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Comowooll and the Clatsops who visited us yesterday left us in the evening. These people the Chinnooks and others residing in this neighbourhood and speaking the same language have been very friendly to us; they appear to be a mild inoffensive people but will pilfer if they have an opportuny to do so where they conceive themselves not liable to detection. they are great higlers in trade and if they conceive you anxious to purchase will be a whole day bargaining for a handfull of roots; this I should have thought proceeded from their want of knowledge of the comparitive value of articles of merchandize and the fear of being cheated, did I not find that they invariably refuse the price first offered them and afterwards very frequently accept a smaller quantity of the same article; in order to satisfy myself on this subject I once offered a Chinnook my watch two knives and a considerable quantity of beads for a small inferior sea Otter's [1] skin which I did not much want, he immediately conceived it of great value, and refused to barter except I would double the quantity of beads; the next day with a great deal of importunity on his part I received the skin in exchange for a few strans of the same beads he had refused the day before. I therefore believe this trait in their character proceeds from an avaricious all grasping disposition. in this rispect they differ from all Indians I ever became acquainted with, for their dispositions invariably lead them to give whatever they are possessed off no matter how usefull or valuable, for a bauble which pleases their fancy, without consulting it's usefullness or value. nothing interesting occurred today, or more so, than our wappetoe being all exhausted.
Comowool and the Clatsops who visited us yesterday left us in the morning. Those people the Chinnook and others resideing in this neighbourhood and Speaking the Same language have been very friendly to us; they appear to be a mild inoffensive people but will pilfer if they have an oppertunity to do So when they Conceive themseles not liable to detection. they are great higlers in trade and if they Conceive you anxious to purchase will be a whole day bargaining for a hand full of roots; this I Should have thought proceeded from their want of Knowledge of the Comparitive value of articles of merchindize and the fear of being Cheated, did I not find that they invariably refuse the price first offered them and afterwards very frequently accept a Smaller quantity of the Same article; in order to Satisfy myself on this point, I onc[e] offered a Clatsop man my watch a knife, a Dollar of the Coin of U State and hand full of beeds, for a Small Sea otter Skin, which I did not much want, he immediately Conceived it of great value, and refused to Sell unless I would give as maney more 〈blue〉 beads; the next day with a great deel of importunity on his part we receved the Skin in exchange for a fiew Strans of the Same beeds he had refused the day before. I therefore beleive this threat in their Charector proceeds from an avericious all grasping disposition. in this respect they differ from all Indians I ever became acquainted with, for their dispositions invariably lead them to give what ever they are possessed off no matter how usefull or valuable, for a bauble which pleases their fancy, without Consulting its usefulness or value. nothing occured to day, or more So, than our wappato being all exhausted.
Saturday 4th Jany. 1806. Small Showers of rain and hail as usal. the Clatsop Indians trade to us Some excelent Sweet roots. one of the party bought a dog also.—
Saturday 4th. The morning was wet; but we proceeded on, and passed the head of a creek [2] which we supposed was the last in our rout to the salt works. Immediately after passing the creek, the man with me killed an elk; when we halted and took breakfast off it, and then went on. We got into low ground, passed through a marsh about ½ a mile in breadth, where the water was knee-deep; then got into a beautiful prairie, [3] about 5 miles wide, and which runs along the sea shore about 30 miles from Point Adams [4] on the south side of Hayley's Bay, [5] in nearly a southwest course and ends at a high point of a mountain, called Clarke's View [6] on the sea shore. Through this plain or prairie runs another creek, [7] or small river which we could not pass without some craft: so we encamped on the creek and supped on the elk's tongue, which we had brought with us.
Saturday Janry 4th We had small showers of rain & some hail this morning. a number of Indians belonging to the Clatsop Nation that came to the fort Yesterday staid near the Fort last night. They sold our party some sweet Roots fish, 1 dog &ca. Towards evening they all left us. The Rain continued the greater part of this day.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.