University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER IV.

Friday 22. It rained during the whole night, and about
daylight a tremendous gale of wind rose from the S. S. E.
and continued during the whole day with great violence.
The sea runs so high that the water comes into our camp,
which the rain prevents us from leaving. We purchased
from the old squaw for armbands and rings, a few wappatoo
roots, on which we subsisted. They are nearly equal in flavour
to the Irish potatoe, and afford a very good substitute
for bread. The bad weather has driven several Indians to
our camp, but they are still under the terrors of the threat
which we made on first seeing them, and now behave with
the greatest decency.

Saturday 23. The rain continued through the night, but
the morning was calm and cloudy. The hunters were sent
out and killed three deer, four brant, and three ducks. Towards
evening seven Clatsops came over in a canoe with two
skins of the sea-otter. To this article they attach an extravagant
value, and their demands for it were so high that
we were fearful of reducing our small stock of merchandise,

on which we must depend for subsistence as we return, to
venture on purchasing. To ascertain however their ideas as
to the value of different objects, we offered for one of the
skins a watch, a handkerchief, an American dollar, and a
bunch of red beads; but neither the curious mechanism of
the watch, nor even the red beads could tempt him; he refused
the offer, but asked for tiacomoshack or chief beads,
the most common sort of coarse blue-coloured beads, the article
beyond all price in their estimation. Of these blue
beads we have but few, and therefore reserve them for more
necessitous circumstances.

Sunday 24. The morning being fair, we dried our wet
articles and sent out the hunters, but they returned with only
a single brant. In the evening a chief and several men
of the Chinnooks came to see us; we smoked with them,
and bought a sea-otter skin for some blue beads. Having
now examined the coast, it becomes necessary to decide on
the spot for our wintering quarters. The people of the
country subsist chiefly on dried fish and roots, but of these
there does not seem to be a sufficient quantity for our support,
even were we able to purchase, and the extravagant
prices as well as our small store of merchandise forbid us
to depend on that resource. We must therefore rely for
subsistence on our arms, and be guided in the choice of our
residence by the abundance of game which any particular
spot may offer. The Indians say that the deer is most numerous
at some distance above on the river, but that the
country on the opposite side of the bay is better supplied
with elk, an animal much larger and more easily killed than
deer, with a skin better fitted for clothing, and the meat of
which is more nutritive during the winter, when they are
both poor. The climate too is obviously much milder here
than above the first range of mountains, for the Indians are
thinly clad, and say they have little snow; indeed since our
arrival the weather has been very warm, and sometimes disagreeably
so: and dressed as we are altogether in leather, the

cold would be very unpleasant if not injurious. The neighbourhood
of the sea is moreover recommended by the facility
of supplying ourselves with salt, and the hope of meeting
some of the trading vessels, who are expected in about three
months, and from whom we may procure a fresh supply of
trinkets for our route homewards. These considerations induced
us to determine on visiting the opposite side of the
bay, and if there was an appearance of much game to establish
ourselves there during the winter. Next day,

Monday 25, however, the wind was too high to suffer us
to cross the river, but as it blew generally from the east
southeast, the coast on the north was in some degree sheltered
by the highlands. We therefore set out, and keeping
near the shore, halted for dinner in the shallow bay,
and after dark, reached a spot near a rock, at some distance
in the river, and close to our former camp of the 7th inst.
On leaving our camp, seven Clatsops accompanied us in a
canoe, but after going a few miles crossed the bay through
immense high waves, leaving us in admiration, at the dexterity
with which they threw aside each wave as it threatened
to come over their canoe. The evening was cloudy,
and in the morning,

Tuesday 26, it rained. We set out with the wind
from east northeast, and a short distance above the rock,
near our camp, began to cross the river. We passed between
some low, marshy islands, which we called the
Seal islands, and reached the south side of the Columbia at
a bottom three miles below a point, to which we gave the
name of point Samuel. After going along the shore for five
miles, we entered a channel two hundred yards in width,
which separates from the main land a large, but low island.
On this channel, and at the foot of some highlands, is a village,
where we landed. It consists of nine large wooden
houses, inhabited by a tribe called Cathlamahs, who seem
to differ neither in dress, language, nor manners, from the
Chinnooks and Wahkiacums: like whom they live chiefly

on fish and wappatoo roots. We found, however, as we
hoped, some elk meat: after dining on some fresh fish and
roots, which we purchased from them at an immoderate
price, we coasted along a deep bend of the river towards the
south, and at night encamped under a high hill; all the way
from the village the land is high, and has a thick growth
of pine balsam, and other timber; but as it was still raining
very hard, it was with difficulty we procured wood enough
to make fires. Soon after we landed, three Indians from
the Cathlawah village came down with wappatoo roots,
some of which we purchased with fish-hooks. At daylight
the next morning,

