Clark: March 16, 1806

Sunday March 16th 1806 Not any occurrence worthy of relation took place
today. Drewyer and party did not return from the Cath lah mah’s this
evening as we expected. we Suppose he was detained by the hard winds
today. the Indians remain with us all day, but would not dispose of their
Canoe at a price which it was in our power to give consistently with the
State of our Stock of Merchandize. One handkerchief would contain all the
Small articles of merchandize which we possess, the ballance of the Stock
Consists of 6 Small blue robes or Blankets one of Scarlet. one uniform
Artillerist’s Coat and hat, 5 robes made of our larg flag, and a fiew our
old Clothes trimed with ribon. on this Stock we have wholy to depend for
the purchase of horses and Such portion of our Subsistence from the
Indians as it will be in our power to obtain. a scant dependence indeed
for the tour of the distance of that before us.

The pellucid jelly like Substance, called the Sea nettle I found in great
abundance along the Strand where it has been thrown up by the waves and
tide, and adheres to the Sand.

There are two Species of the Fuci, or (Seawead) Seawreck which we also
found thrown up by the waves. the 1st Specie at one extremity consists of
a large sesicle or hollow vessale which would contain from one to 2
gallons, of a conic form, the base of which forms the extreem End and is
convex and Globelar bearing on its center Some Short broad and irregular
fibers. the Substance is about the consistancy of the rind of a citron
Mellon and 3/4 of an inch thick, yellow celindrick, and regularly tapering
the tube extends to 20 or 30 feet and is then termonated with a number of
branches which are flat 1/2 inch in width, rough particularly on the
edges, where they are furnished with a number of little oval vesicles or
bags of the Size of a Pigions egg. this plant Seams to be calculated to
float at each extremity, while the little end of the tube from whence the
branches proceed, lies deepest in the water.

The white Salmon Trout which we had previously seen only at the Great
Falls of the Columbia, or a little below the Great Falls, has now made its
appearance in the creeks near this place. one of them was brought us to
day by an indian who had just taken it with his gig. This is a likeness of
it; it was 2 feet 8 inches long, and weighed ten pounds. the eye is
moderately large, the puple black with a Small admixture of yellow and the
iris of a Silvery white with a Small admixture of yellow and a little
tirbed near its border with a yellowish brown. the position of the fins
may be seen from the drawing, they are small in perpotion to the fish. the
fins are honey but not pointed except the tail and back fins which are a
little So, the prime back fin and venteral ones, contain each ten rays;
those of the gills twelve, and the Small Finn placed near the tail above
has no long rays, but is a tough flexable Substance covered with Smooth
Skin. it is thicker in perpotion to it’s width than the Salmons. the
tongue is thick and firm beset on each border with small subulate teeth in
a Single Series. the Teeth of the mouth are as before discribed. neither
this fish nor the Salmon are cought with the hook, nor do I know on what
they feed.-now begin to run &c. &c.