“I will make my home in the house where the white chiefs lived,” he declared.
Captain Lewis and Captain Clark and several of the men had long before carved their names into trees, as a record for other white men to see. And there, on a rock, also was “PETER.” During the winter Peter had made great progress in reading and writing. However, something more official and explanatory than only inscriptions on trees was needed, that the trading ships which came in might know and might carry the news to the world. Therefore the captains wrote out statements containing the names of the party and maps of the country explored. The notices said:
The object of this list is, that through the medium of some civilized person, who may see the same, it may be made known to the world that the party consisting of the persons whose names are hereunto affixed, and who were sent out by the government of the United States to explore the interior of the continent of North America, did penetrate the same by the way of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers, to the discharge of the latter into the Pacific Ocean, where they arrived on the 14th day of November, 1805, and departed the 23rd day of March, 1806, on their return to the United States, by the same route by which they had come out.
One copy was pasted up on a smooth post in the headquarters cabin. Other copies were given to the Clatsops and the Chinooks, who promised to hand them to white traders.
“Sure, we’ll beat the news home,” asserted Sergeant Pat. “For the ships’ll be a long time makin’ it, by Chiny an’ the inds o’ the world, while it’s straight across we go.”
And this proved truth. Had the captains only known, at the very time the notices were being written, the American trading brig Lydia, of Boston, Captain Hill, was cruising along the coast, and in the first week of April anchored in the mouth of the Columbia. But the other Americans had been gone two weeks, and Chief Coboway was ruler of Fort Clatsop. So Captain Hill took one of the statements, carried it to China with him, and delivered it at Boston not until May, 1807.
At 1 o’clock of March 23, this 1806, Fort Clatsop was abandoned; out into the little river that flowed past it the five canoes glided, and headed down for the Columbia—thence eastward which was homeward!
The men swung their hats, of tattered felt, of furs, and of Chinook weave from grass and bark; and cheered.
“De nex’ winter we spen’ in de United States,” rejoiced Cruzatte. “I play my feedle at Cahokia an’ make de pleasure dere.”