Wednesday 27, eleven more came down with provisions,
skins and mats for sale, but the prices were too high for
our reduced finances, and we bought nothing. As we were
preparing to set out we missed an axe, which was found under
the robe of one of the Indians, and they were all prohibited
in consequence from following us. We went on
in the rain, which had continued through the night, and
passing between a number of islands came to a small river,
called by the Indians Kekemahke. We afterwards came
to a very remarkable knob of land, projecting about a mile
and a half towards Shallow bay, and about four miles round,
while the neck of land which connects it to the main shore
is not more than fifty yards wide. We went round this projection,
which we named point William; but the waves then
became so high that we could not venture any farther, and
we therefore landed on a beautiful shore of pebbles of various
colours, and encamped near an old Indian hut on the
isthmus. In drawing our canoes in shore, we had the misfortune
to make a split two feet long in one of them. This
isthmus opposed a formidable barrier to the sea, for we now
found that the water below is salt, while that above is
fresh and well tasted. It rained hard during the whole day:
it continued all night, and in the morning,

Thursday 28, began more violently, attended with a high
wind from the southwest. It was now impossible to proceed
on so rough a sea. We therefore sent several men to
hunt, and the rest of us remained during the day, in a situation
the most cheerless and uncomfortable. On this little
neck of land we are exposed with a miserable covering,
which does not deserve the name of a shelter to the violence
of the winds; all our bedding and stores, as well as
our bodies are completely wet, our clothes rotting with
constant exposure, and no food except the dried fish
brought from the falls, to which we are again reduced.
The hunters all returned hungry, and drenched with
rain, having seen neither deer nor elk, and the swan and
brant too shy to be approached. At noon the wind
shifted to the northwest, and blew with such tremendous
fury that many trees were blown down near us. This
gale lasted with short intervals during the whole night;
but towards morning,

Friday, 29th, the wind lulled, though the rain continued,
and the waves were still high. Captain Lewis took
the Indian canoe, which is better calculated for rough weather,
and with five men went down to a small bay below
us, where we expect to find elk. Three other men set
out at the same time to hunt in different directions, and the
rest remained round the smoke of our fires drying leather,
in order to make some new clothes. The night brought only
a continuation of rain and hail, with short intervals of fair
weather, till in the morning,

Saturday, 30th, it cleared up about nine o'clock, and
the sun shone for several hours. Other hunters were now
sent out, and we passed the remainder of the day in drying
our merchandise so long exposed. Several of the men
complain of disorders in their bowels, which can be ascribed
only to their diet of pounded fish mixed with saltwater:
and they are therefore directed to use for that purpose,
the fresh water above the point. The hunters had

seen three elk, but could not obtain any of them: they however
brought in three hawks and a few black ducks, of a
species common in the United States, living in large flocks,
and feeding on grass: they are distinguished by a sharp
white beak, toes separated, and by having no craw. Besides
these wild fowls, there are in this neighbourhood a large
kind of buzzard with white wings, the gray and the bald
eagle, the large red-tailed hawk, the blue magpye, and great
numbers of ravens and crows. We observe, however, few
small birds, the one which has most attracted our attention
being a small brown bird, which seems to frequent logs
and the roots of trees. Of other animals there is a great
abundance. We see great quantities of snakes, lizards,
worms, and spiders, as well as small bugs, flies, and insects of
different kinds. The vegetable productions are also numerous.
The hills along the coast are high and steep, and the
general covering is a growth of lofty pines of different species,
some of which rise more than two hundred feet, and
are ten or twelve feet in diameter near the root. Besides
these trees we observe on the point a species of ash, the alder,
the laurel, one species of the wild crab, and several
kinds of underbrush, among which the rosebushes are conspicuous.

Sunday, December 1, 1805. Again we had a cloudy day,
and the wind so high from the east, that having ventured in
a boat with a view to hunt at some distance, we were obliged
to return. We resumed our occupation of dressing leather
and mending our old clothes, in which we passed the day.
The hunters came in with a report of their having seen two
herds of elk, but they could kill nothing, and we therefore
again fed upon dried fish. At sunset it began to rain violently,
and continued all night, and

Monday, 2d, the next day. This disagreeable food, pounded
fish, has occasioned so much sickness among the men
that it is now absolutely necessary to vary it. Three hunters
therefore set out, and three more were sent up the Kekemahke

creek in search of fish or birds. Towards evening
one of them returned: he had observed great appearances of
elk, and even seen two herds of them; but it rained so hard
that he could with difficulty get a shot: he had, however, at
last killed one, at the distance of six miles from the camp,
and a canoe was now sent to bring it. The party from Kekemahke
creek were less successful: they had seen no fish,
and all the birds, in consequence probably of being much
hunted by the Indians, were too shy to be approached.

