The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Clark, March 16, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Clark, March 16, 1806

Sunday March 16th 1806

Not any occurrence worthy of relation took place today. Drewyer and party did not return from the Cath lah mah's this evening as we expected. we Suppose he was detained by the hard winds today. the Indians remain with us all day, but would not dispose of their Canoe at a price which it was in our power to give consistently with the State of our Stock of Merchandize. One handkerchief would contain all the Small articles of merchandize which we possess, the ballance of the Stock Consists of 6 Small blue robes or Blankets one of Scarlet. one uniform Artillerist's Coat and hat, 5 robes made of our larg flag, and a fiew our old Clothes trimed with ribon. on this Stock we have wholy to depend for the purchase of horses and Such portion of our Subsistence from the Indians as it will be in our power to obtain. a scant dependence indeed for the tour of the distance of that before us.

The pellucid jelly like Substance, called the Sea nettle I found in great abundance along the Strand where it has been thrown up by the waves and tide, and adheres to the Sand.

There are two Species of the Fuci, or (Seawead) Seawreck which we also found thrown up by the waves. the 1st Specie at one extremity consists of a large sesicle or hollow vessale which would contain from one to 2 gallons, of a conic form, the base of which forms the extreem End and is convex and Globelar bearing on its center Some Short broad and irregular fibers. the Substance is about the consistancy of the rind of a citron Mellon and 3/4 of an inch thick, yellow celindrick, and regularly tapering the tube extends to 20 or 30 feet and is then termonated with a number of branches which are flat 1/2 inch in width, rough particularly on the edges, where they are furnished with a number of little oval vesicles or bags of the Size of a Pigions egg. this plant Seams to be calculated to float at each extremity, while the little end of the tube from whence the branches proceed, lies deepest in the water.

The white Salmon Trout which we had previously seen only at the Great Falls of the Columbia, or a little below the Great Falls, has now made its appearance in the creeks near this place. one of them was brought us to day by an indian who had just taken it with his gig. This is a likeness of it; it was 2 feet 8 inches long, and weighed ten pounds. the eye is moderately large, the puple black with a Small admixture of yellow and the iris of a Silvery white with a Small admixture of yellow and a little tirbed near its border with a yellowish brown. the position of the fins may be seen from the drawing, they are small in perpotion to the fish. the fins are honey but not pointed except the tail and back fins which are a little So, the prime back fin and venteral ones, contain each ten rays; those of the gills twelve, and the Small Finn placed near the tail above has no long rays, but is a tough flexable Substance covered with Smooth Skin. it is thicker in perpotion to it's width than the Salmons. the tongue is thick and firm beset on each border with small subulate teeth in a Single Series. the Teeth of the mouth are as before discribed. neither this fish nor the Salmon are cought with the hook, nor do I know on what they feed.-now begin to run &c. &c.