The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Clark, April 5, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Clark, April 5, 1806

Saturday April 5th 1806. This morning was So Cloudy that we could not obtain any lunar observations with a Aquila as we wished.

Joseph Field & Drewrey left us this morning agreeably to their orders of last evening. at the Same time we Sent Sergt. Ordway and five men to assist Sergt. Pryor in bringing in the meat of four Elk which he had dried in the woods. at 1 p.m.the party returned with the meat. it was not Sufficiently dryed to keep. we had it cut thiner and redryed over a fire this evening, as we purpose Setting out early in the morning. the dear skins which we had cased for the purpose of holding our dried meat is not Sufficently dry for that purpose, we derected them to be dried by the fire also. the weather being So damp that there was no possibullity of pounding the meat as I wished.- We were visited by Several parties of the nativs to day; they behaved themselves in a very orderly manner.

Saw the Log cock, the humming bird, Geese, Ducks &c. to day. the tick has made it's appearance it is the Same with those of the Atlantic States. the Musquetors have also appeared, but are not yet much troublesom.- this morning at 10 A M Sergt. Gass returned with Collins and Windser they had not Succeeded in killing the female bear, tho they brought the three cub's with them. the Indians who visited us to day fancied those Petts and gave us wappato in exchange for them. Fir and White Cedar is the common growth of the up lands, as is the Cotton wood, ash, large leafed Ash and Sweet Willow that of the bottom lands. The Huckleberry, shallon, and the Several evergreen Shrubs, of that Speces that bears berries have Seased to appear, except that Species which has the leaf with a prickley Margin. among the plants of this prarie in which we are encamped I observe the pashequo, Shannetahque, and Compound firn, the root of which the nativs eate; also the water cress, Straw berry flowering pea not yet in blume, narrow dock, and rush which are luxuriant and abundent in the river bottoms. the large leafed thorn has also disappeard. The red flowering Current is found here in considerable quantities on the upland, and the Common Dog wood is found on either Side of the river in this neighbourhood and above Multnomah river. The Country on either Side is fertile, the bottom on the South Side is wide and inter sperced with Small ponds in which the nativs gather their Wappato. back of this bottom the Country rises to about 200 feet and the Soil is very rich as that also above q Sandy river quite to the Mountains. the Country on the N. Side from a fiew Miles above this place as low down as the enterance of Cah-wah-na-ki-ooks River rises to the hight generally of 150 or 200 feet is tolerably leavel, thickly timbered with Fir and White Cedar. the Soil of the richest quallity. Some Small Praries on the bank of the river. That portion of Country below as low down as the enterance of Cah-wah na ki ooks River is a broken rich Country. the hills are high, the bottom lands as before mentioned and fertile &c.-The Country a fiew miles up the Multnomah River rises from the river bottoms to the hight of from 2 to 300 feet and is rich & fertile. Some Plains can be Seen to the N. E. of our Camp of 10 or 12 miles in Secumference The Hunters & Serjt Pryor informed us that they had Measured a tree on the upper Side of quick Sand River 312 feet long and about 4 feet through at the Stump.