Clark: February 25, 1806
Tuesday February 25th 1806 It continued to rain and blow So violently that
there was no movement of the party to day. the Indians left us in the
morning on their return to their village. Willard Somewhat worse the
others are on the recovery. we are mortified at not haveing it in our
power to make more Celestial observations since we have been at Fort
Clatsop, but Such has been the State of the weather that we have found it
utterly impractiable-. I purchased of the Clatsops this morning about half
a bushel of Small fish which they had cought about 40 miles up the
Columbia in their scooping nets. as this is an uncommon fish to me and one
which no one of the party has ever Seen. on the next page I have drawn the
likeness of them as large as life; it’s as perfect as I can make it with
my pen and will Serve to give a general idea of the fish. the rays of the
fins are boney but not Sharp tho Somewhat pointed. the Small fin on the
back next to the tail has no rays of bone being a thin membranous
pellicle. the fins next to the gills have eleven rays each. those of the
abdomen have Eight each, those of the pinna ani are 20 and 2 half formed
in front. that of the back has eleven rays. all the fins are of a white
colour. the back is of a blueish duskey colour and that of the lower part
of the Sides and belly is of a Silvery White. no Spots on any part. the
first of the gills next behind the eye is of a blueish cast, and the
second of a light gold colour nearly white. the puple of the eye is black
and the iris of a silver white. the under jaw exceeds the upper; and the
mouth opens to great extent, folding like that of the Herring. it has no
teeth. the abdomen is obtuse and Smooth; in this differing from the
herring, Shad, anchovey &c. of the Malacapterygious Order and Class
Clupea, to which however I think it more nearly allyed than to any other
altho it has not their accute and Serrate abdomen and the under jaw
exceeding the upper. the scales of this little fish are So small and thin
that without manute inspection you would Suppose they had none. they are
filled with roes of a pure white Colour and have Scercely any perceptable
alimentary duct. I found them best when cooked in Indian Stile, which is
by rosting a number of them together on a wooden spit without any previous
preperation whatever. they are so fat that they require no aditional
sauce, and I think them Superior to any fish I ever tasted, even more
dilicate and lussious than the white fish of the Lakes which have
heretofore formed my Standard of excellence among the fishes. I have herd
the fresh anchovey much extoll’d but I hope I shall be pardened for
believeing this quit as good. the bones are So Soft and fine that they
form no obstruction in eating this fish.
