Lewis: March 17, 1806

Monday March 17th 1806. Catel and his family left us this morning. Old Delashelwilt and his women still remain; they have formed a camp near the fort and seem determined to lay close siege to us. But I believe that, notwithstanding every effort of their winning graces, the men have preserved their constancy to the vow of celibacy which they made on this occasion to Capt C. (Capt. Clark) and myself. We have had our pirogues prepared for our departure, and shall set out as soon as the weather will permit. The weather is so unpredictable that we fear, by waiting until the first of April, we might be detained several days longer before we could get from here to the Cathlahmahs, as it must be calm or we cannot accomplish that part of our route. Drewyer returned late this evening from the Cathlahmahs with our canoe, which Sergt. Pryor had left some days ago, and also a canoe which he had purchased from those people. For this canoe he gave my uniform laced coat and nearly half a carrot of tobacco. It seems that nothing except this coat would induce them to part with a canoe, which in their mode of trade is an article of the greatest value except a wife, with whom it is equal, and is generally given in exchange to the father for his daughter. I think the United States owes me another uniform coat, for the one I gave up on this occasion was only slightly worn. We still want another canoe, and as the Clatsops will not sell us one at a price we can afford to give, we will take one from them in lieu of the six elk which they stole from us during the winter.

The clear, jellylike substance called the sea-nettle is found in great abundance along the shore, where it has been thrown up by the waves and tide.

There are two species of the Fuci, or seaweed, which we also find thrown up by the waves. The first species, at one end, consists of a large vesicle or hollow vessel which would hold from one to two gallons, of a conical shape, the base of which forms the very end and is convex and globular, bearing on its center some short, broad, and irregular fibers. The substance is about the consistency of the rind of a citron melon and 3/4 of an inch thick. The rind is smooth. From the small end of the cone a long, hollow, cylindrical, and regularly tapering tube extends 20 or 30 feet, and is then terminated with a number of branches which are flat, 1/2 an inch in width, rough, particularly on the edges, where they are furnished with a number of little oval vesicles or bags the size of a pigeon's egg. This plant seems designed to float at each end, while the small end of the tube, from which the branches proceed, lies deepest in the water.

The other species I have never seen, but Capt. Clark, who saw it on the coast toward the Killamucks, informed me that it resembled a large pumpkin. It is solid, and its specific gravity is rather greater than that of water, though it is sometimes thrown out by the waves. It is of a yellowish brown color. The rind is smooth and the consistency harder than that of a pumpkin, though easily cut with a knife. There are some dark brown fibers, rather harder than any other part, which pass lengthwise through the pulp or fleshy substance which forms the interior of this marine production.

The following is a list of the names of the commanders of vessels who visit the entrance of the Columbia River in the spring and autumn for the purpose of trading with the natives or hunting elk. These names are spelled as the Indians pronounce them.

Mr. Haley, their favorite trader, visits them in a vessel with three masts, and stays for some time.

Youens, visits in a 3-masted vessel — Trader. Tallamon, ditto, 3 ditto, no trader. Callallamet, ditto, 3 ditto, Trader; has a wooden leg. Swipton, ditto, 3 ditto, Trader. Moore, ditto, 4 ditto, ditto. Mackey, ditto, 3 ditto, ditto. Washington, ditto, 3 ditto, ditto. Mesship, ditto, 3 ditto, ditto. Davidson, ditto, 2, no trader, hunts elk. Jackson, ditto, 3-masted vessel, Trader. Bolch, ditto, 3 ditto, ditto. Skelley, ditto, 3 ditto, ditto, though he has been gone some years; he has one eye.