all those disadvantages is seldom seen meager or unfit for service.--A little after dark this evening Capt. Clark arrived with the hunting party--since they set out they have killed forty Deer, three buffaloe bulls, & sixteen Elk, most of them were so meager that they were unfit for uce, particularly the Buffaloes and male Elk--the wolves also which are here extreemly numerous heped themselves to a considerable proportion of the hunt--if an anamal is killed and lyes only one night exposed to the wolves it is almost invariably devoured by them. [Lewis, February 13, 1805] 13th February Wednesday 1805. The morning cloudy thermometer 2° below naught wind from S. E. visited by the Black-Cat gave him a battle ax with which he appeared much gratifyed. [Clark, February 13, 1805] I returned last night from a hunting party much fatigued, haveing walked 30 miles on the ice and through of wood land Points in which the Snow was nearly Knee Deep The 1st day I left the fort proceeded on the ice to new Mandan Island, 22 miles & Camped Killed nothing, & nothing to eat, The 2d day the morning verry Cold & Windey, I broke thro the ice and got my feet and legs wet, Sent out 4 hunters thro a point to Kill a Deer & Cook it by the time the party Should get up, those hunters killed a Deer & 2 Buffalow Bulls the Buffalow too Meagur to eate, we eate the Deer & proceeded on to an old Indian Lodge, Sent out the hunters & they brought in three lean Deer, which we made use of for food,--walking on uneaven ice has blistered the bottom of my feat, and walking is painfull to me 3rd day Cold morning the after party of the Day worm, Camped on a Sand point near the mouth of a Creek on the S W. Side we Call hunting Creek, I turned out with the hunters, I Killed 2 Deer the hunters killed an Elk, Buffalow Bull & 5 Deer. all Meager 4th Day hunted the two bottoms near the Camp Killed 9 Elk, 18 Deer, brought to camp all the meat fit to eate & had the bones taken out. every man ingaged either in hunting or Collecting & packing the meat to Camp 5th Day Dispatched one of the party our Interpeter & 2 french men with the 3 horses loaded with the best of the meat to the fort 44 miles Distant, the remaining meat I had packed on the 2 Slays & drawn down to the next point about 3 miles below, at this place I had all the meat Collected which was killed yesterday & had escaped the wolves, Raven & Magpie, (which are verry noumerous about this Place) and put into a close pen made of logs to secure it from the wolves & birds & proceeded on to a large bottom nearly opposit the Chisscheter (heart) River, in this bottom we found but little game, Great No. of wolves, on the hills Saw Several parsels of Buffalow.--Camped. I killed a Buck