Tuesday, 3. The wind was from the east, and the
morning fair; but, as if a whole day of fine weather was
not permitted, towards night it began to rain. Even this
transient glimpse of sunshine revived the spirits of the party,
who were still more pleased, when the elk killed yesterday
was brought into camp. This was the first elk we had
killed on the west side of the Rocky mountains, and condemned
as we have been to the dried fish, forms a most
nourishing food. After eating the marrow of the shankbones,
the squaw chopped them fine, and by boiling, extracted
a pint of grease, superior to the tallow itself of the
animal. A canoe of eight Indians, who were carrying down
wappatoo roots to trade with the Clatsops, stopped at our
camp: we bought a few roots for small fish-hooks, and they
then left us: but accustomed as we are to the sight, we
could not but view with admiration the wonderful dexterity
with which they guide their canoes over the most boisterous
seas; for though the waves were so high, that before they
had gone half a mile the canoe was several times out of
sight, they proceeded with the greatest calmness and security.
Two of the hunters who set out yesterday had lost
their way, and did not return till this evening: they had seen
in their ramble great signs of elk, and had killed six elk,
which they had butchered and left at a great distance. A
party was sent in the morning,

Wednesday, December 4, to carry the elk to a bay, some
distance below, to which place, if the weather permitted,

we would all remove our camp this evening; but the rain
which had continued during the night lasted all next day,
and was accompanied by so high a wind from the southeast
and south, that we dared not risk our canoes on the water.
It was high water at eleven o'clock, when the spring-tide
rose two feet higher than the common flood-tides. We passed
the day around our fires, and as we are so situated that
the smoke will not immediately leave the camp, we are very
much incommoded, and our eyes injured by it. No news
has yet been received from captain Lewis, and we begin to
have much uneasiness for his safety.

Thursday, December 5. It rained during the whole
night, and this morning the rain and high wind compelled
us to remain at our camp. Besides the inconvenience of
being thus stopped on our route, we now found that all our
stores and bedding are again wet with rain. The high
water was at twelve o'clock, and rose two inches beyond
that of yesterday. In the afternoon we were rejoiced at the
return of captain Lewis, who came in a canoe with three of
his men, the other two being left to guard six elk and five
deer which they had killed: he had examined the coast, and
found a river a short distance below, on which we might encamp
during the winter, with a sufficiency of elk for our
subsistence within reach. This information was very satisfactory,
and we decided on going thither as soon as we could
move from the point; but all night and the following day,

Friday 6, it rained, and the wind blew hard from the
southwest, so that the sea was still too rough for us to proceed.
The high-tide of to-day rose thirteen inches higher
than it did yesterday, and obliged us to move our camp to a
high situation. Here we remained waiting for better weather,
till about dark the wind shifted to the north, and the
sky was clear. We had now some prospect of being able to
leave our situation, and indeed although some rain fell in the
course of the night, the next morning,

Saturday 7, was fair; we therefore loaded our canoes, and
proceeded. But the tide was against us, and the waves very
high, so that we were obliged to proceed slowly and cautiously.
We at length turned a point, and found ourselves in a
deep bay; here we landed for breakfast, and were joined by
the party sent out three days ago to look for the six elk. In
seeking for the elk they had missed their way for a day and
a half, and when they reached the place, found the elk so
much spoiled that they brought the skins only of four of
them. After breakfast we coasted round the bay, which is
about four miles across, and receives, besides several small
creeks, two rivers called by the Indians, the one Kilhowanakel,
the other Netul. We called it Meriwether's bay, from
the christian name of captain Lewis, who was no doubt the
first white man who surveyed it. As we went along the
wind was high from the northeast, and in the middle of the
day it rained for two hours, and then cleared off. On reaching
the south side of the bay, we ascended the Netul for
three miles to the first point of highland on its western bank,
and formed our camp in a thick grove of lofty pines, about
two hundred yards from the water, and thirty feet above the
level of the high tides.

Sunday 8. This seemed the most elligible spot for our
winter establishment. In order therefore to find a place for
making salt, and to examine the country further, captain
Clarke set out with five men, and pursuing a course south,
60° west, over a dividing ridge, through thick pine timber,
much of which had fallen, passed the heads of two small
brooks. In the neighbourhood of these the land was swampy
and overflowed, and we waded knee-deep till we came to an
open ridgy prairie, covered with the plant known on our frontier
by the name of sacacommis. Here is a creek about six
ty yards wide, and running towards point Adams; they passed
it on a small raft. At this place they discovered a large
herd of elk, and after pursuing them for three miles over
bad swamps and small ponds, we killed one of them. The

agility with which the elk crossed the swamps and bogs,
seems almost incredible; as we followed their track, the
ground for a whole acre would shake at our tread, and sometimes
we sunk to our hips without finding any bottom. Over
the surface of these bogs is a species of moss, among which
are great numbers of cranberries, and occasionally there
rise from the swamp steep and small knobs of earth, thickly
covered with pine and laurel. On one of these we halted
at night, but it was scarcely large enough to suffer us to
lie clear of the water, and had very little dry wood. We succeeded
however in collecting enough to make a fire, and having
stretched the elk skin to keep off the rain, which still
continued, slept till morning,

