Lewis: March 13, 1806

Thursday March 13th 1806. This morning Drewyer Jos Feilds and Frazier
returned; they had killed two Elk and two deer. visited by two Cathlahmahs
who left us in the evening. we sent Drewyer down to the Clatsop village to
purchase a couple of their canoes if possible. Sergt. Pryor and a party
made another surch for the lost peroge but was unsuccessfull; while
engaged in surching for the perogue Collins one of his party killed two
Elk near the Netul below us. we sent Sergt. Ordway and a party for the
flesh of one of the Elk beyond the bay with which they returned in the
evening. the other Elk and two deer were at some distance. R. Fields and
Thompson who set out yesterday morning on a hunting excurtion towards
point Adams have not yet returned. The horns of some of the Elk have not
yet fallen off, and those of others have shotten out to the length of six
inches. the latter are in the best order, from which it would seem that
the poor Elk retain their horns longest.

The Porpus is common on this coast and as far up the river as the water is
brackish. the Indians sometimes gig them and always eat the flesh of this
fish when they can procure it; to me the flavor is disagreeable. the
Skaite is also common to the salt water, we have seen several of them that
had perished and were thrown out on the beach by the tide. The flounder is
also an inhabitant of the salt water, we have seen them also on the beach
where they had been left by the tide. the Indians eat the latter and
esteem it very fine. these several speceis are the same with those of the
Atlantic coast. the common Salmon and red Charr are the inhabitants of
both the sea and rivers. the former is usually largest and weighs from 5
to 15 lbs. it is this speceis that extends itself into all the rivers and
little creeks on this side of the Continent, and to which the natives are
so much indebted for their subsistence. the body of this fish is from 21/2
to 3 feet long and proportionably broad. it is covered with imbricated
scales of a moderate size and is variegated with irregular black spots on
it’s sides and gills. the eye is large and the iris of a silvery colour
the pupil black. the rostrum or nose extends beyond the under jaw, and
both the upper and lower jaws are armed with a single series of long teeth
which are subulate and infleted near the extremities of the jaws where
they are also more closely arranged. they have some sharp teeth of smaller
size and same shape placed on the tongue which is thick and fleshey. the
fins of the back are two; the first is plaised nearer the head than the
ventral fins and has ____ rays, the second is placed far back near the
tail is small and has no rays. the flesh of this fish is when in order of
a deep flesh coloured red and every shade from that to an orrange yellow,
and when very meager almost white. the roes of this fish are much esteemed
by the natives who dry them in the sun and preserve them for a great
length of time. they are about the size of a small pea nearly transparent
and of a redish yellow colour. they resemble very much at a little
distance the common currants of our gardens but are more yellow. this fish
is sometimes red along the sides and belley near the gills particularly
the male. The red Charr are reather broader in proportion to their length
than the common salmon, the skales are also imbricated but reather large.
the nostrum exceeds the lower jaw more and the teeth are neither as large
nor so numerous as those of the salmon. some of them are almost entirely
red on the belley and sides; others are much more white than the salmon
and none of them are variagated with the dark spots which make the body of
the other. their flesh roes and every other particular with rispect to
their form is that of the Salmon. this fish we did not see untill we
decended below the grat falls of the Columbia; but whether they are
exclusively confined to this portion of the river or not at all seasons, I
am unable to determine.