Monday February 3rd 1806
About 3 oclock Drewyer & LaPage returned. Drewyer
had killed seven Elk in the point below us several miles distant,
but can be approached within 3/4 of a mile with Canoes by
means of a small Creak which discharges itself into the Bay, on
this Sid[e] of the Clatsop Village. Directed Serjt. Pryor to go
in quest of the meat, the winds was so high that they were
unable to set out untill a little before sunset, when they departed;
at 10 P. M. they returned excessively cold and informed
us that they could not make land on this side of the
bay or get into the creek in consequence of the tides being out
and much lower than usial. we are apprehensive that the
Clatsops knowing where the meat is, will rob us of a part if
not the whole of it. at half after 4 P. M. Sergt. Gass returned
with his party they brought with them the flesh of 4 other
Elk which the hunters had found, being part of the 10 which
were killed up the Netul river the other day. He left Ro.
Field, Shannon & Labiesh to continue the hunt, and made an
appointment to return to them on friday. late in the evening
the four men who had been sent to assist the saltmakers in
transporting meat which they had killed to their camp also
returned, and brought with them all the salt which had been
made, consisting of about one bushel only. with the means
we have of boiling the salt water we find it a very tegious opperation
that of makeing salt, notwithstanding the kittles are kept
boiling day and night, we calculate on three bushels lasting
us from here to our deposit of that article on the Missouri.
