WINTER-QUARTERS.
November, 1805.--Having now examined the coast, it becomes necessary to
decide on the spot for our winter-quarters. We must rely chiefly for
subsistence upon our arms, and be guided in the choice of our residence
by the supply of game which any particular spot may offer. The Indians
say that the country on the opposite side of the river is better
supplied with elk,--an animal much larger, and more easily killed, than
the deer, with flesh more nutritive, and a skin better fitted for
clothing. The neighborhood of the sea is, moreover, recommended by the
facility of supplying ourselves with salt, and the hope of meeting some
of the trading-vessels, which are expected about three months hence,
from which we may procure a fresh supply of trinkets for our journey
homewards. These considerations induced us to determine on visiting the
opposite side of the bay; and, if there was an appearance of plenty of
game, to establish ourselves there for the winter.
Monday, 25th November, we set out; but, as the wind was too high to
suffer us to cross the river, we kept near the shore, watching for a
favorable change. On leaving our camp, seven Clatsops in a canoe
accompanied us, but, after going a few miles, left us, and steered
straight across 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.
Next day, with a more favorable wind, we began to cross the river. We
passed between some low, marshy islands, and reached the south side of
the Columbia, and landed at a village of nine large houses. Soon after
we landed, three Indians came down from the village with wappatoo-roots,
which we purchased with fish-hooks.
We proceeded along the shore till we came to a remarkable knob of land
projecting about a mile and a half into the bay, about four miles round,
while the neck of land which unites it to the main is not more than
fifty yards across. 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 therefore landed on a beautiful shore of pebbles of
various colors, and encamped near an old Indian hut on the isthmus.
DISCOMFORTS.
Nov. 27.--It rained hard all next day, and the next, attended with a
high wind from the south-west. It was 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 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 swans and brants too shy to be approached. At noon, the
wind shifted to the north-west, and blew with such fury, that many trees
were blown down near us. The gale lasted with short intervals during the
whole night; but towards morning the wind lulled, though the rain
continued, and the waves were still high.
30th.--The hunters met with no better success this day and the next, and
the weather continued rainy. But on Monday, 2d December, one of the
hunters killed an elk at the distance of six miles from the camp, and a
canoe was sent to bring it. 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, it forms a most acceptable food.
The rain continued, with brief interruptions, during the whole month of
December. There were occasional falls of snow, but no frost or ice.
WINTER-QUARTERS.
Capt. Lewis returned from an excursion down the bay, having left two of
his men to guard six elks and five deer which the party had shot. He had
examined the coast, and found a river a short distance below, on which
we might encamp for 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 it
rained all night and the following day.
Saturday, 7th December, 1805, 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 a party sent out three days ago to look
for the six elk. After breakfast, we coasted round the bay, which is
about four miles across, and receives two rivers. We called it
Meriwether's Bay, from the Christian name of Capt. Lewis, who was, no
doubt, the first white man who surveyed it. On reaching the south side
of the bay, we ascended one of the rivers 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.
THE CLATSOPS AT HOME.
Capt. Clarke started on an expedition to the seashore, to fix upon a
place for the salt-works. He took six men with him; but three of them
left in pursuit of a herd of elk. He met three Indians loaded with fresh
salmon, which they had taken, and were returning to their village,
whither they invited him to accompany them. He agreed; and they brought
out a canoe hid along the bank of a creek. Capt. Clarke and his party
got on board, and in a short time were landed at the village, consisting
of twelve houses, inhabited by twelve families of Clatsops. These houses
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 were two
fires in the middle of the room, and the beds disposed round the walls,
two or three feet from the floor, so as to leave room under them for
their bags, baskets, and household articles. The floor was covered with
mats.
Capt. 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 appeared much neater in their
persons than Indians generally are.
Towards evening, it began to rain and blow violently; and Capt. 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-colored horn, a kind of sirup, pleasant to the taste, made from a
species of berry common in this country, about the size of a cherry,
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 one as to the value of the stake, he
would pass the bone with great dexterity from one hand to the other,
singing at the same time to divert the attention of his adversary. Then,
holding up his closed hands, his antagonist was challenged to say 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 abandon 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, Capt. Clarke appearing disposed to
sleep, the man who had been most attentive, and whose name was Cuskalah,
spread two new mats by the fire; and, ordering his wife to retire to her
own bed, the rest of the company dispersed at the same time. Capt.
Clarke then lay down, and slept as well as the fleas would permit him.
Next morning was cloudy, with some rain. He walked on the seashore, and
observed the Indians walking up and down, and examining the shore. He
was at a loss to understand their object till one of them explained that
they were in search of fish, which are thrown on shore by the tide;
adding, in English, "Sturgeon is good." There is 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, Capt. Clarke returned
toward the village. One of the Indians asked him to shoot a duck which
he pointed out. He did so; and, having accidentally shot off its head,
the bird was brought to the village, and all the Indians came round in
astonishment. They examined the duck, the musket, and the very small
bullet (a hundred to the pound); and then exclaimed in their language,
"Good musket: don't understand this kind of musket."
They now placed before him their best roots, fish, and sirup; after
which he bought some berry-bread and a few roots in exchange for
fish-hooks, and then set out to return by the same route by which he
came. He was accompanied by Cuskalah and his brother part of the way,
and proceeded to the camp through a heavy rain. The party had been
occupied during his absence in cutting down trees and in hunting.
Next day, two of our 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 labors, and are glad
to find that the beautiful balsam-pine splits into excellent boards more
than two feet in width.
Dec. 15.--Capt. Clarke, with sixteen men, set out in three canoes to get
the elk which were killed. After landing as near the spot as possible,
the men were despatched in small parties to bring in the game; each man
returning with a quarter of an animal. It was accomplished with much
labor and suffering; for the rain fell incessantly.
THE FORT COMPLETED.
We now had the meat-house covered, and all our game carefully hung up in
small pieces. Two days after, we covered in four huts. 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 rest of the
men were employed in making pickets and gates for our fort.
Dec. 31.--As if it were impossible to have twenty-four hours of pleasant
weather, the sky last evening clouded up, 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 shanatac
roots, dried fish, mats made of flags and rushes, dressed elk-skins, and
tobacco, for which, particularly the skins, they asked an 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, when we had put it in order, we received
from him a present of about a peck of wappatoo. We then gave him a piece
of sheepskin and blue cloth to cover the lock, and he very thankfully
offered a further present of roots. There is an obvious superiority of
these Skilloots over the Wahkiacums, who are intrusive, thievish, and
impertinent. Our new regulations, however, and the appearance of the
sentinel, have improved the behavior of all our Indian visitors. They
left the fort before sunset, even without being ordered.