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p　in　a　thick　grove　of　lofty　pines；　about　two　hundred　yards　from　the　water；　and　thirty　feet　above　the　level　of　the　high　tides。〃



Chapter　XVIII

Camping　by　the　Pacific

Next　in　importance　to　the　building　of　a　winter　camp　was　the　fixing　of　a　place　where　salt　could　be　made。　　Salt　is　absolutely　necessary　for　the　comfort　of　man；　and　the　supply　brought　out　from　the　United　States　by　the　explorers　was　now　nearly　all　gone。　They　were　provided　with　kettles　in　which　sea…water　could　be　boiled　down　and　salt　be　made。　　It　would　be　needful　to　go　to　work　at　once；　for　the　process　of　salt…making　by　boiling　in　ordinary　kettles　is　slow　and　tedious；　not　only　must　enough　for　present　uses　be　found；　but　a　supply　to　last　the　party　home　again　was　necessary。　Accordingly；　on　the　eighth　of　December　the　journal　has　this　entry　to　show　what　was　to　be　done：

〃In　order；　therefore；　to　find　a　place　for　making　salt；　and　to　examine　the　country　further；　Captain　Clark　set　out　with　five　men；　and　pursuing　a　course　S。　60'0　W。；　over　a　dividing　ridge　through　thick　pine　timber；　much　of　which　bad　fallen；　passed　the　beads　of　two　small　brooks。　In　the　neighborhood　of　these　the　land　was　swampy　and　overflowed；　and　they　waded　knee…deep　till　they　came　to　an　open　ridgy　prairie；　covered　with　the　plant　known　on　our　frontier　by　the　name　of　sacacommis　＇bearberry＇。　Here　is　a　creek　about　sixty　yards　wide　and　running　toward　Point　Adams；　they　passed　it　on　a　small　raft。　　At　this　place　they　discovered　a　large　herd　of　elk；　and　after　pursuing　them　for　three　miles　over　bad　swamps　and　small　ponds；　killed　one　of　them。　　The　agility　with　which　the　elk　crossed　the　swamps　and　bogs　seems　almost　incredible；　as　we　followed　their　track　the　ground　for　a　whole　acre　would　shake　at　our　tread　and　sometimes　we　sunk　to　our　hips　without　finding　any　bottom。　Over　the　surface　of　these　bogs　is　a　species　of　moss；　among　which　are　great　numbers　of　cranberries；　and　occasionally　there　rise　from　the　swamp　small　steep　knobs　of　earth；　thickly　covered　with　pine　and　laurel。　On　one　of　these　we　halted　at　night；　but　it　was　scarcely　large　enough　to　suffer　us　to　lie　clear　of　the　water；　and　had　very　little　dry　wood。　We　succeeded；　however；　in　collecting　enough　to　make　a　fire；　and　having　stretched　the　elk…skin　to　keep　off　the　rain；　which　still　continued；　slept　till　morning。〃

Next　day　the　party　were　met　by　three　Indians　who　had　been　fishing　for　salmon；　of　which　they　had　a　goodly　supply；　and　were　now　on　their　way　home　to　their　village　on　the　seacoast。　　They；　invited　Captain　Clark　and　his　men　to　accompany　them；　and　the　white　men　accepted　the　invitation。　These　were　Clatsops。　　Their　village　consisted　of　twelve　families　living　in　houses　of　split　pine　boards；　the　lower　half　of　the　house　being　underground。　By　a　small　ladder　in　the　middle　of　the　house…front；　the　visitors　reached　the　floor；　which　was　about　four　feet　below　the　surface。　Two　fires　were　burning　in　the　middle　of　the　room　upon　the　earthen　floor。　The　beds　were　ranged　around　the　room　next　to　the　wall；　with　spaces　beneath　them　for　bags；　baskets；　and　household　articles。

Captain　Clark　was　received　with　much　attention；　clean　mats　were　spread　for　him；　and　a　repast　of　fish；　roots；　and　berries　was　set　before　him。　He　noticed　that　the　Clatsops　were　well　dressed　and　clean；　and　that　they　frequently　washed　their　faces　and　hands；　a　ceremony；　he　remarked；　that　is　by　no　means　frequent　among　other　Indians。　　A　high　wind　now　prevailed；　and　as　the　evening　was　stormy；　Captain　Clark　resolved　to　stay　all　night　with　his　hospitable　Clatsops。　　The　narrative　proceeds：

