Clark: January 4, 1806

Saturday 4th January 1806 Comowool and the Clatsops who visited us
yesterday left us in the morning. Those people the Chinnook and others
resideing in this neighbourhood and Speaking the Same language have been
very friendly to us; they appear to be a mild inoffensive people but will
pilfer if they have an oppertunity to do So when they Conceive themselves
not liable to detection. they are great higlers in trade and if they
Conceive you anxious to purchase will be a whole day bargaining for a hand
full of roots; this I Should have thought proceeded from their want of
Knowledge of the Comparitive value of articles of merchindize and the fear
of being Cheated, did I not find that they invariably refuse the price
first offered them and afterwards very frequently accept a Smaller
quantity of the Same article; in order to Satisfy myself on this point, I
once offered a Clatsop man my watch a knife, a Dollar of the Coin of U
State and hand full of beeds, for a Small Sea otter Skin, which I did not
much want, he immediately Conceived it of great value, and refused to Sell
unless I would give as maney more beads; the next day with a great deel of
importunity on his part we receved the Skin in exchange for a fiew Strans
of the Same beeds he had refused the day before. I therefore beleive this
treat in their Charector proceeds from an avericious all grasping
dis-position. in this respect they differ from all Indians I ever became
acquainted with, for their dispositions invariably lead them to give what
ever they are possessed off no matter how usefull or valueable, for a
bauble which pleases their fancy, without Consulting its usefullness or
value. nothing occured to day, or more So, than our wappato being all
exhausted.