Clark: January 4, 1806
Comowool and the Clatsop visitors departed in the morning. Clark reflects on the local Chinook, Clatsop, and related peoples, describing them as mild and friendly but prone to petty theft and notably shrewd in trade, often haggling all day over small items and refusing initial offers only to later accept less. He recounts testing a Clatsop man with a watch, knife, dollar, and beads for a sea otter skin to illustrate this bargaining habit. He notes their wappato roots are now entirely used up.
Saturday 4th January 1806 Comowool and the Clatsops who visited us
yesterday left us in the morning. Those people the Chinnook and others
resideing in this neighbourhood and Speaking the Same language have been
very friendly to us; they appear to be a mild inoffensive people but will
pilfer if they have an oppertunity to do So when they Conceive themselves
not liable to detection. they are great higlers in trade and if they
Conceive you anxious to purchase will be a whole day bargaining for a hand
full of roots; this I Should have thought proceeded from their want of
Knowledge of the Comparitive value of articles of merchindize and the fear
of being Cheated, did I not find that they invariably refuse the price
first offered them and afterwards very frequently accept a Smaller
quantity of the Same article; in order to Satisfy myself on this point, I
once offered a Clatsop man my watch a knife, a Dollar of the Coin of U
State and hand full of beeds, for a Small Sea otter Skin, which I did not
much want, he immediately Conceived it of great value, and refused to Sell
unless I would give as maney more beads; the next day with a great deel of
importunity on his part we receved the Skin in exchange for a fiew Strans
of the Same beeds he had refused the day before. I therefore beleive this
treat in their Charector proceeds from an avericious all grasping
dis-position. in this respect they differ from all Indians I ever became
acquainted with, for their dispositions invariably lead them to give what
ever they are possessed off no matter how usefull or valueable, for a
bauble which pleases their fancy, without Consulting its usefullness or
value. nothing occured to day, or more So, than our wappato being all
exhausted.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Saturday 4th January 1806. Comowool and the Clatsops who visited us yesterday left us in the morning. These people, the Chinnook (Chinook) and others residing in this neighborhood and speaking the same language, have been very friendly to us; they appear to be a mild, inoffensive people, but they will pilfer if they have an opportunity to do so when they think themselves not liable to detection. They are great hagglers in trade, and if they think you are anxious to purchase, they will spend a whole day bargaining for a handful of roots. I should have thought this came from their lack of knowledge of the comparative value of articles of merchandise and the fear of being cheated, had I not found that they invariably refuse the price first offered them and afterwards very frequently accept a smaller quantity of the same article.
In order to satisfy myself on this point, I once offered a Clatsop man my watch, a knife, a dollar of the coin of the U. States, and a handful of beads for a small sea otter skin, which I did not much want. He immediately decided it was of great value and refused to sell unless I would give as many more beads; the next day, with a great deal of urging on his part, we received the skin in exchange for a few strands of the same beads he had refused the day before. I therefore believe this trait in their character proceeds from an avaricious, all-grasping disposition. In this respect they differ from all Indians I ever became acquainted with, for their dispositions invariably lead them to give whatever they possess, no matter how useful or valuable, for a trinket that pleases their fancy, without considering its usefulness or value. Nothing occurred today, more than our wappato being all exhausted.
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