ad, they
could not abate their industry, for the persistent moisture made it
impossible to keep the meat from spoiling. Other men moved down to the
shore, where they employed themselves in boiling sea-water, to obtain a
supply of salt; and others were busy hobnobbing with the natives,
practicing such wiles as they were masters of, in the effort to obtain
small supplies of edible roots.

The officers were engaged, as at Fort Mandan the previous winter,
bringing up their journals and copying them out, and in collecting data
for a report upon the natural history, ethnology, and trade of the
coast. All were living by chance. Sometimes they had plenty; at other
times they were reduced to extremities. Once they thought themselves
very fortunate in being able to trade for a quantity of whale blubber
which the Indians had taken from a dead carcass washed ashore near by.
Captain Clark wrote that he "thanked providence for driving the whale
to us; and think him much more kind to us than he was to Jonah having
sent this monster to be swallowed by us, in sted of swallowing of us as
jonah's did."

CHAPTER X

HOMEWARD: IN THE MOUNTAINS

Before the end of January, plans were being formed for the homeward
journey. The men were dressing skins and making them into clothing and
moccasins, and curing such meat as they could get, so as to be able to
vary the fish diet of the Columbia. In February Captain Clark completed
a map of the country between Fort Mandan and Fort Clatsop, and sketched
a plan he had conceived for shortening the route from the mountains
east of the Nez Perce villages to the Falls of the Missouri. His
sagacity in this was marvelous; when it came to the point, his plan was
found to be perfectly practicable, cutting off 580 miles from the most
difficult part of the way. He was a born geographer; indeed, his was a
catholic, a cosmopolitan genius.

The greatest cause for uneasiness now lay in the depleted condition of
the stock of merchandise intended for trade. On March 16th, when
preparations for departure were nearing completion, there is this entry
in the journals:--

"All the small merchandise we possess might be tied up in a couple of
handkerchiefs. The rest of our stock in trade consists of six blue
robes, one scarlet ditto, five robes which we have made out of our
large United States flag, a few old clothes trimmed with ribbons, and
one artillerist's uniform coat and hat, which probably Captain Clark