The Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis selected a place of high ground on a river that fed into the Columbia. They built on fort at this spot a few miles up river and about four miles east of the ocean. Tall evergreen trees sheltered it from the wind and rain. There were plenty of elk too. Once camp was established Clark blazed a trail to the ocean. The Clatsop Indians gave them fish, berries, and roots.

The fort would eventually have seven buildings, a parade ground, and an enclosing wall. It was named Fort Clatsop, in honor of the Indians that had helped them. Three cabins were used by the enlisted men. The buildings had fireplaces with chimneys. Charbonneau, Sacajawea and their infant son Pomp lived in a hut. Another building was occupied by the sergeant of the guard and Clark’s servant York.

Five men went to the ocean to boil seawater to extract salt. There were fresh water, game, firewood, and friendly Indians there. After the first of the year the salt making party sent back some blubber from a beached whale that they had found. Clark took some men to the coast to see the huge mammal. By the time they reached the whale, the Tillamook Indians had already stripped it of everything useful and only the skeleton remained. However, Clark was able to trade for a few gallons of oil and three hundred pounds of blubber.

Since they were vastly outnumbered by the Indians, Lewis and Clark made a few rules to ensure peace. They ruled that all men would treat the natives fairly and that they would not assault an Indian unless it was in self-defense. Privates would announce the arrival of Indian parties. Indians would not be allowed inside the fort after sunset. After a while, the white men hunted all the game immediately available in the area and had to venture further and further away to get it. Fortunately Chief Coboway of the Clatsops often traded the white men for fish, whale blubber, roots, berries, and other wild fruits.

All during the winter Lewis took careful notes about the flora and fauna, geography, and ecology. He described how the Indians used plants for food, clothing, and tools. He noted how the western red cedar provided everything for the Chinook Indians. His descriptions of the Indian customs were especially important because within two decades the tribe would be wiped out by malaria. He used such

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