Lewis: January 8, 1806
With meat supplies running low at Fort Clatsop, Lewis sent Drouillard and Collins out to hunt and assigned the cooks to guard duty to ease the burden on the remaining men. Sergeant Gass and Shannon were still absent, their delay unexplained. Cloudy weather again prevented Lewis from taking astronomical observations. He recorded detailed observations of the local Clatsop and Chinook people, noting their intense manner of smoking tobacco by inhaling deeply, and remarked that they showed no familiarity with or desire for spirituous liquors.
Tuesday January 8th 1806. Our meat is begining to become scarse; sent
Drewyer and Collins to hunt this morning. the guard duty being hard on the
men who now remain in the fort I have for their relief since the departure
of Capt. Clark made the Cooks mount guard. Sergt. Gass and Shannon have
not yet returned, nor can I immajen what is the cause of their detention.
In consequence of the clouds this evening I lost my P.M. observation for
Equal Altitudes, and from the same cause have not been able to take a
single observation since we have been at this place. nothing extraordinary
happened today.
The Clatsops Chinnooks and others inhabiting the coast and country in this
neighbourhood, are excessively fond of smoking tobacco. in the act of
smoking they appear to swallow it as they dran it from the pipe, and for
many draughts together you will not perceive the smoke which they take
from the pipe; in the same manner also they inhale it in their lungs
untill they become surcharged with this vapour when they puff it out to a
great distance through their nostils and mouth; I have no doubt the smoke
of the tobacco in this manner becomes much more intoxicating and that they
do possess themselves of all it’s virtues in their fullest extent; they
freequently give us sounding proofs of it’s creating a dismorallity of
order in the abdomen, nor are those light matters thought indelicate in
either sex, but all take the liberty of obeying the dictates of nature
without reserve. these people do not appear to know the uce of sperituous
liquors, they never having once asked us for it; I presume therefore that
the traders who visit them have never indulged them with the uce of it;
from what ever cause this may proceede, it is a very fortunate occurrence,
as well for the natives themselves, as for the quiet and safety of thos
whites who visit them.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Tuesday, January 8th, 1806. Our meat is beginning to become scarce; sent Drewyer (Drouillard) and Collins to hunt this morning. The guard duty being hard on the men who now remain in the fort, I have, for their relief since the departure of Capt. Clark, made the cooks mount guard. Sergt. Gass and Shannon have not yet returned, nor can I imagine what is the cause of their detention. In consequence of the clouds this evening, I lost my P.M. observation for Equal Altitudes, and from the same cause have not been able to take a single observation since we have been at this place. Nothing extraordinary happened today.
The Clatsops, Chinnooks (Chinooks), and others inhabiting the coast and country in this neighborhood are excessively fond of smoking tobacco. In the act of smoking, they appear to swallow it as they draw it from the pipe, and for many draughts together you will not perceive the smoke which they take from the pipe; in the same manner also they inhale it into their lungs until they become surcharged with this vapor, when they puff it out to a great distance through their nostrils and mouth. I have no doubt the smoke of the tobacco in this manner becomes much more intoxicating, and that they do possess themselves of all its virtues in their fullest extent. They frequently give us sounding proofs of its creating a disorder in the abdomen, nor are those light matters thought indelicate in either sex, but all take the liberty of obeying the dictates of nature without reserve. These people do not appear to know the use of spirituous liquors, they never having once asked us for it; I presume therefore that the traders who visit them have never indulged them with the use of it. From whatever cause this may proceed, it is a very fortunate occurrence, as well for the natives themselves as for the quiet and safety of those whites who visit them.
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