Monday 9, when we rose, perfectly wet with rain during
the night. Three men were then sent in pursuit of the elk,
while with the other three, captain Clarke proceeded westward
towards the sea. He passed over three swamps, and
then arrived at a creek, which was too deep to ford, and
there was no wood to make a raft. He therefore proceeded
down it for a short distance, till he found that he was between
the forks of a creek. One branch of which he had
passed yesterday, turns round towards the southwest to
meet another of equal size from the south, and together
they form a small river, about seventy yards wide. He returned
to the place where he had left the raft, and having
crossed proceeded down about a mile, when he met three
Indians. They were loaded with fresh salmon which they
had taken with a gig, and were now returning to their village
on the seacoast, where they invited him to accompany
them. He agreed, and they brought out a canoe hid along
the banks of the creek. In this they passed over the branch
which he had just crossed on a raft, and then carried the
canoe a quarter of a mile to the other fork, which they
crossed and continued down to the mouth of the river. At
this place it makes a great bend, where the river is seventy
yards wide; just above, or to the south of which is the

village. We crossed over, and found that it consisted of
three houses, inhabited by twelve families of Clatsops.
They were on the south exposure of a hill, and sunk about
four feet deep into the ground; the walls, roof, and gable-ends
being formed of split pine boards; the descent through
a small door down a ladder. There are two fires in the
middle of the room, and the beds disposed round the walls
two or three feet from the fall, so as to leave room under
them for their bags, baskets and household articles. The
floor itself is covered with mats. Captain Clarke was received
with much attention. As soon as he entered, clean mats
were spread, and fish, berries and roots set before him on
small neat platters of rushes. After he had eaten, the men
of the other houses came and smoked with him. They all
appeared much neater in their persons and diet than Indians
generally are, and frequently wash their hands and
faces, a ceremony by no means frequent elsewhere. While
he was conversing with them, a flock of brant lighted on
the water, and he with a small rifle shot one of them at a
great distance. They immediately jumped in, and brought
it on shore, very much astonished at the shot, which contributed
to make them increase their attention. Towards
evening it began to rain and blow very violently from the
southwest; and captain Clarke therefore, determined to remain
during the night. When they thought his appetite
had returned, an old woman presented him in a bowl, made
of light coloured horn, a kind of sirrup, pleasant to the
taste, and made from a species of berry common in this
country, about the size of a cherry, and called by the Indians
shelwel: of these berries a bread is also prepared,
which being boiled with roots forms a soup, which was
served in neat wooden trenchers: this, with some cockles,
was his repast. The men of the village now collected,
and began to gamble. The most common game, was
one in which one of the company was banker, and played
against all the rest. He had a piece of bone, about the
size of a large bean, and having agreed with any individual
as to the value of the stake, would pass the bone from
one hand to the other, with great dexterity, singing at the
same time, to divert the attention of his adversary; and
then holding it in his hands, his antagonist was challenged to
guess in which of them the bone was, and lost or won as he
pointed to the right or wrong hand. To this game of hazard
they abandoned themselves with great ardor; sometimes
every thing they possess is sacrificed to it, and this evening
several of the Indians lost all the beads which they
had with them. This lasted for three hours, when captain
Clarke appearing disposed to sleep, the man who had
been most attentive, and whose name was Cuskalah, spread
two new mats near the fire, and ordering his wife to retire
to her own bed, the rest of the company dispersed at the
same time. Captain Clarke then lay down, but the violence
with which the fleas attacked him, did not leave his
rest unbroken, and he rose,

Tuesday 10, early. The morning was cloudy, with some
rain: he walked out on the seashore, and observed the Indians
walking up and down the creek and examining the
shore: he was at a loss to understand their object, till one
of them came to him and explained that they were in search
of fish which had been thrown on shore and left by the tide,
adding in English, "sturgeon is very good." There is indeed,
every reason to suppose, that these Clatsops depend
for their subsistence during the winter, chiefly on the fish
thus casually thrown on the coast. After amusing himself
for some time on the beach, he returned towards the village,
and shot on his way two brant. As he came near the
village, one of the Indians asked him to shoot a duck about
thirty steps distant: he did so, and having accidentally shot
off its head, the bird was brought to the village by the Indians,
all of whom came round in astonishment: they examined
the duck, the musket, and the very small bullet,
which were a hundred to the pound, and then exclaimed,

Clouch musquet, wake, commatax musquet: a good musket,
do not understand this kind of musket. They now
placed before him their best roots, fish, and sirrup, after
which he attempted to purchase a sea-otter skin with some
red beads which he happened to have about him; but they
declined trading, as they valued none except blue or white
beads: he therefore bought nothing but a little berry bread
and a few roots in exchange for fish-hooks, and then set out
to return by the same route on which he came. He was accompanied
by Cuskalah and his brother as far as the third
creek, and then proceeded to the camp through a heavy
rain. The whole party had been occupied during his absence
in cutting down trees to make huts, and in hunting.

