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The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates December 11, 1805 - December
16, 1805
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: December 11, 1805 - December 16, 1805
December
11, 1805
Wednesday, 11. The rain continued last night and the
whole of this day. We were, however, all employed in
putting up our winter cabins, which we are anxious to
finish, as several of the men are beginning to suffer
from the excessive dampness: four of them have very
violent colds, one has a dysentery, a third has tumours
on his legs, and two have been injured by dislocation
and straining of their limbs.
December
12, 1805
Thursday,
12. We continued to work in the rain at our houses.
In the evening there arrived two canoes of Clatsops,
among whom was a principal chief, called Comowol. We
gave him a medal, and treated his companions with great
attention; after which we began to bargain for a small
sea-otter skin, some wappatoo roots, and another species
of root called shanataque. We readily perceived that
they were close dealers, stickled much for trifles,
and never closed the bargain until they thought they
had the advantage. The wappatoo is dear, as they themselves
are obliged to give a high price for it to the Indians
above. Blue beads are the articles most in request,
the white occupy the next place in their estimation;
but they do not value much those of any other color.
We succeeded at last in purchasing their whole cargo
for a few fish-hooks and a small sack of Indian tobacco,
which we had received from the Shoshones. The next morning,
December
13, 1805
Friday, 13th,
we treated them to a breakfast on elk meat, of which
they seemed very fond, and having purchased from them
two skins of the lucervia, and two robes made of the
skin of an animal about the size of a cat, they left
us. Two hunters returned with the pleasing intelligence
of their having killed eighteen elk about six miles
off. Our huts begin to rise, for though it rains all
day we continue our labors, and are rejoiced to find
that the beautiful balsam pine splits into excellent
boards, more than two feet in width. In the evening
three Indians came in a canoe with provisions and skins
for sale, and spent the night with us.
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