Tuesday 14th. January 1806
This morning the Serjt. of the guard reported the absence of
one of our canoes it had broken the cord by which it was attached
and the tide had taken her off; We Sent a party imediately
in Serch of her, they returned in about 3 hours
haveing fortunately found her. We now derect that 3 of the
[canoes] be drawed up out of reach of the tide and the 4th. to
be tied with a long Strong Cord of Elk Skins, ready for use.
had we lost this large Canoe We Should have been obliged to
make 3 other Small ones, which with the fiew tools we have
now left would be a Serious undertakeing. a fatiege of six
men employd in jurking the Elk beef. From the best estermate
we were enabled to make as we decended the columbia
we conceived that the nativs inhabiting that noble Stream
(from the enterance of Lewis's river to the neighbourhood
of the falls the nativs consume all the fish they Catch either
for food or fuel) From Towarnehiooks River or a fiew mil[e]s
above the Great falls to the grand rapids inclusive anually
prepare about 30,000 lb
s of pounded fish (Chiefly Salmon)
for Market, but whether this fish is an article of Commerce
with their neighbours or is exclusively Sold to, and Consumed
by the nativs of the sea coast, we are at a loss to determine
the latter of those positions I am dispose[d] to credit most,
as I cannot imagine what the white merchants obje[c]ts could
be in purchaseing fish, or where they could dispose of it. on
the other hand the Indians in this neighbourhood as well as
the Skillutes and those above have an abundance of Dryed
Salmon which they take in the creeks and inlets, they are
excessively fond of the pounded fish haveing frequently asked
us for Some of it. the Indians who prepared this pounded
fish made signs that they traded it with people below them for
Beeds and trinkets &
c. and Showed us maney articles of European
Manufacture which they obtained for it; the Skillutes
and Indians about the great rapids are the intermediate merchants
and Carryers, and no doubt consume a part of this fish
themselves and dispose of the ballance of it to the nativs of
the Sea coast, and from this obtain Such articles as they again
trade with the whites.
The persons who usially visit the enterence of this river for
the purpose of traffic or hunting, I believe is either English or
Americans; the Indians inform us that they Speak the Same
language with ourselves, and gave us proofs of their varacity
by repeating maney words of English, Sun of a pitch &. (heave
the lead & maney blackguard phrasses). Whether those traders
are from Nootka Sound, from Some other late establishment
on this Coast, or imediately from the U. States or Great Brittain,
I am at a loss to determine, nor can the Indians inform
us. the Indians whome I have asked in what direction the
traders go when they depart from hence, allways point to the
S. W. from which it is prosumeable that Nootka cannot be
their distination; and from Indian information a Majority of
those traders annually visit them about the beginning of April
and remain Some time and either remain or revisit them in
the fall of which I cannot properly understand, from this
circumstance they canot come directly from the U States or
Great Brittain, the distance being to great for them to go and
return in the ballance of a year. I am Sometimes induced to
believe that there is Some other Establishment on the Coast
of America
South of this place of which little is but yet
known to the world, or it may be perhaps on Some Island in
the Pacific Ocian between the Continant of America & Asia
to the S.W. of us. This traffic on the part of the whites consist
in vending, guns, principally old British or American
Musquets, powder, balls and shote, brass tea kittles, Blankets
from two to three points, scarlet and blue Cloth (Coarse), plates
and Strips of Sheet Copper and brass, large brass wire Knives
Beeds & Tobacco with fishing hook buttons and Some other
Small articles; also a considerable quantity of Salors Clothes,
as hats, Coats, Trouse[r]s and Shirts. for those they receive
in return from the nativs Dressed and undressed Elk Skins,
Skins of the Sea otter, Common otter, beaver, common fox,
Speck, and [
Spotted or] tiger Cat, also Some Salmon dried or
pounded and a kind of buisket, [
the native dispose of some of
these biscuits not a great article of trade] which the nativs make
of roots called by them Shappelell. The nativs are extravigantly
fond of the most common cheap Blue and white beeds,
of moderate size, or Such that from 50 to 70 will way one
pennyweight, the blue is usially preferred to the white; those
beeds constitute the principal Circulating medium with all the
Indian tribes on the river; for those beeds they will dispose
of any article they possess. the beeds are Strung on Strans
of a fathom in length & in that manner Sold by the bre[d]th
[
arms length or double arms lengtlh] or yard.
