Thursday March 20th. 1806.
It continued to rain and blow so violently today that nothing
could be done towards forwarding our departure. we intended
to have Dispatched Drewyer and the two Fieldses to hunt
near the bay on this side of the Cathlahmahs untill we jounded
[joined] them from hence, but the rain rendered our departure
so uncertain that we declined this measure for the present.
nothing remarkable happened during the day. we have yet
several days provision on hand, which we hope will be sufficient
to subsist us during the time we are compelled by the
weather to remain at this place.
Altho' we have not fared sumptuously this winter and spring
at Fort Clatsop, we have lived quite as comfortably as we had
any reason to expect we should; and have accomplished every
object which induced our remaining at this place except that
of meeting with the traders who visit the entrance of this river.
our salt will be very sufficient to last us to the Missouri where
we have a stock in store. it would have been very fortunate for
us had some of those traders arrived previous to our departure
from hence, as we should then have had it in our power to
obtain an addition to our stock of merchandize which would
have made our homeward bound journey much more comfortable.
[5]
many of our men are still complaining of being unwell;
Willard and Bratton remain weak, principally I beleive for the
want of proper food. I expect when we get under way we
shall be much more healthy. it has always had that effect on
us heretofore. The guns of Drewyer and Serg
t. Pryor were
both out of order. the first was repared with a new lock, the
old one having become unfit for uce; the second had the cock
screw broken which was replaced by a duplicate which had
been prepared for the lock at Harpers ferry where she was
manufactured.
[6]
but for the precaution taken in bringing on
those extra locks, and parts of locks, in addition to the ingenuity
of John Shields, most of our guns would at this moment
[have] been untirely unfit for use; but fortunately for us
I have it in my power here to record that they are all in
good order.
[7]
