one of our hunters Sent out Several days arived & informs that one Man (Whitehouse) is frost bit and Can't walk home—

Lewis: Observed an Eclips of the Moon. I had no other glass to assist me in
this observation but a small refracting telescope belonging to my sextant, which however was of considerable service, as it enabled me to define the edge of the moon's immage with much more precision that I could have done with the
natural eye. The commencement of the eclips was obscured by clouds, which continued to interrupt me throughout the whole observation; to this cause is also attributable the inacuracy of the observation of the commencement of total darkness. I do not put much confidence in the observation of the middle of the Eclips, as it is the wo[r]st point of the eclips to distinguish with accuracy. The two last observations (i. e.) the end of total darkness, and the end of the eclips, were more satisfactory; they are as accurate as the circumstances under which
I laboured would permit me to make them.—

Ordway: Sergt & 5 men went out hunting this morning to Stay out Several days. G. Shannon came in this evening and informed us that Whitehouse had his feet frost bit & could not come in without a horse Shannon & Collins killed a buffaloe Bull a woolf and 2 porkapines & a white hair.

Gass: Some snow fell this morning. Six more hunters went out to join those with the natives. In the evening one of the hunters that first went out, returned. They had killed a buffaloe, a wolf and two porcupine and one of the men had got his feet so badly frozen that he was unable to come to the fort.

Whitehouse: Some Snow fell this morning. 6 more hunters went out to join the rest a nomber of the natives went out also, in the evening one of the hunters
that went out first Came to the fort, he informed us that they had killed one buffaloe a wolf & 2 porkapines, & I got my feet So froze that I could not walk to the fort.

From the best estimate we were enabled to make as we dscended the Columbia was conceived that the natives inhabiting that noble stream, for some miles above the great falls to the grand rappids inclusive annually prepare about 30,000 lbs. of pounded sammon for market. but whether this fish is an article of comerce with the whites or is exclusively sold to and consumed by the natives of the sea Coast, we are at a loss to determine. the first of those positions I am disposed to credit most, but, still I must confess that I cannot imagine what the white merchant's object can be in purchasing this fish, or wher they dispose of it. and on the other hand the Indians in this neighbourhood as well as the Skillutes have an abundance of dryed sammon which they take in the creeks and inlets, and I have never seen any of this pounded fish in their lodges, which I pesume would have been the case if they purchase this pounded fish for their own consumption. the Indians who prepared this dryed and pounded fish, informed us that it was to trade with the whites, and shewed us many articles of European manufacture which they obtained for it. it is true they obtain those articles principally for their fish but they trade with the Skillutes for them and not immediately with the whites; the intermediates merchants and carryers, the Skillutes, may possibly consume a part of this fish themselves and dispose of the ballance of it the natives of the sea coast, and from them obtain such articles as they again trade with the whites.

Clark: The persons who usially visit the enterence of this river for the purpose of traffic or hunting, I believe is either English or Americans; the Indians inform us that they Speak the Same language with our Selves, and gave us proofs of their varacity by repeating maney words of English, Sun of a pitch &c. whether those traders are from Nootka Sound, from Some other late establishment on this Coast, or imediately from the U States or Great Brittain, I am at a loss to determine, nor Can the Indians inform us. the Indians whome I have asked in what direction the traders go when they depart from hence, allways point to the S. W. from which it is prosumeable that Nootka cannot be their distination, and from Indian information a majority of those traders annually visit them about the beginning of April and remain Some time and either remain or revisit them in the fall of which I cannot properly understand, from this Circumstance they Cannot Come directly from the U States or Great Brittain, the distance being to great for them to go and return in the ballance of a year. I am Sometimes induced to believe that there is Some other Establishment on the Coast of America South of this place of which little is but yet known to the world, or it may be perhaps on Some Island in the Pacific Ocian between the Continant of America & Asia to the S. W. of us. This traffic on the part of the whites Consist in vending, guns, principally old British or American Musquets, powder, balls and Shote, brass tea kettles, Blankets from two to three points, Scarlet and blue Cloth (Coarse), plates and Strips of Sheet Copper and brass, large brass wire Knives Beeds & Tobacco with fishing hooks, buttons and Some other Small articles; also a considerable quantity of Salors Clothes, as hats, Coats, Trouses and Shirts. for those they receive in return from the nativs Dressed and undresed Elk Skins, Skins of the Sea otter, Common Otter, beaver, common fox, tiger Cat, also Some Salmon dried or pounded and a kind of buisket, which the nativs make of roots called by them Shappelell. The nativs are extra-vigantly fond of the most Common Cheap Blue and white beeds, of moderate Size, or Such that from 50 to 70 will way one pennyweight, the blue is usially prefured to the white; those beeds Constitute the principal Circulating medium with all the Indian tribes on this river; for those beeds they will dispose of any article they possess—. the beeds are Strung on Strans of a fathom in length & in that manner Sold by the breth or yard—.