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The Silver Fox this animale is very rare even in the Countrey where it exists, I have never Seen more than the Skins of this Animal and those were in the possession of the nativs of the woody Country below the Great falls of the Columbia, from which I think it is most probably they are the inhabitants of the woody country exclusively. from the Skins, it appeard to be about the Size of the large red Fox of the plains and much of its form with a large tail. the legs I think somewhat longer it has a fine long deep fur poil. the poil is of a dark lead colour and the long hairs intermixed with it, are either white or black at the lower part, and white at top, the whole mixture forming a butifull Silver Grey.
The flounder is also an enhabitent of the Salt water. we have Seen them also on the beach where they had been left by the tide. the nativs eate the latter and esteem it very fine. these Several Species are the Same of those of the atlantic Coasts.
They also precure a roabe from the nativs above, which is made of the Skins of a Small animal about the Size of a Cat, which is light and dureable and highly prized by those people- the greater numbers of the men of the Chinnooks have Guns and powder and Ball- The Men are low homely and badly made, Small Crooked legs large feet, and all of both Sects have flattened heads- The food of this nation is principally fish & roots the fish they precure from the river by the means of nets and gigs, and the Salmon which run up the Small branches together with what they collect drifted up on the Shores of the Sea coast near to where they live
I left the Articles of Merchendize &c. with Drewyer, Werner, Shannon & Goodrich untill the morning at the bason we Cut up two of our Canoes for fire wood verry much to the Sagreen of the nativs not with standing they would give us nothing for them. In my absence Several Inds. visited Capt.
I accomplished this necessary business and landed Safe with all the Canoes at our Camp below the falls by 3 oClock P.M. nearly covered with flees which were So thick amongst the Straw and fish Skins at the upper part of the portage at which place the nativs had been Camped not long Since; that every man of the party was obliged to Strip naked dureing the time of takeing over the canoes, that they might have an oppertunity of brushing the flees of their legs and bodies- Great numbers of Sea Otters in the river below the falls, I Shot one in the narrow chanel to day which I could not get.
Side, passed a village on each Side and Camped near a house on the Stard. Side we proceeded on untill one hour after dark with a view to get clear of the nativs who was constantly about us, and troublesom, finding that we could not get Shut of those people for one night, we landed and Encamped on the Stard. Side Soon after 2 canoes Came to us loaded with Indians, we purchased a fiew roots of them.
Goodrich went to the 2d village to purchase roots a fiew of which he precured. he informed us that only 8 persons remained in the Village. the men were either hunting on Lewis's river fishing, & the women out digging roots. he saw Several fresh Salmon which the nativs informed him Came from Lewis's river and were fat and fine. one of our men purchased a Bear Skin of the nativs which was nearly of a Cream Coloured white. this Skin which was the Skin of an animal of the middle Size of bears together with the defferent Sizes colours &c. of those which have been killed by our hunters give me a Stronger evidence of the various Coloured bear of this country being one Species only, than any I have heretofore had. the poil of these bear were infinately longer finer & thicker than the black bear their tallons also longer & more blunt as worn by digging roots. the white redish brown and bey Coloured bear I saw together on the Missouri; the bey & Grizly have been Seen and killed together here. for these were the Colours of those which Collins killed on the 14th inst. in short it is not common to find two bear here of this Species presisely of the same colour, and if we were to attempt to distinguish them by their colours and to denomonate each colour a distinct Species we Should Soon find at least twenty. the most Strikeing difference between this Species of bear and the Common black bear are that the former are large and have longer tallens, hair, and tushes, prey more on other animals, do not lie so long or so closely in winter quarters, and will not Climb a tree, tho ever so hardly pursued. the varigated bear I believe to be the Same here with those of the Missouri but these are not so ferocious as those on the Missouri perhaps from the Circumstance of their being compeled from the scercity of game in this quarter to live more on roots and of course not so much in the habit of Seizing and debowering liveing animals. the bear here is far from being as passive as the common black bear, they have atacked and fought our hunters already but not so feircely as those of the Missouri.
Drewyer returned down the river in the evening & informed us that the nativs had Sceared all the Elk from the river above. Joseph & reuben Fields had proceeded on further up the river in the canoe, he expected to the village.
The nativs are extravigantly fond of the most Common Cheap Blue and white beeds, of moderate Size, or Such that from 50 to 70 will way one pennyweight, the blue is usially prefured to the white; those beeds Constitute the principal Circulating medium with all the Indian tribes on this river; for those beeds they will dispose of any article they possess-. the beeds are Strung on Straps of a fathom in length & in that manner Sold by the breth or yard-.
States by Sea, particularly as we Shall be necessarily devided into two or three parties on our return in order to accomplish the Object we have in View; and at any rate we Shall reach the U, States in all humain probabillity much earlier than a man Could who must in the event of his being left here depend for his passage to the U, State on the traders of the Coast, who may not return imediately to the U, States. or if they should, might probably Spend the next Summer in tradeing with the nativs before they would Set out on their return.
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