[Lewis:]
Sunday (Saturday) January 11th. 1806.
Sent a party early this morning for the Elk which was killed
on the 9th. they returned with it in the evening; Drewyer and
Collins also returned without having killed anything. this
morning the Sergt. of the guard reported the absence of our
Indian Canoe, on enquiry we found that those who came in it
last evening had been negligent in securing her and the tide in
the course of the night had taken her off; we sent a party
down to the bay in surch of her, they returned unsuccessfull,
the party also who went up the river and Creek in quest of the
meat were ordered to lookout for her but were equally unsuccessfull;
we ordered a party to resume their resurches for her,
early tomorrow; this will be a very considerable loss to us if
we do not recover her; she is so light that four men can carry
her on their sholders a mile or more without resting; and will
carry three men and from 12 to 15 hundred lb8. the Cuthlâhmâhs
left us this evening on their way to the C[l]atsops, to whom
they purpose bartering their wappetoe for the blubber and oil
of the whale, which the latter purchase for beads &c. from the
Killamucks; in this manner there is a trade continually carryed
on by the natives of the river each trading some article or
other with their neighbours above and below them; and thus
articles which are vended by the whites at the entrance of this
river, find their way to the most distant nations enhabiting it's
waters.
