Friday January 3d. 1806
At 11. A.M. we were visited by our near neighbours, Cheif
or Tiá. Co-mo-wool, alias Conia and six Clatsops. the[y]
brought for sale some roots buries and three dogs also a small
quantity of fresh blubber. this blubber they informed us they
had obtained from their neighbours the Callamucks[38]
who inhabit
the coast to the S.E. near whose vilage a whale had
recently perished. this blubber the Indians eat and esteeme
it excellent food. our party from necessaty having been
obliged to subsist some lenth of time on dogs have now become
extreemly fond of their flesh; it is worthy of remark
that while we lived principally on the flesh of this anamal we
were much more healthy strong and more fleshey than we had
been since we left the Buffaloe country. for my own part I
have become so perfectly reconciled to the dog that I think
it an agreeable food and would prefer it vastly to lean Venison
or Elk. a small Crow, the blue crested Corvus and the smaller
corvus with a white brest, the little brown ren, a large brown
sparrow, the bald Eagle and the beatifull Buzzard of the columbia
still continue with us. Sent Serg
t. Gass and George
shannon to the saltmakers who are somewhere on the coast
to the S.W. of us,
[39]
to enquire after Willard and Wiser who
have not yet returned. Reubin Fields Collins and Pots the
hunters who set out on the 26
th [28
th] Ult
o. returned this evening
after dark. they reported that they had been about 15
Miles up the river at the head of the bay just below us and
had hunted the country from thence down on the East side
of the river, even to a considerable distance from it and had
proved unsuccessfull having killed one deer and a few fowls,
barely as much as subsisted them. this reminded us of the
necessity of taking time by the forelock, and keep out several
parties while we have yet a little meat beforehand. I gave
the Chief Comowooll a pare of sattin breechies with which he
appeared much pleased.
