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December 27, 1805. Clark: Those Indians gave is [us], a black root they call Shan-na-tâh-que a kind of Licquirish which they rost in embers and call Cul-ho-mo, a black berry the size of a Cherry & Dried which they call Shel-well - all o which they prise highly and make use of as food to live on, for which Capt Lewis gave the chief a cap of sheep skin and I his Son, ear bobs, Pice of riben, a pice of brass, and 2 small fishing hooks, of which they were much pleased, Those roots & berres, are greatfull to our Stomcks as we have nothing to eate but Pore Elk meet, nearly spoiled; & this accident of spoiled meet, is owing to warmth & the repeeted rains, which cause the meet to tante before we can get it from the woods.
January 3, 1806. Clark: this [whale] blubber the Indians eat and esteem it excellent food. our party from necescity have been obliged to Subsist some length of time on dogs have now become extreamly fond of their flesh; it is worthey of remark that while we lived principally on the flesh of this animal we wer much more helthy strong and more fleshey then we have been Sence we left the Buffalow Country. as for my own part I have not become reconsiled to the taste of this animal as yet .
January 5, 1806. Lewis: [the blubber] was white & not unlike the fat of Poork, 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…..the want of bread I consider as trivial provided, I get fat meat, for as to the species of meat I am not very particular, the flesh of the dog the horse the wolf, having from habit become equally formiliar with any other, and I have learned to think that if the chord be sufficiently strong, which binds the soul and boddy together, it dose not so much matter about the materials which compose it.
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January 6, 1806. Lewis: The Clatsop, Chinnooks, Killamucks &c. are very loquacious and inquisitive; they possess good memories and have repeated to us the names capasities of the vessels &c of many traders and others who have visited the mouth of this river; they are generally low in stature, proportionably small, reather lighter complected and much more illy formed than the Indians of the Missouri and those of our frontier; they are generally cheerfull but never gay. 