Bay of Trade

On January 13th, 1806, Meriwether Lewis wrote:

The traders usually arrive in this quarter, as has been before observed, in the month of April, and remain untill October; when here they lay at anchor in a bay within Cape Disappointment' on the N. side of the river; here they are visited by the natives in their canoes who run along side and barter their comodities with them, their being no houses or fortification on shore for that purpose. the nations who repare thither are fist, those of the sea coast S. E. of the entrance of the river, who reside in the order in which their names are mentioned, begining at the entrance of the river (viz) The Clatsop, Killamuck, Ne-cost, Nat-ti, Nat-chies, Tarl-che, E-slitch, You-cone and So-see. secondly those inhabiting the N. W. coast begining at the entrance of the river and mentioned in the same order; the Chinnook and Chiltch the latter very numerous; and thirdly the Cath-lah-mah, and Skil-lutes, the latter numerous and inhabiting the river from a few miles above the marshey Islands, where the Cuth-lāhmāhs cease, to the grand rappids. These last may be esteemed the principal carryers or intermediate traders betwen the whites and the Indians of the Sea Coast, and the E-ne-shurs, the E-chee-lutes, and the Chil-luck-kit-te quaws, who inhabit the river above, to the grand falls inclusive, and who prepare most of the pounded fish which is brought to market. The bay in which this trade is carryed on is spacious and commodious, and perfectly secure from all except the S. and S. E. winds, these however are the most prevalent and strong winds in the Winter season.S fresh water and wood are very convenient and excellent timber for refiting and reparing vessels. (Lewis, from Moulton V.6, 201)

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