[Clark:]
Monday [Saturday]18th. January 1806
Two of the Clatsops that were here yesterday returned to
day for a Dog they had left; they remained with us a fiew
hours and departed. no further accounts worthey of relation
took place. the men are much engaged dressing Skins in
order to Cloath themselves and prepare for the homeward
journey.
The Clatsops Chinnooks &c. construct their Houses of timber
altogether. they are from 14 to 20 feet wide, and from 20 to
60 feet in length, and accomodate one or more families sometimes
three or four families reside in the Same room. this
house is also devided by petitions of Boards, but this happens
only in the largest houses, as the rooms are always large compared
with the number of inhabitents. those houses are
constructed in the following manner; two or more posts of
Split timber agreeably to the number of devisions or partitions
are first provided, these are Sunk in the ground at one end
and raised pirpindicular to the hight of 12 or 14 feet, the
top of them are hollowed So as to recive the end of a round
beem of timber which reaches from one to the other or the
entire length of the house; and forming the ridge pole; two
other Sets of posts and poles are then placed at proper distancies
on either Side of the first, formed in a Similar manner
and parrelal to it; those last rise to the intended hight of the
eves, which is usially about 5 feet, Smaller Sticks of timber
is then previded and are placed by pears in the form of rafters,
resting on, and reaching from the lower to the upper horizontial
beam, to both of which they are atached at either end
with the Cedar bark; two or 3 ranges of Small poles are then
placed Horizontially on these rafters on each Side of the roof
& are Secured likewise with Cedar bark. the ends, sides, and
partitions are then formed, with one range of wide boards
of about 2 inches thick, which are Sunk in the ground a
Small distance at their lower ends & stands erect with their
upper ends lapping on the out side of the eve poles and end
rafters to which they are secured by a outerpole lyeing parrelal
with the eve pole and rafters being Secured to them by cords
of Cedar bark which pass through wholes made in the bods at
certain distances for that purpose; the rough [roof] is then
Covered with a double range of thin boards, and an aperture
of 2 by 3 feet left in the center of the roof to admit the Smoke
to pass. These houses are commonly Sunk to the debth of 4
or 5 feet in which case the eve of the house comes nearly to
the surface of the earth. in the center of each room a Space
of from 6 by 8 feet is Sunk about 12 inches lower than the
floar haveing its Sides Secured by four thick boards or Squar
pieces of timber, in this Space they make their fire, their fuel
being generally dry pine Split Small which they perform with
a peice of an Elks horn Sharpened at one end drove into the
wood with a Stone. Mats are Spred around the fire on all
Sides, on these they Sit in the day and frequently Sleep at
night, on the inner Side of the house on two Sides and Sometimes
on three, there is a range of upright pieces about 4 feet
removed from the wall; these are also Sunk in the ground
a[t] their lower end, and Secured at top to the rafters, from
those, other pieces are extended horozontially to the wall and
are Secured in the usial manner with bark to the upright
pieces which Support the eve pole. on these Short horizontial
peic[e]s of which there are Sometimes two ranges one
above the other, boards are laid, which either form their beads,
or Shelves on which to put their goods and Chattles, of almost
every discription. their uncured fish is hung on Sticks in the
Smoke of their fires as is also the flesh of the Elk when they
happen to be fortunate enough to precure it which is but seldom.
