Lewis: January 9, 1806
At Fort Clatsop, the men spent the day dressing elk and deer skins for moccasins and clothing, though deer were scarce. Seven gunshots heard from a creek to the south suggested hunters Drouillard and Collins had found elk—welcome news after two days of poor dried jerky. Lewis described in detail the Clatsop and Chinook practice of burying their dead in canoes elevated on posts. He also speculated about the origins of the white traders who visit the river's mouth, and catalogued the goods exchanged, noting that blue and white beads serve as the region's main currency.
Friday January 9th 1806. Our men are now very much engaged in dressing Elk
and Deer skins for mockersons and cloathing. the deer are extreemly scarce
in this neighbourhood, some are to be found near the praries and open
grounds along the coast. this evening we heard seven guns in quick
succession after each other, they appeared to be on the Creek to the South
of us and several miles distant; I expect that the hunters Drewyer and
Collins have fallen in with a gang of Elk. some marrow bones and a little
fresh meat would be exceptable; I have been living for two days past on
poor dryed Elk, or jurk as the hunters term it.
The Clatsops Chinnooks &c. bury their dead in their canoes. for this
purpose four pieces of split timber are set erect on end, and sunk a few
feet in the grown, each brace having their flat sides opposite to each
other and sufficiently far assunder to admit the width of the canoes in
which the dead are to be deposited; through each of these perpendicular
posts, at the hight of six feet a mortice is cut, through which two bars
of wood are incerted; on these cross bars a small canoe is placed in which
the body is laid after being carefully roled in a robe of some dressed
skins; a paddle is also deposited with them; a larger canoe is now
reversed, overlaying and imbracing the small one, and resting with it’s
gunwals on the cross bars; one or more large mats of rushes or flags are
then roled around the canoes and the whole securely lashed with a long
cord, usually made of the bark of the Arbor vita or white cedar. on the
cross bars which support the canoes is frequently hung or laid various
articles of cloathing culinary eutensels &c. I cannot understand them
sufficiently to make any enquiries relitive to their religeous opinions,
but presume from their depositing various articles with their dead, that
they believe in a state of future existence.
The persons who usually visit the entrance of this river for the purpose
of traffic or hunting I believe are either English or Americans; the
Indians inform us that they speak the same language with ourselves, and
give us proofs of their varacity by repeating many words of English, as
musquit, powder, shot, nife, file, damned rascal, sun of a bitch &c.
whether these traders are from Nootka sound, from some other late
establishment on this coast, or immediately from the U States or Great
Brittain, I am at a loss to determine, nor can the Indians inform us. the
Indians whom I have asked in what direction the traders go when they
depart from hence, or arrive here, always point to the S. W. from which it
is presumeable that Nootka cannot be their destination; and as from Indian
information a majority of these traders annually visit them about the
beginning of April and remain with them six or seven Months, they cannot
come immediately from Great Britain or the U States, the distance being
too great for them to go and return in the ballance of the year. from this
circumstance I am sometimes induced to believe that there is some other
establishment on the coast of America south West of this place of which
little is but yet known to the world, or it may be perhaps on some Island
in the pacific ocean between the Continents of Asia and America to the
South West of us. This traffic on the part of the whites consists in
vending, guns, (principally old british or American musquits) powder,
balls and Shot, Copper and brass kettles, brass teakettles and coffee
pots, blankets from two to three point, scarlet and blue Cloth (coarse),
plates and strips of sheet copper and brass, large brass wire, knives,
beads and tobacco with fishinghooks buttons and some other small articles;
also a considerable quantity of Sailor’s cloaths, as hats coats, trowsers
and shirts. for these they receive in return from the natives, dressed and
undressed Elkskins, skins of the sea Otter, common Otter, beaver, common
fox, spuck, and tiger cat; also dryed and pounded sammon in baskets, and a
kind of buisquit, which the natives make of roots called by them
shappelell. The natives are extravegantly fond of the most common cheap
blue and white beads, of moderate size, or such that from 50 to 70 will
weigh one penneyweight. the blue is usually pefered to the white; these
beads constitute the principal circulating medium with all the indian
tribes on this river; for these beads they will dispose any article they
possess.the beads are strung on strans of a fathom in length and in
that manner sold by the bredth or yard.-
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday, January 9th, 1806. Our men are now very busy dressing elk and deer skins for moccasins and clothing. The deer are extremely scarce in this neighborhood; some are to be found near the prairies and open grounds along the coast. This evening we heard seven guns in quick succession, one after another. They appeared to be on the creek to the south of us and several miles distant. I expect that the hunters Drewyer (Drouillard) and Collins have come upon a herd of elk. Some marrow bones and a little fresh meat would be welcome; I have been living for the past two days on poor dried elk, or jerky as the hunters call it.
