Lewis: February 18, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, two parties were sent out: Sergeant Ordway toward the Saltworks and Sergeant Gass to retrieve elk killed across the Netul River. Ordway returned unable to reach the creek due to high waves in the bay, though he brought back a sample of a swamp pine, which Lewis catalogued as species No. 7 with detailed descriptions of its bark, needles, and cones. Hunters Collins and Winsor returned with one lean deer. Eight Clatsops and Chinooks visited, trading a sea otter skin and two cedar-bark hats before returning to their village.
Tuesday February 18th 1806. This morning we dispatched a party to the
Saltworks with Sergt. Ordway and a second with Sergt. Gass after the Elk
killed over the Netul. in the evening Sergt. Ordway returned and reported
that the waves ran so high in the bay that he could not pass to the
entrance of the creek which we had directed him to assend with the canoe.
Collins and Winsor returned this evening with one deer which they had
killed. the deer are poor and their flesh by no means as good as that of
the Elk which is also poor but appears to be geting better than some weeks
past.in the forenoon we were visited by eight Clasops and Chinnooks
from whom we purchased a Sea Otter’s skin and two hats made of waytape and
white ceder bark. they remained untill late in the evening and departed
for their village. these people are not readily obstructed by waves in
their canoes.Sergt. Ordway brought me a specemine of a species of
pine peculiar to the swamps and marshes frequently overflown by the tide
as this is a distinct species I shall call it No. 7. this tree seldom
rises to a greater hight than 35 feet and is from 21/2 to 4 feet in
diameter; the stem is simple branching diffuse and proliferous. the bark
the same with that of No. 1 only reather more rugged. the leaf is acerose,
2/10ths of an inch in width and 3/4 in length. they are firm stif and
somewhat accuminated, ending in a short pointed hard tendril, gibbous,
thickly scattered on all sides of the bough but rispect the three upper
sides only. those which have there insersion on the underside incline
sidewise with their points upwards giving the leaf the figure of a sythe.
the others are perpendicular or pointing upwards. is sessile growing as in
No. 1 from small triangular pedestals of a soft spungy elastic bark. the
under disk of these leaves or that which grows nearest towards the base of
the bough is a deep glossey green while the upper or opposite side is of a
mealy whiteish pale green; in this rispect differing from almost all
leaves. the boughs retain their leaves as far back as to the sixth years
growth. the peculiarity of the bud scales observed in No 1 is observed in
this species. The cone is 31/2 inches in length and 3 in circumpherence,
of an ovate figure being thickest in the middle and tapering and
terminating in two obtuse points. it is composes of small, flexible, thin,
obtusely pointed smooth and redish brown imbricated scales. each scale
covering two small winged seeds and being itself covered in the center by
a small thin inferior scale accutely pointed. the cone is somewhat of this
figure. they proceede from the side as well as the extremities of the
bough but in the former case always at or near the commencement of some
one years growth which is some instances are as far back as the third
year.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Tuesday February 18th 1806. This morning we dispatched a party to the Saltworks with Sergt. Ordway (Sergeant Ordway) and a second with Sergt. Gass (Sergeant Gass) after the Elk killed over the Netul. In the evening Sergt. Ordway returned and reported that the waves ran so high in the bay that he could not pass to the entrance of the creek which we had directed him to ascend with the canoe. Collins and Winsor returned this evening with one deer which they had killed. The deer are poor and their flesh by no means as good as that of the Elk, which is also poor but appears to be getting better than some weeks past.
In the forenoon we were visited by eight Clatsops and Chinooks, from whom we purchased a Sea Otter's skin and two hats made of waytape and white cedar bark. They remained until late in the evening and departed for their village. These people are not readily obstructed by waves in their canoes.
Sergt. Ordway brought me a specimen of a species of pine peculiar to the swamps and marshes frequently overflown by the tide. As this is a distinct species, I shall call it No. 7. This tree seldom rises to a greater height than 35 feet and is from 2 1/2 to 4 feet in diameter; the stem is simple, branching, diffuse, and proliferous. The bark is the same as that of No. 1, only rather more rugged. The leaf is acerose, 2/10ths of an inch in width and 3/4 in length. They are firm, stiff, and somewhat acuminated, ending in a short pointed hard tendril, gibbous, thickly scattered on all sides of the bough but respect the three upper sides only. Those which have their insertion on the underside incline sidewise with their points upwards, giving the leaf the figure of a scythe. The others are perpendicular or pointing upwards. It is sessile, growing as in No. 1 from small triangular pedestals of a soft spongy elastic bark. The under disk of these leaves, or that which grows nearest towards the base of the bough, is a deep glossy green, while the upper or opposite side is of a mealy whitish pale green; in this respect differing from almost all leaves. The boughs retain their leaves as far back as the sixth year's growth. The peculiarity of the bud scales observed in No. 1 is observed in this species.
The cone is 3 1/2 inches in length and 3 in circumference, of an ovate figure, being thickest in the middle and tapering and terminating in two obtuse points. It is composed of small, flexible, thin, obtusely pointed, smooth, and reddish brown imbricated scales. Each scale covers two small winged seeds and is itself covered in the center by a small thin inferior scale, acutely pointed. The cone is somewhat of this figure. They proceed from the side as well as the extremities of the bough, but in the former case always at or near the commencement of some one year's growth, which in some instances is as far back as the third year.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
