Building and occupying Fort Clatsop — Patrick Gass: December 7, 1805

had a fine clear morning. We put our canoes into the water,
loaded them, and started for our intended wintering place.
We coasted down the south side about a mile, and then met
with the six men, who had gone for meat. They had brought
4 of the skins but no meat, the distance being great and the
weather very bad. The swells being too high here to land we
184 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
went two miles further and took the men in. We then pro-
ceeded round the bay until we came to the mouth of a river
about 100 yards broad, which we went up about 2 miles to the
place fixed upon for winter quarters, unloaded our canoes,
and carried our baggage about 200 yards to a spring, where
we encamped.