University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Sunday January 5th. 1806.

At 5.P.M. Willard and Wiser returned, they had not been
lost as we apprehended. they informed us that it was not untill
the fifth day after leaving the Fort that they could find a convenient
place for making salt; that they had at length established
themselves on the coast about 15 Miles S.W. from this,
near the lodge of some Killamuck families; that the Indians
were very friendly and had given them a considerable quantity
of the blubber of a whale which perished on the coast some
distance S.E. of them; part of this blubber they brought with
them, it was white & not unlike the fat of Poork, tho' the
texture was more spongey and somewhat coarser. I had a

part of it cooked and found it very pallitable and tender, it
resembled the beaver or the dog in flavour. it may appear
somewhat extraordinary tho' it is a fact that the flesh of the
beaver and dog possess a very great affinity in point of flavour.
These lads also informed us that J. Fields, Bratton and Gibson
(the Salt Makers) had with their assistance erected a comfortable
camp killed an Elk and several deer and secured a good
stock of meat; they commenced the making of salt and found
that they could obtain from 3 quarts to a gallon a day; they
brought with them a specemine of the salt of about a gallon,
we found it excellent, fine, strong, & white; this was a great
treat to myself and most of the party, having not had any since
the 20th. Ultmo.; I say most of the party, for my friend Capt.
Clark. declares it to be a mear matter of indifference with him
whether he uses it or not; for myself I must confess I felt a
considerable inconvenience from the want of it; the want of
bread I consider as trivial provided, I get fat meat, for as to
the species of meat I am not very particular, the flesh of the
dog the horse and the wolf, having from habit become equally
formiliar with any other, and I have learned to think that if
the chord be sufficiently strong, which binds the soul and
boddy together, it dose not so much matter about the materials
which compose it. Colter also returned this evening unsuccessfull
from the chase, having been absent since the 1st. Inst. Capt.
Clark determined this evening to set out early tomorrow with
two canoes and 12 men in quest of the whale, or at all events
to purchase from the Indians a parcel of the blubber, for this
purpose he prepared a small assortment of merchandize to take
with him.