Lewis: March 16, 1806
A quiet Sunday at Fort Clatsop with no notable events. Drouillard's party did not return from the Cathlahmah village as expected, likely delayed by strong winds. Visiting Indians stayed all day but refused to sell their canoes at a price the expedition could afford, prompting Lewis to inventory their dwindling trade goods—a meager stock to fund the journey home. Lewis described local shellfish, including small blue clams, periwinkles, mussels, cockles, and a circular single-valve creature. He also detailed a white salmon trout brought in by an Indian, recording its measurements and anatomy.
Sunday March 16th 1806. Not any occurrence worthy of relation took place
today. Drewyer and party did not return from the Cathlahmahs this evening
as we expected. we suppose he was detained by the hard winds of today. the
Indians remained with us all day, but would not dispose of their canoes at
a price which it was in our power to give consistently with the state of
our Stock of Merchandize. two handkercheifs would now contain all the
small articles of merchandize which we possess; the ballance of the stock
consists of 6 blue robes one scarlet do. one uniform artillerist’s coat
and hat, five robes made of our large flag, and a few old cloaths trimed
with ribbon. on this stock we have wholy to depend for the purchase of
horses and such portion of our subsistence from the Indians as it will be
in our powers to obtain. a scant dependence indeed, for a tour of the
distance of that before us. the Clam of this coast are very small. the
shell consists of two valves which open with a hinge. the shell is smooth
thin of an oval form or like that of the common mussle, and sky blue
colour. it is about 11/2 inches in length, and hangs in clusters to the
moss of the rocks. the natives sometimes eat them. the perewinkle both of
the river and Ocean are similar to those found in the same situations on
the Atlantic coast. the common mussle of the river are also the same with
those in the rivers of the atlantic coast. the cockle is small and also
much the same of the Atlantic. there is also an animal which inhabits a
shell perfectly circular about 3 Inches in diameter, thin and entire on
the margin, convex and smooth on the upper side, plain on the under part
and covered with a number minute capillary fibers by means of which it
attatches itself to the sides of the rocks. the shell is thin and consists
of one valve. a small circular apperture is formed in the center of the
under shell. the animal is soft & boneless.
The white Salmon Trout which we had previously seen only at the great
falls of the Columbia has now made it’s appearance in the creeks near this
place. one of them was brought us today by an Indian who had just taken it
with his gig. this is a likness of it; it was 2 feet 8 Inches long, and
weighed 10 lbs. the eye is moderately large, the puple black and iris of a
silvery white with a small addmixture of yellow, and is a little terbid
near it’s border with a yellowish brown. the position of the fins may be
seen from the drawing, they are small in proportion to the fish. the fins
are boney but not pointed except the tail and back fins which are a little
so, the prime back fin and ventral ones, contain each ten rays; those of
the gills thirteen, that of the tail twelve, and the small fin placed near
the tail above has no bony rays, but is a tough flexable substance covered
with smooth skin. it is thicker in proportion to it’s width than the
salmon. the tongu is thick and firm beset on each border with small
subulate teeth in a single series. the teeth of the mouth are as before
discribed. neither this fish nor the salmon are caught with the hook, nor
do I know on what they feed.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Sunday, March 16th, 1806. Nothing worthy of mention took place today. Drewyer and his party did not return from the Cathlahmahs this evening as we expected. We suppose he was detained by today's hard winds. The Indians remained with us all day, but would not part with their canoes at a price within our power to give, considering the state of our stock of merchandise. Two handkerchiefs would now contain all the small articles of merchandise we possess; the rest of the stock consists of 6 blue robes, one scarlet robe, one uniform artillerist's coat and hat, five robes made from our large flag, and a few old clothes trimmed with ribbon. On this stock we must wholly depend for the purchase of horses and whatever portion of our subsistence we can obtain from the Indians. A scant dependence indeed, for a journey of the distance that lies before us.
The clams of this coast are very small. The shell consists of two valves that open with a hinge. The shell is smooth and thin, of an oval form like that of the common mussel, and sky-blue in color. It is about 1 1/2 inches in length, and hangs in clusters from the moss on the rocks. The natives sometimes eat them. The periwinkle, both of the river and the ocean, is similar to those found in the same situations on the Atlantic coast. The common mussel of the river is also the same as those in the rivers of the Atlantic coast. The cockle is small and also much the same as that of the Atlantic. There is also an animal that inhabits a shell perfectly circular, about 3 inches in diameter, thin and entire on the margin, convex and smooth on the upper side, flat on the underside, and covered with a number of minute capillary fibers by means of which it attaches itself to the sides of the rocks. The shell is thin and consists of one valve. A small circular opening is formed in the center of the under shell. The animal is soft and boneless.
The white salmon trout, which we had previously seen only at the great falls of the Columbia, has now made its appearance in the creeks near this place. One of them was brought to us today by an Indian who had just taken it with his gig. This is a likeness of it; it was 2 feet 8 inches long, and weighed 10 lbs. The eye is moderately large, the pupil black, and the iris of a silvery white with a small admixture of yellow, and is a little turbid near its border with a yellowish brown. The position of the fins may be seen from the drawing; they are small in proportion to the fish. The fins are bony but not pointed, except the tail and back fins, which are a little so. The principal back fin and ventral ones each contain ten rays; those of the gills thirteen, that of the tail twelve, and the small fin placed near the tail above has no bony rays, but is a tough, flexible substance covered with smooth skin. It is thicker in proportion to its width than the salmon. The tongue is thick and firm, beset on each border with small subulate teeth in a single series. The teeth of the mouth are as previously described. Neither this fish nor the salmon are caught with the hook, nor do I know what they feed on.
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