Fort Clatsop, salt works established — John Ordway: December 27, 1805
The men improved their huts at the newly established fort, making the quarters noticeably more comfortable than before. Several local Native people visited the fort during the evening. Heavy rain fell throughout the entire day. Editorial notes accompanying the entry mention that the fort's naming was only later recorded by Gass on January 1, 1806, and contrast Ordway's optimistic tone with Captain Clark's gloomier account of poor spoiled elk, spoiled pounded fish, and roots making up their meager Christmas-season meals.
in our huts which made them much more comfortable than
before, in the evening Several Savages came to the Fort, hard
rain all day.
‘The naming of the fort is noted by (iass only on Jan. 1, 1806. Neither
of the captains records this detail at all.
2 Gass writes in a strain of similar optimism. Captain Clark, on the con-
trary, manifests a less cheerful disposition, “we would have Spent this day,”
he writes, “the nativity of Christ in feasting, had we anything either to raise
our Sperits or even gratify our appetities, our Diner concisted of pore Elk, so
much Spoiled that we eate it thro’ mear necessity, Some Spoiled pounded fish
and a fiew roots.”
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAVS JOURNAL 319
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
...in our huts, which made them much more comfortable than before. In the evening several natives came to the Fort. Hard rain all day.
Editorial notes: The naming of the fort is noted by Gass only on Jan. 1, 1806. Neither of the captains records this detail at all.
Gass writes in a strain of similar optimism. Captain Clark, on the contrary, shows a less cheerful disposition. "We would have spent this day," he writes, "the nativity of Christ in feasting, had we anything either to raise our spirits or even gratify our appetites. Our dinner consisted of poor elk, so much spoiled that we ate it through mere necessity, some spoiled pounded fish, and a few roots."
[1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY'S JOURNAL 319
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