Wednesday, 11. The rain continued last night and the
whole of this day. We were, however, all employed in putting
up our winter cabins, which we are anxious to finish,
as several of the men are beginning to suffer from the excessive
dampness: four of them have very violent colds,
one has a dysentery, a third has tumours on his legs, and
two have been injured by dislocation and straining of their
limbs.

Thursday, 12. We continued to work in the rain at our
houses. In the evening there arrived two canoes of Clatsops,
among whom was a principal chief, called Comowol.
We gave him a medal, and treated his companions with
great attention; after which we began to bargain for a small
sea-otter skin, some wappatoo roots, and another species of
root called shanataque. We readily perceived that they
were close dealers, stickled much for trifles, and never
closed the bargain until they thought they had the advantage.
The wappatoo is dear, as they themselves are obliged
to give a high price for it to the Indians above. Blue
beads are the articles most in request, the white occupy
the next place in their estimation; but they do not value
much those of any other colour. We succeeded at last in
purchasing their whole cargo for a few fish-hooks and a

small sack of Indian tobacco, which we had received from
the Shoshonees. The next morning,

Friday, 13th, we treated them to a breakfast on elk
meat, of which they seemed very fond, and having purchased
from them two skins of the lucervia, and two robes
made of the skin of an animal about the size of a cat, they
left us. Two hunters returned with the pleasing intelligence
of their having killed eighteen elk about six miles
off. Our huts begin to rise, for though it rains all day we
continue our labours, and are rejoiced to find that the beautiful
balsam pine splits into excellent boards, more than
two feet in width. In the evening three Indians came in a
canoe with provisions and skins for sale, and spent the
night with us.

Saturday, 14. Again it rained all day, but by working
constantly we finished the walls of our huts, and nearly
completed a house for our provisions. The constant rains
have completely spoiled our last supply of elk; but notwithstanding
that scarcely a man has been dry for a great number
of days, the sick are recovering. Four men were despatched
to guard the elk which were killed yesterday, till
a larger party joined them. Accordingly,

Sunday 15, captain Clarke with sixteen men set out
in three canoes, and having rowed for three miles up the
river turned up a large creek from the right, and after going
three miles further landed about the height of the tide water.
The men were then despatched in small parties to
bring in the elk, each man returning with a quarter of the
animal. In bringing the third and last load, nearly half the
men missed their way, and did not return till after night;
five of them indeed were not able to find their way at all.
It had been cloudy all day, and in the night began to rain,
and as we had no cover were obliged to sit up the greater
part of the night, for as soon as we lay down the rain would
come under us, and compel us to rise. It was indeed a
most uncomfortable situation, but the five men who joined
us in the morning,

Monday 16, had been more unlucky, for in addition to the
rain which had poured down upon them all night, they had
no fire, and drenched and cold as they were when they
reached us, exhibited a most distressing sight. They had
left their loads where they slept, and some men were sent
after them, while others were despatched after two more elk
in another bend of the creek, who after taking these last on
board, proceeded to our camp. It rained and hailed during
the day, and a high wind from the southeast not only threw
down trees as we passed along, but made the river so rough
that we proceeded with great risk. We now had the meat
house covered, and all our game carefully hung up in small
pieces.

Tuesday 17. It rained all night, and this morning there
was a high wind, and hail as well as rain fell; and on the
top of a mountain about ten miles to the southeast of us
we observed some snow. The greater part of our stores is
wet, and our leathern tent is so rotten that the slightest
touch makes a rent in it, and it will now scarcely shelter a
spot large enough for our beds. We were all busy in finishing
the inside of the huts. The after part of the day was
cool and fair. But this respite was of very short duration,
for all night it continued raining and snowing alternately,
and in the morning,

Wednesday 18, we had snow and hail till twelve o'clock,
after which it changed to rain. The air now became cool
and disagreeable, the wind high and unsettled, so that being
thinly dressed in leather, we were able to do very little on
the houses.

Thursday 19. The rain continued all night with short
intervals, but the morning was fair and the wind from the
southwest. Situated as we are, our only occupation is to
work as diligently as we can on our houses, and to watch
the changes of the weather, on which so much of our comfort
depends. We availed ourselves of this glimpse of sunshine,
to send across Meriwether's bay for the boards of an

old Indian house; but before the party returned with them,
the weather clouded, and we again had hail and rain during
the rest of the day. Our only visiters were two Indians who
spent a short time with us.

