March 17, 1806
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March 17, 1806

 

Catel and his family left us this morning. Old Delashelwilt and his women still remain    they have formed a ca[m]p near the fort and seem to be determined to lay close sege to us but I beleive notwithstanding every effort of their wining graces, the men have preserved their constancy to the vow of celibacy which they made on this occasion to Capt C. and myself.    we have had our perogues prepared for our departer, and shal set out as soon as the weather will permit.    the weather is so precarious that we fear by waiting untill the first of April that we might be detained several days longer before we could get from this to the Cathlahmahs as it must be calm or we cannot accomplish that part of our rout. Drewyer returned late this evening from the Cathlahmahs with our canoe which Sergt. Pryor had left some days since, and also a canoe which he had purchased from those people.    for this canoe he gave my uniform laced coat and nearly half a carrot of tobacco.    it seems that nothing excep this coat would induce them to dispose of a canoe which in their mode of traffic is an article of the greatest val[u]e except a wife, with whom it is equal, and is generally given in exchange to the father for his daughter. I think the U' States are indebted to me another Uniform coat, for that of which I have disposed on this occasion was but little woarn.—    we yet want another canoe, and as the Clatsops will not sell us one at a price which we can afford to give we will take one from them in lue of the six Elk which they stole from us in the winter. [1]

The pellucid jellylike substance, called the sea-nettle is found in great abundance along the strad where it has been thrown up by the waves and tide.—

There are two speceis of the Fuci or seawreck [seaweed] which we also find thrown up by the waves.    the 1st speceis [2] at one extremity consists of a large vesicle or hollow vessell which would contain from one to two gallons, of a conic form, the base of which forms the extreem end and is convex and globelar bearing on it's center some short broad and irregular fibers.    the substance is about the consistence of the rind of a citron mellon and ¾ of an inch thick.    the rihind is smooth.    from the small extremity of the cone a long, hollow, celindrick, and regularly tapering tube extends to 20 or thirty feet and is then terminated with a number of branches which are flat ½ an inch in width rough particular on the edges where they are furnished with a number of little ovate vesicles or bags of the size of a pigeon's egg.    this plant seems to be calculated to float at each extremity while the little end of the tube from whence the branches proceed, lies deepest in the water.—

The other speceis [3] I have never seen but Capt. Clark who saw it on the coast towards the Killamucks informed me that it resembled a large pumpkin, it is solid and it's specific gravity reather greater than the water, tho it is sometimes thrown out by the waves.    it is of a yellowis brown colour.    the rhind smooth and consistence hard[er] than that of a pumpkin tho' easily cut with a knife.    there are some dark brown fibers reather harder than any other part which pass longitudinally through the pulp or fleshey substance wich forms the inferior of this marine production.—

The following is a list of the names of the commanders of vessels who visit the entrance of the Columbia river in the spring and autumn fror the purpose of trading with the natives or hunting Elk.    these names are spelt as the Indians pronounce them. [4]

Mr. Haley, their favorite trader visits them in a vessel with three masts, and
   continues some time
Youens, visits in a 3 masted vessel— Trader  
Tallamon do. 3 do. no trader  
Callallamet do. 3 do. Trader. has a wooden leg
Swipton do. 3 do. Trader.  
Moore do. 4 do. do.  
Mackey do. 3 do. do.  
Washington do. 3 do. do.  
Mesship do. 3 do. do.  
Davidson do. 2   no trader hunts Elk
Jackson do. 3 masted vessel Trader  
Bolch do. 3 do. do.  
Skelley
   he has one eye.
do. 3 do. do. tho' he has been gone some years.
 

Catel and his family left us this morning. Old Delashelwilt and his women still remain, they have formed a Camp near the fort and Seam determined to lay Close Sege to us, but I believe notwithstanding every effort of their wining graces, the men have preserved their constancy to the vow of celibacy which they made on this Occasion to Capt L. and my self.    we have had our Canoes prepared for our departure, and Shall Set out as Soon as the weather will permit.    the weather is So precarious that we fear by waiting untill the first of April that we might be detained Several days longer before we could get from this to the Cath-lah-mahs, as it must be Calm or we cannot accomplish that part of the rout in our Canoes. Drewyer returned late this evening from the Cath-lah-mahs with our Indian Canoe which Sergt. Pryor had left Some days since, and also a Canoe, which he had purchased from those people.    for this canoe he gave Captn. Lewis's uniform laced coat and nearly half a Carrot of tobacco.    it Seams that nothing except this Coat would induce them to dispose of a Canoe which in their mode of traffic is an article of the greatest value except a wife, with whome it is nearly equal, and is generally given in exchange to the father for his Daughter. I think that the United States are in justice indebted to Captn Lewis another uniform Coat for that of which he has disposed of on this ocasion, it was but little worn.

We yet want another Canoe as the Clatsops will not Sell us one, a proposition has been made by one of our interpt [5] and Sever[al] of the party to take one in lieu of 6 Elk which they Stole from us this winter &c. [during?]

 

Monday 17th March 1806. Showers of rain intermixed with Snow.    we fixed our canoes and git in readiness for a Start expecting G. Drewyer to return from the Cath le-mahs. Showery all day.    in the evening Drewyer returnd with a canoe which he had bought for Capt. Lewises Uniform coat and a small peace of Tobacco.    we Should have Started this day had we been ready.    &C—

 

On the 17th it rained occasionally during the whole of the day. We got a canoe from the natives, for which we gave an officier's uniform coat. [6]

 

Monday March 17th    A Cloudy day, and showery; The Men who went to the Cath-le-Mah village, purchased from the Natives Some Roots a few small fish, the small fish not unlike a herring getting scarce among the Natives, Those Men returned in the Evening, & brought the Canoe that they had bought & the other Canoe with them.    Nothing material happened at the fort this day.—

1. The captains do not mention the matter further, but Sergeant Ordway notes in his entry for the next day (March 18, 1806) that four men went "over to the prarie near the coast" and took a canoe "as we are in want of it." They concealed it near the fort, as the Clatsop chief Coboway was visited at the time. See the reflections on this incident in Ronda (LCAI), 211–12. The next paragraph and several lines of the third and fourth have red vertical lines through them, perhaps Biddle's work. (back)
2. This is actually two species. The one with the hollow vessel is Nereocystic leutkeana. Lewis erred in assuming he had one species by not realizing that a second plant had attached itself to the first with its holdfast; it is Egregia menziesii. Different species of kelp often grow together and can superficially appear as one. Since Nereocystis floats at one end only, the little ovate bags on the edges are the small gas bladders of the attached Egregia. Lewis was the first to describe these species. Abbott & Hollenberg, 244, 253–55. (back)
3. The description here is too vague to yield sure identification; it is not even certain that an alga is being described. (back)
4. For information on some of these traders see above, January 1, 1806. (back)
5. Probably either Drouillard or Charbonneau. (back)
6. Drouillard purchased it from Cathlamet Indians with Lewis's coat. (back)
7. Drouillard had purchased the canoe with Lewis's uniform coat and some tobacco. (back)