Lewis: February 12, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, a Clatsop man visited and offered three dogs as compensation for elk his people had previously stolen, but the dogs ran off; he was permitted to stay overnight in the fort. Lewis devoted most of the entry to detailed botanical descriptions of two evergreen shrubs he had first encountered at the Grand Rapids of the Columbia and again found nearby. He carefully recorded their stems, creeping roots, and pinnate, spine-tipped leaves, noting the first resembled the mountain holly of the eastern United States.
Wednesday February 12th 1806. This morning we were visited by a Clatsop
man who brought with him three dogs as a remuneration for the Elk which
him self and nation had stolen from us some little time since, how ever
the dogs took the alarm and ran off; we suffered him to remain in the fort
all night.
There are two species of ever green shrubs which I first met with at the
grand rappids of the Columbia and which I have since found in this
neighbourhood also; they grow in rich dry ground not far usually from some
watercourse. the roots of both species are creeping and celindric. the
stem of the 1st is from a foot to 18 inches high and as large as a
goosqull; it is simple unbranced and erect. it’s leaves are cauline,
compound and spreading. the leafets are jointed and oppositely pinnate, 3
pare & terminating in one, sessile, widest at the base and tapering to
an accuminated point, an inch and a quarter the greatest width, and 3
inches & a 1/4 in length. each point of their crenate margins armed
with a subulate thorn or spine and are from 13 to 17 in number. they are
also veined, glossy, carinated and wrinkled; their points obliquely
pointing towards the extremity of the common footstalk.The stem of
the 2nd is procumbent abot the size of the former, jointed and unbranched.
it’s leaves are cauline, compound and oppositely pinnate; the rib from 14
to 16 inches long celindric and smooth. the leafets 21/2 inches long and 1
inch wide. greatest width 1/2 inch from their base, to which they are
regularly rounded, and from the same point tapering to an accute apex,
wich is mostly, but not invariably tirminated with a small subulate thorn.
they are jointed and oppositely pinnate, consisting of 6 pare and
terminating in one, sessile serrate, or like the teeth of a whipsaw, each
point terminating in a small subulate spine, being from 25 to 27 in
number; veined, smooth, plane and of a deep green, their points tending
obliquely towards the extremity of the rib or common footstalk. I do not
know the fruit or flower of either. the 1st resembles the plant common to
many parts of the U States called the mountain holley.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Wednesday, February 12th, 1806. This morning we were visited by a Clatsop man who brought with him three dogs as payment for the elk which he and his nation had stolen from us a little while ago. However, the dogs took alarm and ran off. We allowed him to remain in the fort all night.
There are two species of evergreen shrubs which I first encountered at the Grand Rapids of the Columbia and which I have since found in this neighborhood as well. They grow in rich, dry ground, usually not far from some watercourse. The roots of both species are creeping and cylindrical. The stem of the first is from a foot to 18 inches high and as large as a goose quill; it is simple, unbranched, and erect. Its leaves are cauline, compound, and spreading. The leaflets are jointed and oppositely pinnate, three pairs and terminating in one, sessile, widest at the base and tapering to an acuminated point, an inch and a quarter at greatest width, and 3 1/4 inches in length. Each point of their crenate margins is armed with a subulate thorn or spine, and they number from 13 to 17. They are also veined, glossy, keeled (carinated), and wrinkled; their points obliquely point toward the extremity of the common footstalk.
The stem of the second is procumbent, about the size of the former, jointed, and unbranched. Its leaves are cauline, compound, and oppositely pinnate; the rib is from 14 to 16 inches long, cylindrical, and smooth. The leaflets are 2 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Their greatest width is 1/2 inch from the base, to which they are regularly rounded, and from the same point taper to an acute apex, which is usually, but not always, terminated with a small subulate thorn. They are jointed and oppositely pinnate, consisting of six pairs and terminating in one, sessile, and serrated like the teeth of a whipsaw, each point ending in a small subulate spine, with from 25 to 27 in number; veined, smooth, flat, and of a deep green, their points tending obliquely toward the extremity of the rib or common footstalk. I do not know the fruit or flower of either. The first resembles the plant common to many parts of the United States called the mountain holly.
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