first across the continent-第48节

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urpose　of　trading　with　the　natives。　From　one　of　these　Captain　Hill　secured　the　paper；　which　he　took　to　Canton；　China；　in　January；　1807。　　Thence　it　was　sent　to　a　gentleman　in　Philadelphia；　having　travelled　nearly　all　the　way　round　the　world。

Fort　Clatsop；　as　they　called　the　rude　collection　of　huts　in　which　they　had　burrowed　all　winter；　with　its　rude　furniture　and　shelters；　was　formally　given　to　Comowool；　the　Clatsop　chief　who　had　been　so　kind　to　the　party。　Doubtless　the　crafty　savage　had　had　his　eye　on　this　establishment；　knowing　that　it　was　to　be　abandoned　in　the　spring。

The　voyagers　left　Fort　Clatsop　about　one　o'clock　in　the　day；　and；　after　making　sixteen　miles　up　the　river；　camped　for　the　night。　Next　day；　they　reached　an　Indian　village　where　they　purchased　〃some　wappatoo　and　a　dog　for　the　invalids。〃　　They　still　had　several　men　on　the　sick　list　in　consequence　of　the　hard　fare　of　the　winter。　The　weather　was　cold　and　wet；　and　wood　for　fuel　was　difficult　to　obtain。　In　a　few　days　they　found　themselves　among　their　old　friends；　the　Skilloots；　who　had　lately　been　at　war　with　the　Chinooks。　　There　was　no　direct　intercourse　between　the　two　nations　as　yet；　but　the　Chinooks　traded　with　the　Clatsops　and　Wahkiacums；　and　these　in　turn　traded　with　the　Skilloots；　and　in　this　way　the　two　hostile　tribes　exchanged　the　articles　which　they　had　for　those　which　they　desired。　The　journal　has　this　to　say　about　the　game　of　an　island　on　which　the　explorers　tarried　for　a　day　or　two；　in　order　to　dry　their　goods　and　mend　their　canoes：

〃This　island；　which　has　received　from　the　Indians　the　appropriate　name　of　Elalah　＇Elallah＇；　or　Deer　Island；　is　surrounded　on　the　water…side　by　an　abundant　growth　of　cottonwood；　ash；　and　willow；　while　the　interior　consists　chiefly　of　prairies　interspersed　with　ponds。　　These　afford　refuge　to　great　numbers　of　geese；　ducks；　large　swan；　sandhill　cranes；　a　few　canvas…backed　ducks；　and　particularly　the　duckinmallard；　the　most　abundant　of　all。　There　are　also　great　numbers　of　snakes　resembling　our　garter…snakes　in　appearance；　and　like　them　not　poisonous。　Our　hunters　brought　in　three　deer；　a　goose；　some　ducks；　an　eagle；　and　a　tiger…cat。　Such　is　the　extreme　voracity　of　the　vultures；　that　they　had　devoured　in　the　space　of　a　few　hours　four　of　the　deer　killed　this　morning；　and　one　of　our　men　declared　that　they　had　besides　dragged　a　large　buck　about　thirty　yards；　skinned　it；　and　broken　the　backbone。〃

The　vulture　here　referred　to　is　better　known　as　the　California　condor；　a　great　bird　of　prey　which　is　now　so　nearly　extinct　that　few　specimens　are　ever　seen；　and　the　eggs　command　a　great　price　from　those　who　make　collections　of　such　objects。　　A　condor　killed　by　one　of　the　hunters　of　the　Lewis　and　Clark　expedition　measured　nine　feet　and　six　inches　from　tip　to　tip　of　its　wings；　three　feet　and　ten　inches　from　the　point　of　the　bill　to　the　end　of　the　tail；　and　six　inches　and　a　half　from　the　back　of　the　head　to　the　tip　of　the　beak。　Very　few　of　the　condors　of　the　Andes　are　much　larger　than　this；　though　one　measuring　eleven　feet　from　tip　to　tip　has　been　reported。

While　camped　at　Quicksand；　or　Sandy　River；　the　party　learned　that　food　supplies　up　the　Columbia　were　scarce。　The　journal　says　that　the　Indians　met　here　were　descending　the　river　in　search　of　food。　　It　adds：

〃They　told　us；　that　they　lived　at　the　Great　Rapids；　but　that　the　scarcity　of　provisions　there　had　induced　them　to　come　down；　in　the　hopes　of　finding　subsistence　in　the　more　fertile　valley。　All　the　people　living　at　the　Rapids；　as　well　as　the　nations　above　them；　were　in　much　distress　for　want　of　food；　having　consumed　their　winter　store　of　dried　fish；　and　not　expecting　the　return　of　the　salmon　before　the　next　full　moon；　which　would　be　on　the　second　of　May：　　this　information　was　not　a　little　embarrassing。　From　the　Falls　to　the　Chopunnish　nation；　the　plains　afforded　neither　deer；　elk；　nor　antelope　for　our　subsistence。　The　horses　were　very　poor　at　this　season；　and　the　dogs　must　be　in　the　same　condition；　if　their　food；　the　dried　fish；　had　failed。　　Still；　it　was　obviously　inexpedient　for　us　to　wait　for　the　return　of　the　salmon；　since　in　that　case　we　might　not　reach　the　Missouri　before　the　ice　would　prevent　our　navigating　it。　We　might；　besides；　hazard　the　loss　of　our　horses；　as　the　Chopunnish；　with　whom　we　had　left　them；　would　cross　the　mountains　as　early　as　possible；　or　about　the　beginning　of　May；　and　take　our　horses　with　them；　or　suffer　them　to　disperse；　in　either　of　which　cases　the　passage　of　the　mountains　will　be　almost　impracticable。　We　therefore；　after　much　deliberation；　decided　to　remain　where　we　were　till　we　could　collect　meat　enough　to　last　us　till　we　should　reach　the　Chopunnish　nation；　and　to　obtain　canoes　from　the　natives　as　we　ascended；　either　in　exchange　for　our　pirogues；　or　by　purchasing　them　with　skins　and　merchandise。　　These　canoes；　again；　we　might　exchange　for　horses　with　the　natives　of　the　plains；　till　we　should　obtain　enough　to　travel　altogether　by　land。　On　reaching　the　southeast　branch　of　the　Columbia；　four　or　five　men　could　be　sent　on　to　the　Chopunnish　to　have　our　horses　in　readiness；　and　thus　we　should　have　a　stock　of　horses　sufficient　both　to　transport　our　baggage　and　supply　us　with　food；　as　we　now　perceived　that　they　would　form　our　only　certain　dependance　for　subsistence。〃

