Lewis: January 10, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, Lewis received a visit from Cuthlahmah Chief Shahharwarcap and eleven of his people, exchanging small gifts and trading goods. Hunters Drewyer and Collins returned with only two elk, one spoiled, as meat was growing scarce. Captain Clark returned from the coast, where he had located a 105-foot whale skeleton already stripped by the Killamucks; he managed to obtain about 300 pounds of blubber and some oil. Clark also named a 1,500-foot coastal peak Clark's Mountain, and reported that McNeal narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by a Killamuck, thanks to a Chinook woman's warning.
Saturday January 10th 1806. About 10 A.M. I was visited by Tia
Shah-har-war-cap and eleven of his nation in one large canoe; these are
the Cuth’-lah-mah nation who reside first above us on the South side of
the Columbia river; this is the first time that I have seen the Chief, he
was hunting when we past his vilage on our way to this place. I gave him a
medal of the smallest size; he presented me with some indian tobacco and a
basquit of wappetoe, in return for which I gave him some thread for making
a skiming net and a small piece of tobacco. these people speak the same
language with the Chinnooks and Catsops whom they also resemble in their
dress customs manners &c. they brought some dryed salmon, wappetoe,
dogs, and mats made of rushes and flags, to barter; their dogs and a part
of their wappetoe they disposed off, an remained all night near the fort.
This morning Drewyer and Collins returned having killed two Elk only, and
one of those had died in their view over a small lake which they had not
the means of passing it being late in the evening and has of course
spoiled, as it laid with the entrals in it all night; as the tide was
going out we could not send for the elk today, therefore ordered a party
to go for it early in the morning and George and Collins to continue their
hunt; meat has now become scarce with us.
Capt Clark returned at to P.M. this evening with the majority of the party
who accompanyed him; having left some men to assist the saltmakers to
bring in the meat of two Elk which they had killed, and sent 2 others
through by land to hunt. Capt. Clark found the whale on the Coast about 45
Miles S. E. of Point Adams, and about 35 Miles from Fort Clatsop by the
rout he took; The whale was already pillaged of every valuable part by the
Killamucks, in the vicinity of one of whose villages it lay on the strand
where the waves and tide had driven up and left it. this skelleton
measured one hundred and five feet. Capt. C. found the natives busily
engaged in boiling the blubber, which they performed in a large wooden
trought by means of hot stones; the oil when extracted was secured in
bladders and the guts of the whale; the blubber, from which the oil was
only partially extracted by this process, was laid by in their lodges in
large fliches for uce; this they usually expose to the fire on a wooden
spit untill it is pretty well warmed through and then eat it either alone
or with the roots of the rush, squawmash, fern wappetoe &c. The
natives although they possessed large quantities of this blubber and oil
were so penurious that they disposed of it with great reluctance and in
small quantities only; insomuch that the utmost exertions of Capt. C. and
the whole party aided by the little stock of merchandize he had taken with
him and some small articles which the men had, were not able to procure
more blubber than about 300 lb. and a few gallons of the oil; this they
have brought with them, and small as the store is, we prize it highly, and
thank providence for directing the whale to us, and think him much more
kind to us than he was jonah, having sent this monster to be swallowed by
us in stead of swallowing of us as jona’s did. Capt. C. found the road
along the coast extreemly difficult of axcess, lying over some high rough
and stoney hills, one of which he discribes as being much higher than the
others, having it’s base washed by the Ocean over which it rares it’s
towering summit perpendicularly to the hight of 1500 feet; from this
summit Capt. C. informed me that there was a delightfull and most
extensive view of the Ocean, the coast and adjacent country; this Mout. I
have taken the liberty of naming Clark’s Mountain and point of view; it is
situated about 30 M. S. E. of Point Adams and projects about 21/2 miles
into the Ocean; Killamucks river falls in a little to the N. W. of this
mountain; in the face of this tremendious precepice there is a stra of
white earth (see specimen No. ____) which the neighbouring Indians use to
paint themselves, and which appears to me to resemble the earth of which
the French Porcelain is made; I am confident this earth contains Argill,
but wether it also contains Silex or magnesia, or either of those earths
in a proper proportion I am unable to determine.Shannon and Gass
were found with the Salt makers and ordered to return McNeal was near
being assassinated by a Killamuck Indian, but fortunately escaped in
consequence of a Chinnook woman giving information to Capt. C., the party
and Indians with them before the villain had prepaired himself to execute
his purposes. The party returned excessively fortiegued and tired of their
jaunt. Killamucks river is 85 yards wide, rappid and 3 feet deep in the
shallowest part. The Killamucks in their habits customs manners dress and
language differ but little from the Clatsops & Chinnooks. they place
their dead in canoes resting on the ground uncovered, having previously
secured the dead bodies in an oblong box of plank.