Friday 20. A succession of rain and hail during the night.
At ten o'clock it cleared off for a short time, but the rain
soon recommenced; we now covered in four of our huts;
three Indians came in a canoe with mats, roots, and the berries
of the sacacommis. These people proceed with a dexterity
and finesse in their bargains, which, if they have not
learnt from their foreign visiters, it may show how nearly
allied is the cunning of savages to the little arts of traffic.
They begin by asking double or treble the value of what
they have to sell, and lower their demand in proportion to
the greater or less degree of ardor or knowledge of the purchaser,
who with all his management is not able to procure
the article for less than its real value, which the Indians perfectly
understand. Our chief medium of trade consists of
blue and white beads, files with which they sharpen their
tools, fish-hooks, and tobacco: but of all these articles blue
beads and tobacco are the most esteemed.

Saturday 21. As usual it rained all night and continued
without intermission during the day. One of our Indian
visiters was detected in stealing a horn spoon, and turned
out of the camp. We find that the plant called sacacommis
forms an agreeable mixture with tobacco, and we therefore
despatched two men to the open lands near the ocean,
in order to collect some of it, while the rest continued their
work.

Sunday 22. There was no interval in the rain last night
and to-day; so that we cannot go on rapidly with our buildings.
Some of the men are indeed quite sick, others have received
bruises, and several complain of biles. We discover
too, that part of our elk meat is spoiling in consequence of
the warmth of the weather, though we have kept a constant
smoke under it.

Monday 23. It continued raining the whole day, with no
variation except occasional thunder and hail. Two canoes
of Clatsops came to us with various articles for sale;
we bought three mats and bags neatly made of flags and
rushes, and also the skin of a panther seven feet long, including
the tail. For all these we gave six small fishhooks,
a worn-out file, and some pounded fish which had become
so soft and mouldy by exposure, that we could not use
it: it is, however, highly prized by the Indians of this
neighbourhood. Although a very portable and convenient
food, the mode of curing seems known, or at least practised
only by the Indians near the great falls, and coming from
such a distance, has an additional value in the eyes of these
people, who are anxious to possess some food less precarious
than their ordinary subsistence. Among these Clatsops
was a second chief to whom we gave a medal, and sent some
pounded fish to Cuscalah, who could not come to see us, on
account of sickness. The next day,

Tuesday 24, however, he came in a canoe with his young
brother and two squaws. Having treated captain Clarke so
kindly at his village we were pleased to see him, and he gave
us two mats and a parcel of roots. These we accepted, as it
would have been offensive to decline the offer but afterwards
two files were demanded in return for the presents, and not
being able to spare those articles, we restored the mats and
roots. Cuscalah was a little displeased: in the evening howver
he offered each of us one of the squaws, and even this
being declined, Cuscalah as well as the whole party of Indians
were highly offended: the females particularly seemed
to be much incensed at our indifference about their favours.
The whole stock of meat being now completely spoiled, our
pounded fish became again our chief dependence. It had
rained constantly all day, but we still continued working and
at last moved into our huts.

Wednesday 25. We were awaked at daylight by a discharge
of firearms, which was followed by a song from the

men, as a compliment to us on the return of Christmas, which
we have always been accustomed to observe as a day of rejoicing.
After breakfast we divided our remaining stock of
tobacco, which amounted to twelve carrots, into two parts;
one of which we distributed among such of the party as
made use of it, making a present of a handkerchief to the
others. The remainder of the day was passed in good spirits,
though there was nothing in our situation to excite much
gayety. The rain confined us to the house, and our only
luxuries in honour of the season, were some poor elk, so
much spoiled that we eat it through mere necessity, a few
roots, and some spoiled pounded fish. The next day,

Thursday 26, brought a continuation of rain, accompanied
with thunder, and a high wind from the southeast. We
were therefore still obliged to remain in our huts, and endeavoured
to dry our wet articles before the fire. The fleas
which annoyed us near the portage of the great falls, have
taken such possession of our clothes, that we are obliged to
have a regular search every day through our blankets as a
necessary preliminary to sleeping at night. These animals
indeed are so numerous, that they are almost a calamity to
the Indians of this country. When they have once obtained
the mastery of any house it is impossible to expel them, and
the Indians have frequently different houses, to which they
resort occasionally when the fleas have rendered their permanent
residence intolerable; yet in spite of these precautions,
every Indian is constantly attended by multitudes of
them, and no one comes into our houses without leaving behind
him swarms of these tormenting insects.

Friday 27. The rain did not cease last night, nor the
greater part of the day. In the evening we were visited by
Comowool, the chief, and four men of the Clatsop nation,
who brought a very timely supply of roots and berries.
Among these was one called culhomo, resembling liquorice
in size and taste, and which they roast like a potatoe; there
was also the shanataque, a root of which they are very fond.

It is of a black colour, sweet to the taste, and is prepared
for eating in a kiln, as the Indians up the Columbia dry the
pasheco. These as well as the shellwell berries, they value
highly, but were perfectly satisfied with the return we made
them, consisting of a small piece of sheepskin, to wear round
the chief's head, a pair of earbobs for his son, a small piece
of brass, and a little riband. In addition to our old enemies
the fleas, we observed two musquitoes, or insects so
completely resembling them, that we can perceive no difference
in their shape and appearance.

