part I

have not become reconsiled to the taste of this animal as yet. a

Small Crow, the blue Crested Corvus and the Smaller Corvus with a white breast, the little brown ren, and a large brown Sparrow, the bald Eagle, and the butifull Buzzard of the Columbia Still Continue with us, Send Sarjt. Gass and G. Shannon to the Salt makers who are on the Sea Coast to the S, W. of us, to enquire after Willard & Wiser who have not yet returned. R. Field, potts & Collins the hunters who Set out on the 28th ulto. returned this evening after dark. they reported that they had been about 15 miles up the river which falls into Meriwethers Bay to the East of us, and had hunted the Country a considerable distance to East, and had proved unsucksesfull haveing killed one Deer and a fiew fowls, bearly as much as Subsisted them. this reminded us of the necessity of takeing time by the forelock, and keep out Several parties while we have yet a little meat beforehand. Capt Lewis gave the Cheif Cania a par of Sattin breechies with which he appeared much pleased.

[Lewis, January 4, 1806] Saturday January 4th 1806. Comowooll and the Clatsops who visited us yesterday left us in the evening. These people the Chinnooks and others residing in this neighbourhood and speaking the same language have been very friendly to us; they appear to be a mild inoffensive people but will pilfer if they have an opportuny to do so where they conceive themselves not liable to detection. they are great higlers in trade and if they conceive you anxious to purchase will be a whole day bargaining for a handfull of roots; this I should have thought proceeded from their want of knowledge of the comparitive value of articles of merchandize and the fear of being cheated, did I not find that they invariably refuse the price first offered them and afterwards very frequently accept a smaller quantity of the same article; in order to satisfy myself on this subject I once offered a Chinnook my watch two knives and a considerable quantity of beads for a small inferior sea Otter's skin which I did not much want, he immediately conceived it of great value, and refused to barter except I would double the quantity of beads; the next day with a great deal of importunity on his