Yummy...Dog!

October 16, 1805

First of all I’d like to say that my prediction was right about those three Nez Perce warriors. They were gone by the time we woke up the next day and I know it was a month ago but it really hit the Captain’s hard. Also, when we spent some time with the Nez Perce and I saw that naked kid I had talked about. Turns out he was searching for his wyakin (an animal spirit guide). What the Nez Perce do is when a Nez Perce comes of age, he/she is sent out to meditate for their animal spirit guide. Well right as he was meditating Seaman walked up to him and ever since he has been named Mountain Dog. Seaman and him have been spending a lot of time with each other and I think Captain Lewis is getting angry with this boy. On recent news getting to the Columbia River was rough. Rigorous terrain, steep mountains covered with snow and ice, the whole thing was just brutal. Plus doing all that with little food made it way worse. Columbia had salmon and camas (provided by the Nez Perce), but a lot of the salmon were dead and the Corps was afraid to eat them because some of the team got sick from them. So with no game besides fish, the Corps decided to eat the Native Americans dogs. Many thought it was the best meat they had ever had and traded whatever they could for an Indian dog. Others such as Captain Clark didn’t like it so much but dealt with it and figured it gave them protein and nourishment and was just happy that there was food on their plate that wouldn’t make them sick. Anyway that was one of the most interesting food I’ve had on the trip so far.