Clark: February 8, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Ordway and two men were sent to rejoin Sergeant Gass's party and retrieve the rest of R. Field's elk, returning that evening with meat from five elk, though one carcass had spoiled. Later, Sergeant Pryor returned down the Netul with Shannon, Labiche, and others, bringing flesh from four more elk. The men feasted on elk tongues and marrowbones, considered a luxury at the fort. Clark devoted most of the entry to a detailed botanical description of the shallon shrub, an evergreen with oval leaves and dark purple berries that elk browse upon.
Saturday February 8th 1806 Sent Serjt. Ordway and two men this morning to
joint the party with Serjt. Gass, and bring the ballance of R. Field’s
Elk. in the evening they returned with the ballance of the flesh of five
Elk, that of one of them having become tainted and unfit for use. late in
the evening Serjt. Pryor returned with Shannon Labieshe and his party down
the Netul. they brought with them the flesh of 4 Elk which those two
hunters had killed.
we have both Dined and Suped on Elks tongues and marrowbones. a great
Luxury for Fort Clatsop.
The Shat lon is a production of Shrub which I have taken heretofore to be
a Species of Loral and mentioned as abounding in this neighbourhood, and
that the Elk feed much on its leaves. it generally rises to the hight of 3
feet, and not unusially attain to that of 5 feet. it grows very thick and
is from the size of that of a goose quil to that of a mans thumb,
Celendric. the bark of the older or larger part of the Stalk is of a
redish brown Colour, whilst that of the younger branches & succulent
Shoots are red where most exposed to the Sun and green elsewhere. the Stem
is Simple branching, reclineing and partially fuxouse, or at least the
Smaller Stalks or Such parts of them and their boughs which produce the
leaves, take a different direction at the insertion of every petiole. A,
A, the leaves as they grow from the Stalk B. B. B the Stalk between each
leaf.
The leaf is oval 4 and 3/4 inches in length, and 2 and a half in width.
petiolate, the potiale Short only 3/8 of an inch in length cilindric with
a Slight Channel on its upper Side where it is generally red; undevided,
or entire, Slightly serrate, the apex termonateing in an accute point; the
upper disk of a glossy deep Green, the under disk of a pail Green, veined.
the leaves are also alternate and two ranked. the root is horozontal,
putting foth pirpendicular radicles. This Shrub is an evergreen. the frute
is a deep purple berry about the Size of a buck Shot or common black
cherry, of an ovale form, tho reather more bluntly pointed than at the
insertion of the peduncle, at the extremity, the thin coloured membranus
pellicle, which forms the Surfice of the paricarp, is divided into 4
anguar points, which meet at the Center, and Contains a Soft pulp of the
Same Colour invelloping a great number of Small brown kidney formed
Seedeach berry is Supported by a Seperate celindric peduncle of half an
inch in length, these to the number of 10 or 12 issue from a common
peduncle of footstalk which forms the termination of the twig of the
present years groth; each peduncle Supporting a berry is furnished with
one oblong bracte placed at it’s insertion on the common footstalk, which
when the frute is ripe withers with the peduncle-.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Saturday, February 8th, 1806. Sent Sergeant Ordway (Sgt. Ordway) and two men this morning to join the party with Sergeant Gass (Sgt. Gass), and bring the rest of R. Field's elk. In the evening they returned with the rest of the flesh of five elk, that of one of them having become tainted and unfit for use. Late in the evening Sergeant Pryor (Sgt. Pryor) returned with Shannon, Labiche, and his party down the Netul. They brought with them the flesh of 4 elk which those two hunters had killed.
We have both dined and supped on elk tongues and marrowbones — a great luxury for Fort Clatsop.
The shallon is the product of a shrub which I have taken before to be a species of laurel, and mentioned as abounding in this neighborhood, and that the elk feed much on its leaves. It generally rises to a height of 3 feet, and not unusually attains 5 feet. It grows very thick and is from the size of a goose quill to that of a man's thumb, cylindrical. The bark of the older or larger part of the stalk is of a reddish brown color, while that of the younger branches and succulent shoots is red where most exposed to the sun and green elsewhere. The stem is simple branching, reclining and partially flexuous, or at least the smaller stalks, or such parts of them and their boughs which produce the leaves, take a different direction at the insertion of every petiole. A, A: the leaves as they grow from the stalk. B, B, B: the stalk between each leaf.
The leaf is oval, 4 3/4 inches in length, and 2 1/2 inches in width, petiolate; the petiole is short, only 3/8 of an inch in length, cylindrical with a slight channel on its upper side, where it is generally red; undivided, or entire, slightly serrate, the apex terminating in an acute point; the upper surface a glossy deep green, the under surface a pale green, veined. The leaves are also alternate and two-ranked. The root is horizontal, putting forth perpendicular radicles. This shrub is an evergreen. The fruit is a deep purple berry about the size of a buckshot or common black cherry, of an oval form, though rather more bluntly pointed than at the insertion of the peduncle. At the extremity, the thin colored membranous pellicle, which forms the surface of the pericarp, is divided into 4 angular points, which meet at the center, and contains a soft pulp of the same color enveloping a great number of small brown kidney-shaped seeds. Each berry is supported by a separate cylindrical peduncle half an inch in length; these, to the number of 10 or 12, issue from a common peduncle or footstalk which forms the termination of the twig of the present year's growth. Each peduncle supporting a berry is furnished with one oblong bract placed at its insertion on the common footstalk, which, when the fruit is ripe, withers with the peduncle.
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