Clark: February 1, 1806
Saturday February 1st 1806 This morning a party of four men Set out with
Jo. Field; and Sergt. Gass with a party of five men again Set out up the
Netul river in Serch of the Elk which had been killed Some days since, and
which Could not be found in Consequence of the Snow.
The Canoes of the nativs inhabitting the lower part of the Columbia River
from the Long narrows down make their canoes remarkably neat light and
well addapted for rideing high waves. I have Seen the nativs near the
Coast rideing waves in these Canoes in Safty and appearantly without
Concern when I Should it impossible for any vessel of the Same Size to
have lived or kept above water a minute. they are built of Arborvitia or
white Cedar generally, but Sometimes of fir. they are cut out of a solid
Stick of timber, the gunnals at the upper edge fold over outwards and are
about 5/8 of an inch thick and 4 or 5 broad, and Stand out nearly
Horizontially forming a kind of rim to the Canoe to prevent the water
beating into it. they are all furnished with more or less Cross bars
agreeably to thier sizes of the Canoe, those bars are round Sticks about 1
inch and 1/2 diameter which are atached to the iner Side of the canoes a
little below the rim on either Side with throngs of Cedar bark which is
incerted through holes and made fast to the ends of the Stick, which is
made Smaller than the other part of the Stick to prevent the cord Slipping
off these cross bears Serve to Strengthen the canoe, and by which they
lift and manage her on land. when the nativs land they invariably take
their Canoes on Shore unless they are heavily ladined, and then even, if
they remain all night, they discharge their loads and take the Canoe on
Shore.
Some of the large Canoes are upwards of 50 feet long and will Carry from 8
to 12 thousand lbs. or from 20 to 30 persons, and Some of them
particularly on the Sea Coast are waxed painted and ornimented with
curious images on bow and Stern; those images sometimes rise to the hight
of five feet; the pedestile on which these images are fixed, are Sometimes
cut out of the Solid Stick with the Canoe, and the image is formed of
Seperate pieces of timber firmly united with tenants and mortices without
the appearance of a Single Spike or nail of any kind. when the nativs are
engaged in navigateing their Canoes, one Sets in the Stern and Stears with
a paddle the others Set by pars and paddle over their gunnals next them,
they all kneel in the bottom of the Canoe and Set on their feet. their
paddles are of an uniform shape which this is an imitation those paddles
are made verry thin and the middle of the blade is thick and hollowed out
Suddenly, and made thin on the Sides, the center forming a kind of ridge.
the handle occupies about 1/8 of the length of the paddle which is usually
4 to 41/2 feet in length. I have observed five forms of Canoes only in use
among the nativs below the Grand Cataract of this river. they areas
follows. this is the Smallest Size about 15 feet long, 12 and Calculated
for one two men mearly to cross creeks, take over Short portages to
navagate the ponds and Still water, and is mostly in use amongst the
Clatsops and Chinnooks. this is the next Smallest and from 16 to 20 feet
long and calculated for two or 3 persons and are most common among the
Wau-ki-a-cums and Cath-lah-mahs among the marshey Islands, near their
villages. A the bow; B the Stern; those are from 20 to 40 feet in length
and from 21/2 to 31/2 feet in the beam and about 2 feet deep; this Canoe
is common to all the nations below the grand Rapids it here made deeper
and Shorter in pertotion than the Canoe realy is, the bow sprit from C. to
D. is brought to a Sharp edge tapering gradually from the Sides. This is
the most common form of the Canoes in use among the indians from the
Chil-luck-kit-te quaw inclusive to the ocian and is commonly from about 30
to 35 feet long, and will carry from 10 to 12 persons. 4 men are competent
to carry them a considerable distance Say a mile without resting. A is the
end the nativs use as the bow, but which on first Sight I took to be the
Stern c. d. is a comb cut of the solid wood with the Canoe, and projects
from the Center of the end of the Canoe being about 1 inch thick, it’s
Sides parallel and edge at c, d, Sharp it is from 9 to 11 inches in debth
and extends from the under part of the bow sprit at A to the bottom at,
d,. the Stern B is nearly rounding and gradually assending. 1, 2, 3,
represents the rim of the gunnals about 4 inches wide, reather ascending
as they recede from the Canoe. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, are the holes through which
the String pass to fasten the round pieces which pass Crosswise the Canoe
to Strengthen & lift her. This form of a canoe we did not meet with
untill we reached tide water or below the Great Rapids. from thence down
it is common to all the nations but more particularly the Kil a mox and
others of the Coast. these are the largest Canoes, I measured one at the
Kilamox villag S S W of us which was ____ feet long ____ feet wide and
____ feet deep, and they are most Commonly about that Size. B is the how,
and Comb. C, the stern and Comb. Their images are representations of a
great variety of grotesque figures, any of which might be Safely worshiped
without commiting a breach of the Commandments.
They have but fiew axes among them, and the only tool usially employd in
forming the Canoe, carveing &c is a chissel formed of an old file
about an inch or 11/2 inchs broad, this chissel has Sometimes a large
block of wood for a handle; they grasp the chissel just below the block
with the right hand holding the top of the block, and Strikes backwards
against the wood with the edge of the Chissel. a person would Suppose that
forming a large Canoe with an enstriment like this was the work of Several
years; but those people make them in a fiew weeks. They prize their Canoes
very highly; we have been anxious to obtain Some of them, for our journy
up the river but have not been able to obtain one as yet from the nativs
in this neighbourhood.
To day we opened and examined all our Ammunition, which has been Secured
in leaden Canistirs. we found twenty Sevin of the best Rifle powder, 4 of
Common rifle, 3 of Glaize and one of Musquet powder in good order,
perfectly as dry as when first put in the Canisters, altho the whole of it
from various accidince have been for hours under the water. these
Cannisters Contain 4 pounds of powder each and 8 of Lead. had it not been
for that happy expedient which Capt Lewis devised of Securing the powder
by means of the Lead, we Should have found great dificuelty in keeping dry
powder untill this time-; those Cannisters which had been accidently
brused and cracked, one which was carelessly Stoped, and a fifth which had
been penetrated with a nail; were wet and damaged; those we gave to the
men to Dry; however exclusive of those 5 we have an abundant Stock to last
us back; and we always take Care to put a purpotion of it in each canoe,
to the end that Should one Canoe or more be lost we Should Still not be
entirely bereft of ammunition, which is now our only hope for Subsistance
and defences in the rout of 4,000 miles through a Country exclusively
inhabited by Indians-many bands of which are Savage in every Sense of the
word-.
