Portaging Cascades of the Columbia upstream — Patrick Gass: April 6, 1806
The party set out at 10 o'clock and passed a beautiful prairie on the north side that had been hidden by fog on the way downriver. After about nine miles they reached their hunters' camp, where five elk had been killed. They halted to retrieve the meat and begin drying it. Gass notes they are at the head of the Columbia valley, a fertile stretch about 70 miles long rich in edible roots—especially wapto gathered from ponds—along with fir, cherry, dogwood, maple, ash, and fruit-bearing shrubs used by local natives for food.
10 o’clock we set out; passed a beautiful prairie on the north
side, which we could sot see for the fog as we went down;
proceeded on about 9 miles and came to our hunters’ camp.
They had killed 5 elk; so we halted, sent out for the meat
and began to dry it. Weare now at the head of the Columbia
valley ; which is a fine valley about 70 miles long, abounding
with roots of different kinds, which the natives use for food,
*Mr. M’Kenzie also mentions that the western Indians make use of the inner
tegument of the bark of trees for food; and that it is generally considered by the
more interior Indians as a delicacy, rather than an article of common food; that on
this and herbs they are used to sustain themselves on their journies. He likewise
states that of the inner rind of the hemlock, taken off early in the spring they make a
kind of cakes, which they eat with salmon oil, and of which they appear very fond.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 211
especially the Wapto roots which they gather out of the
ponds. The timber is mostly of the fir kind, with some
cherry, dogwood, soft maple and ash; and a variety of shrubs
which bear fruit of fine flavour, that the natives make use of
for food.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
At 10 o'clock we set out; we passed a beautiful prairie on the north side, which we could not see for the fog as we went down. We proceeded on about 9 miles and came to our hunters' camp. They had killed 5 elk, so we halted, sent out for the meat, and began to dry it. We are now at the head of the Columbia valley, which is a fine valley about 70 miles long, abounding with roots of different kinds, which the natives use for food,
*Mr. M'Kenzie (McKenzie) also mentions that the western Indians make use of the inner tegument of the bark of trees for food; and that it is generally considered by the more interior Indians as a delicacy, rather than an article of common food; and that on this and herbs they are used to sustain themselves on their journeys. He likewise states that of the inner rind of the hemlock, taken off early in the spring, they make a kind of cakes, which they eat with salmon oil, and of which they appear very fond.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 211
especially the Wapto roots, which they gather out of the ponds. The timber is mostly of the fir kind, with some cherry, dogwood, soft maple, and ash; and a variety of shrubs which bear fruit of fine flavor, that the natives make use of for food.
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