Fort Clatsop

March 1, 1806

" This morning Sergt. Gass and a party set out in quest of the Elk which had been killed by the hunters the day before yesterday.  they returned with the flesh of three of them late in the evening.  Thompson was left with the hunters* in order to jurk and take care of the flesh of the remaining two.  Kuskalar left us about noon.  The boy which this Indian offered to sell me is about 10 years of age.  this boy had been taken prisoner by the Kil a mox from some Nation on the Coast to the S . East of them at a great distance.  like other Indian nations they adopt their Slaves in their families and treat them very much like their own children. "

hunters* - Shields Joseph Field, and Shannon


March 2, 1806

"The diet of the sick is so inferior that they recover their strength but slowly.  none of them are now sick but all in s state of convalessence with keen appetities and nothing to eat except lean Elk meat.  late this evening Drewyer arrived with a most acceptable supply of fat Sturgeon, fresh anchovies*, and a bag containing about a bushel of Wappetoe.  we feasted."

anchovies* - This is the candlefish or eulachon, second only to the salmon in the economy of the Northwest Indians.

March 3, 1806

"Two of our perogues have been lately injured very much in consequence of the tide leaving them partially on shore.  they split by this means with their own weight.  we had them drawn out on shore.  our convalessents are slowly on the recovery.  no movement of the party today worthy of notice.  every thing moves on in the old way and we are counting the days which seperate us from the 1st of April and which bind us to fort Clatsop -"

March 4, 1806

"Not any occurrence today worthy of notice.  we live sumptuously on our wappetoe and Sturgeon.  the Anchovey is so delicate that they soon become tainted unless pickled or smoked.  the natives run a small stick through their gills and hang them in the smoke of their lodges, or kindle a small fire under them for the purpose of drying them."

March 5, 1806

"This morning we were visited by two parties of Clatsops.  they brought some fish a hats and some skins for sale most of which we purchased.  late in the evening the hunters returned from the kil-haw-a-nack-kle River*  which discharges itself into the head of the bay.  They had neither killed nor seen any Elk.  this is unwelcome information and reather alarming.  we hav only two days of provisions on hand and that nearly Spoiled.  we made a small assortment of Articles to trade with the Indians ...also directed two parties of hunters to renew the chase tomorrow early.   If we find that the Elk have left us, we have determined to assend the river slowly and endeaver to precure Subsistance on the way, Consumeing the month of March in the woody Country, earlyer than april we conceive it a folly to attempt the Open Plains where we know there is no fuel except a fiew small dry shrubs.  we shall not  leave our quarters at Fort Clatsop untill the 1st of April as we intended, unless the want of subsistance compels us to that measure."

kil-haw-a-nack-kle River*   - Youngs River

March 6, 1806

"This morning, the fishing and hunting party's set out agreeably to their instructions given them last evening.  At 11 AM we were visited by Commowoll and two boys Sons of his.  he presented us with some Anchovies which had been well cured in their manner, we found them excellent."

March 7, 1806

" Labuish and Drewyer returned at sunset having killed one Elk only.  they report there are some scattering male Elk in the neighbourhood of the place they killed this one or about 5 miles up the Netul on this side.  Bratton is much worse today, he complains of a violent pain in the small of his back and is unable in consequence to set up.  we gave him one of our flannel shirts, applyed a bandage of flannel to the part and bathed and rubed it well with some vollatile linniment which I prepared with sperits of wine*, camphor, castile soap** and a little landinum." 

sperits of wine* - Alcohol

castile soap**  - Soap made from olive oil and sodium hydroxide

"Among our other difficulties we now experience the want of tobacco, and out of 33 persons composing our party, there are but 7 who do not make use of it; we use crab-tree bark as a substitute." Patrick Gass