Lemhi Valley, preparing to cross Bitterroots — Patrick Gass: August 29, 1805
Captain Clark and most of the men traveled up to Captain Lewis's camp, while Gass and one other man stayed behind to guard camp and prepare packsaddles. During the day, a Native American demonstrated their fire-making technique, rubbing one stick perpendicularly against another until friction ignited the dust produced. Gass also observed the local people's tightly woven willow baskets capable of holding water, their bread made from sunflower and lambs-quarter seeds mixed with berries and wild cherries, and their excellent salmon, whose dried and pounded roe made superior soup.
ing. Captain Clarke and all the men except myself and
another, who remained to keep camp and prepare packsad-
dies, went up to Captain Lewis’s camp. While I lay here
to-day, one of the natives shewed me their method of produc-
ing fire, which is somewhat curious. They have two sticks
ready for the operation, one about 9 and the other 18 inches
long: the short stick they lay down flat and rub the end of
the other upon it in a perpendicular direction for a few min-
utes; and the friction raises a kind of dust, which in a short
time takes fire. These people make willow baskets so close
and to such perfection as to hold water, for which purpose
they make use of them. They make much use of the sun-
134 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
flower and lambs-quarter seed, as before mentioned; which
with berries and wild cherries pounded together, compose the
only bread they have any knowledge of, or in use. The fish
they take in this river are of excellent kinds, especially the
salmon, the roes of which when dried and pounded make the
best of soup.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Captain Clarke (Captain Clark) and all the men except myself and one other, who stayed behind to keep camp and prepare pack saddles, went up to Captain Lewis's camp. While I lay here today, one of the natives showed me their method of producing fire, which is somewhat curious. They have two sticks ready for the operation, one about 9 inches and the other 18 inches long: the short stick they lay down flat and rub the end of the other upon it in a perpendicular direction for a few minutes; and the friction raises a kind of dust, which in a short time takes fire.
These people make willow baskets so tightly woven and to such perfection that they hold water, and they use them for that purpose. They make much use of the sunflower and lambs-quarter seed, as mentioned before; which, along with berries and wild cherries pounded together, make up the only bread they know of or use. The fish they catch in this river are of excellent kinds, especially the salmon, the roes of which, when dried and pounded, make the best of soup.
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