morning, the Sight of our Sentinal on
his post at the gate, together with our deturmined proseedure
of putting all out at Sun set has made this reform in those
Warciacoms who is fo[r]ward impertinant an [d] thieveish.
The nativs all leave the fort this evening before Sun set
without being told or desired to do So. we had Sinks dug
& a Sentinal box made. a Skillute brought a gun which he
requested me to have repared, it only wanted a Screw flattened
so as to catch, I put a flint into his gun & he presented me in
return a peck of Wappato for payment, I gave him piece of
a Sheap Skin and a Small piece of blue Cloth to cover his lock
for which he was much pleased and gave me in return Some
roots &c.
I saw flies and different kinds of insects in motion to day.
Snakes are yet to be Seen and Snales without covers is common
and verry large water fowls of various kinds are in great
numbers in the rivers and Creeks and the sides of Meriwethers
Bay near us but excessively wild. the fore part of this night
fair and clear
With the party of Clâtsops who visited us last was a man of
much lighter Coloured than the nativs are generaly, he was
freckled with long duskey red hair, about 25 years of age, and
must Certainly be half white at least, this man appeared to
understand more of the English language than the others of
his party, but did not Speak a word of English, he possessed
all the habits of the indians[34]
