Lewis: February 7, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Sergeant Ordway and Wiser returned with part of the elk meat hunted by R. Fields, while Sergeant Gass and the rest of the party stayed behind to retrieve the remainder. Lewis enjoyed an unusually good supper of marrowbone and boiled elk brisket. He recorded observations on local plants, including honeysuckle, elder, ninebark, and a species of huckleberry, comparing them to varieties back east. He also noted that a smallpox epidemic about four years earlier had killed several hundred Clatsops, including four chiefs, likely explaining the many abandoned villages in the area.
Friday February 7th 1806. This evening Sergt. Ordway and Wiser returned
with a part of the meat which R. Fields had killed; the ballance of the
party with Sergt. Gass remained in order to bring the ballance of the meat
to the river at a point agreed on where the canoe is to meet them again
tomorrow morning. This evening we had what I call an excellent supper it
consisted of a marrowbone a piece and a brisket of boiled Elk that had the
appearance of a little fat on it. this for Fort Clatsop is living in high
stile. In this neighbourhood I observe the honeysuckle common in our
country I first met with it on the waters of the Kooskooske near the
Chopunnish nation, and again below the grand rappids In the Columbian
Valley on tidewater. The Elder also common to our country grows in great
abundance in the rich woodlands on this side of the rocky Mountains; tho
it differs Here in the colour of it’s berry, this being of a pale sky blue
while that of the U States is a deep perple. The seven bark or nine-bark
as it is called in the U States is also common in this quarter. There is a
species of huckleberry common to the piny lands from the commencement of
the Columbian valley to the seacoast; it rises to the hight of 6 or 8
feet. is a simple branching some what defuse stem; the main body or trunk
is cilindric and of a dark brown, while the colateral branches are green
smooth, squar, and put forth a number of alternate branches of the same
colour and form from the two horizontal sides only. the fruit is a small
deep perple berry which the natives inform us is very good. the leaf is
thin of a pale green and small being 3/4 of an inch in length and 3/8 in
width; oval terminateing more accutely at the apex than near the insertion
of the footstalk which is at the base; veined, nearly entire, serrate but
so slightly so that it is scarcely perceptible; footstalk short and there
position with rispect to each other is alternate and two ranked,
proceeding from the horizontal sides of the bough only. The small pox has
distroyed a great number of the natives in this quarter. it prevailed
about 4 years since among the Clatsops and distroy several hundred of
them, four of their chiefs fell victyms to it’s ravages. those Clatsops
are deposited in their canoes on the bay a few miles below us. I think the
late ravages of the small pox may well account for the number of remains
of vilages which we find deserted on the river and Sea coast in this
quarter.
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Friday February 7th 1806. This evening Sergeant Ordway and Wiser returned with part of the meat that R. Fields had killed; the rest of the party, with Sergeant Gass, remained behind in order to bring the balance of the meat to the river at a point agreed on, where the canoe is to meet them again tomorrow morning. This evening we had what I call an excellent supper; it consisted of a marrowbone apiece and a brisket of boiled elk that had the appearance of a little fat on it. For Fort Clatsop, this is living in high style.
In this neighborhood I observe the honeysuckle common in our country. I first met with it on the waters of the Kooskooske near the Chopunnish nation, and again below the grand rapids in the Columbian Valley on tidewater. The elder, also common to our country, grows in great abundance in the rich woodlands on this side of the Rocky Mountains, though it differs here in the color of its berry, this being a pale sky blue while that of the U.S. is a deep purple. The seven-bark, or nine-bark as it is called in the U.S., is also common in this quarter.
There is a species of huckleberry common to the piney lands from the commencement of the Columbian Valley to the seacoast; it rises to the height of 6 or 8 feet. It has a simple, branching, somewhat diffuse stem; the main body or trunk is cylindrical and of a dark brown, while the collateral branches are green, smooth, and square, and put forth a number of alternate branches of the same color and form from the two horizontal sides only. The fruit is a small deep purple berry which the natives inform us is very good. The leaf is thin, of a pale green, and small, being 3/4 of an inch in length and 3/8 in width; oval, terminating more acutely at the apex than near the insertion of the footstalk, which is at the base; veined, nearly entire, serrate but so slightly so that it is scarcely perceptible; footstalk short, and their position with respect to each other is alternate and two-ranked, proceeding from the horizontal sides of the bough only.
The smallpox has destroyed a great number of the natives in this quarter. It prevailed about 4 years since among the Clatsops and destroyed several hundred of them; four of their chiefs fell victims to its ravages. Those Clatsops are deposited in their canoes on the bay a few miles below us. I think the late ravages of the smallpox may well account for the number of remains of villages which we find deserted on the river and sea coast in this quarter.
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