The hunters all returned hungry and drenched with rain, having seen neither deer nor elk, and the swan and brant were too shy to be approached.

At noon the wind shifted to the northwest, and blew with such tremendous fury that many trees were blown down near us.

This gale lasted with short intervals during the whole night." Of course, in the midst of such violent storms, it was impossible to get game, and the men were obliged to resort once more to a diet of dried fish, This food caused much sickness in the camp, and it became imperatively necessary that efforts should again be made to find game.
On the second of December, to their great joy an elk was killed, and next day they had a feast.

The journal says; "The wind was from the east and the morning fair; but, as if one whole day of fine weather were not permitted, toward night it began to rain.
Even this transient glimpse of sunshine revived the spirits of the party, who were still more pleased when the elk killed yesterday was brought into camp.

This was the first elk we had killed on the west side of the Rocky Mountains, and condemned as we have been to the dried fish, it formed a most nourishing food.