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Drewyer and Baptiest La Page set out this morning on a hunting excurtion. about noon Howard and Werner returned with a supply of salt; the badness of the weather and the difficulty of the road had caused their delay. they inform us that the salt makers are still much straitened for provision, having killed two deer only in the last six days; and that there are no Elk in their neighourhood. The party [1] that were sent this morning up Netul [2] river for the Elk returned in the even ing with three of them only; the Elk had been killed just before the snow fell which had covered them and so altered the apparent face of the country that the hunters could not find the Elk which they had killed. the river on which Fort Clatsop stands we now call Ne-tul, this being the name by which the Clatsops call it.
The Cranbury of this neighbourhood is precisely the same common to the U' States, and is the production of marshey or boggy grounds. The light brown berry, [3] is the fruit of a tree about the size shape and appearance in every rispect with that in the U. States called the wild crab apple; the leaf is also precisely the same as is also the bark in texture and colour. the berrys grow in clumps at the end of the small branches; each berry supported by a seperate stem, and as many as from 3 to 18 or 20 in a clump. the berry is ovate with one of it's extremities attatched to the peduncle, where it is in a small degre concave like the insertion of the stem of the crab apple. I know not whether this fruit can properly be denominated a berry, it is a pulpy pericarp, the outer coat of which is in a thin smoth, tho' firm tough pillecle; the pericarp containing a membranous capsule with from three to four cells, each containing a seperate single seed in form and colour like that of the wild crab. The wood of this tree is excessively hard when seasoned. the natives make great uce of it to form their wedges with which they split their boards of pine for the purpose of building houses. these wedges they also employ in spliting their fire-wood and in hollowing out their canoes. I have seen the natives drive the wedges of this wood into solid dry pine which it cleft without fracturing or injuring the wedge in the smallest degree. we have also found this wood usefull to us for ax handles as well as glutts [4] or wedges. the native also have wedges made of the beams of the Elk's horns which appear to answer extremely well. this fruit is exceedingly assid, and resembles the flavor of the wild crab.
Drewyer and Baptiest Lapage Set out this morning on a hunting excurtion. about noon Howard & Werner returned with a Supply of Salt; the badness of the weather and the dificuelty of the road had detained them. they informed us that the Salt makers are Still much Stragened for provisions 〈that〉 haveing killed two deer only in the last Six days; and that there are no Elk in their neighbourhood.
The party that was Sent up the Netul river for the Elk returned this evening with three of them only; The Elk had been killed just before the Snow fell which had Covered them and So altered the apparant face of the Countrey that the hunters Could not find them. The River on which Fort Clat Sop Stands we now call Netul, this being the name by which the Clatsops Call it.
The Cranberry of this neighbourhood is precisely the Same Common to the united States, and is the production of boggy or mashey grounds.—. [5]
The light-brown berry, is the fruit of a tree, about the Size Shape and appearance in every respect with that in the united States called the wild Crab apple; the leaf is also presisely the Same as is also the bark in textue and colour. the berry grows in Clumps at the ends of the Smaller branches; each berry Supported by a Stem, and as maney as from 3 to 18 or 20 in a Clump. the berry is oval with one of its extremitis attatched to the peduncle, where it is in a Small degree Concave like the insersion of the Stem of the Crab apple. I know not whether this fruit Can properly be denomonated a berry, it is a pulpy pericarp, the outer coat of which is a thin Smothe, capsule with from three to four Cells, each containing a Seperate Single Seed in form and Colour like that of the wild Crap apple The wood of this tree is excessively hard when Seasoned. The nativs make great use of it to form their wedges of which they Split their boards of Pine for the purpose of building houses. those wedges they employ in common with those formed of the Elks horn, in Splitting their fire wood and in hollowing out their Canoes. I have Seen the nativs drive the wedges of this wood into a solid dry pine which it cleft without fractureing injuring the wedge in the Smallest degree. we have also found this wood usefull to us for ax handles, as well as glutt or wedges. The bark of this tree is chewed by our party in place of tobacco.
The fruit is exceedingly ascid and resembles the flavor of the wild Crab.
Tuesday 28th Jany. 1806. a clear cold morning, and freezeing hard. 14 of the party [6] Set out eairly to go after the meat. the hunters could not find but 3 Elk in the thickets So we took them and returnd to the fort. 2 men [7] came from the Salt Camps had killed a large otter—
Tuesday 28th. A clear cold morning, and the weather continued cold all day. About half of our men [8] were employed in bringing home meat; and it was found a very cold uncomfortable business. The two men [9] who lately went to the salt works returned with a small supply.
Tuesday Janry 28th A Clear cold morning, & freezing weather. I was sent with 13 Men [10] of our party in Order to go after the Meat of the Elk killed Yesterday. We set out from the fort early, and arrived where they had left those Elk. The hunters that had killed these Elk were with me. We could find only three of them, the Snow having covered them. We returned with the Meat of these 3 Elks in the Evening to the fort. The 2 Men [11] that had went, to where the Men were making Salt, & had been gone for several days, returned also to the fort & brought some Salt with them. I got during this day my feet severely frost bit.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
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