Lewis: March 5, 1806
Wednesday March 5th 1806. This morning we were visited by two parties of
Clatsops. they brought some fish a hat and some skins for sale most of
which we purchased. they returned to their village in the evening. late in
the evening the hunters returned from the kil-haw-a-nack-kle River which
discharges itself into the head of the bay. They had neither killed nor
seen any Elk. they informed us that the Elk had all gone off to the
mountains a considerable distance from us. this is unwelcome information
and reather allarming we have only 2 days provision on hand, and that
nearly spoiled. we made up a small assortment of articles to trade with
the Indians and directed Sergt. Pryor to set out early in the morning in a
canoe with 2 men, to ascend the Columbia to the resort of the Indian
fishermen and purchase some fish; we also directed two parties of hunters
to renew the Chase tomorrow early. the one up the Netul and the other
towards Point Adams. if we find that the Elk have left us, we have
determined to ascend the river slowly and indeavour to procure subsistence
on the way, consuming the Month of March in the woody country. earlyer
than April we conceive it a folly to attempt the open plains where we know
there is no fuel except a few small dry shrubs. we shall not leave our
quarters at fort Clatsop untill the first of April, as we intended unless
the want of subsistence compels us to that measure. The common snipe of
the marshes and the small sand snipe are the same of those common to the
Atlantic Coast tho the former are by no means as abundant here. the
prarrow of the woody country is also similar to ours but not abundant.
those of the plains of Columbia are the same with those of the Missouri,
tho they are by no means so abundant. I have not seen the little singing
lark or the large brown Curloo so common to the plains of the Missouri,
but I beleive that the latter is an inhabitant of this country during
summer from Indian information. I have no doubt but what many species of
birds found here in Autumn and Summer had departed before our arrival.
