At Fort Clatsop, the enlisted men are hunting, setting up a camp to make salt, building chimneys, or making pickets and gates. Clatsop chief Coboway brings roots, and his group receives sheepskin headband and earrings in return.
On Their Way to Make Salt
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
Two Chimneys
Fort Clatsop Reconstruction
© 20 January 2013 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Taken with cooperation from Lewis and Clark National Historic Park, Fort Clatsop.
In this reconstruction of Fort Clatsop, the captains’ quarters has a large external chimney. To its left is the small, internal chimney placed on the back wall of the orderly room. The journalists did not provide enough detail for us to know where the fires and their chimneys were placed within each cabin. Many speculate that they were placed in the middle of most rooms rather than on a wall as was done in the fort’s reconstruction. For more differences, see Fort Clatsop Today.
Building Chimneys
We were all employed in building Chimneys in our huts, which we compleated, & found our huts comfortable & without smoak.
—William Clark
Work Details
we Sent out R. Fields & Collins to hunt and order Drewyer, Shannon & Labiach to Set out early to morrow to hunt,— Jo Fields, Bratten, & Gibson to make Salt at Point Addams,— Willard & Wiser, to assist them in carrying the Kittles &c to the Ocian, and all the others to finish the Pickets and gates.
—William Clark
Two Mosquitoes
I Showed Capt L. 2 Musquetors to day, or an insect So much the Size Shape and appearance of a Musquetor that we Could observe no kind of differance.
—William Clark
Indian Roots
In the evening Co-mo wool the Chief and 4 men of the Clat Sop nation the[y] presented us a root which resembles the licquirish in Size and taste [seashore lupine] . . . . also a black root which is cured in a kill like the pash-a-co [Camas] above; this root has a Sweet taste and the natives are verry fond of it— they Call this root Shaw-na-tâh-que [Edible thistle]. also a dried berry about the size of a Chery which they Call Shele [salal] well all those roots those Indians value highly and give them verry Spearingly . . . .
—William Clark
Sheepskin and Ear Rings
in return for the above roots Capt Lewis gave the Chief a Small piece of Sheap Skin to Ware on his head, I gave his Son a par of ear bobs and a pece of ribon, and a Small piece of brass for which they were much pleased.
Those roots and berries are timely and extreamly greatfull to our Stomachs, we as have nothing to eate but Spoiled Elk meat
—William Clark
Weather Diary
Day of the Month Winds State of the Weather 27th S W. rain rained moderately last night and to day
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has spelled out some abbreviations.
Fort Clatsop is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The site is managed by the Lewis and Clark National and State Historic Parks.
Notes
| ↑1 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
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| ↑2 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has spelled out some abbreviations. |
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Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).