Clark: January 22, 1806
The party sent to retrieve meat returned in the evening with it in poor condition, as the animals had been lean. Reuben Field, Shannon, and Labiche stayed behind in the woods to hunt, while no word had come from the other hunters near Point Adams and the prairies. The salt supply ran out, and rain fell intermittently. Clark described local plants used as food, including three species of fern, licorice (roasted and eaten like sweet potato), thistle root, and most notably wapato, a valuable bulb traded along the Columbia.
Friday 22nd January 1806 The party Sent for the meat this morning returned
with it in the evening; it was in verry inferior order, in Short the
animals were pore. Rieuben Field Shannon and Labiech remained in the woods
to hunt. our late Supply of Salt is out. we have not heard a word of the
other hunters who are below us towards point adams and the Praries. Some
rain this day at intervales
There are three Species of fern in this neighbourhood the root one of
which the nativs eate; that of which the nativs eate produce no flowers
whatever or fruit of a fine green Colour and the top is annual, and in
Course dead at present.
I observe no difference between the licorice of this Countrey and that
Common to maney parts of the United States where it is sometimes
Cultivated in our gardins-. this plant delights in a deep lose Sandy Soil;
here it grows verry abundant and large; the nativs roste it in the embers
and pound it Slightly with a Small Stick in order to make it Seperate more
readily from the Strong liggaments which forms the center of the root;
this they discard and chew and Swallow the ballance of the root; this last
is filled with a number of thin membrencies like network, too tough to be
masticated and which I find it necessary also to discard. This root when
roasted possesses an agreeable flavour not unlike the Sweet potato. The
root of the thistle (described yesterday) after undergoing the process of
Sweting or bakeing in a kiln is Sometimes eaten with the train oil also,
at other times pounded fine and mixed with Cold water, untill reduced to
the Consistancy of Gruel; in this way I think it verry agreeable. but the
most valuable of all their roots is foreign to this neighbourhood I mean
the Wappetoe.
The Wappetoe, or bulb of the Sagitifolia or common arrow head, which grows
in great abundance in the marshey grounds of that butifull and fertile
vally on the Columbia commenceing just above the quick Sand River and
extending downwards for about 70 miles. this bulb forms a principal
article of trafic between the inhabitents of the vally and those of their
neighbourhood or Sea coast.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday, 22nd January 1806. The party sent for the meat this morning returned with it in the evening; it was in very inferior condition—in short, the animals were poor. Rieuben Field, Shannon, and Labiech (Labiche) remained in the woods to hunt. Our recent supply of salt is gone. We have not heard a word of the other hunters, who are below us toward Point Adams and the prairies. Some rain today at intervals.
There are three species of fern in this neighborhood, the root of one of which the natives eat. The one the natives eat produces no flowers or fruit whatever; it is of a fine green color, and the top is annual, and so is of course dead at present.
I observe no difference between the licorice of this country and that common to many parts of the United States, where it is sometimes cultivated in our gardens. This plant delights in a deep, loose, sandy soil; here it grows very abundantly and large. The natives roast it in the embers and pound it slightly with a small stick in order to make it separate more readily from the strong ligaments that form the center of the root; these they discard, and they chew and swallow the rest of the root. This part is filled with a number of thin membranes like network, too tough to be chewed, which I also find it necessary to discard. This root, when roasted, has an agreeable flavor not unlike the sweet potato. The root of the thistle (described yesterday), after undergoing the process of sweating or baking in a kiln, is sometimes eaten with train oil; at other times it is pounded fine and mixed with cold water until reduced to the consistency of gruel. In this way I think it very agreeable. But the most valuable of all their roots is foreign to this neighborhood—I mean the Wappetoe.
The Wappetoe, or bulb of the Sagitifolia, or common arrowhead, grows in great abundance in the marshy grounds of that beautiful and fertile valley on the Columbia, beginning just above the Quicksand River and extending downstream for about 70 miles. This bulb forms a principal article of trade between the inhabitants of the valley and those of the neighboring areas and the seacoast.
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