Clark: December 12, 1805
On a rainy Thursday at the winter camp site, the healthy members of the party worked on cutting logs and raising cabins, while two men were sent to split boards. Clark complained of a poor night's sleep due to fleas infesting their robes and bedding. In the evening, two canoes of Clatsop Indians arrived from villages below, trading wapato roots, a sweet black root called Shanatoequa, and a small sea otter skin for fishing hooks and Shoshone tobacco. Clark gave a medal to their chief, Conyear (Comowol), noting the Clatsops were shrewd traders who prized blue and white beads.
December 12th Thursday 1805 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 Intervalesall
at work, in the evening 2 Canoe of Indians Came from the 2 villages of
Clotsop below, & brought Wapitoo roots a black root they call
Si-ni-tor 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 we treated those people wellthey are tite Deelers, value
Blu & white beeds verry highly, and Sell their roots also highly as
they purchase them from the Indians abov for a high price
—
Thursday 12th December 1805 All hands that are well employ’d in Cutting
logs and raising our winter Cabins, detached two men to Split boardsSome
rain at intervales all last night and to dayThe 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 blanketsin
the evening two Canoes of Chit Sops Visit us they brought with them Wap pa
to, a black Sweet 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 couldI 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 leastthe Wap pa
to they Sell high, this root the purchase at a high price from the nativs
above.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
December 12th Thursday 1805. There were some moderate showers last night and this morning. All hands who are well are employed in building cabins. Dispatched 2 men to get board timber. The fleas were so bad last night that I had a broken night's rest. We can't get them out of our robes and skins, which we are obliged to make use of for bedding. Some rain today at intervals. All at work. In the evening 2 canoes of Indians came from the 2 villages of Clotsop below, and brought Wapitoo roots, a black root they call Si-ni-tor, and a small sea otter skin, all of which we purchased for a few fishing hooks and some Snake Indian tobacco. These Indians appear well disposed. I made a chief of one and gave him a small medal; his name is Conyear. We treated these people well. They are tight dealers, value blue and white beads very highly, and sell their roots also highly, as they purchase them from the Indians above for a high price.
Thursday 12th December 1805. All hands that are well are employed in cutting logs and raising our winter cabins. Detached two men to split boards. Some rain at intervals all last night and today. The fleas were so troublesome last night that I had only a broken night's rest. We find great difficulty in getting these troublesome insects out of our robes and blankets. In the evening two canoes of Chit Sops visited us. They brought with them Wappato, a black sweet root they call Sha-na-toe-qua, and a small sea otter skin, all of which we purchased for a few fishing hooks and a small sack of Indian tobacco which was given by the Snake Indians.
These 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 dealers, and stickle for a very little, never closing a bargain except when they think they have the advantage. They value blue beads highly; white they also prize, but no other color do they value in the least. The Wappato they sell high; this root they purchase at a high price from the natives above.
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