Finding the way absolutely blocked for their purposes,
Captain Clark returned on the twenty-fifth of August and rejoined the
party that he had left behind. These had not been able to kill anything,
and for a time starvation stared them in the face. Under date of August
27, the journal says:--
"The men, who were engaged last night in mending their moccasins, all
except one, went out hunting, but no game was to be procured. One of the
men, however, killed a small salmon, and the Indians made a present of
another, on which the whole party made a very slight breakfast. These
Indians, to whom this life is familiar, seem contented, 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 Clark bought and made a supper for the party."
Two days later, Captain Clark and his men joined the main party, having
met the only repulse that was suffered by the expedition from first to
last. Eluding the vigilance of the Indians, caches, or hiding-places,
for the baggage were constructed, filled, and concealed, the work being
done after dark.
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