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pt　blue　or　white　beads。　　He　therefore　bought　nothing　but　a　little　berry…bread　and　a　few　roots；　in　exchange　for　fish…hooks；　and　then　set　out　to　return　by　the　same　route　he　had　come。　He　was　accompanied　by　Cuskalah　and　his　brother　as　far　as　the　third　creek；　and　then　proceeded　to　the　camp　through　a　heavy　rain。　The　whole　party　had　been　occupied　during　his　absence　in　cutting　down　trees　to　make　huts；　and　in　hunting。〃

This　was　the　occupation　of　all　hands　for　several　days；　notwithstanding　the　discomfort　of　the　continual　downpour。　Many　of　the　men　were　ill　from　the　effects　of　sleeping　and　living　so　constantly　in　water。　　Under　date　of　December　12；　the　journal　has　this　entry：

〃We　continued　to　work　in　the　rain　at　our　houses。　　In　the　evening　there　arrived　two　canoes　of　Clatsops；　among　whom　was　a　principal　chief；　called　Comowol。　　We　gave　him　a　medal　and　treated　his　companions　with　great　attention；　after　which　we　began　to　bargain　for　a　small　sea…otter　skin；　some　wappatoo…roots；　and　another　species　of　root　called　shanataque。　We　readily　perceived　that　they　were　close　dealers；　stickled　much　for　trifles；　and　never　closed　the　bargain　until　they　thought　they　had　the　advantage。　The　wappatoo　is　dear；　as　they　themselves　are　obliged　to　give　a　high　price　for　it　to　the　Indians　above。　　Blue　beads　are　the　articles　most　in　request；　the　white　occupy　the　next　place　in　their　estimation；　but　they　do　not　value　much　those　of　any　other　color。　　We　succeeded　at　last　in　purchasing　their　whole　cargo　for　a　few　fish…hooks　and　a　small　sack　of　Indian　tobacco；　which　we　had　received　from　the　Shoshonees。〃

The　winter　camp　was　made　up　of　seven　huts；　and；　although　it　was　not　so　carefully　fortified　as　was　the　fort　in　the　Mandan　country　（during　the　previous　winter）；　it　was　so　arranged　that　intruders　could　be　kept　out　when　necessary。　　For　the　roofs　of　these　shelters　they　were　provided　with　〃shakes〃　split　out　from　a　species　of　pine　which　they　called　〃balsam　pine；〃　and　which　gave　them　boards；　or　puncheons；　or　shakes；　ten　feet　long　and　two　feet　wide；　and　not　more　than　an　inch　and　a　half　thick。　By　the　sixteenth　of　December　their　meat…house　was　finished；　and　their　meat；　so　much　of　which　had　been　spoiled　for　lack　of　proper　care；　was　cut　up　in　small　pieces　and　hung　under　cover。　They　had　been　told　by　the　Indians　that　very　little　snow　ever　fell　in　that　region；　and　the　weather；　although　very；　very　wet；　was　mild　and　usually　free　from　frost。　They　did　have　severe　hailstorms　and　a　few　flurries　of　snow　in　December　but　the　rain　was　a　continual　cause　of　discomfort。　Of　the　trading　habits　of　the　Clatsops　the　journal　has　this　to　say：

〃Three　Indians　came　in　a　canoe　with　mats；　roots；　and　the　berries　of　the　sacacommis。　　These　people　proceed　with　a　dexterity　and　finesse　in　their　bargains　which；　if　they　have　not　learned　it　from　their　foreign　visitors；　may　show　how　nearly　allied　is　the　cunning　of　savages　to　the　little　arts　of　traffic。　They　begin　by　asking　double　or　treble　the　value　of　what　they　have　to　sell；　and　lower　their　demand　in　proportion　to　the　greater　or　less　degree　of　ardor　or　knowledge　of　the　purchaser；　who；　with　all　his　management；　is　not　able　to　procure　the　article　for　less　than　its　real　value；　which　the　Indians　perfectly　understand。　Our　chief　medium　of　trade　consists　of　blue　and　white　beads；　files；　with　which　they　sharpen　their　tools；fish…hooks；　and　tobacco；　but　of　all　these　articles　blue　beads　and　tobacco　are　the　most　esteemed。〃

But；　although　their　surroundings　were　not　of　a　sort　to　make　one　very　jolly；　when　Christmas　came　they　observed　the　day　as　well　as　they　could。　Here　is　what　the　journal　says　of　the　holiday：

〃We　were　awaked　at　daylight　by　a　discharge　of　firearms；　which　was　followed　by　a　song　from　the　men；　as　a　compliment　to　us　on　the　return　of　Christmas；　which　we　have　always　been　accustomed　to　observe　as　a　day　of　rejoicing。　After　breakfast　we　divided　our　remaining　stock　of　tobacco；　which　amounted　to　twelve　carrots　＇hands＇；　into　two　parts；　one　of　which　we　distributed　among　such　of　the　party　as　make　use　of　it；　making　a　present　of　a　handkerchief　to　the　others。　The　remainder　of　the　day　was　passed　in　good　spirits；　though　there　was　nothing　in　our　situation　to　excite　much　gayety。　The　rain　confined　us　to　the　house；　and　our　only　luxuries　in　honor　of　the　season　were　some　poor　elk；　so　much　spoiled　that　we　ate　it　through　sheer　necessity；　a　few　roots；　and　some　spoiled　pounded　fish。

