[Lewis:]
Monday (Sunday) January 12th. 1806.
The men who were sent in surch of the canoe returned without
being able to find her, we therefore give her over as lost.
This morning sent out Drewyer and one man to hunt, they
returned in the evening, Drewyer having killed seven Elk; I
scarcely know how we should subsist were it not for the
exertions of this excellent hunter. At 2.P.M. the ballance of
the party who had been left by Capt. C. arrived; about the
same time the two hunters [also arrived] who had been dispatched
by Capt. C. for the purpose of hunting, [on the 9th. inst.]
they had killed nothing. We have heretofore usually divided
the meat when first killed among the four messes into which
we have divided our party leaving to each the care of preserving
and the discretion of using it, but we find that they make
such prodigal use of it when they hapen to have a tolerable
stock on hand that we have determined to adapt a different
system with our present stock of seven Elk; this is to jirk it &
issue to them in small quantities
