Lewis: May 21, 1806
After morning rain, hunters Shields and Gibson headed toward the mountains while Collins reported no kills. Five men began building a canoe for fishing and river crossings, promised to the Indians in trade for a horse. The party constructed a willow-and-grass lodge that proved their best shelter since Fort Clatsop. Lewis divided the last trade goods—awls, needles, thread, vermillion, ribbon—so each man could buy roots and bread for the Rocky Mountain crossing. They ate their last meat at dinner but remained unconcerned, relying on guns, fish, roots, and reserve horses.
Wednesday May 21st 1806. It rained a few hours this morning. Sheilds and
Gibson set out to hunt towards the mountains. Collins came to camp at noon
and remained about 2 hours; he has killed nothing since he left us last.
we set five men at work to make a canoe for the purpose of fishing and
passing the river. the Indians have already promised us a horse for this
canoe when we have no longer any uce for her. as our tent was not
sufficient to shelter us from the rain we had a lodge constructed of
willow poles and grass in the form of the orning of a waggon closed at one
end. this we had made sufficiently large to sleep in and to shelter the
most important part of our baggage. it is perfectly secure against the
rain sun and wind and affords us much the most comfortable shelter we have
had since we left Fort Clatsop. today we divided the remnant of our store
of merchandize among our party with a view that each should purchase
therewith a parsel of roots and bread from the natives as his stores for
the rocky mountains for there seems but little probability that we shall
be enabled to make any dryed meat for that purpose and we cannot as yet
form any just idea what resource the fish will furnish us. each man’s
stock in trade amounts to no more than one awl, one Kniting pin, a half an
ounce of vermillion, two nedles, a few scanes of thead and about a yard of
ribbon; a slender stock indeed with which to lay in a store of provision
for that dreary wilderness. we would make the men collect these roots
themselves but there are several speceis of hemlock which are so much like
the cows that it is difficult to discriminate them from the cows and we
are affraid that they might poison themselves. the indians have given us
another horse to kill for provision which we keep as a reserved store. our
dependence for subsistence is on our guns, the fish we may perhaps take,
the roots we can purchase from the natives and as the last alternative our
horses. we eat the last morsel of meat which we had for dinner this
evening, yet nobody seems much conserned about the state of provision.
Willard, Sergt. Ordway and Goodrich were permitted to visit the village
today; the former returned in the evening with some roots and bread, the
two last remaining all night. one of our party brought in a young sandhill
crain it was about the size of a pateridge and of a redish brown colour,
it appeared to be about 5 or six days old; these crains are abundant in
this neighbourhood.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Wednesday, May 21st, 1806. It rained a few hours this morning. Shields and Gibson set out to hunt toward the mountains. Collins came to camp at noon and remained about 2 hours; he has killed nothing since he left us last. We set five men to work making a canoe for the purpose of fishing and crossing the river. The Indians have already promised us a horse for this canoe when we no longer have any use for her. As our tent was not sufficient to shelter us from the rain, we had a lodge constructed of willow poles and grass in the form of the awning of a wagon, closed at one end. We made this large enough to sleep in and to shelter the most important part of our baggage. It is perfectly secure against the rain, sun, and wind, and affords us by far the most comfortable shelter we have had since we left Fort Clatsop.
Today we divided the remnant of our store of merchandise among our party, with the intention that each should purchase with it a parcel of roots and bread from the natives as his store for the Rocky Mountains, for there seems little probability that we will be able to make any dried meat for that purpose, and we cannot yet form any just idea what resource the fish will furnish us. Each man's stock in trade amounts to no more than one awl, one knitting pin, half an ounce of vermillion, two needles, a few skeins of thread, and about a yard of ribbon; a slender stock indeed with which to lay in a store of provisions for that dreary wilderness. We would have the men collect these roots themselves, but there are several species of hemlock so much like the cows root that it is difficult to tell them apart, and we are afraid the men might poison themselves. The Indians have given us another horse to kill for provisions, which we are keeping as a reserved store. Our dependence for subsistence is on our guns, the fish we may perhaps take, the roots we can purchase from the natives, and, as the last alternative, our horses. We ate the last morsel of meat we had for dinner this evening, yet nobody seems much concerned about the state of provisions.
Willard, Sergt. Ordway, and Goodrich were permitted to visit the village today; the former returned in the evening with some roots and bread, the two latter remaining all night. One of our party brought in a young sandhill crane; it was about the size of a partridge and of a reddish brown color, and appeared to be about 5 or 6 days old. These cranes are abundant in this neighborhood.
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