Fort Clatsop

February 8, 1806

" Sent Sergt. Ordway and two men this morning to join the party with Sergt. Gass and bring the ballance of R. Field's Elk.  in the evening they returned with the balance of the flesh of five Elk, that of one of them having become tainted and unfit for uce.  late in the evening Sergt. Pryor returned with Shanon Labuish and his party down the Netul.  they brought wit them the flesh of 4 Elk which those two hunters had killed.  we have both dined and suped on Elk's tongues and marrow bones."  Lewis

February 9, 1806

" in the course of the day we had sometimes sunshine, and sometimes showers of rain. One of our hunters caught a beaver, and saw one black bear, which is the only one which has been seen in this neighbourhood since our arrival; the Indians inform us that they are abundant but are now in their holes."  Lewis

February 10, 1806

" Willard arrived late in the evening from the Salt works, had cut his knee badly with his tommahawk.  he had killed four Elk not far from the Salt work the day before yesterday, which he had butched and took a part of the meat to camp, but haveing cut his knee was unable to be longer ucefull at the works and had returned.  he informed us that Bratton was very unwell, and that Gibson was so sick that he could not set up or walk alone and had desired him to ask us to have him brought to the Fort."  Lewis


February 11, 1806

"sent Sergt Pryor with a party of four men to bring Gibson to the fort.  also sent Colter and Wiser to the Salt works to carry on the business with Joseph Fields; as Bratton had been sick we desired him to return to the Fort also if he thought proper; however in the event of his not coming Wiser was directed to return."  Lewis

February 12, 1806

"This morning we were visited by a Clatsop man who brought with him three dogs as a remuneration for the Elk which himself and Nation took from us some little time sence, however the dogs took alarm and ran off."  Clark

February 13, 1806

" yesterday we completed the operation of drying the meat, and think we have a sufficient stock to last us this month.  the Indians inform us that we shall have great abundance of a small fish in March which from their discription must be the herring.  these people have also informed us that one More* who sometimes touches at this place and trades with the natives of this coast, had on board of his vessel three Cows, and that when he left them he continued his course along the N.W. coast.  I think this strong circumstancial proof that there is a settlement of white persons at Nooka sound or some point to the N.W. of us on the coast**. "   Lewis

one More*  - Possibly Captain Hugh Moore

on the coast** -  There seems to have been no permanent European settlement between California and Alaska at this time, but trading ships did winter at Nootka Sound, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  Moore's cows, or goats, may have been intended to enhance the comfort of such a stay.  A good permanent base for trading vessels was provided by the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii); of this fact Lewis seems to have been ignorant, though he deduced its existence somewhere in the Pacific. 

February 14, 1806

"We are very uneasy with respect to our Sick men at the Salt works.  Serjt. Pryor and party haveing not yet returneded, nor can we conceive what can be the Cause of their delay.  Drewyer visited his traps & to day and Cought a fine fat beaver on which we feasted this evening and thought it a great delecessey -
I completed a map of the Countrey through which we have been passing from the Mississippi at the Mouth of Missouri to this place. We now discover that we have found the most practicable navigable passage across the Continent of North America."  Clark