Day-by-Day / March 4, 1806

March 4, 1806

Sumptuous living

Fort Clatsop, OR The captains describe the Indian methods of preserving and cooking eulachon and sturgeon. Lewis discusses meadowlarks and jays.

Sumptuous Living

Not any occurrence today worthy of notice. we live sumptuously on our wappetoe and Sturgeon.
Meriwether Lewis

Cooking Eulachon

the Anchovey [eulachon] is so delicate that they soon become tainted unless pickled or smoked. the natives run a small stick through their gills and hang them in the smoke of their lodges, or kindle a small fire under them for the purpose of drying them
—Meriwether Lewis

Steaming Sturgeon

the fresh sturgeon they keep for many days by immersing it in water. they coock their sturgeon by means of vapor or steam. . . . the whole process is performed in an hour, and the sturgeon thus cooked is much better than either boiled or roasted.
—Meriwether Lewis

 

Western Meadowlarks

the lark is found in the plains only and are the same with those before mentioned on the Missouri, and not very unlike what is called in Virginia the old field lark.
—Meriwether Lewis

 

Two Jays

The blue crested Corvus and the small white breasted do have been previously discribed and are the natives of a piney country invariably, being found as well on the rocky mountains as on this coast.—
—Meriwether Lewis

 

Weather Diary

Aspect of the weather at sun symbol Rise Wind at sun symbol rise Aspect of weather at 4 O’Ck P. M. Wind at 4 OCk. P. M.
rain after clouds & rain S. rain after rain S

rained constantly most of the night. saw a Snail, this morning, they are very large.
—Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of the Month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.

 

Notes

Notes
1 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of the Month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.

Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail

The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Logo: Lewis and Clark.travel

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.