On　the　third　of　April　this　entry　is　made：

〃A　considerable　number　of　Indians　crowded　about　us　to…day；　many　of　whom　came　from　the　upper　part　of　the　river。　These　poor　wretches　confirm　the　reports　of　scarcity　among　the　nations　above；　which；　indeed；　their　appearance　sufficiently　proved；　for　they　seemed　almost　starved；　and　greedily　picked　the　bones　and　refuse　meat　thrown　away　by　us。

〃In　the　evening　Captain　Clark　returned　from　an　excursion。　　On　setting　out　yesterday　at　half…past　eleven　o'clock；　he　directed　his　course　along　the　south　side　of　the　＇Columbia＇　river；　where；　at　the　distance　of　eight　miles；　he　passed　a　village　of　the　Nechacohee　tribe；　belonging　to　the　Eloot　nation。　The　village　itself　is　small；　and　being　situated　behind　Diamond　Island；　was　concealed　from　our　view　as　we　passed　both　times　along　the　northern　shore。　He　continued　till　three　o'clock；　when　he　landed　at　the　single　house　already　mentioned　as　the　only　remains　of　a　village　of　twenty…four　straw　huts。　Along　the　shore　were　great　numbers　of　small　canoes　for　gathering　wappatoo；　which　were　left　by　the　Shahalas；　who　visit　the　place　annually。　The　present　inhabitants　of　the　house　are　part　of　the　Neerchokioo　tribe　of　the　same　＇Shahala＇　nation。　　On　entering　one　of　the　apartments　of　the　house；　Captain　Clark　offered　several　articles　to　the　Indians　in　exchange　for　wappatoo；　but　they　appeared　sullen　and　ill…humored；　and　refused　to　give　him　any。　　He　therefore　sat　down　by　the　fire　opposite　the　men；　and　taking　a　port…fire　match　from　his　pocket；　threw　a　small　piece　of　it　into　the　flame；　at　the　same　time　he　took　his　pocket…compass；　and　by　means　of　a　magnet；　which　happened　to　be　in　his　inkhorn；　made　the　needle　turn　round　very　briskly。　The　match　now　took　fire　and　burned　violently；　on　which　the　Indians；　terrified　at　this　strange　exhibition；　immediately　brought　a　quantity　of　wappatoo　and　laid　it　at　his　feet；　begging　him　to　put　out　the　bad　fire；　while　an　old　woman　continued　to　speak　with　great　vehemence；　as　if　praying　and　imploring　protection。　　Having　received　the　roots；　Captain　Clark　put　up　the　compass；　and　as　the　match　went　out　of　itself　tranquillity　was　restored；　though　the　women　and　children　still　took　refuge　in　their　beds　and　behind　the　men。　　He　now　paid　them　for　what　he　had　used；　and　after　lighting　his　pipe　and　smoking　with　them；　continued　down　the　river。〃

The　excursion　from　which　Captain　Clark　had　returned；　as　noted　in　this　extract；　was　up　the　Multnomah　River。　　As　we　have　already　seen；　the　explorers　missed　that　stream　when　they　came　down　the　Columbia；　and　they　had　now　passed　it　again　unnoticed；　owing　to　the　number　of　straggling　islands　that　hide　its　junction　with　the　Columbia。　　Convinced　that　a　considerable　river　must　drain　the　region　to　the　south；　Captain　Clark　went　back　alone　and　penetrating　the　intricate　channels　among　the　islands；　found　the　mouth　of　the　Multnomah；　now　better　known　as　the　Willamette。　　He　was　surprised　to　find　that　the　depth　of　water　in　the　river　was　so　great　that　large　vessels　might　enter　it。　He　would　have　been　much　more　surprised　if　he　had　been　told　that　a　large　city；　the　largest　in　Oregon；　would　some　day　be　built　on　the　site　of　the　Indian　huts　which　he　saw。　　Here　Captain　Clark　found　a　house　occupied　by　several　families　of　the　Neechecolee　nation。　　Their　mansion　was　two　hundred　and　twenty…six　feet　long　and　was　divided　into　apartments　thirty　feet　square。

The　most　important　point　in　this　region　of　the　Columbia　was　named　Wappatoo　Island　by　the　explorers。　　This　is　a　large　extent　of　country　lying　between　the　Willamette　and　an　arm　of　the　Columbia　which　they　called　Wappatoo　Inlet；　but　which　is　now　known　as　Willamette　Slough。　　It　is　twenty　miles　long　and　from　five　to　ten　miles　wide。　　Here　is　an　interesting　description　of　the　manner　of　gathering　the　roots　of　the　wappatoo；　of　which　we　have　heard　so　much　in　this　region　of　country：

〃The　chief　wealth　of　this　island　consists　of　the　numerous　ponds　in　the　interior；　abounding　with　the　common