University of Virginia Library

[Clark:]

Thursday 9th. January 1806

a fine morning wind from the N.E. last night about 10
oClock while Smokeing with the nativ's I was alarmed by a
loud Srill voice from the cabins on the opposite side, the

Indians all run immediately across to the village, my guide
who continued with me made Signs that Some one's throat
was Cut, by enquiry I found that one man Mc.Neal was
absent, I imediately Sent off Sergt. N. Pryor & 4 men in
quest of Mc Neal who' they met comeing across the Creak in
great hast, and informed me that the people were alarmed on
the opposit side at Something but what he could not tell, a
Man had verry friendly envited him to go and eate in his
lodge, that the Indian had locked armes with him and went
to a lodge in which a woman gave him Some blubber, that the
man envited him to another lodge to get Something better,
and the woman [Knowing his design] held him [Mc Neal] by
the blanket which he had around him (He not knowing her
object freed himself & was going off, when [This woman a Chinnook
an old friend of Mc Neals] and another ran out and hollow'd
and his pretended friend disapeared. I emediately ordered
every man to hold themselves in a State of rediness and Sent
Sergt. Pryor & 4 men to know the cause of the alarm which
was found to be a premeditated plan of the pretended friend
of Mc Neal to ass[ass]anate [him] for his Blanket and what fiew
articles he had about him, which was found out by a Chinnook
woman who allarmed the men of the village who were
with me in time to prevent the horred act. this man was of
another band at Some distance and ran off as soon as he was
discovered. we have now to look back and Shudder at the
dreadfull road on which we have to return of 45 miles S E of
Point adams & 35 miles from Fort Clatsop. I had the blubber
& oil divided among' the party and set out about Sunrise
and returned by the Same rout we had went out, met Several
parties of men & women of the Chinnook and Clatsops nations,
on their way to trade with the Kil a mox for blubber and
oil; on the Steep decent of the Mountain I overtook five
men and Six women with emence loads of the Oil and blubber
of the Whale, those Indians had passed by Some rout by
which we missed them as we went out yesterday; one of the
women in the act of getting down a Steep part of the Mountain
her load by Some means had Sliped off her back, and She
was holding the load by a Strap which was fastened to the mat
bag in which it was in, in one hand and holding a bush by the
other, as I was in front of my party, I endeavoured to relieve
this woman by takeing her load untill She could get to a better
place a little below, & to my estonishment found the load as
much as I could lift and must exceed 1001bs. the husband of
this woman who was below Soon came to her releif, those
people proceeded on with us to the Salt works, at which place
we arrived late in the evening, found them without meat, and
3 of the Party J. Field Gibson & Shannon out hunting, as I
was excessively fatigued and my party appeared verry much so,
I determined to Stay untill the morning and rest our selves a
little. The Clatsops proceeded on with their lodes. The
Clatsops, Chinnooks Kilámox &c. are verry loquacious and
inquisitive; they possess good memories and have repeeted
to us the names capasities of the Vessels &c of maney traders
and others who have visited the mouth of this river; they are
generally low in Statu[r]e, proportionably Small, reather lighter
complected and much more illy formed than the Indians of the
Missouri and those of our fronteers; they are generally Chearfull
but never gay. with us their conversation generally turns
upon the subject of trade, Smokeing, eating or their women;
about the latter, they Speak without reserve in their presence,
of their every part, and of the most farmiliar Connection. they
do not hold the virtue of their women in high estimation, and
will even prostitute their wives and Daughters for a fishing-hook
or a Stran of beeds. in Common with other Savage
nations they make their womin perform every Species of
domestic drugery; but in almost every Species of this drugery
the men also participate, their woman are compelled to gather
roots, and assist them in takeing fish; which articles form
much the greater part of their Subsistance; notwithstanding
the Survile manner in which they treat their womin they pay
much more respect to their judgement and oppinion in maney
respects than most indian nations; their womin are permited
to Speak freely before them, and Sometimes appear to command
with a tone of authority; they generally consult them
in their traffic and act conformably to their opinions.

I think it may be established as a general maxim that those

nations treat their old people and women with most defference
and respect where they Subsist principally on Such articles
that these can participate with the men in obtaining them;
and that, that part of the Community are treated with least
attention, when the act of precureing subsistance devolves
entirely on the men in the vigor of life. It appears to me
that nature has been much more deficient in her filial ties than
in any others of the Strong effections of the humane heart, and
therefore think our old men equally with our woman indebted
to sivilization for their ease and comfort. I am told among
the Sioux's, Assinniboins and others on the Missouri who Subsist
by hunting it is a Custom when a person of either Sex
becoms So old and infirm that they are unable to travel on
foot, from Camp to Camp as they rove in serch of subsistance,
for the Children or near relations of such person to leave them
without compunction or remorse; on those occasions they
usially place within their reach a Small piece of meat and a
platter of water, telling the poor old Superannuated retch for
their Consolation, that he or She had lived long enough, and
that it was time they Should die and go to their relations who
can afford to take care of them, much better than they Could.
I am informed that the Menetares Arwarharmays and Ricares
when attended by their old people on their hunting expedition[s]
prosued the Same Custom; but in justice to those
people I must observe that it appeared to me at their villages,
that they provided tolerably well for their aged persons, and
Several of their feasts appear to have principally for their object
a contribution for their aged and infirm persons. In one
of the Mandan villages I Saw an old man to whome I gave a
knife and enquired his age, he Said he had Seen more than
100 winters, and that he Should Soon go down the river to
their old village. he requested I would give him Something
to prevent the pain in his back his grand Son a Young man
rebuked the old man and Said it was not worth while, that it
was time for the old man to die. the old man occupied one
Side of the fire and was furnished with plenty of covouring
and food, and every attention appeared to be paid to him. &c.
Jó. Field in my absence had killed an Elk and a Deer, brought
in the Deer and half of the Elk on a part of which we Suped,
Some rain a little after dark. I visited a house near the Salt
boilers found it inhabited by 2 families, they were pore dirty
and their house Sworming with flees.