Lewis: February 20, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Collins was sent hunting and returned with cranberries for the sick but no game. Gibson is recovering, while Bratton and McNeal are worsening. Tahcum, a Chinook chief never before met, visited with 25 men; the captains fed them, shared tobacco, and gave the chief a small medal before sending the party away at sunset, per their policy of barring large native groups from the fort overnight. Lewis reflected on the need for constant vigilance and described local mule deer, elk, and wolves.
Thursday February 20th 1806. Permited Collins to hunt this morning he
returned in the evening unsuccessfull as to the chase but brought with him
some cranberries for the sick. Gibson is on the recovery fast; Bratton has
an obstenate cough and pain in his back and still appears to be geting
weaker. McNeal from his inattention to his disorder has become worse.
This forenoon we were visited by Tdh-cum a principal Chief of the
Chinnooks and 25 men of his nation. we had never seen this cheif before he
is a good looking man of about 50 years of age reather larger in statue
than most of his nation; as he came on a friendly visit we gave himself
and party some thing to eat and plyed them plentifully with smoke. we gave
this cheif a small medal with which he seemed much grati-fyed. in the
evening at sunset we desired them to depart as is our custom and closed
our gates. we never suffer parties of such number to remain within the
fort all night; for notwithstanding their apparent friendly disposition,
their great averice and hope of plunder might induce them to be
treacherous. at all events we determined allways to be on our guard as
much as the nature of our situation will permit us, and never place our
selves at the mercy of any savages. we well know, that the treachery of
the aborigenes of America and the too great confidence of our countrymen
in their sincerity and friendship, has caused the distruction of many
hundreds of us. so long have our men been accustomed to a friendly
intercourse with the natives, that we find it difficult to impress on
their minds the necessity of always being on their guard with rispect to
them. this confidence on our part, we know to be the effect of a series of
uninterupted friendly intercouse, but the well known treachery of the
natives by no means entitle them to such confidence, and we must check
it’s growth in our own minds, as well as those of our men, by recollecting
ourselves, and repeating to our men, that our preservation depends on
never loosing sight of this trait in their character, and being always
prepared to meet it in whatever shape it may present itself.-
The Mule deer are the same with those of the plains of the Missouri so
frequently mentioned. we met with them under the Rocky mountains in the
Neighbourhood of the Chopunnish nation on the Kooskooske river, but have
not seen them since nor do we know whether they exist in the interior of
the great plains of Columbia or on their lower border near the mountains
which pass the river about the great falls. The Elk is the same with that
found in much the greatest portion of North America, they are common to
every part of this country, as well the timbered lands as the plains, but
are much more abundant in the former than the latter The large brown woolf
is like that of the Atlantic States and are found only in the woody
country on the Pacific Ocean imbracing the mountains which pass the
Columbia between the great falls and rapids of the same. the large and
small woolves of the plains are the inhabitants principally of the open
country and the woodlands on their borders and resemble in their habits
and appearance those of the plains of the Missouri precisely. they are not
abundant in the plains of Columbia because there is but little game on
which for them to subsist.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Thursday, February 20th, 1806. I permitted Collins to hunt this morning. He returned in the evening unsuccessful in the chase, but brought with him some cranberries for the sick. Gibson is recovering quickly; Bratton has an obstinate cough and pain in his back, and still appears to be getting weaker. McNeal, from his inattention to his disorder, has become worse.
This forenoon we were visited by Tahcum (Tdh-cum), a principal chief of the Chinnooks (Chinooks), and 25 men of his nation. We had never seen this chief before. He is a good-looking man of about 50 years of age, rather larger in stature than most of his nation. As he came on a friendly visit, we gave him and his party something to eat and plied them plentifully with smoke. We gave this chief a small medal, with which he seemed much gratified. In the evening at sunset, we asked them to depart, as is our custom, and closed our gates. We never allow parties of such number to remain within the fort all night, for notwithstanding their apparent friendly disposition, their great avarice and hope of plunder might induce them to be treacherous. At all events, we determined always to be on our guard as much as the nature of our situation will permit, and never to place ourselves at the mercy of any natives. We well know that the treachery of the aborigines of America, and the too great confidence of our countrymen in their sincerity and friendship, has caused the destruction of many hundreds of us. So long have our men been accustomed to a friendly intercourse with the natives that we find it difficult to impress on their minds the necessity of always being on their guard with respect to them. This confidence on our part we know to be the effect of a series of uninterrupted friendly intercourse, but the well-known treachery of the natives by no means entitles them to such confidence, and we must check its growth in our own minds, as well as those of our men, by reminding ourselves, and repeating to our men, that our preservation depends on never losing sight of this trait in their character, and being always prepared to meet it in whatever shape it may present itself.
The mule deer are the same as those of the plains of the Missouri so frequently mentioned. We met with them under the Rocky Mountains in the neighborhood of the Chopunnish nation on the Kooskooske River, but have not seen them since, nor do we know whether they exist in the interior of the great plains of Columbia or on their lower border near the mountains which the river passes through at the great falls. The elk is the same as that found in by far the greatest portion of North America. They are common to every part of this country, both the timbered lands and the plains, but are much more abundant in the former than the latter. The large brown wolf is like that of the Atlantic states and is found only in the wooded country on the Pacific Ocean, embracing the mountains through which the Columbia passes between the great falls and rapids of the same. The large and small wolves of the plains are inhabitants principally of the open country and the woodlands on its borders, and resemble in their habits and appearance those of the plains of the Missouri precisely. They are not abundant in the plains of Columbia because there is but little game on which for them to subsist.
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