〃The　men　of　the　village　now　collected　and　began　to　gamble。　The　most　common　game　was　one　in　which　one　of　the　company　was　banker；　and　played　against　all　the　rest。　　He　had　a　piece　of　bone；　about　the　size　of　a　large　bean；　and　having　agreed　with　any　individual　as　to　the　value　of　the　stake；　would　pass　the　bone　from　one　hand　to　the　other　with　great　dexterity；　singing　at　the　same　time　to　divert　the　attention　of　his　adversary；　then　holding　it　in　his　hands；　his　antagonist　was　challenged　to　guess　in　which　of　them　the　bone　was；　and　lost　or　won　as　he　pointed　to　the　right　or　wrong　hand。　To　this　game　of　hazard　they　abandoned　themselves　with　great　ardor；　sometimes　everything　they　possess　is　sacrificed　to　it；　and　this　evening　several　of　the　Indians　lost　all　the　beads　which　they　had　with　them。　This　lasted　for　three　hours；　when；　Captain　Clark　appearing　disposed　to　sleep；　the　man　who　had　been　most　attentive；　and　whose　name　was　Cuskalah；　spread　two　new　mats　near　the　fire；　ordered　his　wife　to　retire　to　her　own　bed；　and　the　rest　of　the　company　dispersed　at　the　same　time。　Captain　Clark　then　lay　down；　but　the　violence　with　which　the　fleas　attacked　him　did　not　leave　his　rest　unbroken。〃

Next　morning；　Captain　Clark　walked　along　the　seashore；　and　he　observed　that　the　Indians　were　walking　up　and　down；　examining　the　shore　and　the　margin　of　a　creek　that　emptied　here。　The　narrative　says：

〃He　was　at　a　loss　to　understand　their　object　till　one　of　them　came　to　him；　and　explained　that　they　were　in　search　of　any　fish　which　might　have　been　thrown　on　shore　and　left　by　the　tide；　adding　in　English；　‘sturgeon　is　very　good。'　There　is；　indeed；　every　reason　to　believe　that　these　Clatsops　depend　for　their　subsistence；　during　the　winter；　chiefly　on　the　fish　thus　casually　thrown　on　the　coast。　　After　amusing　himself　for　some　time　on　the　beach；　he　returned　towards　the　village；　and　shot　on　his　way　two　brant。　　As　he　came　near　the　village；　one　of　the　Indians　asked　him　to　shoot　a　duck　about　thirty　steps　distant：　he　did　so；　and；　having　accidentally　shot　off　its　head；　the　bird　was　brought　to　the　village；　when　all　the　Indians　came　round　in　astonishment。　　They　examined　the　duck；　the　musket；　and　the　very　small　bullets；　which　were　a　hundred　to　the　pound；　and　then　exclaimed；　Clouch　musque；　waket；　commatax　musquet：　Good　musket；　do　not　understand　this　kind　of　musket。　They　now　placed　before　him　their　best　roots；　fish；　and　syrup；　after　which　he　attempted　to　purchase　a　sea…otter　skin　with　some　red　beads　which　he　happened　to　have　about　him；　but　they　declined　trading；　as　they　valued　none　except　blue　or　white　beads。　　He　therefore　bought　nothing　but　a　little　berry…bread　and　a　few　roots；　in　exchange　for　fish…hooks；　and　then　set　out　to　return　by　the　same　route　he　had　come。　He　was　accompanied　by　Cuskalah　and　his　brother　as　far　as　the　third　creek；　and　then　proceeded　to　the　camp　through　a　heavy　rain。　The　whole　party　had　been　occupied　during　his　absence　in　cutting　down　trees　to　make　huts；　and　in　hunting。〃

This　was　the　occupation　of　all　hands　for　several　days；　notwithstanding　the　discomfort　of　the　continual　downpour。　Many　of　the　men　were　ill　from　the　effects　of　sleeping　and　living　so　constantly　in　water。　　Under　date　of　December　12；　the　journal　has　this　entry：

