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January 29, 1806
William Clark
indeed my appetite is but Seldom gratified, not even after I have eaten what I conceve a
sufficency.
February 7, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
This evening we had what I call an excellent supper it consisted of a marrowbone a piece and a
brisket of boiled Elk that had the appearance of a little fat on it. this for Fort Clatsop is living in
high stile.
The small pox has distroyed a great number of the natives in this quarter. it prevailed about 4
years since among the Clatsops and destroy[ed] several hundred of them, four of their chiefs
fell victyms to it's ravages.
February 22, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
our sick consisting of Gibson, Bratton, Sergt. Ordway, Willard and McNeal are all on the
recovery. we have not had as ma[n]y sick at any one time since we left Wood River. the general
complaint seams to be bad colds and fevers, something I beleive of the influenza.
March 3, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
Two of our perogues have been lately injured very much in consequence of the tide leaving
them partially on shore. they split by this means with their own weight. we had them drawn out
on shore. ... no movement of the party today worthy of notice. every thing moves on in the old
way and we are counting the days which seperate us from the 1st of April and which bind us to
fort Clatsop.
March 5, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
They had neither killed nor seen any Elk. they informed us that the Elk had all gone off to the
mountains a considerable distance from us. this is unwelcome information and reather allarming
we have only 2 days provision on hand, and that nearly spoiled. ... if we find that the Elk have
left us, we have determined to ascend the river slowly and indeavour to procure subsistence on
the way, consuming the Month of March in the woody country.
March 16, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
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
handkerchiefs would now contain all the small articles of merchandize which we possess; the
ballance 9f 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.
March 17, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
for this canoe he gave my uniform laced coat and nearly half a carrot of tobacco. it seems that
nothing excep[t] this coat would induce them to dispose of a canoe which in their mode of
traffic is an article of the greatest val[u]e except a wife, with whom it is equal, and is generally
given in exchange to the father for his daughter. I think the U'States are indebted to me another
Uniform coat for that of which I have disposed on this occasion was but little woarn. we yet
want another canoe, and as the Clatsops will not sell us one at a price which we can afford to
give we will take one from them in lue of the six Elk which they stole from us in the winter.
March 17, 1806
William Clark
We yet want another canoe as the Clatsops will not sell us one, a proposition has been made by
one of our interpts and sever[al] of the party to take one in lieu of 6 Elk which they stole from
us this winter &c.
March 19, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
the most remarkable trait in their physiognomy is the peculiar flatness and width of forehead
which they artificially obtain by compressing the head between two boards while in a state of
infancy and from which it never afterwards perfectly recovers. ... I have observed the heads of
many infants, after this singular bandage had been dismissed, or about the age of 10 or eleven
months, that were not more than two inches thick about the upper edge of the forehead and
reather thiner still higher. ... it is from this peculiar form of the head that the nations East of the
Rocky mountains, call all the nations on this side, except the Aliohtans or snake Indians, by the
generic name of Flatheads. ... the large or apparently swolen legs particularly observable in the
women are obtained in a great measure by tying a cord tight around the ankle.
... they call us pah-shish-e-ooks, or cloth men.
... girdle ... the whole being of sufficient thickness when the female stands erect to conceal
those parts usually covered from formiliar view, but when she stoops or places herself in many
other attitudes, this battery of Venus is not altogether impervious to the inquisitive and
penetrating eye of the amorite.
I think the most disgusting sight I have ever behld is these dirty naked wenches. The men of
these nations partake of much more of the domestic drudgery than I had at first supposed.
March 23, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
at 1 P.M. we bid a final adieu to Fort Clatsop. we had not proceeded more than a mile before
we met Delashelwilt and a party of 20 Chinnooks men and women. this Cheif lea[r]ning that we
were in want of a canoe some days past, had brought us one for sale, but being already
supplyed, we did not purchase it.
March 23, 1806
William Clark
at this place we had wintered and remained from the 7th of Decr. 1805 to this day and have
lived as well as we had any right to expect, and we can say that we were never one day without
3 meals of some kind a day either pore Elk meat or roots, notwithstanding the repeated fall of
rain which has fallen almost constantly since we passed the long narrows ... indeed w[e] have
had only [blank space in MS.] days fair weather since that time.
March 24, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
... we arrived at the Cathlahmah village where we halted and purchased some wappetoe, a dog
for the sick, and a hat for one of the men. ... these people are very fond of sculpture in wood of
which they exhibit a variety of specemines about their houses. ... I saw some of these which
represented human figures setting and supporting the burthen on their sholders.
... this Cathlahmah claimed the small canoe which we had taken from the Clatsops.
