Clark: February 6, 1806
Sergeant Gass and party were sent out with Reuben Field to retrieve an elk Field had killed. Sergeant Pryor returned late in the evening with only the flesh of about two elk and four skins, as local Indians had taken the rest of the seven elk Drouillard killed earlier, prompting Clark to remark that these people will all steal. Most of the entry is devoted to detailed botanical descriptions of four conifer species in the area, including a balsam fir, two other firs, and the white pine.
Thursday February 6th 1806 Sent Serjt. Gass and party this morning with Ru
Field to bring in the Elk which Field had killed. late in the evening
Serjt. Pryor returned with the fish of about 2 Elk and four skins the
Indians haveing taken the ballance of Seven Elk which Drewyer killed the
other day. I find that those people will all Steal.
No. 3 a Species of fir, which one of my men inform me is presisely the
Same with that called the balsam fir of Canada. it grows here to
considerable Size, being from 21/2 to 4 feet in diameeter and rises to the
hight of 100 or 120 feet. it’s Stem is Simple branching assending and
proliferous-. it’s leaves are cessile, acerose, 1/8 of an inch in length
and 1/16 of an inch in width, thickly scattered on all Sides of the twigs
as far as the groth of four proceeding years, and respects the three
undersides only, the upper Side being neglected and the under Side but
thinly furnished; gibbous a little declineing, obtusely pointed, Soft
flexable, and the upper disk longitudinally marked with a Slight Channel;
this disk is of a glossy deep green, the under one green tho paler and not
glossy. This tree affords a considerable quantity of a fine Clear
arromatic Balsom in appearance and taste like the Canadian balsom. Small
pustuls filled with the balsom rise with a blister like appearance on the
body of the tree and it’s branches; the bark which covers these pustules
is Soft thin Smothe and easily punctured. the bark of the tree is
generally thin of a dark brown colour and reather Smooth tho not as much
so as the white pine of the U. States the wood is white and Soft.
No. 4 a Species of fir which in point of Size is much that of No 2,-. the
Stem Simple branching assending and proliferous; the bark of a redish dark
brown and thicker than that of No. 3. it is devided with Small
longitudinal interstices, but these are not So much ramefied as in the
Specis No. 2. the leaves with respect to their possition in reguard to
each other is the Same with the balsam fir, as is the leaf in every other
respect than that, it is not more than 2/3ds the width and little more
than half the length of the other, nor is it’s upper disk of so deep a
green nor glossy. it affords no balsam, and but little rosin. the wood
also white Soft and reather porus tho tough-.- No. 5 is a species of fir
which arives to the Size of No. 2, and No. 4. the Stem Simple branching,
diffuse and proliferous. the bark thin dark brown, much divided with Small
longitudinal interstices scaleing off in thin rolling flakes. it affords
but little rosin and the wood is redish white 2/3ds of the diamieter in
the Center the ballance white Somewhat porus and tough. the twigs are much
longer and more slender than in either of the other speceies. the leaves
are acerose 1/20 of an inch in width, and an inch in length, sessile,
inserted on all Sides of the bough, Streight, their extremities pointing
obliquely towards the extremities of the bough and more thickly placed
than in either of the other Species; gibbous and flexable but more stiff
than any except No. 1 and more blontly pointed than either of the other
Species; the upper disk has a Small longitudinal Channel and is of a deep
green tho not so Glossy as the balsam fir, the under disk is of a pail
green. No. 6 the White pine; or what is usially So Called in Virginia. I
see no difference between this and that of the mountains in Virginia;
unless it be the uncommon length of the cone of this found here, which are
Sometimes 16 or 18 inches in length and about 4 inches in Surcumfrance. I
do not recollect those of Virginia, but it Strikes me that they are not So
long. this Species is not common I have Seen it only in three instances
since I have been in this neighbourhood, I saw a few on Haleys bay on the
North Side of the Columbia River, a fiew scattering on the Sea coast to
the North on one of which I engraved my name-and Some on the S S E Side of
E co la Creek near the Kil a mox nation, at which place I Saw the white
& red Cedar
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Thursday, February 6th, 1806. Sent Sergeant Gass (Sgt. Gass) and his party out this morning with Ru. Field to bring in the elk that Field had killed. Late in the evening Sergeant Pryor (Sgt. Pryor) returned with the flesh of about two elk and four skins, the Indians having taken the rest of the seven elk that Drewyer killed the other day. I find that these people will all steal.
No. 3, a species of fir which one of my men informs me is precisely the same as the one called the balsam fir of Canada. It grows here to a considerable size, being from 2½ to 4 feet in diameter and rising to a height of 100 or 120 feet. Its stem is simple, branching, ascending, and proliferous. Its leaves are sessile, acerose (needle-shaped), 1/8 of an inch in length and 1/16 of an inch in width, thickly scattered on all sides of the twigs as far back as the growth of four preceding years, but only on the three undersides; the upper side is neglected and the underside is only thinly furnished. The leaves are gibbous, slightly declining, obtusely pointed, soft, and flexible, and the upper surface is marked lengthwise with a slight channel. This upper surface is a glossy deep green, while the lower one is green but paler and not glossy. This tree yields a considerable quantity of a fine, clear, aromatic balsam, similar in appearance and taste to the Canadian balsam. Small pustules filled with the balsam rise like blisters on the body of the tree and its branches; the bark covering these pustules is soft, thin, smooth, and easily punctured. The bark of the tree is generally thin, of a dark brown color, and rather smooth, though not as smooth as that of the white pine of the United States. The wood is white and soft.
No. 4, a species of fir which in size is much like No. 2. The stem is simple, branching, ascending, and proliferous; the bark is a reddish dark brown and thicker than that of No. 3. It is divided by small lengthwise crevices, but these are not as branched as in species No. 2. The arrangement of the leaves in relation to each other is the same as in the balsam fir, as is the leaf in every other respect, except that it is not more than 2/3 the width and little more than half the length of the other, nor is its upper surface of so deep a green or as glossy. It yields no balsam, and only a little resin. The wood is also white, soft, and rather porous though tough.
No. 5 is a species of fir that grows to the size of No. 2 and No. 4. The stem is simple, branching, diffuse, and proliferous. The bark is thin and dark brown, much divided by small lengthwise crevices, peeling off in thin rolling flakes. It yields but little resin, and the wood is reddish-white for 2/3 of the diameter at the center, the rest being white, somewhat porous, and tough. The twigs are much longer and more slender than in any of the other species. The leaves are acerose, 1/20 of an inch in width and an inch in length, sessile, inserted on all sides of the bough, straight, their tips pointing obliquely toward the ends of the bough, and more thickly set than in any of the other species. They are gibbous and flexible, but stiffer than any except No. 1, and more bluntly pointed than any of the other species. The upper surface has a small lengthwise channel and is of a deep green, though not as glossy as the balsam fir; the underside is of a pale green.
No. 6, the white pine, or what is usually so called in Virginia. I see no difference between this and the white pine of the mountains in Virginia, unless it be the uncommon length of the cone found here, which is sometimes 16 or 18 inches in length and about 4 inches in circumference. I do not recall those of Virginia exactly, but it strikes me that they are not as long. This species is not common; I have seen it in only three instances since I have been in this neighborhood. I saw a few at Haley's Bay on the north side of the Columbia River, a few scattered on the seacoast to the north (on one of which I engraved my name), and some on the south-southeast side of E co la Creek near the Kil a mox nation, at which place I also saw the white and red cedar.
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