Saturday, 28. Again it rained during the greater part
of last night, and continued all day. Five men were sent
out to hunt, and five others despatched to the seaside, each
with a large kettle, in order to begin the manufacture of salt.
The route to the seacoast is about seven miles in length, in a
direction nearly west. Five miles of the distance is through
thick woodvaried with hills, ravines and swamps, though the
land in general possesses a rich black mould. The remaining
two miles is formed of open waving prairies of sand, with
ridges running parallel to the river, and covered with green
grass. The rest of the men were employed in making pickets
and gates for our new fort. Although we had no sun, the
weather was very warm.

Sunday, 29. It rained the whole night, but ceased this
morning, and but little rain fell in the course of the day;
still the weather was cloudy and the wind high from the
southeast. The Clatsop chief and his party left us, after
begging for a great number of articles, which, as we could
not spare them, we refused except a razor. We were employed
all day in picketting the fort: in the evening a young
Wahkiacum chief, with four men and two women, arrived
with some dressed elk skin and wappatoo for sale. We purchased
about a bushel and a half of those roots for some red
beads, and small pieces of brass wire and old check. The
chief too made us a present of half a bushel more, for which
we gave him a medal, and a piece of riband, to tie round

his hat. These roots are extremely grateful, since our
meat has become spoiled, and we were desirous of purchasing
the remainder; but the chief would not dispose of any
more, as he was on his way to trade with the Clatsops.
They remained with us however till the next day,

Monday, 30, when they were joined by four more of their
countrymen, from the Wahkiacum village. These last began
by offering us some roots; but as we had now learned
that they always expect three or four times as much in return,
as the real value of the articles, and are even dissatisfied
with that, we declined such dangerous presents. Towards
evening the hunters brought in four elk, and after a
long course of abstinence and miserable diet, we had a most
sumptuous supper of elk's tongues and marrow. Besides this
agreeable repast, the state of the weather had been quite
exhilirating. It had rained during the night, but in the
morning, though the high wind continued, we enjoyed the
fairest and most pleasant weather since our arrival; the sun
having shone at intervals, and there being only three showers
in the course of the day. By sunset we had completed
the fortification, and now announced to the Indians that every
day at that hour the gates would be closed, and they must
leave the fort and not enter it till sunrise. The Wahkiacums,
who had remained with us, and who are very forward
in their deportment, complied very reluctantly with this
order; but being excluded from our houses, formed a camp
near us.

Tuesday, 31. As if it were impossible to have twenty-four
hours of pleasant weather, the sky last evening clouded,
and the rain began and continued through the day. In the
morning there came down two canoes, one from the Wahkiacum
village, the other contained three men and a squaw
of the Skilloot nation. They brought wappatoo, and shanataque
roots, dried fish, mats made of flags and rushes, dressed
elk skins and tobacco; for which, particularly the skins,
they asked a very extravagant price. We purchased some

wappatoo, and a little tobacco, very much like that we had
seen among the Shoshonees, put up in small neat bags made
of rushes. These we obtained in exchange for a few articles,
among which fish-hooks are the most esteemed. One of
the Skilloots brought a gun which wanted some repair, and
having put it in order, we received from him a present of
about a peck of wappatoo; we then gave him a piece of sheep
skin and blue cloth, to cover the lock, and he very thankfully
offered a further present of roots. There is, in fact, an
obvious superiority in these Skilloots over the Wahkiacums,
who are intrusive, thievish, and impertinent. Our
new regulations, however, and the appearance of the sentinel,
have improved the behaviour of all our Indian visiters.
They left the fort before sun-set, even without being ordered.

Besides the fleas, we observe a number of insects in motion
to-day. Snakes are yet to be seen; snails too, without
covers, are common. On the rivers, and along the shores of
Meriwether's bay, are many kinds of large water fowls, but
at this period they are excessively wild. The early part of
the night was fair.

Wednesday, January 1, 1806. We were awaked at an early
hour, by a discharge of a volley of small arms, to salute the
new year. This is the only mode of doing honour to the
day which our situation permits, for though we have reason
to be gayer than we were at Christmas, our only dainties
are the boiled elk and wappatoo, enlivened by draughts
of pure water. We were visited by a few Clatsops, who
came by water, bringing roots and berries for sale. Among
this nation we have observed a man about twenty-five years
old, of a much lighter complexion than the Indians generally:
his face was even freckled, and his hair long, and of a
colour inclining to red. He was in habits and manners perfectly
Indian; but, though he did not speak a word of English,
he seemed to understand more than the others of
his party; and, as we could obtain no account of his origin,

we concluded that one of his parents, at least, must have
been completely white.

