Lewis: February 15, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Drewyer and Whitehouse left to hunt near Point Adams. Bratton arrived from the salt works in the afternoon, recovering from illness, and reported that Sergeant Pryor was bringing back the gravely weakened Gibson by litter, delayed by violent coastal winds. Pryor's party arrived after dark, and Gibson was found less ill than feared; he was treated with diluted nitre, sage tea, a warm foot bath, and laudanum. Lewis devoted much of the entry to cataloging the region's quadrupeds and describing the horses and mules kept by Native nations of the Columbia plains.
Saturday February 15th 1806. Drewyer and Whitehouse set out this morning
on a hunting excurtion towards the praries of Point Adams. we have heard
our hunters over the Netul fire several shot today, but have had no
account from them as yet. about 3 P.M. Bratton arrived from the salt works
and informed us that Sergt. Pryor and party were on their way with Gibson
who is so much reduced that he cannot stand alone and that they are
obliged to carry him in a litter. Bratton himself appears much reduced
with his late indisposition but is now recovering fast. Bratton informed
that the cause of Sergt. Pryor’s delay was attributeable to the winds
which had been so violent for several days as to render it impossible to
get a canoe up the creek to the point where it was necessary to pass with
Gibson. the S. W. winds are frequently very violent on the coast when we
are but little sensible of them at Fort Clatsop. in consequence of the
lofty and thickly timbered fir country which surrounds us on that quarter
from the South to the North East.
after dark Sergt. Pryor arrived with Gibson. we are much pleased in
finding him by no means as ill as we had expected. we do no conceive him
in danger by any means, tho he has yet a fever and is much reduced. we
beleive his disorder to have orriginated in a violent cold which he
contracted in hunting and pursuing Elk and other game through the swams
and marshes about the salt works. he is nearly free from pain tho a
gooddeel reduced and very languid. we gave him broken dozes of diluted
nitre and made him drink plentifully of sage tea, had his feet bathed in
warm water and at 9 P.M. gave him 35 drops of laudanum.
The quadrupeds of this country from the Rocky Mountains to the pacific
Ocean are 1st the domestic animals, consisting of the horse and the dog
only; 2cdly the native wild animals, consisting of the Brown white or
grizly bear, (which I beleive to be the same family with a mearly
accedental difference in point of colour) the black bear, the common red
deer, the black tailed fallow deer, the Mule deer, Elk, the large brown
wolf, the small woolf of the plains, the large wolf of the plains, the
tiger cat, the common red fox, black fox or fisher, silver fox, large red
fox of the plains, small fox of the plains or kit fox, Antelope, sheep,
beaver, common otter, sea Otter, mink, spuck, seal, racoon, large grey
squirrel, small brown squirrel, small grey squirrel, ground squirrel,
sewelel, Braro, rat, mouse, mole, Panther, hare, rabbit, and polecat or
skunk. all of which shall be severally noticed in the order in which they
occur as well as shuch others as I learn do exist and which not been here
recapitulated. The horse is confined principally to the nations inhabiting
the great plains of Columbia extending from Latitude 40° to 50° N. and
occuping the tract of country lying between the rocky mountains and a
range of Mountains which pass the columbia river about the great falls or
from Longitude 116 to 121 West. in this extesive tract of principally
untimbered country so far as we have leant the following nations reside
(viz) the Sosone or snake Indians, the Chopunnish, sokulks, Cutssahnims,
Chymnapums, Ehelutes, Eneshuh & Chilluckkittequaws. all of whom enjoy
the bennefit of that docile, generous and valuable anamal the horse, and
all of them except the three last have immence numbers of them. Their
horses appear to be of an excellent race; they are lofty eligantly formed
active and durable; in short many of them look like the fine English
coarsers and would make a figure in any country. some of those horses are
pided with large spots of white irregularly scattered and intermixed with
the black brown bey or some other dark colour, but much the larger portion
are of an uniform colour with stars snips and white feet, or in this
rispect marked much like our best blooded horses in virginia, which they
resemble as well in fleetness and bottom as in form and colours. the
natives suffer them to run at large in the plains, the grass of which
furnishes them with their only subsistence their masters taking no trouble
to lay in a winters store for them, but they even keep fat if not much
used on the dry grass of the plains during the winter. no rain scarcely
ever falls in these plains and the grass is short and but thin. The
natives appear to take no pains in scelecting their male horses from which
they breed, in short those of that discription which I have noticed
appeared much the most indifferent. whether the horse was orrigeonally a
native of this country or not it is out of my power to determine as we can
not understand the language of the natives sufficiently to ask the
question. at all events the country and climate appears well adapted to
this anamal. horses are said to be found wild in many parts of this
extensive plain country. the several tribes of Sosones who reside towards
Mexico on the waters of Clark’s river or particularly one of them called
Sh&-bo-bo-ah have also a great number of mules, which among the
Indians I find are much more highly prized than horses. an eligant horse
may be purchased of the natives in this country for a lew peads or other
paltry trinkets which in the U States would not cost more than one or two
dollars. This abundance and cheapness of horses will be extremely
advantageous to those who may hereafter attemt the fir trade to the East
Indies by way of the Columbia river and the Pacific Ocean.the mules
in the possession of the Indians are principally stolen from the Spaniards
of Mexeco; they appear to be large and fine such as we have seen. Among
the Sosones of the upper part of the S. E. fork of the Columbia we saw
several horses with spanish brands on them which we supposed had been
stolen from the inhabitants of Mexeco.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Saturday, February 15th, 1806. Drewyer and Whitehouse set out this morning on a hunting excursion toward the prairies of Point Adams. We have heard our hunters fire several shots over the Netul today, but have had no word from them as yet. About 3 P.M. Bratton arrived from the salt works and informed us that Sergt. Pryor and his party were on their way with Gibson, who is so much reduced that he cannot stand alone, and that they are obliged to carry him in a litter. Bratton himself appears much weakened by his recent illness, but is now recovering quickly. Bratton informed us that the cause of Sergt. Pryor's delay was the winds, which had been so violent for several days as to make it impossible to get a canoe up the creek to the point where it was necessary to cross with Gibson. The S.W. winds are frequently very violent on the coast when we are scarcely aware of them at Fort Clatsop, because of the lofty and thickly timbered fir country which surrounds us in that quarter from the south to the northeast.
