United States or French Polynesia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The morning being disagreeably cold we remained and took break-fast. at 7 A.M. we set out and continued our rout along the South Coast of the river against the wind and a strong current, our progress was of course but slow. at noon we halted and dined. here some Clatsops came to us in a canoe loaded with dryed anchovies, which they call Olthen, Wappetoe and Sturgeon. they informed us that they had been up on a trading voyage to the Skillutes. I observe that the green bryer which I have previously mentioned as being common on this river below tide water retains it's leaves all winter. the red willow and seven bark begin to put fourth their leaves. after dinner we passed the river to a large Island 2 and continued our rout allong the side of the same about a mile when we arrived at a Cathlahmah fishing cam of one lodge; here we found 3 men 2 women and a couple of boys, who from appearances had remained here some time for the purpose of taking sturgeon, which they do by trolling. they had ten or douzen very fine sturgeon which had not been long taken. we offered to purchase some of their fish but they asked us such an extravegant price that we declined purchase. one of the men purchased a sea Otterskin at this lodge, for which he gave a dressed Elkskin and an handkercheif. near this lodge we met some Cathlahmahs who had been up the river on a fishing excurtion. they had a good stock of fish on board, but did not seem disposed to sell them. we remained at this place about half an hour and then continued our rout up the Island to it's head and passed to the south side. the wind in the evening was very hard. it was with some difficulty that we could find a spot proper for an encampment, the shore being a swamp for several miles back; at length late in the evening opposite to the place we had encamped on the 6th of November last; we found the entrance of a small creek which afforded us a safe harbour from the wind and encamped. the ground was low and moist tho we obtained a tolerable encampment. here we found another party of Cathlahmahs about 10 in number who had established a temperary residence for the purpose of fishing and taking seal. they had taken a fine parcel of sturgeon and some seal. they gave us some of the fleese of the seal which I found a great improvement to the poor Elk. here we found Drewyer and the Feildses who had been seperated from us since morning; they had passed on the North side of the large Island which was much nearer. the bottom lands are covered with cottonwood, the growth with a broad leaf which resembles ash except the leaf. the underbrush red willow, broad leafed willow, sevenbark, goosburry, green bryer & the larged leafed thorn; the latter is now in bloom; the natives inform us that it bears a freut about an inch in diameter which is good to eat.
This morning we arrose early and had our horses collected except one of Cruzatt's and one of Whitehouse's, which were not to be found; after a surch of some hours Cruzatt's horse was obtained and the indians promised to find the other and bring it to us at the quawmash flatts where we purpose encamping a few days. at 11 A.M. we set out with the party each man being well mounted and a light load on a second horse, beside which we have several supenemary horses in case of accedent or the want of provision, we therefore feel ourselves perfectly equiped for the mountains. we ascended the river hills which are very high and about three miles in extent our sourse being N. 22° E. thence N. 15 W. 2 m to Collins's creek . thence due North 5 m. to the Eastern border of the quawmash flatts where we encamped near the place we first met with the Chopunnish last fall. the pass of Collins's Creek was deep and extreemly difficult tho we passed without sustaining further injury than weting some of our roots and bread. the country through which we passed is extreemly fertile and generally free of stone, is well timbered with several speceis of fir, long leafed pine and larch. the undergrowth is chooke cherry near the water courses, black alder, a large speceis of redroot now in blume, a growth which resembles the pappaw in it's leaf and which bears a burry with five valves of a deep perple colour, two speceis of shoemate sevenbark, perple haw, service berry, goosburry, a wild rose honeysuckle which bears a white berry, and a species of dwarf pine which grows about ten or twelve feet high. bears a globular formed cone with small scales, the leaves are about the length and much the appearance of the common pitch pine having it's leaves in fassicles of two; in other rispects they would at a little distance be taken for the young plants of the long leafed pine. there are two speceis of the wild rose both quinqui petallous and of a damask red but the one is as large as the common red rose of our gardens.
Word Of The Day