Clatsop villagers come to Fort Clatsop to sell berries, fresh whale blubber, and dogs. Lewis finds the latter “an agreeable food”. Three hunters return empty-handed, and two enlisted men are sent to the salt works to fetch long-overdue Pvts. Willard and Weiser.
Fresh Blubber
by Yellowstone Public Radio
Fresh Whale Blubber
we were visited by our near neighbours, Chief or Tiá, Co-mo-wool; alias Conia and six Clatsops [Clatsops]. the[y] brought for sale some roots buries and three dogs also a small quantity of fresh blubber. this blubber they informed us they had obtained from their neighbours the Callamucks [Tillamooks] who inhabit the coast to the S. E. near whose vilage a whale had recently perished. this blubber the Indians eat and esteeme is excellent food.
—Meriwether Lewis
Dog, ‘an Agreeable Food’
our party from necessaty have been obliged to subsist some length of time on dogs have now become extreemly fond of their flesh; it is worthy of remark that while we lived principally on the flesh of this anamal we were much more healthy strong and more fleshey than we had been since we left the Buffaloe country. for my own part I have become so perfectly reconciled to the dog that I think it an agreeable food and would prefer it vastly to lean Venison or Elk.
—Meriwether Lewis
Searching for Willard and Weiser
Sent Sergt. Gass and George shannon to the saltmakers who are somewhere on the coast to the S. W. of us, to enquire after Willard and Wiser who have not yet returned.
—Meriwether Lewis
Counting Birds
a small Crow, the blue crested Corvus and the smaller corvus with a white brest, the little brown ren, a large brown sparrow, the bald Eagle and the beatifull Buzzard of the columbia still continue with us.—
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
aspect of the weather at rise
Wind at Weather at 4 OC. P.M. Wind at 4 OC. P.M. cloudy after rain, hail, thunder & lightning S W cloudy after rain hail fair S. W. the sun visible for a few minutes only. The thunder and lightning of the last evening was violent. a Singular occurrence for the time of year. the loss of my Thermometer I most sincerely regret. I am confident that the climate here is much warmer than in the same parallel of Latitude on the Atlantic tho’ how many degrees is now out of my power to determine. Since our arrival in this neighourhood on the 7th of November, we have experienced one slight white frost only which happened on the morning of the 16th of that month. we have yet seen no ice, and the weather so warm that we are obliged cure our meat with smoke and fire to save it. we lost two parsels by depending on the air to preserve it, tho’ it was cut in very thin slices and sufficiently exposed to the air.
—Meriwether Lewis2
Notes
- Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio.
- To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of the month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.