〃The　next　day　brought　a　continuation　of　rain；　accompanied　with　thunder；　and　a　high　wind　from　the　southeast。　　We　were　therefore　obliged　to　still　remain　in　our　huts；　and　endeavored　to　dry　our　wet　articles　before　the　fire。　The　fleas；　which　annoyed　us　near　the　portage　of　the　Great　Falls；　have　taken　such　possession　of　our　clothes　that　we　are　obliged　to　have　a　regular　search　every　day　through　our　blankets　as　a　necessary　preliminary　to　sleeping　at　night。　　These　animals；　indeed；　are　so　numerous　that　they　are　almost　a　calamity　to　the　Indians　of　this　country。　When　they　have　once　obtained　the　mastery　of　any　house　it　is　impossible　to　expel　them；　and　the　Indians　have　frequently　different　houses；　to　which　they　resort　occasionally　when　the　fleas　have　rendered　their　permanent　residence　intolerable；　yet；　in　spite　of　these　precautions；　every　Indian　is　constantly　attended　by　multitudes　of　them；　and　no　one　comes　into　our　house　without　leaving　behind　him　swarms　of　these　tormenting　insects。〃

Although　the　condition　of　the　exploring　party　was　low；　the　men　did　not　require　very　much　to　put　them　in　good　spirits。　The　important　and　happy　event　of　finishing　their　fort　and　the　noting　of　good　weather　are　thus　set　forth　in　the　journal　under　date　of　December　30：

〃Toward　evening　the　hunters　brought　in　four　elk　＇which　Drewyer　had　killed＇；　and　after　a　long　course　of　abstinence　and　miserable　diet；　we　had　a　most　sumptuous　supper　of　elk's　tongues　and　marrow。　Besides　this　agreeable　repast；　the　state　of　the　weather　was　quite　exhilarating。　　It　had　rained　during　the　night；　but　in　the　morning；　though　the　high　wind　continued；　we　enjoyed　the　fairest　and　most　pleasant　weather　since　our　arrival；　the　sun　having　shone　at　intervals；　and　there　being　only　three　showers　in　the　course　of　the　day。　By　sunset　we　had　completed　the　fortification；　and　now　announced　to　the　Indians　that　every　day　at　that　hour　the　gates　would　be　closed；　and　they　must　leave　the　fort　and　not　enter　it　till　sunrise。　The　Wahkiacums　who　remained　with　us；　and　who　were　very　forward　in　their　deportment；　complied　very　reluctantly　with　this　order；　but；　being　excluded　from　our　houses；　formed　a　camp　near　us。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

〃January　1；　1806。　　We　were　awaked　at　an　early　hour　by　the　discharge　of　a　volley　of　small　arms；　to　salute　the　new　year。　This　was　the　only　mode　of　commemorating　the　day　which　our　situation　permitted；　for；　though　we　had　reason　to　be　gayer　than　we　were　at　Christmas；　our　only　dainties　were　boiled　elk　and　wappatoo；　enlivened　by　draughts　of　pure　water。　　We　were　visited　by　a　few　Clatsops；　who　came　by　water；　bringing　roots　and　berries　for　sale。　Among　this　nation　we　observed　a　man　about　twenty…five　years　old；　of　a　much　lighter　complexion　than　the　Indians　generally：　　his　face　was　even　freckled；　and　his　hair　long；　and　of　a　colour　inclining　to　red。　He　was　in　habits　and　manners　perfectly　Indian；　but；　though　he　did　not　speak　a　word　of　English；　he　seemed　to　understand　more　than　the　others　of　his　party；　and；　as　we　could　obtain　no　account　of　his　origin；　we　concluded　that　one　of　his　parents；　at　least；　must　have　been　white。〃

A　novel　addition　to　their　bill　of　fare　was　fresh　blubber；　or　fat；　from　a　stranded　whale。　　Under　date　of　January　3　the　journal　says：

〃At　eleven　o'clock　we　were　visited　by　our　neighbor；　the　Tia　or　chief；　Comowool；　who　is　also　called　Coone；　and　six　Clatsops。　　Besides　roots　and　berries；　they　brought　for　sale　three　dogs；　and　some　fresh　blubber。　Having　been　so　long　accustomed　to　live　on　the　flesh　of　dogs；　the　greater　part　of　us　have　acquired　a　fondness　for　it；　and　our　original　aversion　for　it　is　overcome；　by　reflecting　that　while　we　subsisted　on　that　food　we　were　fatter；　stronger；　and　in　general　enjoyed　better　health　than　at　any　period　since　leaving　the　buffalo　country；　eastward　of　the　mountains。　The　blubber；　which　is　esteemed　by　the　Indians　an　excellent　food；　has　been　obtained；　they　tell　us；　from　their　neighbors；　the　Killamucks；　a　nation　who　live　on　the　seacoast　to　the　southeast；　near　one　of　whose　villages　a　whale　had　recently　been　thrown　and　foundered。〃

Five　men　had　been　sent　out　to　form　a　camp　on　the　seashore　and　go　into　the　manufacture　of　salt　as　expeditiously　as　possible。　On　the　fifth　of　January；　two　of　them　came　into　the　fort　bringing　a　gallon　of　salt；　which　was　decided　to　be　〃white；　fine　and　very　good；〃　and　a　very　agreeable　addition　to　their　food；　which　had　been　eaten　perfectly　fresh　for　some　weeks　past。　Captain　Clark；　however；　said　it　was　a　〃mere　matter　of　indifference〃　to　him　whether　he　had　salt　or　not；　but　he　hankered　for　bread。　Captain　Lewis；　on　the　other　hand；　said　the　lack　of　salt　was　a　great　inconvenience；　〃the　want　of　bread　I　consider　trivial；〃　was　his　dictum。　　It　was　estimated　that　the　salt…makers　could　turn　out　three　or　four　quarts　a　day；　and　there　was　good　prospect　of　an　abundant　supply　for　present　needs　and　for　the　homeward　journey。　An　expedition　to　the　se