The Clatsops, Chinooks, etc., bury their dead in their canoes. For this purpose, four pieces of split timber are set upright on end and sunk a few feet into the ground, each brace having its flat sides facing the others and far enough apart to admit the width of the canoes in which the dead are to be placed. Through each of these vertical posts, at a height of six feet, a mortise is cut, through which two bars of wood are inserted. On these crossbars a small canoe is placed, in which the body is laid after being carefully wrapped in a robe of dressed skins; a paddle is also placed with them. A larger canoe is then turned upside down, covering and embracing the smaller one, and resting with its gunwales on the crossbars. One or more large mats of rushes or flags are then rolled around the canoes, and the whole is securely lashed with a long cord, usually made of the bark of the arborvitae or white cedar. On the crossbars that support the canoes are frequently hung or laid various articles of clothing, cooking utensils, etc. I cannot understand them well enough to make any inquiries relative to their religious opinions, but I presume, from their depositing various articles with their dead, that they believe in a state of future existence.
The persons who usually visit the entrance of this river for the purpose of trade or hunting are, I believe, either English or American. The Indians tell us they speak the same language as ourselves, and give us proofs of their truthfulness by repeating many English words, such as musket, powder, shot, knife, file, damned rascal, son of a bitch, etc. Whether these traders come from Nootka Sound, from some other recent establishment on this coast, or directly from the United States or Great Britain, I am at a loss to determine, nor can the Indians inform us. The Indians whom I have asked about the direction the traders go when they depart from here, or arrive here, always point to the southwest, from which it is presumable that Nootka cannot be their destination. And since, according to Indian information, a majority of these traders annually visit them about the beginning of April and remain with them six or seven months, they cannot come directly from Great Britain or the United States, the distance being too great for them to go and return in the rest of the year. From this circumstance, I am sometimes led to believe that there is some other establishment on the coast of America southwest of this place, of which little is yet known to the world; or it may perhaps be on some island in the Pacific Ocean between the continents of Asia and America to the southwest of us. The whites' part of this trade consists of selling guns (principally old British or American muskets), powder, balls and shot, copper and brass kettles, brass teakettles and coffee pots, blankets of two to three points, scarlet and blue cloth (coarse), plates and strips of sheet copper and brass, large brass wire, knives, beads, and tobacco, along with fishhooks, buttons, and some other small articles; also a considerable quantity of sailor's clothes, such as hats, coats, trousers, and shirts. In return, they receive from the natives dressed and undressed elk skins, skins of the sea otter, common otter, beaver, common fox, spuck, and tiger cat; also dried and pounded salmon in baskets, and a kind of biscuit which the natives make of roots, called by them shappelell. The natives are extravagantly fond of the most common cheap blue and white beads of moderate size, such that from 50 to 70 will weigh one pennyweight. The blue is usually preferred to the white. These beads serve as the principal circulating currency with all the Indian tribes on this river; for these beads they will part with any article they possess. The beads are strung on strands a fathom in length and sold in that manner by the breadth or yard.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
