[Clark:]
Sunday the 12th. of January 1806
This morning Sent out Drewyer and one man to hunt,
they returned in the evening Drewyer haveing killed 7 Elk; I
scercely know how we Should Subsist, I beleive but badly if it
was not for the exertions of this excellent hunter; maney
others also exert themselves, but not being accquainted with the
best method of finding and killing the elk and no other wild
animals is to be found in this quarter, they are unsucksessfull
in their exertions. at 2 P.M. Serg
t. Gass and the men I left to
assist the salt makers in carrying in their meat arrived also the
hunters which I directed to hunt in the point, they killed
nothing. We have heretofore devided the Meat when first
killed among the four messes, into which we have divided our
party, leaveing to each the care of preserving and distribution
of useing it; but we find that they make such prodigal use of
it when they happen to have a tolerable Stock on hand, that we
are determined to adopt a Different System with our present
stock of Seven Elk; this is to jurk it and issue it to them in
Small quantities.
