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Willard & Wiser have not yet returned nor have a party of hunters who Set out on the 26th ulto the Indians who visited us yesterday left us at 1 P. M to day after haveing disposed of their roots and berries for a fiew fishing hooks and Some other Small articles. we are infestd. with Sworms of flees already in our new habatations; the presumption is therefore Strong that we Shall not devest our Selves of this intolerably troublesom vermin dureing our residence here.
I was informed of it Several times by the men J. Fields particularly before I paid any attention to it, thinking it was thunder most probably which they had mistaken. at length walking in the plains yesterday near the most extreem S. E. bend of the River above the falls I heard this nois very distinctly, it was perfectly calm clear and not a Cloud to be Seen, I halted and listened attentively about two hour dureing which time I heard two other discharges, and took the direction of the Sound with my pocket Compass which was as nearly West from me as I could estimate from the Sound.
Messes of men under a Serjiant who is to detail for every day one man of his Squad to Cook &c. who Shall have the management of the provisions dureing that day or issue, each Days rations must be divided &c. &c Order of encampment, Tents, fires & Duty
The Duckinmallard are the Same here with those of the U, States. they are abundant and are found on every part of the river below the mountains. they remain here all winter, but I believe they do not remain all winter above tide water. a butifull Duck and one of the most delicious in the world is found in Considerable quantities in this neighbourhood dureing the Autumn and winter. this is the Same as that known in the Dilliwar, Susquehannah and Potomac by the name of the Canvisback and James River by that of Shell-Drake; in the latter river I am informed that they have latterly almost entirely disapeared. the epicures of those parts of the Union where those Ducks abound nothing need be added in prais of the exquisit flavor of this duck.
There is a third Species of Brant in the neighbourhood of this place which is about the Size and much the form of the bided brant. they weigh about 81/2 lbs. the wings are not as long nor So pointed as the Common pided brant. the following is a likeness of its head and beak. a little distance arround the base of the beak is white and is Suddenly Succeeded by a narrow line of dark brown. the ballance of the neck, head, back, wings and tail all except the tips of the feathers are of the blueish brown of the Common wild goose, the breast and belly are white with an irregular mixture of black feathers which give that part a pided appearance. from the legs back underneath the tail, and around the junction of the Same with the body above, the feathers are white. the tail is composed of 18 feathers; the longest of which are in the center and measure 6 inches with the barrel of the quill; those on the Side of the tail are Something Shorter and bend with their extremities inwards towards the center of the tail. the extremities of these feathers are white. the beak is of a light flesh colour. the legs and feet which do not differ in Structure from those of the Goose or brant of the other Species, are of an orrange yellow Colour. the eye is Small; the iris is of a dark yellowish brown, and puple black. the note of this brant is much that of the common pided brant from which in fact they are not to be distinguished at a distance, but they Certainly are a distinct Species of brant. the flesh of this fowl is as good as that of the Common pided brant. they do not remain here dureing the winter in Such numbers as the white brant do, tho they have now returned in Considerable quantities. we first met with this brant on tide water.
The rain Continued at intervales all day. in the evening after everry thing was taken from the lower Camp I Set out myself accompanied by the Cheif of the Clah-clal lars to the head of the portage. as we passed the remains of an old Village about half way the portage, this Cheif informed me that this old Village had been the residence of his Tribe dureing the last Salmon Season. this village I mentiond in decending this river, but did not know the Tribes that had inhabited it that time.
Sometime after we had encamped three young men arrived from the Wallah wallah Village bringing with them a Steel trap belonging to one of our party which had been negligently left behind; this is an act of integrity rearly witnessed among Indians. dureing our Stay with them they Several times found the knives of the men which had been Carefully lossed by them and returned them.
The Brown or pieded brant are nearly the Size and much the Same form of the white brante only that their wings are considerably longer and more pointed. the plumage of the upper part of the body, neck, head and tail is much the Colour of the Common or Canadian Goose but rather darker in consequence of Some dark brown feathers which are distributed and irregularly scattered throughout. they have not the white on the neck and Sides of the head as the goose has nor is the neck darker than the body. like the goose there are Some white feathers on the rump at the junction of the tail. the beak, legs and feet are dark, with a greenish cast; the breast and belly are of a lighter colour than the back and is also intermixed, irregularly, with dark brown and black feathers which gives it a pieded appearance. the flesh of this bird is dark, and in my estimation reather better than that of the goose. the habits of this bird is nearly the same with the goose and white brant, with this difference that they do not remain in this Climate in Such numbers dureing the winter as the others.
Pryor & Gass, Jo Fields & Gibson, others to Collect rosin, at 1 oClock She was finished Stronger than ever The wet articles not Sufficiently dried to pack up obliged us to delay another night dureing the time one man was tradeing for fish for our voyage, at Dark we were informed that our old guide & his Son had left us and had been Seen running up the river Several miles above, we Could not account for the Cause of his leaveing us at this time, without receiving his pay for the Services he had rendered us, or letting us know anything of his intention.
Sent to the huts and purchased a dog & Some wood. dureing the time the party was takeing diner we purchased one horse. after we proceeded on up the river about 4 miles to a village of 7 mat Lodges. here our Chopunnish guide informed me that the next villg. was at Some distance and that we Could not get to it to night, and that there was no wood to be precured on this Side. a man offered to Sell us a horse for a Canoe. just at the moment we discovered one of our Canoes on the opposit Side. we concluded to Camp here all night with the expectation of precureing some horses.
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