〃We　continued　to　work　in　the　rain　at　our　houses。　　In　the　evening　there　arrived　two　canoes　of　Clatsops；　among　whom　was　a　principal　chief；　called　Comowol。　　We　gave　him　a　medal　and　treated　his　companions　with　great　attention；　after　which　we　began　to　bargain　for　a　small　sea…otter　skin；　some　wappatoo…roots；　and　another　species　of　root　called　shanataque。　We　readily　perceived　that　they　were　close　dealers；　stickled　much　for　trifles；　and　never　closed　the　bargain　until　they　thought　they　had　the　advantage。　The　wappatoo　is　dear；　as　they　themselves　are　obliged　to　give　a　high　price　for　it　to　the　Indians　above。　　Blue　beads　are　the　articles　most　in　request；　the　white　occupy　the　next　place　in　their　estimation；　but　they　do　not　value　much　those　of　any　other　color。　　We　succeeded　at　last　in　purchasing　their　whole　cargo　for　a　few　fish…hooks　and　a　small　sack　of　Indian　tobacco；　which　we　had　received　from　the　Shoshonees。〃

The　winter　camp　was　made　up　of　seven　huts；　and；　although　it　was　not　so　carefully　fortified　as　was　the　fort　in　the　Mandan　country　（during　the　previous　winter）；　it　was　so　arranged　that　intruders　could　be　kept　out　when　necessary。　　For　the　roofs　of　these　shelters　they　were　provided　with　〃shakes〃　split　out　from　a　species　of　pine　which　they　called　〃balsam　pine；〃　and　which　gave　them　boards；　or　puncheons；　or　shakes；　ten　feet　long　and　two　feet　wide；　and　not　more　than　an　inch　and　a　half　thick。　By　the　sixteenth　of　December　their　meat…house　was　finished；　and　their　meat；　so　much　of　which　had　been　spoiled　for　lack　of　proper　care；　was　cut　up　in　small　pieces　and　hung　under　cover。　They　had　been　told　by　the　Indians　that　very　little　snow　ever　fell　in　that　region；　and　the　weather；　although　very；　very　wet；　was　mild　and　usually　free　from　frost。　They　did　have　severe　hailstorms　and　a　few　flurries　of　snow　in　December　but　the　rain　was　a　continual　cause　of　discomfort。　Of　the　trading　habits　of　the　Clatsops　the　journal　has　this　to　say：

〃Three　Indians　came　in　a　canoe　with　mats；　roots；　and　the　berries　of　the　sacacommis。　　These　people　proceed　with　a　dexterity　and　finesse　in　their　bargains　which；　if　they　have　not　learned　it　from　their　foreign　visitors；　may　show　how　nearly　allied　is　the　cunning　of　savages　to　the　little　arts　of　traffic。　They　begin　by　asking　double　or　treble　the　value　of　what　they　have　to　sell；　and　lower　their　demand　in　proportion　to　the　greater　or　less　degree　of　ardor　or　knowledge　of　the　purchaser；　who；　with　all　his　management；　is　not　able　to　procure　the　article　for　less　than　its　real　value；　which　the　Indians　perfectly　understand。　Our　chief　medium　of　trade　consists　of　blue　and　white　beads；　files；　with　which　they　sharpen　their　tools；fish…hooks；　and　tobacco；　but　of　all　these　articles　blue　beads　and　tobacco　are　the　most　esteemed。〃

But；　although　their　surroundings　were　not　of　a　sort　to　make　one　very　jolly；　when　Christmas　came　they　observed　the　day　as　well　as　they　could。　Here　is　what　the　journal　says　of　the　holiday：

〃We　were　awaked　at　daylight　by　a　discharge　of　firearms；　which　was　followed　by　a　song　from　the　men；　as　a　compliment　to　us　on　the　return　of　Christmas；　which　we　have　always　been　accustomed　to　observe　as　a　day　of　rejoicing。　After　breakfast　we　divided　our　remaining　stock　of　tobacco；　which　amounted　to　twelve　carrots　＇hands＇；　into　two　parts；　one　of　which　we　distributed　among　such　of　the　party　as　make　use　of　it；　making　a　present　of　a　handkerchief　to　the　others。　The　remainder　of　the　day　was　passed　in　good　spirits；　though　there　was　nothing　in　our　situation　to　excite　muc