[Lewis:]
Friday March 14th 1806.
This morning we sent a party after the two Elk which
Collins killed last evening, they returned with them about
noon. Collins, Jos. Fields and Shannon went in quest of the
flock of Elk of which Collins had killed those two. this evening
we heared upwards of twenty shot, and expect that they
have fallen in with and killed a number of them. Reubin
Fields and Thompson returned this evening unsuccessfull having
killed one brant only. late in the evening Drewyer arrived
with a party of the Clatsops who brought an indifferent
canoe some hats and roots for sale, the hats and roots we
purchased, but could not obtain the canoe without giving more
than our stock of merchandize would lisence us. I offered him
my laced uniform coat but he would not exchange. The Salmon
Trout are seldom more than two feet in length they are
narrow in proportion to their length, at least much more so
than the Salmon or red charr. the jaws are nearly of the same
length, and are furnished with a single series of small subulate
streight teeth, not so long or as large as those of the Salmon.
the mouth is wide, and the tongue is also furnished with some
teeth, the fins are placed much like those of the salmon. at
the great falls we met with this fish of a silvery white colour
on the belley and sides, and a bluish light brown on the back
and head, in this neighbourhood we have met with another
speceis which dose not differ from the other in any particular
except in point of colour. this last is of a dark colour on the
back. and it's sides and belley are yellow with transverse stripes
of dark brown. sometimes a little red is intermixed with these
colours on the belley and sides towards the head. the eye,
flesh, and roes are like those discribed of the Salmon. the
white speceis which we found below the falls was in excellent
order when the salmon were entirely out of season and not fit
for uce. the speceis which we found here on our arrival early
in November has declined considerably, reather more so inded
than the red Charr with which we found them ascociated in the
little rivulets and creeks. I think it may be safely asserted
that the red Charr and both speceis of the salmon trout remain
in season longer in the fall of the year than the common Salmon;
but I have my doubts whether either of them ever pass
the great falls of the Columbia. The Indians tell us that the
Salmon begin to run early in the next month; it will be unfortunate
for us if they do not, for they must form our principal
dependence for food in ascending the Columbia, above the falls
and it's S.E. branch to the Mountains. The mountain or
speckled trout are found in the waters of the Columbia within
the mountains, they are the same of those found in the upper
part of the Missouri, but are not so abundant in the Columbia
as on that river. we never saw this fish below the mountains,
but from the transparency and coldness of the Kooskooske I
should not doubt it's existing in that stream as low as it's junction
with the S.E. branch of the Columbia. The
bottle nose is
the same with that before mentioned on the Missouri and is
found exclusively within the mountains.
