Alexander Ross visited the Cowlitz area in 1811, the same year of the Franchere party visit. He reported that the trappers received permission from Chief How-How to trap on the Cowlitz River, but these trappers soon became aggressors killing Cowlitz and were therefore repulsed from the taking of other furs.
In the following year, 1812, Robert Stuart, who had been a member of Franchere’s party the year before, returned to the Cowlitz. He reported that the Cowlitz were peaceably inclined, and not so thievishly disposed as those on the coast, but, he said, the Cowlitz demeanor is somewhat haughty and insolent. Stuart hoped to trade with the Cowlitz for beaver, "But from my being able to barter only 260 skins among the Le Cowlitsick (Cowlitz) Nation of 250 men I am led to believe them totally ignorant of the mode of taking them." This was possibly the first large scale contact throughout the tribe with a white man. It is important to note that the use of the beaver was evidently not a natural part of our Cowlitz culture.
In 1814, Alexander Henry reported that the natives of the "Kowlitch" River had a great number of beaver hides, but did not want to come to the mouth of the Columbia to trade because they were not on good terms with the coastal Indians. He also noted that they had a large number of horses which they used in hunting deer, and that there was no fishery during February and March, subsisting during this time mostly on roots and dried salmon.
Chinook Jargon phrase for the week: "Okoke kloshe muckamuck," meaning, "That good food."
Next week: Simon Plamondon