Frederick Van Voorhies Holman

“ Elk meat is good but it becomes almost distasteful when eaten three times a day . There was an agreeable change when there was a chance to get some blubber from a whale . In the first week of January , 1806 , Lewis and Clark learned that a whale had come ashore south of Tillamook Head .
January 6 , 1806 , Clark , with a small party , started for the place where the whale had come ashore . With them was Sacajawea — the Bird Woman — who was the wife of Cha baneau , an interpreter of the Expedition , and the only woman in the party . ”

“ They returned south along the beach to where the clay bluff is situated , where they had luncheon , and then went east along the foot of the hills until they came to Whealdon or Black Lake , and thence along the low land to where the Town of Ilwaco is now situated . Thence they went along the shore of the bay to Wallacut River , and rejoined the rest of the Expedition near the Chinook village . The weather was stormy and rainy , and the Indians told them there were more elk and deer on the south side of the Columbia River than on the north side . ”

“ Although the Expedition had many severe hardships at Fort Clatsop , Lewis and Clark were good sportsmen and explorers , and in his Journal , under date of March 20 , 1806 , Lewis wrote : “ Altho ' we have not fared sumptuously this winter and spring at Fort Clatsop , we have lived quite as comfortably as we had any reason to expect we should ; and have accom plished every object which induced our remaining at this place except that of meeting with the traders who visit the entrance of this river. Our salt will be very sufficient to last us to the Missouri , where we have a stock in store . ”

“ They also made clothing out of elk skins for the Expedition and a great many pairs of moccasins . The elk buckskin is much better than the deer buckskin , for it is thicker and more durable . The Expedition was frequently visited by Indians . Among other Indians was the Chief of the Clatsop Indians . His real name was Coboway , but both Lewis and Clark in their Journals wrote his name as “ Commonwol .” As an inspection of the original Journals shows , Lewis and Clark were not only intrepid explorers , but also " fierce ” spell ers . ”

“ It is greatly to be re gretted that not only this magnificent tree , but this grove of spruce trees , have ceased to exist . I think it may be safely said that this tree was the largest tree in Oregon . SALT CAIRN OR SALT MAKERS ' CAMP One reason why Lewis and Clark located at Fort Clat sop was that , in addition to affording access to the Colum bia River by canoes , the fort was near to the Pacific Ocean , where salt could be made from the ocean water . ”

“ White people have a craving for salt , but the Indians of the Paci fic Northwest apparently did not care for salt , getting their supply from the wild animals and fish they ate . There were no deposits of salt or salt springs near the mouth of the Columbia River . ”

“ A mile or two from Fort Clatsop the Lewis and Clark River above i t s estuary i s really a creek . Near this creek was a magnificent grove o f spruce trees , most o f them more than ten feet i n diameter and covering possibly 100 acres . In this grove was a magnificent spruce tree o f a n estimated height o f about 400 feet and o f a large diameter . Lewis i n his Journal says i t was 4 0 feet i n circumference , a t a height “ a s high a s a tall man could reach which was about the cir cumpherence for a t least 200 feet " . ”

“ States b y Sea , particularly a s we shall b e necessarily devided into two o r three parties o n our return i n order t o accomplish the Ob ject we have i n View
and a t any rate we shall reach the U. States i n all humain probability much earlier than a man could who must i n the event o f his being left here depend for his passage t o the U . State [ s ] o n the traders o f this coast , who may not return imediately t o the U . ”