There is a tree common to the Columbia river below the entrance of cataract river which in it's appearance when divested of it's foliage, much resembles the white ash; the appearance of the wood and bark is also that of the ash. it's stem is simple branching and diffuse. the leaf is petiolate, plane, scattered, palmate lobate, divided by four deep sinuses; the lobes are repand, or terminate in from 3 to 5 accute angular points, while their margins are indented with irregular and somewhat circular incissures. the petiole is celendric smooth and 7 inches long. the leaf 8 inches in length and 12 in bredth. this tree is frequently 3 feet in diameter and rises to 40 or 50 feet high. the fruit is a winged seed somewhate like the maple. in the same part of the country there is also another growth which resembles the white maple in it's appearance, only that it is by no means so large; seldom being more than from 6 to 9 inches in diamater, and from 15 to 20 feet high; they frequently grow in clusters as if from the same bed of roots spreading and leaning outwards. the twigs are long and slender. the stems simple branching. the bark smooth and in colour resembling that of the white maple. the leaf is petiolate, plane, scattered nearly circular, with it's margin cut with accute angular incissures of an inch in length and from six to 8 in number the accute angular points formed by which incissures are crenate, or cut with small accute angular incissures. or in this form. it is 3 inches in length, and 4 in width. the petiole celindric smooth and one and a 1/4 inches long. the fruit or flower not known.
[Clark, February 10, 1806]
Monday February 10th 1806 Collins and Wiser returned without killing any Elk. Willard arrived late this evening from the Salt Camp, he had cut his knee very badly with his tomahawk. he had killed four Elk not far from the Salt Camp, the day before yesterday, which he had butchered and took a part of the meat to the Camp, but haveing Cut his Knee was unable to be longer Servisable at the works & had returned. he informed us that Bratten was very unwell, and that Gibson was So Sick that he could not Set up or walk alone, and had desired him to ask us to have him brought to the Fort. Colter also returnd. this evening. continue the opperation of dryin our meat.
There is a tree common to the Columbia river below the enterance of Cataract River which in its appearance when divested of its folage, much resembles the white ash; the appearance of the wood and bark is also that of the ash. it's Stem is Simple branching and diffuse. the lief is petiolate, plane, scattered palmate lobate, divided by four deep Sinusus; the lobes are repand or terminate in from 3 to 5 accute angular points, while their margins are indented with irregular and Somewhat Circular incissures. the peteole is Celindric Smoth and 7 inches long. the leaf 8 inches in length and 12 in bredth. this tree is frequently 2 & 3 feet in diamieter, and rises to 50 or 60 feet high-the froot is a winged Seed Somewhat like the maple. In the Same part of the countrey there is also another groth, which resembles the white maple in its appearance, only that it is by no means so large, seldom being more than from 6 to 9 inches in diamieter, and from 20 to 30 feet high; they frequently grow in clusters as if from the same bed or root, Spreading and leaning outwards. the twigs are long and Slender. the Stems simple branching. the bark Smoth and in Colour resembles that of the white maple. the leaf is patiolate, plain, scattered nearly circular, with it's margin cut with accute anglar incissures of an inch in length and from 6 to 8 in number, the accute angular points formed, by which incissures, are crenate, or cut with small angular incissures. or in this form. it is 3 inches in length, and 4 in width. the petiole is cilendric smoth and 11/4 inches long. the froot or flour I have not as yet found out &c.
[Lewis, February 11, 1806]
Tuesday February 11th 1806. This morning Sergt. Gass Reubin Fields and Thompson passed the Netul opposite to us on a hunting expedition. sent Sergt Pryor with a party of four men to bring Gibson to the fort. also sent Colter and Wiser to the Salt works to carry on the business with Joseph Fields; as Bratton had been sick we desired him to return to the Fort also if he thought proper; however in the event of his not coming Wiser was directed to return.
There is a shrub which grows commonly in this neighbourhood which is precisely the same with that in Virginia some times called the quillwood. also another which grows near the water in somewhat moist grounds & rises to the hight of 5 or 6 feet with a large, peteolate spreading plane, crenate and somewhat woolly leaf like the rose raspberry. it is much branched the bark of a redish brown colour and is covered with a number of short hooked thorns which renders it extreemly disagreeable to pass among; it dose not cast it's foliage untill about the 1st of December. this is also the case with the black alder. There is also found in this neighbourhood an evergreen shrub which I take to be another variety of the Shallun and that discribed under that name in mistake on the 26th of January. this shrub rises to the hight of from four to five feet, the stem simple branching, defuse and much branched. the bark is of a redish dark brown, that of the mane stein is somewhat rough while that of the boughs is smooth. the leaves are petiolate the petiole 1/40 of an inch long; oblong, obtuse at the apex and accute angular at the insertion of the petiole; 3/4 of an inch in length and Ysths in width; convex, somewhat revolute, serrate, smoth and of a paler green than the evergreens usually are; they are also opposite and ascending. the fruit is a small deep perple berry like the common huckleberry of a pleasent flavor. they are seperately scattered & attatched to the small boughs by short peduncles.-. the natives eat this berry when ripe but seldom collect it in such quantities as to dry it for winter uce.