The coast in the neighbourhood of Clarks Mountain is sliping off &
falling into the Ocean in immence masses; fifty or a hundred Acres at a
time give way and a great proportion in an instant precipitated into the
Ocean. these hills and mountains are principally composed of a yellow
clay; there sliping off or spliting assunder at this time is no doubt
caused by the incessant rains which have fallen within the last two
months. the country in general as about Fort Clatsop is covered with a
very heavy growth of several species of pine & furr, also the arbor
vita or white cedar and a small proportion of the black Alder which last
sometimes grows to the hight of sixty or seventy feet, and from two to
four feet in diameter. some species of the pine rise to the immence hight
of 210 feet and are from 7 to 12 feet in diameter, and are perfectly sound
and solid.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Saturday, January 10th, 1806. About 10 A.M. I was visited by Tia Shah-har-war-cap and eleven of his nation in one large canoe; these are the Cuth'-lah-mah nation who reside first above us on the south side of the Columbia River. This is the first time that I have seen the Chief; he was hunting when we passed his village on our way to this place. I gave him a medal of the smallest size; he presented me with some Indian tobacco and a basket of wappetoe, in return for which I gave him some thread for making a skimming net and a small piece of tobacco. These people speak the same language as the Chinnooks and Catsops, whom they also resemble in their dress, customs, manners, etc. They brought some dried salmon, wappetoe, dogs, and mats made of rushes and flags to barter. They sold their dogs and a part of their wappetoe, and remained all night near the fort.
This morning Drewyer and Collins returned, having killed only two elk, and one of those had died in their view across a small lake which they had no means of crossing, it being late in the evening; the meat has of course spoiled, as it lay with the entrails in it all night. As the tide was going out, we could not send for the elk today; therefore I ordered a party to go for it early in the morning, and George and Collins to continue their hunt. Meat has now become scarce with us.
Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) returned at [blank] P.M. this evening with the majority of the party who accompanied him, having left some men to assist the saltmakers in bringing in the meat of two elk which they had killed, and sent two others through by land to hunt. Capt. Clark found the whale on the coast about 45 miles S.E. of Point Adams, and about 35 miles from Fort Clatsop by the route he took. The whale was already stripped of every valuable part by the Killamucks, in the vicinity of one of whose villages it lay on the shore where the waves and tide had driven up and left it. This skeleton measured one hundred and five feet. Capt. C. found the natives busily engaged in boiling the blubber, which they did in a large wooden trough by means of hot stones. The oil, when extracted, was stored in bladders and the guts of the whale. The blubber, from which the oil was only partially extracted by this process, was laid by in their lodges in large flitches for use; this they usually expose to the fire on a wooden spit until it is pretty well warmed through, and then eat it either alone or with the roots of the rush, squawmash, fern, wappetoe, etc. The natives, although they possessed large quantities of this blubber and oil, were so stingy that they disposed of it with great reluctance and only in small quantities; so much so that the utmost efforts of Capt. C. and the whole party, aided by the little stock of merchandise he had taken with him and some small articles which the men had, were not able to procure more blubber than about 300 lb. and a few gallons of the oil. This they have brought with them, and small as the store is, we prize it highly, and thank providence for directing the whale to us, and think him much more kind to us than he was to Jonah, having sent this monster to be swallowed by us instead of swallowing us, as Jonah's did. Capt. C. found the road along the coast extremely difficult of access, lying over some high, rough, and stony hills, one of which he describes as being much higher than the others, having its base washed by the ocean, over which it rears its towering summit perpendicularly to the height of 1,500 feet. From this summit, Capt. C. informed me, there was a delightful and most extensive view of the ocean, the coast, and the adjacent country. This mountain I have taken the liberty of naming Clark's Mountain and Point of View; it is situated about 30 miles S.E. of Point Adams and projects about 2½ miles into the ocean. Killamucks River falls in a little to the N.W. of this mountain. In the face of this tremendous precipice there is a stratum of white earth (see specimen No. ____) which the neighboring Indians use to paint themselves, and which appears to me to resemble the earth of which French porcelain is made. I am confident this earth contains argill, but whether it also contains silex or magnesia, or either of those earths in a proper proportion, I am unable to determine. Shannon and Gass were found with the saltmakers and ordered to return. McNeal was nearly assassinated by a Killamuck Indian, but fortunately escaped, in consequence of a Chinnook woman giving information to Capt. C., the party, and the Indians with them before the villain had prepared himself to execute his purposes. The party returned excessively fatigued and tired of their journey. Killamucks River is 85 yards wide, rapid, and 3 feet deep in the shallowest part. The Killamucks in their habits, customs, manners, dress, and language differ but little from the Clatsops and Chinnooks. They place their dead in canoes resting on the ground, uncovered, having previously secured the dead bodies in an oblong box of plank.
The coast in the neighborhood of Clark's Mountain is sliding off and falling into the ocean in immense masses; fifty or a hundred acres at a time give way, and a great portion is in an instant precipitated into the ocean. These hills and mountains are principally composed of a yellow clay; their sliding off or splitting asunder at this time is no doubt caused by the incessant rains which have fallen within the last two months. The country in general, as around Fort Clatsop, is covered with a very heavy growth of several species of pine and fir, also the arbor vitae or white cedar, and a small proportion of the black alder, which last sometimes grows to the height of sixty or seventy feet, and from two to four feet in diameter. Some species of the pine rise to the immense height of 210 feet and are from 7 to 12 feet in diameter, and are perfectly sound and solid.
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