Clark: January 21, 1806

Thursday 21st of January 1806 Two of the hunters Shannon & Labieche
returned haveing killed three Elk, ordered a party to go in quest of the
meat early tomorrow morning and the hunters to return and continue the
chase-. the Indians left us about 12 oClock.

The root of the thistle called by the nativs Chan-ne-tak-que is
pirpendicular and possesses from two to 4 radicles; is from 9 to 15 inches
in length and is Commonly about the Size of a mans thum the rhine Somewhat
rough and of a brown Colour; the Consistence when first taken from the
earth is white and nearly as Crisp as a Carrot, when prepared for use by
the Same process before discribed of the white bulb or gash she quo,
qua-mosh, it becomes black and is more Sugary than any root I have met
with among the nativs; the Sweet is prosisely that of the Sugar in flavor,
this root is Sometimes eaten when first taken from the ground without any
preperation, in this way it is well tasted but soon weathers and becoms
hard and insipped. it delights most in a deep rich moist lome which has a
good mixture of SandThe Stems of this plant is Simple ascending
celindric and hisped. the root leaves, posses their virdue and are about
half grown of a deep Green. the Cauline leaf as well as the Stem of the
last Season are now dead, but in respect to it’s form &c. it is Simple
Crenated and oblong, rather more obtuce at it’s apex than the base or
insertion, it’s margin armed with prickles while it’s disks are hairy, its
insertion decurrent and position declineing. the flower is also dry and
mutilated the pericarp seems much like that of the Common thistle it rises
to the hight of from 3 to 4 feet.