These Indians staid with us during the night, and left the
fort next morning,

Thursday 2, having disposed of their cargo for fishing-hooks
and other trifling articles. The hunters brought in
two elk, and we obtained from the traps another. This
animal, as well as the beaver and the rackoon, are in plenty
near the seacoast, and along the small creeks and rivers
as high as the grand rapids, and in this country possess an
extremely good fur.

The birds which most strike our attention are the large
as well as the small or whistling swan, the sandhill crane,
the large and small geese, cormorants, brown and white brant,
duckauinmallard, the canvass and several other species of
ducks. There is also a small crow, the blue crested corvus,
and the smaller corvus with a white breast, the little brown
wren, a large brown sparrow, the bald eagle, and the beautiful
buzzard of the Columbia. All these wild fowl continue
with us, though they are not in such numbers as on our first
arrival in this neighbourhood.

Friday 4. At eleven o'clock we were visited by our
neighbour the Fia, or chief Comowool, who is also called
Coone, and six Clatsops. Besides roots, and berries, they
brought for sale three dogs and some fresh blubber. Having
been so long accustomed to live on the flesh of dogs, the
greater part of us have acquired a fondness for it, and our
original aversion for it is overcome, by reflecting that while
we subsisted on that food we were fatter, stronger, and in
general enjoyed better health than at any period since leaving
the buffaloe country eastward of the mountains. The
blubber, which is esteemed by the Indians an excellent food,
has been obtained, they tell us, from their neighbours the Killamucks,
a nation who live on the seacoast to the southeast,
and near one of whose villages a whale had recently been
thrown and foundered. Three of the hunters who had been

despatched on the 28th, returned about dark; they had been
fifteen miles up the river to the east of us, which falls into
Meriwether's bay, and had hunted a considerable distance to
the east; but they had not been able to kill more than a
single deer, and a few fowls, scarcely sufficient for their subsistence;
an incident which teaches us the necessity of keeping
out several parties of hunters, in order to procure a supply
against any exigency.

Saturday 4. Comowool left us this morning with his
party, highly pleased with a present of an old pair of satinbreeches.
The hunters were all sent in different directions,
and we are now becoming more anxious for their success
since our store of wappatoo is all exhausted.

Sunday 5. Two of the five men who had been despatched
to make salt returned. They had carefully examined the
coast, but it was not till the fifth day after their departure
that they discovered a convenient situation for their manufacture.
At length they formed an establishment about fifteen
miles southwest of the fort, near some scattered houses
of the Clatsop and Killamuck nation, where they erected a
comfortable camp, and had killed a stock of provisions.
The Indians had treated them very kindly, and made them
a present of the blubber of the whale, some of which the men
brought home. It was white and not unlike the fat of pork,
though of a coarser and more spongy texture, and on being
cooked was found to be tender and palatable, and in flavour
resembling the beaver. The men also brought with
them a gallon of the salt, which was white, fine, and very
good, but not so strong as the rock salt common to the
western parts of the United States. It proves to be a most
agreeable addition to our food, and as the saltmakers can
manufacture three or four quarts a day, we have a prospect
of a very plentiful supply. The appearance of the
whale seemed to be a matter of importance to all the neighbouring
Indians, and as we might be able to procure some
of it for ourselves, or at least purchase blubber from the

Indians, a small parcel of merchandise was prepared, and
a party of the men held in readiness to set out in the morning.
As soon as this resolution was known, Chaboneau
and his wife requested that they might be permitted to accompany
us. The poor woman stated very earnestly that
she had travelled a great way with us to see the great water,
yet she had never been down to the coast, and now
that this monstrous fish was also to be seen, it seemed hard
that she should not be permitted to see neither the ocean
nor the whale. So reasonable a request could not be denied;
they were therefore suffered to accompany captain
Clarke, who,

Monday 6, after an early breakfast set out with twelve
men in two canoes. He proceeded down the Netul into
Meriwether bay, intending to go to the Clatsop town, and
there procure a guide through the creeks, which there was
reason to believe communicated not only with the bay,
but with a small river running towards the sea, near
where our saltmakers were encamped. Before however he
could reach the Clatsop village, the high wind from the
northwest compelled him to put into a small creek. He
therefore resolved to attempt the passage without a guide,
and proceeded up the creek three miles, to some high open
land where he found a road. He therefore left the canoes,
and followed the path over three deep marshes to a pond
about a mile long, and two hundred yards wide. He kept
on the left of this pond, and at length came to the creek
which he had crossed on a raft, when he had visited Cuscalah's
village on the ninth of December. He proceeded
down it, till he found a small canoe, fit to hold three persons,
in which the whole party crossed the creek. Here
they saw a herd of elk, and the men were divided into small
parties, and hunted them till after dark, when they met
again at the forks of the river. Three of the elk were
wounded, but night prevented their taking more than one,

which was brought to the camp, and cooked with some
sticks of pine which had drifted down the creeks. The
weather was beautiful, the sky clear, the moon shone brightly,
a circumstance the more agreeable as this is the first
fair evening we have enjoyed for two months.