Friday the 10th. of January 1806
I derected Sergt. Gass to continue with the salt makers untill
Shannon return from hunting, and then himself and Shannon
to return to the Fort, I set out at Sunrise with the party
waded the Clatsop river which I found to be 85 Steps across
and 3 feet deep, on the opposite Side a Kilamox Indian Came
to [me] and offered to Sell Some roots of which I did not
want [any], he had a robe made of 2 large Sea otter Skins
which I offered to purchase, but he would not part with them,
we returned by nearly the Same rout which I had come out,
at four miles, I met Gibson & Shannon each with a load of
meat, they informed me that they had killed Elk about 2
miles off, I directed 3 men to go with the hunters and help
them pack the meat to the place they were makeing Salt, and
return to the fort with Sergt. Gass, the balance of the party
took the load of the 3 men, after crossing the 2d. Creek frasure
informed me that he had lost his big knife, here we Dined.
I put frasurs load on my guide who is yet with me, and Sent
him back in Serch of his knife with directions to join the other
men who were out packing meat & return to the fort all together.
I arrived at the Canoes about Sunset, the tides was
Comeing in I thought it a favourable time to go on to the
fort at which place we arrived at 10 oClock P M, found Several
inidians of the Cath′lâh-mâh nation the great Chief Shâh-hâr-wâh
cop who reside not far above us on the South Side of
the Columbia River, this is the first time I have Seen the
Chief, he was hunting when we passed his village on our way
to this place, we gave him a medal of the Smallest Size, he
presented me with a basquet of Wappato, in return for which
I gave him a fish hook of a large Size and Some wire, those
people Speak the Same language with the Chinnooks and
Clatsops, whome they all resemble in Dress, Custom, manners
&c. they brought Some Dried Salmon, Wappato, Dogs, and
mats made of rushes & flags to barter; their Dogs and part
of their Wappato they disposed of, and remained in their Camp
near the fort all night.
In my absence the hunters from the fort killed only two Elk
which is yet out in the woods. Capt. Lewis examined our Small
Stock of merchendize found Some of it wet and Dried it by
the fire. Our Merchindize is reduced to a mear handfull, and
our comfort, dureing our return next year, much depends on
it, it is therefore almost unnecessary to add that it is much
reduced T[he] nativs in this neighbourhood are excessively
fond of Smokeing tobacco. in the act of Smokeing they appear
to swallow it as they draw it from the pipe, and for maney.
draughts together you will not perceive the Smoke they take
from the pipe, in the Same manner they inhale it in their
longs untill they become Surcharged with the Vapour when
they puff it out to a great distance through their norstils and
mouth; I have no doubt that tobacco Smoked in this manner
becomes much more intoxicating, and that they do possess
themselves of all its virtues to the fullest extent; they frequently
give us Sounding proofs of its createing a dismorallity
of order in the abdomen, nor are those light matters thought
indelicate in either Sex, but all take the liberty of obeying the
dicktates of nature without reserve. Those people do not
appear to know the use of Speritious licquors, they never
haveing once asked us for it; I prosume therefore that the
traders who visit them have never indulged them with the use
of it; of whatever cause this may proceed, it is a verry fortunate
occurrence, as well for the nativs themselves, as for the quiet and
Safty of those whites who visit them. George Drewyer visited
this [his] traps in my absence and caught a Beaver & a otter;
the beaver was large and fat, and Cap
t. L. has feested Sumptiously
on it yesterday; this we consider as a great prize, it being a full
grown beaver was Well Supplyed with the materials for makeing
bate with which to catch others. this bate when properly prepared
will entice the beaver to visit it as far as he can Smell it,
and this I think may be Safely Stated at ½ a mile, their sence
of Smelling being verry accute. To prepare beaver bate, the
Caster-or bark Stone is taken as the base, this is generally
pressed out of the bladder like bag which contains it, into a
phiol of 4 ounces with a wide mouth; if you have them you
will put from 4 to 6 Stone in a phial of that capacity, to this
you will add half a Nutmeg, a Dozen or 15 grains of Cloves
.and 30 grains of Sinimon finely pulverised, stur them well
together, and then add as much ardent Sperits to the composition
as will reduce it to the Consistancey of Mustard prepared
for the table, when thus prepared it resembles mustard precisely
to all appearance. When you cannot precure a phial a
bottle made of horn or a light earthern vessel will answer, in
all cases it must be excluded from the air or it will Soon lose
its Virtue; it is fit for use imediately it is prepared but becoms
much stronger and better in 4 or 5 days and will keep for
months provided it be purfectly Secluded from the air. when
cloves are not to be had use double the quantity of allspice,
and when no spices can be obtained use the bark of the root
of the Sausafras; when Sperits cannot be had use oil Stone of
the beaver adding mearly a Sufficent quantity to moisten the
other materials, or reduce it to a Stiff paste. it appears to me
that the principal use of the Spices is only to give a variety to
the Scent of the bark Stone and if So the mace vineller, and
other Sweet Smelling Spices might be employd with equal
advantage. The Male Beaver has Six stones, two[of] which
contanes a substance much like finely pulverised bark of a pale
yellow Colour and not unlike tanner's ooz in smell, these are
Called the
bark stones or castors; two others, which like the
bark stone resemble Small blatters, contain a pure oil of a
Strong rank disagreable Smell, and not unlike train Oil, these
are Called the
Oil Stones, and two others of Generation. The
bark stones are about 2 inches in length, the others somewhat
Smaller, all are of a long Oval form, and lye in a bunch together
between the skin and the root of the tail beneath or behind the
fundiment with which they are closely connected and Seam to
communicate, the pride of the female lye on the inner Side
much like those of the hog they have no further parts of
Generation that I can proceive, and therefore believe that like
the birds they Coperate [copulate] with the extremity of the
gut. The female have from 2 to 4 young ones at a birth and
bring forth once a year only which usially happins about the
latter end of May and beginning of June. at this Stage She is
said to drive the Mail from the lodge, who would otherwise
distroy the young.
