[Lewis:]
Sunday March 23rd 1806.
Half after 9 A.M. Colter arrived, having killed one Elk,
but so distant that we could not send for the meat and get
arround Point William today, we therefore prefered seting out
and depending on Drewyer and the hunters we have sent forward
for meat. the wind is pretty high but it seems to be the
common opinion that we can pass point William. we accordingly
distributed the baggage and directed the canoes to be
launched and loaded for our departure. at 1 P.M. we bid a
final adieu to Fort Clatsop. we had not proceeded more than
a mile before we met Delashelwilt and a party of 20 Chinnooks
men and women. this Cheif lea[r]ning that we were in want
of a canoe some days past, had brought us one for sale, but
being already supplyed, we did not purchase it. I obtained
one Sea Otter skin from this party. at a 1/4 before three we had
passed Meriwethers bay and commence
d coasting the difficult
shore; at 1/2 after five we doubled point William, and at 6.
arrived in the mouth of a small creek
[10]
where we found our
hunters. they had killed 2 Elk, at the distance of a mile & 1/2.
it was too late to send after it this evening. we therefore encamped
on the Star
d. side of the Creek. the wind was not very
hard.