After dark, Sergt. Pryor arrived with Gibson. We are much pleased to find him by no means as ill as we had expected. We do not consider him to be in danger at all, though he still has a fever and is much weakened. We believe his disorder originated in a violent cold which he caught while hunting and pursuing elk and other game through the swamps and marshes around the salt works. He is nearly free from pain, though much reduced and very languid. We gave him broken doses of diluted niter and had him drink plenty of sage tea, had his feet bathed in warm water, and at 9 P.M. gave him 35 drops of laudanum.
The quadrupeds of this country, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, are: first, the domestic animals, consisting of the horse and the dog only; second, the native wild animals, consisting of the brown, white, or grizzly bear (which I believe to be the same family with merely an accidental difference in color), the black bear, the common red deer, the black-tailed fallow deer, the mule deer, elk, the large brown wolf, the small wolf of the plains, the large wolf of the plains, the tiger cat, the common red fox, black fox or fisher, silver fox, large red fox of the plains, small fox of the plains or kit fox, antelope, sheep, beaver, common otter, sea otter, mink, spuck, seal, raccoon, large grey squirrel, small brown squirrel, small grey squirrel, ground squirrel, sewelel, braro, rat, mouse, mole, panther, hare, rabbit, and polecat or skunk. All of these shall be noted separately in the order in which they occur, as well as any others I learn to exist that have not been listed here. The horse is confined principally to the nations inhabiting the great plains of Columbia, extending from latitude 40° to 50° N. and occupying the tract of country lying between the Rocky Mountains and a range of mountains which crosses the Columbia River about the Great Falls, or from longitude 116° to 121° West. In this extensive tract of mostly untimbered country, so far as we have learned, the following nations reside: the Sosone or Snake Indians, the Chopunnish, Sokulks, Cutssahnims, Chymnapums, Ehelutes, Eneshuh, and Chilluckkittequaws. All of these enjoy the benefit of that docile, generous, and valuable animal the horse, and all except the last three have great numbers of them. Their horses appear to be of an excellent breed; they are tall, elegantly formed, active, and durable; in short, many of them look like fine English coursers and would make a fine showing in any country. Some of these horses are pied with large white spots irregularly scattered and intermixed with black, brown, bay, or some other dark color, but a much larger portion are of a uniform color with stars, snips, and white feet, marked in this respect much like our best blooded horses in Virginia, which they resemble in swiftness and stamina as well as in form and colors. The natives let them run at large in the plains, where the grass furnishes their only food; their masters take no trouble to lay up a winter store for them, yet they remain fat, if not much used, on the dry grass of the plains during the winter. Hardly any rain ever falls in these plains, and the grass is short and thin. The natives seem to take no care in selecting the male horses from which they breed; in fact, the stallions I have noticed appeared much the most inferior. Whether the horse was originally native to this country or not, I cannot determine, as we cannot understand the language of the natives well enough to ask the question. In any case, the country and climate appear well suited to this animal. Horses are said to be found wild in many parts of this extensive plain country. The several tribes of Sosones who reside toward Mexico on the waters of Clark's River, particularly one of them called Sh&-bo-bo-ah, also have a great number of mules, which I find are much more highly prized among the Indians than horses. An elegant horse may be purchased from the natives in this country for a few beads or other paltry trinkets that in the United States would not cost more than one or two dollars. This abundance and cheapness of horses will be extremely advantageous to those who may hereafter attempt the fur trade to the East Indies by way of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. The mules in the possession of the Indians are mostly stolen from the Spaniards of Mexico; they appear to be large and fine, like those we have seen. Among the Sosones of the upper part of the S.E. fork of the Columbia, we saw several horses with Spanish brands on them, which we supposed had been stolen from the inhabitants of Mexico.
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