This painting by Charles Russell shows the Corps of Discovery and Chinook Indians in their impressive canoes in the lower Columbia River. The artist took a little artistic licence in giving the Corps fancy canoes similar to the ones the Chinook Indians made. The Corps actually made dugout canoes of inferior quality to those of the Indians. Courtesy of the UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Visit the Photo Place

Native canoes prove superior to the Corps' Series on Web site

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Unlike the Chinookan canoes, the explorers' boats steered poorly and took on water easily. By Bill Speiden

Date published: 2/18/2006

Part 61 of a series

THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY made their own canoes (dugouts) from ponderosa pine or cottonwood trees. With thick walls and bottoms and of green wood, the canoes usually weighed in excess of 5,000 pounds. As a result, the canoes of the Corps steered poorly and took on water readily in rough water.

In contrast, the Chinookan canoes had thinner sides with more pointed bows. Not only was the design of their canoes more sophisticated, but the superior rowing and steering skills of the natives made their craft far more seaworthy.

Fir trees grew fat and tall: With an annual rainfall at the Columbia River estuary ranging from 75 to 90 inches a year, the several species of evergreen trees in the area grew to heights of more than 200 feet, and often measured more than 35 feet in circumference at chest height.

From the Journals, week of Jan. 30, 1806:

JAN. 30: " we are agreeably disappointed in our fuel which is altogether green pine. We had supposed that it burn but illy [poorly], but we have found that by splitting it that it burns very well. The dress of the Clatsops [they] never wear legging[s] or mockersons [as they are] frequently in the water [which] renders those articles inconvient " --Capt. Lewis

JAN. 31: "Sent a party of eight men up the river this morning to renew their surch [search] for the Elk found the river so obstructed with ice [they were] obliged to return. Joseph Fields arrived this morning had been hunting with Gipson and Willard for five days to obtain meat for Salt makers unsuccessful until yesterday killed two Elk " --Capt. Lewis

To see the entire "Lewis and Clark This Week" series on The Free Lance-Star's Web site, visit fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/ Projects/2005/ lewis_and_clark.

Date published: 2/18/2006