Friday February 7th 1806. This evening Sergt. Ordway and Wiser returned with a part of the meat which R. Fields had killed; the ballance of the party with Sergt. Gass remained in order to bring the ballance of the meat to the river at a point agreed on where the canoe is to meet them again tomorrow morning. This evening we had what I call an excellent supper it consisted of a marrowbone a piece and a brisket of boiled Elk that had the appearance of a little fat on it. this for Fort Clatsop is living in high stile. In this neighbourhood I observe the honeysuckle common in our country I first met with it on the waters of the Kooskooske near the Chopunnish nation, and again below the grand rappids In the Columbian Valley on tidewater. The Elder also common to our country grows in great abundance in the rich woodlands on this side of the rocky Mountains; tho it differs Here in the colour of it's berry, this being of a pale sky blue while that of the U States is a deep perple. The seven bark or nine-bark as it is called in the U States is also common in this quarter. There is a species of huckleberry common to the piny lands from the commencement of the Columbian valley to the seacoast; it rises to the hight of 6 or 8 feet. is a simple branching some what defuse stem; the main body or trunk is cilindric and of a dark brown, while the colateral branches are green smooth, squar, and put forth a number of alternate branches of the same colour and form from the two horizontal sides only. the fruit is a small deep perple berry which the natives inform us is very good. the leaf is thin of a pale green and small being 3/4 of an inch in length and 3/8 in width; oval terminateing more accutely at the apex than near the insertion of the footstalk which is at the base; veined, nearly entire, serrate but so slightly so that it is scarcely perceptible; footstalk short and there position with rispect to each other is alternate and two ranked, proceeding from the horizontal sides of the bough only. The small pox has distroyed a great number of the natives in this quarter. it prevailed about 4 years since among the Clatsops and distroy several hundred of them, four of their chiefs fell victyms to it's ravages. those Clatsops are deposited in their canoes on the bay a few miles below us. I think the late ravages of the small pox may well account for the number of remains of vilages which we find deserted on the river and Sea coast in this quarter.
[Clark, February 7, 1806]
Friday February 7th 1806 This evening Serjt Ordway and wiser returned with a part of the meat which R. Field had killed; the balance of the Party with Serjt. Gass remained in order to bring the ballance of the meat to the river at a point agreeed on, where the Canoe is to meet them again tomorrow morning. This evening we had what I call an excellent supper it consisted of a marrowbone, a piece of brisket of boiled Elk that had the appearance of a little fat on it. this for Fort Clatsop is liveing in high Stile, and in fact fiesting-.
In this neighbourhood I observe the honeysuckle common in the U States, I first met with it on the waters of the Kooskooske near the Chopunnish Nation, and again below the grand rapids in the Columbian Vally on tide water. The Elder also common to our Countrey grows in great abundance in the rich wood land on this Side of the rocky mountains, tho it differs here in the Colour of its berry, this being of a pale Sky blue while that of the U, States is a deep purple. The Seven or nine bark as it is called in the U, States is also Common in this quarter. There is a Species of huckkleberry Common to the piney lands from the Commencement of the Columbian Vally to the Sea coast; it rises to the hight of 6 or 8 feet, is a Simple branching, Somewhat defused Stem; the main body or trunk is cilindric branches are green Smothe squar, and put foth a number of alternet branches of the Same Colour and form from the two horizontal Sides only. the frute is a small deep purple berry which the nativs inform us is very good, the leaf is thin of a pale green and Small being 3/4 of an inch in length and 3/8 in width; oval terminateing more accoutely at the apax, than near the insersion of the footstalk which is at the base vened nearly entire; footstalks Short and their position in respect to each other is alternate and too ranked, proceeding from the horizontal Side of the bough only.
The Small Pox had distroyed a great number of the nativs in this quarter. it provailed about 4 or 5 yrs Sinc among the Clatsops, and distroy'd Several hundreds of them, four of their Chiefs fell a victym to it's ravages. these Clatsops are Deposited in their Canoes on the bay a fiew miles below us. I think the late ravages of the Small Pox, may well account for the number of remains of villages which I Saw on my rout to the Kil a mox in Several places-.
[Lewis, February 8, 1806]
Saturday February 8th 1806. Sent Sergt. Ordway and two men this morning to join the party with Sergt. Gass and bring the ballance of R. Fields's Elk. in the evening they returned with the balance of the flesh of five Elk, that of one of them having become tainted and unfit for uce. late in the evening Sergt. Pryor returned with Shannon Labuish and his party down the Netul. they brought with them the flesh of 4 Elk which those two hunters had killed. we have both dined and suped on Elk's tongues and marrow bones.
I have discovered that the shrub and fruit discribed on the 26th of January is not that which the Indians call the Shal-lon, but that is such as is there discribed, and the berry is estemed and used by the natives as there mentioned except that it is not like the shallon, baked in large loaves, but is simply dryed in the sun for winter uce, when they either eat them in thir dryed state or boil them in water. The Shallon is the production of a shrub which I have heretofore taken to be a speceis of loral and mentioned as abounding in this neighbourhood and that the Elk fed much on it's leaves. it generally rises to the hight of 3 feet but not unusually attains to that of 5 feet. it grows very thick and is from the size of a goos quill to that of a man's thumb, celindric, the bark of the older or larger part of the stock is of a redish brown colour while that of the younger branches and succulent shoots are red where most exposed to the sun and green elsewhere. the stem is simple branching reclining, and partially fluxouse, or at least the smaler stocks or such parts of them and the boughs as produce the leaves, take a different direction at the insertion of every petiole. the leaf is oval four & 3/4 inches in length and 21/2 in width. petiolate, the petiole short only 3/8th of an inch in length, celindric with a slight channel on it's upper side where it is generally red; undivided or entire, slightly serrate, the apex termineating in an accute point; the upper disk of a glossey deep green, the under disk of a pale green; veined. the leaves are also alternate and two ranked. the root is horizontal puting forth perpendicular radicles. this shrub is an evergreen. the fruit is a deep perple berry about the size of a buck short or common black cherry, of an ovate form tho reather more bluntly pointed, than at the insertion of the peduncle; at the extremity, the thin coloured membranous pellicle, which forms the surface of the pericarp, is divided into five accute angular points, which meet in the center, and contains a soft pulp of the same colour invelloping a great number of small brown kidney formed seeds. each berry is supported by a seperate celindric peduncle of half an inch in length; these to the number of ten or twelve issue from a common peduncle or footstalk which is fuxouse and forms the termination of the twig of the present years growth; each peduncle supporting a berry is furnished with one oblong bracte placed at it's insertion on the common footstalk which when the fruit is ripe withers with the peduncle.