Wednesday (Tuesday) January 14th. 1806.
This morning the Sergt. of the Guard reported the absence
of one of the large perogues, it had broken the chord by which
it was attatched and the tide had taken it off; we sent a party
immediately in surch of her, they returned in about 3 hours
having fortunately found her. we now directed three of the
perogues to be drawn up out of reach of the tide and the
fourth to be mored in the small branch just above the landing
and confined with a strong rope of Elk-skin. had we lost
this perogue also we should have been obliged to make three
small ones, which with the few tools we have now left would
be a serious undertaking. a fatiegue of 6 men employed in
jerking the Elk beaf.
From the best estimate we were able to make as we d[e]scended
the Columbia we conceived that the natives inhabiting
that noble stream, for some miles above the great falls to the
grand rappids inclusive annually prepare about 30,000 lbs. of
pounded sammon for market. but whether this fish is an
article of commerce with the whites or is exclusively sold to,
and consumed by the natives of the sea Coast, we are at a loss
to determine. the first of those positions I am disposed to
credit most, but, still I must confess that I cannot imagine
what the white merchant's object can be in purchasing this
fish, or where they dispose of it. and on the other hand the
Indians in this neighbourhood as well as the Skillutes have an
abundance of dryed sammon which they take in the creeks
and inlets, and I have never seen any of this pounded fish in
their lodges, which I presume would have been the case if they
purchased this pounded fish for their own consumption. the
Indians who prepared this dryed and pounded fish, informed
us that it was to trade with the whites, and shewed us many
articles of European manufacture which they obtained for it.
it is true they obtain those articles principally for their fish but
they trade with the Skillutes for them and not immediately
with the whites; the intermediate merchants and carryers, the
Skillutes, may possibly consume a part of this fish themselves
and dispose of the ballance of it [to] the natives of the sea
coast, and from them obtain such articles as they again trade
with the whites.
