Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Some moderate Showers last night and this morning all hands who are well employed in building Cabins, despatched 2 men to get board timber. The flees so bad last night that, I made but a broken nights rest we can't get them out of our robes & Skins, which we are obliged to make use of for bedding Some rain to day at Intervales— all at work, in the evening 2 Canoe of Indians Came from the 2 villages of 〈Clopstots〉 Clotsop below, & brought Wapitoo root a black root they call Si-ni-tor [2] and a Small Sea orter Skin all of which we purchased for a fiew fishing hooks & Some Snake Indian Tobacco. Those Indians appeare well disposed, I made a Chief of one & gave him a Small medel, his name is Conyear [3] we treated those people well— they are tite Deelers, valu Blu & white beeds verry highly, and Sell their roots also highly as they purchase them from the Indians abov for a high price
All hands that are well employ'd in Cutting logs and raising our winter Cabins, detached two men to Split boards— Some rain at intervales all last night and to day— The flees were So troublesom last night that I made but a broken nights rest, we find great dificuelty in getting those trouble insects out of our robes and blankets— in the evening two Canoes of Clât Sops Visit us they brought with them Wap pa to, a black Swet root they Call Sha-na toe qua, and a Small Sea Otter Skin, all of which we purchased for a fiew fishing hooks and a Small Sack of Indian tobacco which was given by the Snake Inds.
Those Indians appear well disposed we gave a Medal to the principal Chief named Con-ny-au or Com mo-wol and treated those with him with as much attention as we could— I can readily discover that they are Close deelers, & Stickle for a verry little, never close a bargin except they think they have the advantage Value Blue beeds highly, white they also prise but no other Colour do they Value in the least— the Wap pa to they Sell high, this root the purchase at a high price from the nativs above.
Thersday 12th Decr. 1805. a number of the Clatsop Indians visited us. [4] we finished raiseing one line of our huts.
Thursday 12th. This morning was cloudy without rain. In the forenoon we finished 3 rooms of our cabins, all but the covering; which I expect will be a difficult part of the business, as we have not yet found any timber which splits well; two men went out to make some boards, if possible, for our roofs. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon a number of the natives from the seashore came to our camp, [5] and remained all night. Some rain fell in the evening.
Thursday decemr. 12th It was cloudy the whole of this day. In the afternoon 10 Indians [6] came to our encampment in Canoes; some of these Indians lived on the Sea Coast & the remainder lived up the Columbia River.— These Indians brought with them some Roots to trade with us.
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.