Clark: March 4, 1806
A quiet day at Fort Clatsop with nothing notable happening. The party continues to eat well on wapato and sturgeon. Clark records detailed observations about local food preservation and cooking, describing how natives smoke anchovies on sticks over small fires and steam-cook sturgeon between hot stones, boughs, and mats—a method he finds superior to boiling or roasting. He then catalogs regional birds, comparing them to Atlantic and Missouri species, including doves, robins, magpies, woodpeckers, larks, sandhill cranes, and two species of flycatcher.
Tuesday March 4th 1806 Not any accurrance to day worthy of notice. we live
Sumptiously on our wappatoe and Sturgeon. the Anchovey is so delicate that
they Soon become tainted unless pickled or Smoked. the nativs run a Small
Stick through their gills and hang them in the Smoke of their Lodges, or
Kindle Small fires under them for the purpose of drying them. they need no
previous preperation of gutting &c. and will Cure in 24 hours. the
nativs do not appear to be very Scrupilous about eating them a little
feated.
the fresh sturgeon they Keep maney days by immersing it in water. they
Cook their Sturgeon by means of vapor or Steam. the process is as follows.
a brisk fire is kindled on which a parcel of Stones are Sufficiently
heated, the Stones are So arranged as to form a tolerable leavel Surface,
the Sturgeon which had been previously cut into large flaetches is now
laid on the hot Stones; a parcel of Small boughs of bushes is next laid
on, and a Second course of the Sturgeon thus repeating alternate layers of
Sturgeon & boughs untill the whole is put on which they design to
Cook. it is next covered closely with mats and water is poared in Such
manner as to run in among the hot Stones, and the vapor arriseing being
confind by the mats, cooks the fish. the whole process is performd in an
hour and the Sturgeon thus Cooked is much better than either boiled or
roasted. in their usial way of bolting of other fish in baskets with hot
Stones is not so good.
The turtle doves and robin are the Same of those of our countrey and are
found as well as the plains as open countrey. the Columbia robin
heretofore discribed Seams to be the inhabitent of the woody Country
exclusively. the magpye is most commonly found in the open Country and are
the Same with those formerly discribed on the Missouri.
The large wood pecker or log cock the lark woodpecker and the common wood
pecker with a red head are the Same with those of the Atlantic States, and
are found exclusively in the timbered Country. The Blue crested Corvus and
the Small white brested corvus are the nativs of a piney country
invariably, being found as well on the Rocky Mountains as on this coast-.
The lark is found in the plains only and are the Same with those on the
Missouri and the Illinois and not unlike what is Called in Virginia the
old field Lark.
The large bluish brown or Sandhill Crain are found in the Vally’s of the
Rocky Mountain in Summer and autumn when they raise their young and in the
winter and beginning of Spring on this river below tide water and on this
coast. they are the Same as those Common to the Southern and Western
States where they are most generally known by the name of the Sand hill
Crain. The Vulture has already been discribed.
There are two Species of fly Catch, a Small redish brown with a Short
tail, round body, Short neck, and Short pointed beak, and the Same as that
with us sometimes called the Wren. the 2d Species does not remain all
winter they have just returned and are of a Yellowish brown Colour.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Tuesday March 4th 1806. Nothing happened today worthy of notice. We are living sumptuously on our wappatoe and sturgeon. The anchovy is so delicate that it soon becomes tainted unless pickled or smoked. The natives run a small stick through their gills and hang them in the smoke of their lodges, or kindle small fires under them for the purpose of drying them. They need no previous preparation of gutting, etc., and will cure in 24 hours. The natives do not appear to be very scrupulous about eating them a little spoiled.
The fresh sturgeon they keep many days by immersing it in water. They cook their sturgeon by means of vapor or steam. The process is as follows: a brisk fire is kindled on which a number of stones are sufficiently heated. The stones are arranged so as to form a fairly level surface. The sturgeon, which had previously been cut into large fillets, is then laid on the hot stones; a parcel of small boughs of bushes is laid on next, and then a second layer of sturgeon, repeating alternate layers of sturgeon and boughs until all that they intend to cook is put on. It is next covered closely with mats, and water is poured in such a manner as to run in among the hot stones, and the rising vapor, being confined by the mats, cooks the fish. The whole process is performed in an hour, and the sturgeon cooked this way is much better than when either boiled or roasted. Their usual way of boiling other fish in baskets with hot stones is not so good.
The turtle doves and robin are the same as those of our country and are found in the plains as well as the open country. The Columbia robin previously described seems to be the inhabitant of the wooded country exclusively. The magpie is most commonly found in the open country and is the same as those formerly described on the Missouri.
The large woodpecker, or log cock, the lark woodpecker, and the common woodpecker with a red head are the same as those of the Atlantic states, and are found exclusively in the timbered country. The blue crested corvus and the small white breasted corvus are invariably natives of a piney country, being found on the Rocky Mountains as well as on this coast. The lark is found in the plains only and is the same as those on the Missouri and the Illinois, and not unlike what is called in Virginia the old field lark.
The large bluish-brown or sandhill crane is found in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains in summer and autumn when they raise their young, and in the winter and beginning of spring on this river below tidewater and on this coast. They are the same as those common to the southern and western states, where they are most generally known by the name of the sandhill crane. The vulture has already been described.
There are two species of flycatcher: a small reddish-brown one with a short tail, round body, short neck, and short pointed beak, the same as that with us sometimes called the wren. The 2nd species does not remain all winter; they have just returned and are of a yellowish-brown color.
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