Clark: February 5, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, a hunter's gunshot across the Netul marsh in the evening prompted Sergeant Gass and a party to row over, using a small creek at high tide. They fortunately recovered the long-lost Indian canoe along the way. The hunter was Reubin Field, who reported killing six elk east of the Netul and believed Shannon and Labiche, from whom he had parted the day before, had also killed several. Field brought back a pheasant. Clark devoted most of the entry to a detailed botanical description of a common local spruce-like tree.
Wednesday February 5th 1806 Late this evening one of the hunters fired off
his gun over the marsh of the Netul opposit to the fort & hhoped. we
Sent Sergt. Gass and a party of men over; the tide being in they took
advantage of a little Creek which makes up in that direction nearly to the
high lands, and in their way fortunately recovered our Indian Canoe So
long lost and much lamented. The hunter provd. to be Reubin Field, who
reported that he had killed Six Elk on the East Side of the Netul a little
above us; and that he had parted with Shannon and Labiesh yesterday after
he had herd them fire Six or Seven Shot after he had Seperated from them,
and Supposed that they had also killed Several other Elk. Fields brought
with him a Pheasant which differs but little from those Common to the
United StatesFur No. 2 is next in dignity in point of Size. it is
much the most common Species, it may be Said to Constitute one half of the
timber of this neigh-bourhood. it appears to be of the Spruce kind. it
rises to the higth of 160 or 180 feet very Commonly and is from 4 to 6
feet in diameter, very Streight round and regularly tapering. the bark is
thin of a dark colour, and much divided with Small longitudinal
interstices; that of the boughs and young trees are Somewhat Smoth but not
So much so as the balsom fir, nor that of the white pine of our Countrey.
the wood is white throughout and rather Soft but rather tough and
dificuelt to rive. The trunk of this tree is Simple branching, deffused
Stem and not proliferous as the pine and fir usially are, but like most
other trees it puts foth buds from the Sides of the Small boughes as well
as from their extremities. the Stem usially termonate in a very slender
pointed top like the Cedar. The leaves are petiolate, the footstalk Small
Short and oppressed; acerose reather more than 1/2 a line in wedth and
very uneaqual in length, the greatest length being a little more than half
an inch, while others intermixed on every part of the bough are not more
than a 1/4 of an inch in length. flat with a Small longitudinal channel in
the upper disk which is of a Deep green and glossy, while the under disk
is of a whitish green only; two ranked, obtusely pointed, Soft and
flexable. this tree affords but little rosin. the Cone is remarkably
Small, not larger than the end of a mans thumb Soft, flexable and of an
oval form, produced at the end of a Small twig.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Wednesday, February 5th, 1806. Late this evening one of the hunters fired off his gun over the marsh of the Netul opposite the fort and hooped. We sent Sergt. Gass (Sergeant Gass) and a party of men over; the tide being in, they took advantage of a little creek that runs in that direction nearly to the high lands, and on their way fortunately recovered our Indian canoe, so long lost and much lamented. The hunter proved to be Reubin Field, who reported that he had killed six elk on the east side of the Netul a little above us, and that he had parted with Shannon and Labiesh yesterday after he had heard them fire six or seven shots after he had separated from them, and supposed that they had also killed several other elk. Fields brought with him a pheasant which differs but little from those common to the United States.
Fir No. 2 is next in dignity in point of size. It is much the most common species, and it may be said to make up one half of the timber in this neighborhood. It appears to be of the spruce kind. It commonly rises to the height of 160 or 180 feet and is from 4 to 6 feet in diameter, very straight, round, and regularly tapering. The bark is thin, of a dark color, and much divided with small longitudinal interstices; that of the boughs and young trees is somewhat smooth, but not so much so as the balsam fir, nor that of the white pine of our country. The wood is white throughout and rather soft, but rather tough and difficult to rive. The trunk of this tree has a simple branching, diffused stem and is not proliferous as the pine and fir usually are, but, like most other trees, it puts forth buds from the sides of the small boughs as well as from their extremities. The stem usually terminates in a very slender pointed top like the cedar. The leaves are petiolate, the footstalk small, short, and pressed close; acerose, rather more than half a line in width and very unequal in length, the greatest length being a little more than half an inch, while others intermixed on every part of the bough are not more than a quarter of an inch in length. They are flat with a small longitudinal channel on the upper side, which is of a deep green and glossy, while the under side is only a whitish green; two-ranked, obtusely pointed, soft, and flexible. This tree yields but little rosin. The cone is remarkably small, not larger than the end of a man's thumb, soft, flexible, and of an oval form, produced at the end of a small twig.
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