d,
although they depend for subsistence on the scanty productions of the
fishery. But our men who are used to hardships, but have been accustomed
to have the first wants of nature regularly supplied, feel very sensibly
their wretched situation; their strength is wasting away; they begin to
express their apprehensions of being without food in a country perfectly
destitute of any means of supporting life, except a few fish. In the
course of the day an Indian brought into the camp five salmon, two of
which captain Clarke bought, and made a supper for the party.

Wednesday 28. There was a frost again this morning. The Indians gave
the party two salmon out of several which they caught in their traps,
and having purchased two more, the party was enabled to subsist on them
during the day. A camp of about forty Indians from the west fork passed
us to-day, on their route to the eastward. Our prospect of provisions is
getting worse every day: the hunters who had ranged through the country
in every direction where game might be reasonably expected, have seen
nothing. The fishery is scarcely more productive, for an Indian who was
out all day with his gig killed only one salmon. Besides the four fish
procured from the Indians, captain Clarke obtained some fishroe in
exchange for three small fish-hooks, the use of which he taught them,
and which they very readily comprehended. All the men who are not
engaged in hunting, are occupied in making pack-saddles for the horses
which captain Lewis informed us he had bought.

August 20. Two hunters were despatched early in the morning, but they
returned without killing any thing, and the only game we procured was a
beaver, who was caught last night in a trap which he carried off two
miles before he was found. The fur of this animal is as good as any we
have ever seen, nor does it in fact appear to be ever out of season on
the upper branches of the Missouri. This beaver, with several dozen of
fine trout, gave us a plentiful subsistence for the day. The party were
occupied chiefly in making pack-saddles, in the manufacture of which we
supply the place of nails and boards, by substituting for the first
thongs of raw hide, which answer very well; and for boards we use the
handles of our oars, and the plank of some boxes, the contents of which
we empty into sacks of raw hides made for the purpose. The Indians who
visit us behave with the greatest decorum, and the women are busily
engaged in makin