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"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 informed world,
that the party consisting of the persons whose names are hereunto annexed,
And who were sent out by the government of the U'States in May,
1804, to explore the interior of the Continent of North America,
did penetrate the same by way of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers,
to the discharge of the latter into the Pacific Ocean, where they
arrived on the 14th of November, 1805, and from whence they departed
the 23d day of March, 1806, on their return to the United States
by the same rout they had come out."
Curiously enough, one of these papers did finally reach the
United States. During the summer of 1806, the brig "Lydia," Captain Hill,
entered the Columbia for the purpose of trading with the natives.
From one of these Captain Hill secured the paper, which he took
to Canton, China, in January, 1807. Thence it was sent to a gentleman
in Philadelphia, having travelled nearly all the way round the world.
Fort Clatsop, as they called the rude collection of huts in which they
had burrowed all winter, with its rude furniture and shelters, was formally
given to Comowool, the Clatsop chief who had been so kind to the party.
Doubtless the crafty savage had had his eye on this establishment,
knowing that it was to be abandoned in the spring.
The voyagers left Fort Clatsop about one o'clock in the day, and,
after making sixteen miles up the river, camped for the night.
Next day, they reached an Indian village where they purchased "some
wappatoo and a dog for the invalids." They still had several men
on the sick list in consequence of the hard fare of the winter.
The weather was cold and wet, and wood for fuel was difficult to obtain.
In a few days they found themselves among their old friends,
the Skilloots, who had lately been at war with the Chinooks. There was
no direct intercourse between the two nations as yet, but the Chinooks
traded with the Clatsops and Wahkiacums, and these in turn traded
with the Skilloots, and in this way the two hostile tribes exchanged
the articles which they had for those which they desired.
The journal has this to say about the game of an island on which
the explorers tarried for a day or two, in order to dry their goods
and mend their canoes: -
"This island, which has received from the Indians the appropriate
name of Elalah [Elallah], or Deer Island, is surrounded on the
water-side by an abundant growth of cottonwood, ash, and willow,
while the interior consists chiefly of prairies interspersed
with ponds. These afford refuge to great numbers of geese,
ducks, large swan, sandhill cranes, a few canvas-backed ducks,
and particularly the duckinmallard, the most abundant of all.
There are also great numbers of snakes resembling our
garter-snakes in appearance, and like them not poisonous.
Our hunters brought in three deer, a goose, some ducks, an eagle,
and a tiger-cat.
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