Tuesday 7th of January 1806
Some frost this morning. I[t] may appear somewhat incrediable,
but So it is that the Elk which was killed last evening
was eaten except about 8 pounds, which I directed to be
taken along with the Skin, I proceded up the South fork of
the Creek about 2 miles and crossed on a pine tree which had
been fallen by the Saltmakers on their first going out, on this
tree we crossed the deepest of the Water and waded on the
opposit Side for 30 yards,
[2]
from thence to the Ocian ¾ of a
mile through a Continuation of open ridgey Prarie, here the
Coast is Sandy, we proceeded on the Sandy beech nearly
South for 3 miles to the mouth of [a] butifull river with bold
and rapid current of 85 yards wide and 3 feet deep in the
Shallowest place, a Short distance up this river on the N E
side is the remains of an old village of Clatsops. I entered a
house where I found a Man 2 Wom[e]n & 3 Children, they
appeared retchedly pore & dirty, I hired the man to Set us
across the River which I call after the Nation
Clatsop river
[3]
for which I gave 2 fishing hooks. at this place the Creek over
which I crossed on a tree passes within 100 yards of the
Clatsop
river over which the nativs have a portage which affords them
an easy communication with the villages near point adams, and
at the mouth of the creek, on which we lay last night. in
walking on the Sand after crossing the river I saw a Singular
Species of fish which I had never before Seen one of the men
Call this fish a Skaite, it is properly a Thornback. I proceeded
on about 2 miles to near the base of [a] high Mountain where
I found our Salt makers, and with them Serg
t. Gass, Geo.
Shannon was out in the woods assisting Jo Field and gibson
to kill Some Meat, the Salt Makers had made a Neet close
camp, convenient to wood Salt water and the fresh water of the
Clâtsop river which at this place was within 100 paces of the
Ocian. they wer also Situated near 4 houses of Clatsops &
Killamox, who they informed me had been verry kind and
attentive to them. I hired a young Indian to pilot me to the
whale for which Service I gave him a file in hand and promised
Several other small articles on my return, left Serg
t. gass and
one man of my party Werner to make Salt & permited Bratten
to accompany me, we proceeded on the round Slipery Stones
under a high hill which projected into the ocian about 4 miles
further than the direction of the Coast.
[4]
after walking for 2 ½
miles on the Stones, my guide made a Sudin halt, pointed to
the top of the mountain and uttered the word
Pe shack which
means bad, and made signs that we could not proceed any
further on the rocks, but must pass over that mountain, I
hesitated a moment & view this emence mountain the top of
which was obscured in the clouds, and the assent appear
d. to be
almost perpindecular; as the small Indian parth allong which
they had brought emence loads but a fiew hours before, led up
this mountain and appeared to assend in a Sideling direction, I
thought more than probable that the assent might be torerably
easy and therefore proceeded on, I soon found that the [path]
become much worst as I assended, and at one place we were
obliged to Support and draw our selves up by the bushes &
roots for near 100 feet, and after about 2 hours labour and
fatigue we reached the top of this high mountain, from the top
of which I looked down with estonishment to behold the hight
which we had assended, which appeared to be 10 or 12 hundred
feet up a mountain which appeared to be almost perpindicular,
here we met 14 Indians men and women loaded with
the Oil & Blubber of the whale. In the face of this tremendeous
precipic[e] imediately below us, there is a Stra (
tar)
of white earth (which my guide informed me) the neighbouring
indians use to paint themselves, and which appears to me to
resemble the earth of which the French Porcelain is made; I
am confident that this earth contains argile,
[5]
but whether it also
contains silex or magnesia, or either of those earths in a proper
perpotion I am unable to deturmine. we left the top of the
precipice and proceeded on a bad road and encamped on a
small run passing to the left; all much fatiagued
