Lewis: January 14, 1806

Wednesday January 14th 1806. This morning the Sergt. of the Guard reported
the absence of one of the large perogues, it had broken the chord by which
it was attatched and the tide had taken it off; we sent a party
immediately in surch of her, they returned in about 3 hours having
fortunately found her. we now directed three of the perogues to be drawn
up out of reach of the tide and the fourth to be mored in the small branch
just above the landing and confined with a strong rope of Elk-skin. had we
lost this perogue also we should have been obliged to make three small
ones, which with the few tools we have now left would be a serious
undertaking. a fatiegue of 6 men employed in jerking the Elk beaf.

From the best estimate we were enabled to make as we dscended the Columbia
we conceived that the natives inhabiting that noble stream, for some miles
above the great falls to the grand rappids inclusive annually prepare
about 30,000 lbs. of pounded sammon for market. but whether this fish is
an article of commerce with the whites or is exclusively sold to and
consumed by the natives of the sea Coast, we are at a loss to determine.
the first of those positions I am disposed to credit most, but, still I
must confess that I cannot imagine what the white merchant’s object can be
in purchasing this fish, or where they dispose of it. and on the other
hand the Indians in this neighbourhood as well as the Skillutes have an
abundance of dryed sammon which they take in the creeks and inlets, and I
have never seen any of this pounded fish in their lodges, which I pesume
would have been the case if they purchased this pounded fish for their own
consumption. the Indians who prepared this dryed and pounded fish,
informed us that it was to trade with the whites, and shewed us many
articles of European manufacture which they obtained for it. it is true
they obtain those articles principally for their fish but they trade with
the Skillutes for them and not immediately with the whites; the
intermediate merchants and carryers, the Skillutes, may possibly consume a
part of this fish themselves and dispose of the ballance of it the natives
of the sea coast, and from them obtain such articles as they again trade
with the whites.