At Fort Clatsop
Another dreary
but busy winter was spent in studying the
natives and making other
scientific observations in the neighborhood,
and filling their large note-books with these
interesting data. This
was not the season, however,
for meeting any of the numerous trading
mariners
who frequented the Northwest Coast; thus the letter of credit
which Jefferson had given to Lewis proved of no avail, and
for
several months the explorers were obliged to exercise great
ingenuity in making trinkets with which to obtain
supplies from
the natives, who exhibited an avaricious
temperament.