March 29, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
we purchased a considerable quantity of wappetoes, 12 dogs, and 2 Sea otter skins of these
people. ... notwithstanding their hospitality if it deserves that appellation, they are great begers,
for we had scarcely finished our repast on the wappetoe and Anchovies which they voluntarily
set before us before they began to beg.
March 30, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
they have also a very singular custom among them of baithing themselves allover with urine
every morning. ... this valley would be co[m]petent to the mantainence of 40 or 50 thousand
souls if properly cultivated and is indeed the only desirable situation for a settlement which I
have seen on the West side of the Rocky mountains.
April 9, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
John Colter one of our party observed the tomehawk in one of the lodges which had been stolen
from us on the 4th of November last as we decended this river; the nativs attempted to wrest the
tomahawk from him but he retained it. they indeavoured afterwards to exculpate themselves
from the odium of having stolen it, they alledged that they had bought it from the natives below;
but their neighbours had several days previously, informed us that these people had stolen the
Tommehawk and then had it at their village.
these people were very unfriendly, and seemed illy disposed had our numbers not detered them
[from] any acts of violence. with some difficulty we obtained five dogs ... passed several
beautifull cascades
(Multnomah Falls)
several small streams fall from a much greater hight, and in their decent become a perfect mist
which collecting on the rocks below again become visible and decend a second time in the same
manner before they reach the base of the rocks.
we purchased two dogs ....
April 9, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
a few men were absolutely necessary at any rate to guard our baggage from the War-clel-lars
who crouded about our camp in considerable numbers. these are the greates[t] theives and
scoundrels we have met with.
the men complained of being so much fatiegued in the evening that we posponed taking up our
5th canoe untill tomorrow. these rapids are much worse than they were [in the] fall when we
passed them,
many of the natives crouded about the bank of the river where the men were engaged in taking
up the canoes; one of them had the insolence to cast stones down the bank at two of the men
who happened to be a little detatched from the party at the time. ... two of these ... natives ...
met with John Sheilds who had delayed some time in purchasing a dog ... they attempted to
take the dog from him and pushed him out of the road. he had nothing to defend himself with
except a large knife which he drew with an intention of puting one or both of them to death
before they could get themselves in readiness to use their arrows, but discovering his design
they declined the combat and instantly fled through the woods. three of this same tribe of
villains the Wah-clel-lars, stole my dog this evening, and took him towards their village; I was
shortly afterwards informed of this transaction by an indian who spoke the Clatsop language,
and sent three men in pursuit of the theives with orders if they made the least resistence or
difficulty in surrendering the dog to fire on them; they overtook these fellows or reather came
within sight of them at the distance of about 2 miles; the indians discovering the party in pursuit
of them left the dog and fled. they also stole an ax from us, ... we ordered the centinel to keep
them out of camp, and informed them by signs that if they made any further attempts to steal
our property or insulted our men we should put them to instant death. ... I am convinced that no
other consideration but our number at this moment protects us.
The Cheif appeared mortified at the conduct of his people, and seemed friendly ... he had in his
possession a very good pipe tomahawk which he informed us he had received as a present from
a trader who visited him last wintr over land pointing to the N.W., whome he called Swippeton;
I observe snow-shoes in all the lodges of the natives above the Columbean vally. I hope that the
friendly interposition of this chief may prevent our being compelled to use some violence with
these people; our men seem well disposed to kill a few of them.
April 13, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
The loss of one of our perogues rendered it necessary to distribute her crew and cargo among
the 2 remaining perogues and 2 canoes, ... rendered our vessels extreemly inconvenient to
mannage and in short reather unsafe in the event of high winds; ... I soon obtained two small
canoes from them for which I gave two robes and four elkskins. I also purchased four paddles
and three dogs from them with deerskins. the dog now constitutes a considerable part of our
subsistence and with most of the party has become a favorite food; certain I am that it is a
healthy strong diet, and from habit it has become by no means disagreeable to me, I prefer it to
lean venison or Elk, and it is very far superior to the horse in any state.
April 16, 1806
William Clark
Great numbers of Indians came from both villages and delayed the greater part of the day
without tradeing a single horse. ... they asked nearly half the merchindize I had with me for one
horse. ... the nativs requested the party to dance which they very readily consented and Peter
Cruzat played on the violin and the men danced several dances & retired to rest in the houses of
the 1st and second Chief. ... all of those articles they precure from other nations who visit them
for the purpose of exchangeing those articles for their pounded fish of which they prepare great
quantities. This is the great mart of all this country. ten different tribes who reside on Taptate
and Catteract River visit those people for the purpose of purchaseing their fish, and the Indians
on the Columbia and Lewis's river quite to the Chopunnish Nation visit them for the purpose of
tradeing horses buffalow robes for beeds, and such articles as they have not.
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