[Clark:]
Saturday [Thursday] 16th. January 1806
This evening we finished cureing the meat. no occurrence
worthey of relation took place to day. we have a plenty of
Elk beef for the present and a little salt, our houses dry and
comfortable, haveing made up our minds to Stay untill the
1st. of April every one appears contented with his Situation, and
his fare. it is true we could travel even now on our return as
far as the timbered Country reaches, or to the falls of the river,
but further it would be madness for us to attempt to proceed
untill april, as the indians inform us that the Snows lyes Knee
deep in the Columbian Plains dureing the winter, and in those
planes we could not git as much wood as would cook our provisions
untill the drift wood comes down in the Spring and
lodges on the Shore &c. and even were we happily over those
plains and in the woodey Countrey at the foot of the rockey
Mountains, we could not possibly pass that emence bearier of
Mountains on which the snow lyes in winter to the debth in
maney plac[e]s of 20 feet; in Short the Indians tell us they
[are] impassable untill about the 1st. of June, at which time even
then is an abundance of snow but a Scanty Subsistance may be
had for the horses. We Should [not] fo[r]ward our homeward
journey any by reaching the Rocky Mountains earlier
than the 1st. of June which we can effect by Setting out from
hence by the 1st. of April.
The Clatsops, Chinnooks &c. in fishing employ the common
Streight net, the scooping or dipping net with a long handle,
the gig, and the hook and line. the common nets are of
different lengths and debths usually employd in takeing the
Salmon, Carr and trout in the inlets among the marshey
grounds and the mouths of deep Creeks, the Skiming or
[s]cooping nets to take Smaller fish in the Spring and Summer
Season; the gig and hook are employed indiscreminately at all
Seasons in takeing Such fish as they can precure by these
means. their nets and fishing lines are made of the Silk Grass
or White Cedar bark; and their hooks are generally of European
Manufactory, tho' before the whites visited them they made
their Hooks of bone and other Substances formed in the
following Manner
[ILLUSTRATION] AC and BC are two
Small pieces of bone about the Size of a
Strong twine, these are flattened & beaveled
off to their extremites at C. where they are firmley attached
together and Covered with rozin CA is reduced to a Sharp
point at A where it is also bent in a little; CB is attached to
the line, at the upper extremity B. the whole forming two Sides
of an accute angled triangle. the [line] has a loop at D [by]
which it is anexed to a longer line and taken off at pleasure.
Those Hooks are yet common among' the nativs on the upper
parts of the Columbia river for to Catch fish in Deep places.
