Lewis: January 24, 1806
Drewyer and La Page returned to Fort Clatsop with Chief Comowooll and six Clatsops, bringing two deer, elk meat, and one elk skin; three elk skins and meat from another elk were paid to local Indians for help carrying the kills near Point Adams. The Clatsops were impressed by Drewyer's marksmanship and Lewis's air gun. Lewis spent the day describing local roots used as food, including licorice, thistle root, and the prized wappetoe bulb traded from the Columbia valley, and he noted the antler-handled digging stick used to harvest them.
Saturday January 24th 1806. Drewyer and Baptiest La Paage returned this
morning in a large Canoe with Comowooll and six Clatsops. they brought two
deer and the flesh of three Elk & one Elk’s skin, having given the
flesh of one other Elk which they killed and three Elk’s skins to the
Indians as the price of their assistance in transporting the ballance of
the meat to the Fort; these Elk and deer were killed near point Adams and
the Indians carryed them on their backs about six miles, before the waves
were sufficiently low to permit their being taken on board their canoes.
the Indians remained with us all day. The Indians witnissed Drewyer’s
shooting some of those Elk, which has given them a very exalted opinion of
us as marksmen and the superior excellence of our rifles compared with
their guns; this may probably be of service to us, as it will deter them
from any acts of hostility if they have ever meditated any such. My
Air-gun also astonishes them very much, they cannot comprehend it’s
shooting so often and without powder; and think that it is great medicine
which comprehends every thing that is to them incomprehensible.
I observe no difference between the liquorice of this country and that
common to many parts of the United states where it is also sometimes
cultivated in our gardens. this plant delights in a deep loose sandy soil;
here it grows very abundant and large; the natives roast it in the embers
and pound it slightly with a small stick in order to make it seperate more
readily from the strong liggament which forms the center of the root; this
the natives discard and chew and swallow the ballance of the root; this
last is filled with a number of thin membrenacious lamela like net work,
too tough to be masticated and which I find it necessary also to discard.
this root when roasted possesses an agreeable flavour not unlike the sweet
pittaitoe. beside the small celindric root mentioned on the 20th inst.,
they have also another about the same form size and appearance which they
use much with the train oil, this root is usually boiled; to me it
possesses a disagreeable bitterness. the top of this plant I have never
yet seen. The root of the thistle after undergoing the prossess of
sweating or baking in a kiln is sometimes eaten with the train oil also,
and at other times pounded fine and mixed with could water untill reduced
to the consistency of sagamity or indian mush; in this way I think it very
agreeable. but the most valuable of all their roots is foreign to this
neighbourhood I mean the Wappetoe, or the bulb of the Sagitifolia or
common arrow head, which grows in great abundance in the marshey grounds
of that beatifull and firtile valley on the Columbia commencing just above
the entrance of Quicksand River, and extending downwards for about 70
Miles. this bulb forms a principal article of traffic between the
inhabitants of the valley and those of this neighbourhood or sea coast.
The instrument used by the natives in diging their roots is a strong stick
of 31/2 feet long sharpened at the lower end and it’s upper inscerted into
a part of an Elks or buck’s horn which serves as a handle, standing
transversely with the stick or it is in this form A the lower point, B the
upper part or handle.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Saturday, January 24th, 1806. Drewyer (Drouillard) and Baptiest La Paage (Baptiste Lepage) returned this morning in a large canoe with Comowooll and six Clatsops. They brought two deer and the flesh of three elk and one elk's skin, having given the flesh of one other elk that they killed and three elk skins to the Indians as the price of their assistance in transporting the rest of the meat to the Fort. These elk and deer were killed near Point Adams, and the Indians carried them on their backs about six miles before the waves were low enough to permit them being taken on board their canoes. The Indians remained with us all day. The Indians witnessed Drewyer (Drouillard) shoot some of those elk, which has given them a very exalted opinion of us as marksmen and of the superior excellence of our rifles compared with their guns. This may probably be of service to us, as it will deter them from any acts of hostility if they have ever considered any such. My air gun also astonishes them very much; they cannot comprehend its shooting so often and without powder, and they think that it is great medicine which encompasses everything that is to them incomprehensible.
I observe no difference between the licorice of this country and that common to many parts of the United States, where it is also sometimes cultivated in our gardens. This plant thrives in a deep, loose, sandy soil; here it grows very abundant and large. The natives roast it in the embers and pound it slightly with a small stick in order to make it separate more readily from the strong ligament which forms the center of the root; this the natives discard, and they chew and swallow the rest of the root. This part is filled with a number of thin membranous layers like network, too tough to be chewed, and which I find it necessary also to discard. This root, when roasted, possesses an agreeable flavor not unlike the sweet potato. Besides the small cylindrical root mentioned on the 20th instant, they have also another of about the same form, size, and appearance which they use often with train oil. This root is usually boiled; to me it has a disagreeable bitterness. I have not yet seen the top of this plant. The root of the thistle, after undergoing the process of sweating or baking in a kiln, is sometimes eaten with train oil also, and at other times pounded fine and mixed with cold water until reduced to the consistency of sagamity or Indian mush; in this way I think it very agreeable. But the most valuable of all their roots is foreign to this neighborhood—I mean the wappetoe, or the bulb of the Sagittifolia or common arrowhead, which grows in great abundance in the marshy grounds of that beautiful and fertile valley on the Columbia, beginning just above the entrance of Quicksand River and extending downward for about 70 miles. This bulb forms a principal article of trade between the inhabitants of the valley and those of this neighborhood or seacoast. The instrument used by the natives in digging their roots is a strong stick 3 1/2 feet long, sharpened at the lower end, with its upper end inserted into a piece of an elk's or buck's horn, which serves as a handle, standing transversely with the stick. It is in this form: A is the lower point, B is the upper part or handle.
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