Lewis: April 17, 1806
Camped on the edge of the Columbia plains, Lewis sent out hunters and set men to making packsaddles. He noted the drier climate, lush grass, and absence of salmon, which had become a problem for provisions. Few natives visited. Willard and Cruzatte returned with a note from Captain Clark reporting failure to acquire horses; Lewis sent Shannon back authorizing double the price, hoping for at least five. Joseph Fields brought three speckled corvus eggs, Shields killed a deer, and Lewis collected a blue hyacinth specimen whose bulb the natives ate.
Thursday April 17th 1806. This morning early I sent out the hunters, and
set several additional hands about the packsaddles. I find that the
sturgeon is not taken by any of the natives above the Columbean vally. the
inhabitants of the rapids at this time take a few of the white salmon
trout and considerable quantities of a small indifferent mullet on which
they principally subsist. I have seen none except dryed fish of the last
season in the possession of the people above that place, they subsist on
roots principally with some dryed and pounded fish. the salmon not having
made their appearance proves a serious inconvenience to us. but few of the
natives visited my camp today and those only remained a few hours. even at
this place which is merely on the border of the plains of Columbia the
climate seems to have changed the air feels dryer and more pure. the earth
is dry and seems as if there had been no rain for a week or ten days. the
plain is covered with a rich virdure of grass and herbs from four to nine
inches high and exhibits a beautiful) seen particularly pleasing after
having been so long imprisoned in mountains and those almost impenetrably
thick forrests of the seacoast. Joseph Feilds brought me today three eggs
of the party coloured corvus, they are about the size and shape of those
of the pigeon. they are bluish white much freckled with dark redish brown
irregular spots, in short it is reather a mixture of those colours in
which the redish brown predominates, particularly towards the larger end.This
evening Willard and Cruzatte returned from Capt. Clark and brought me a
note in which Capt. C. informed me that he had sill been unsuccessful)
having not obtained a single horse as yet from the natives and the state
of our stores are so low that I begin to fear we shall not be enabled to
obtain as many horses at this place as will convey our baggage and unless
we do obtain a sufficient number for that purpose we shall not hasten our
progress as a part of our baggage must still be conveyed by water. Capt.
C. informed me that he should proceed as far as the Eneshur village today
and would return tomorrow and join me at the Skillute village to which
place I mean to proceed with the party tomorrow. I dispatched Shannon with
a note to Capt. Clark in which I requested him to double the price we have
heretofore offered for horses and if possible obtain as many as five, by
this means we shall be enabled to proceed immediately with our small
canoes and those horses to the villages in the neighbourhood of the mussel
shell rapid where horses are more abundant and cheaper; with the remainder
of our merchandize in addition to the canoes we can no doubt obtain as
many horses there as will answer our purposes. delay in the villages at
the narrows and falls will be expensive to us inasmuch as we will be
compelled to purchase both fuel and food of the indians, and might the
better enable them to execute any hostile desighn should they meditate any
against us.all the hunters returned in the evening. Sheilds had
killed one deer which he brought with him. the packsaddles were completed
this evening. I had some Elkskins put in the water today make harnes for
the packhorses but shall not cut them untill I know the number we can
obtain.there is a species of hiasinth in these plains the bulb of
which the natives eat either boiled baked or dryed in the sun. this bulb
is white, not entirely solid, and of a flat form; the bulb of the present
year overlays, or crowns that of the last, and seems to be pressed close
to it, the old bulb is withered much thiner equally wide with that of the
present year and sends fourth from it’s sides a number of small radicles.this
hiasinth is of a pale blue colour and is a very pretty flower. I preserved
a specemine of it.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Thursday, April 17th, 1806. Early this morning I sent out the hunters, and set several additional hands to work on the packsaddles. I find that the sturgeon is not taken by any of the natives above the Columbia valley. The inhabitants of the rapids at this time take a few of the white salmon trout and considerable quantities of a small, poor-quality mullet, on which they principally subsist. I have seen none except dried fish from the last season in the possession of the people above that place; they subsist principally on roots, with some dried and pounded fish. The salmon not having made their appearance proves a serious inconvenience to us. Few of the natives visited my camp today, and those only remained a few hours. Even at this place, which is merely on the border of the plains of Columbia, the climate seems to have changed: the air feels drier and more pure. The earth is dry and seems as if there had been no rain for a week or ten days. The plain is covered with a rich verdure of grass and herbs from four to nine inches high, and exhibits a beautiful scene, particularly pleasing after having been so long imprisoned in mountains and those almost impenetrably thick forests of the seacoast. Joseph Fields brought me today three eggs of the party-colored corvus; they are about the size and shape of those of the pigeon. They are bluish white, much freckled with dark reddish brown irregular spots—in short, it is rather a mixture of those colors, in which the reddish brown predominates, particularly toward the larger end.
This evening Willard and Cruzatte returned from Capt. Clark and brought me a note in which Capt. C. informed me that he had still been unsuccessful, having not obtained a single horse as yet from the natives. The state of our stores is so low that I begin to fear we shall not be able to obtain as many horses at this place as will convey our baggage; and unless we do obtain a sufficient number for that purpose, we shall not hasten our progress, since a part of our baggage must still be conveyed by water. Capt. C. informed me that he would proceed as far as the Eneshur village today and would return tomorrow to join me at the Skillute village, to which place I mean to proceed with the party tomorrow. I dispatched Shannon with a note to Capt. Clark in which I requested him to double the price we have heretofore offered for horses, and if possible to obtain as many as five. By this means we shall be enabled to proceed immediately with our small canoes and those horses to the villages in the neighborhood of the Mussel Shell Rapid, where horses are more abundant and cheaper. With the remainder of our merchandise, in addition to the canoes, we can no doubt obtain as many horses there as will answer our purposes. Delay in the villages at the narrows and falls will be expensive to us, since we will be compelled to purchase both fuel and food from the Indians, and it might better enable them to carry out any hostile design should they meditate any against us.
All the hunters returned in the evening. Shields had killed one deer, which he brought with him. The packsaddles were completed this evening. I had some elk skins put in the water today to make harness for the packhorses, but shall not cut them until I know the number we can obtain.
There is a species of hyacinth in these plains, the bulb of which the natives eat either boiled, baked, or dried in the sun. This bulb is white, not entirely solid, and of a flat form. The bulb of the present year overlays, or crowns, that of the last, and seems to be pressed close to it. The old bulb is withered, much thinner, equally wide with that of the present year, and sends forth from its sides a number of small radicles. This hyacinth is of a pale blue color and is a very pretty flower. I preserved a specimen of it.
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