Day-by-Day / January 5, 1806

January 5, 1806

Blubber and salt

Pvts. Willard and Weiser return to Fort Clatsop with whale blubber and fine salt from the salt works. The captains decide that Clark will travel to see the beached whale. On the Clatsop Plains, Sgt. Gass endures a cold swim on his way to the salt works.

A Taste of Blubber

by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading

Fine Salt

[Willard and Weiser] brought with them a specemine of the salt of about a gallon, we found it excellent, fine, strong, & white; this was a great treat to myself and most of the party, having not had any since the 20th ultmo.; I say most of the party, for my friend Capt. Clark declares it to be a mear matter of indifference with him whether he uses it or not; for myself I must confess I felt a considerable inconvenience from the want of it
Meriwether Lewis

Salt Maker’s Camp

J. Fields, Bratton and Gibson (the Salt makers) had . . . erected a comfortable camp killed an Elk and several deer and secured a good stock of meat; they commenced the making of salt and found that they could obtain from 3 quarts to a gallon a day;
—Meriwether Lewis

A Taste of Blubber

[This whale blubber] was white & not unlike the fat of Poark, tho’ the texture was more spongey and somewhat coarser. I had a part of it cooked and found it very pallitable and tender, it resembled the beaver or the dog in flavour. it may appear somewhat extraordinary tho’ it is a fact that the flesh of the beaver and dog possess a very great affinity in point of flavour.
—Meriwether Lewis

In Search of a Whale

I determine to Set out early tomorrow with two canoes & 12 men in quest of the whale or at all events to purchase from the indians a parcel of the blubber
William Clark

Gass’s Rafting Mishap

made a raft to cross the creek; but when it was tried we found it would carry only one person at a time; the man with me was therefore sent over first, who thought he could shove the raft across again; but when he attempted, it only went half-way: so that there was one of us on each side and the raft in the middle. I, however notwithstanding the cold, stript and swam to the raft, brought it over and then crossed on it in safety;
Patrick Gass

 

Weather Diary

aspect of the weather at sun symbol rise Wind at sun symbol rise Weather at 4 OC. P.M. Wind at 4 OC. P.M.
rain S E rain S. E

—Meriwether Lewis[3]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of the month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.

 

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Notes

Notes
1 Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio.
2 John W. Fisher, “Baleen, Blubber & Train Oil from Sacagawea‘s ‘monstrous fish,” We Proceeded On, vol. 43 No. 2. Read at https://lewisandclark.org/wpo/pdf/vol43no2.pdf#page=26.
3 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of the month” column and spelled out some abbreviations.

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.