January 22, 1806
Thursday January 22nd 1806.
The party sent for the meat this morning returned with it in the
Evening; it was in very inferior order, in short the animals were poor.
Reubin Fields also remained with the other hunters Shannon & Labuish
our late supply of salt is out. we have not yet heared a sentence from
the other two parties of hunter's who are below us towards Point Adams
and the Praries.
There are three species of fern in this neighbourhood the root one of
which the natves eat; this grows very abundant in the open uplands and
praries where the latter are not sandy and consist of deep loose rich
black lome. the root is horizontal sometimes a little deverging or
obliquely descending, frequently dividing itself as it procedes into
two equal branches and shooting up a number of stems; it lies about 4
Inces beneath the surface of the earth. the root is celindric, with few
or no radicles and from the size of a goose quill to that of a man's
finger; the center of the root is divided into two equal parts by a
strong flat & white ligament like a piece of thin tape on either side
of this there is a white substance which when the root is roasted in
the embers is much like wheat dough and not very unlike it in flavour,
though it has also a pungency which becomes more visible after you have
chewed it some little time; this pungency was disagreeable to me, but
the natives eat it very voraciously and I have no doubt but it is a
very nutricious food. the bark of the root is black, somewhat rough,
thin and brittle, it easily seperates in flakes from the part which is
eaten as dose also the internal liggament. this root perennil. in rich
lands this plant rises to the hight of from 4 to five feet. the stem is
smooth celindric, slightly groved on one side erect about half it's
hight on the 2 first branches thence reclining backwards from the
grooved side; it puts forth it's branches which are in reallyty long
footstalks by pares from one side only and near the edges of the
groove, these larger footstalks are also grooved cilindric and
gradually tapering towards the extremity, puting forth alternate
footstalks on either side of the grove near it's edge; these lesser
footstalks the same in form as the first put forth from forty to fifty
alternate pinate leaves which are sessile, horizontal, multipartite for
half their length from the point of insertion and terminating in a long
shaped apex, and are also revolute with the upper disk smoth and the
lower slightly cottanny. these alternate leaves after proceeding half
the length of the footstalk cease to be partite and assume the tongue
like form altogether. this plant produces no flower or fruit whatever,
is of a fine green colour in summer and a beautiful) plant. the top is
annual and is of course dead at present.-
Friday 22nd January 1806
The party Sent for the meat this morning returned with it in the
evening; it was in verry inferior order, in Short the animals were
pore. Rieuben Field Shannon and Labiech remained in the woods to hunt.
our late Supply of Salt is out. we have not heard a word of the other
hunters who are below us towards point adams and the Praries. Some rain
this day at intervales
There are three Species of fern in this neighbourhood the root one of
which the nativs eate; that of which the nativs eate produce no flowers
whatever or fruit of a fine green Colour and the top is annual, and in
Course dead at present.
I observe no difference between the licorice of this Countrey and that
Common to maney parts of the United States where it is sometimes
Cultivated in our gardins-. this plant delights in a deep lose Sandy
Soil; here it grows verry abundant and large; the nativs roste it in
the embers and pound it Slightly with a Small Stick in order to make it
Seperate more readily from the Strong liggaments which forms the center
of the root; this they discard and chew and Swallow the ballance of the
root; this last is filled with a number of thin membrencies like
network, too tough to be masticated and which I find it necessary also
to discard. This root when roasted possesses an agreeable flavour not
unlike the Sweet potato. The root of the thistle (described yesterday)
after undergoing the process of Sweting or bakeing in a kiln is
Sometimes eaten with the train oil also, at other times pounded fine
and mixed with Cold water, untill reduced to the Consistancy of Gruel;
in this way I think it verry agreeable. but the most valuable of all
their roots is foreign to this neighbourhood I mean the Wappetoe.
The Wappetoe, or bulb of the Sagitifolia or common arrow head, which
grows in great abundance in the marshey grounds of that butifull and
fertile vally on the Columbia commenceing just above the quick Sand
River and extending downwards for about 70 miles. this bulb forms a
principal article of trafic between the inhabitents of the vally and
those of their neighbourhood or Sea coast.
