Joan's Lewis & Clark Geek Page

May 31st Saturday, 1806

[Lewis] Goodrich and Willard visited the indian Villages this morning and returned in the evening. Willard brought with him the dressed skin of a bear which he had purchased for Capt. C.    this skin was an uniform pale redish brown colour, the indians informed us that it was not the Hoh-host or white bear, that it was the Yâck-kâh.    this distinction of the indians induced us to make further enquiry relative to their opinions of the several speceis of bear in this country.    we produced the several skins of the bear which we had killed at this place and one very nearly white which I had purchased. The white, the deep and plale red grizzle, the dark bron grizzle, and all those which had the extremities of the hair of a white or frosty colour without regard to the colour of the ground of the poil, they designated Hoh-host and assured us that they were the same with the white bear, that they ascosiated together, were very vicisious, never climbed the trees, and had much longer nails than the others.    the black skins, those which were black with a number of intire white hairs intermixed, the black with a white breast, the uniform bey, brown and light redish brown, they designated the Yâck-kâh;—said that they climbed the trees, had short nails and were not vicious, that they could pursue them and kill them with safety, they also affirmed that they were much smaller than the white bear. I am disposed to adopt the Indian distinction with rispect to these bear and consider them two distinct speceis.    the white and the grizzly of this neighbourhood are the same of those found on the upper portion of the Missouri where the other speceis are not, and that the uniform redish brown black &c of this neighbourhood are a speceis distinct from our black bear and from the black bear of the Pacific coast which I believe to be the same with those of the Atlantic coast, and that the common black bear do not exist here. I had previously observed that the claws of some of the bear which we had killed here had much shorter tallons than the variagated or white bear usually have but supposed that they had woarn them out by scratching up roots, and these were those which the indians called Yâh-kâh.    on enquiry I found also that a cub of an uniform redish brown colour, pup to a female black bear intermixed with entire white hairs had climbed a tree. I think this a distinct speceis from the common black bear, because we never find the latter of any other colour than an uniform black, and also that the poil of this bear is much finer thicker and longer with a greater proportion of fur mixed with the hair, in other ispects they are much the same.—    This evening Joseph and R. Feilds returned with the three deer which they had killed. The Indians brought us another of our origional Stock of horses; there are only two absent now of those horses, and these the indians inform us that our shoshone guide  rode back when he returned.    we have sixty five horses at this time, most of them in excellent order and fine strong active horses.—

The Indians pursued a mule deer to the river opposite to our camp this evening; the deer swam over and one of our hunters killed it.    there being a large party of indians assembled on this occasion on the opposite side, Hohâst-ill-pilp desired them to raise our canoe which was sunk on that side of the river yesterday; they made the attempt but were unable to effect it.—

The Party's hunters seem to be doing better with deer, at least.  Lewis writes a discourse on the various colors of the local bear population and is assured by the Nez Perce that the great grizzlies don't climb trees.  Their horse count continues to rise and is now at sixty-five.  They're short only the two that "Old Toby", their Shoshone guide for the trip out, took back to his home range.

May 30th Friday, 1806

[Clark] Lapage and Shabono Set out early this morning to the Indian Village in order to trade with them for roots; Serjt. Gass was Sent this morning to obtain Some goats hair to Stuf the pads of our Saddles; he assended the river on this Side and being unable to pass the river to the village he wished to visit returned in the evening unsucksessfull. Shannon and Collins were permited to pass the river in order to trade with the nativs and lay in a Store of roots and bread for themselves with their proportion of the merchandize as others had done; on landing on the opposit Shore the Canoe was driven broad Side with the full force of a very Strong Current against Some Standing trees and instantly filled with water and Sunk. Potts who was with them is an indifferent Swimer, it was with dificuelty he made the land.    they lost three blankets and a Blanket Cappo and their pittance of Merchindize.    in our bear State of Clothing this was a Serious loss. I Sent Serjt. Pryor and a party over in the Indian Canoe in order to raise and Secure ours but the debth of the water and the Strength of the Current baffled every effort. I fear that we have also lost our Canoe.— all our involedes are on the recovery.    we gave the Sick Chief a Severe Swet to day, Shortly after which he could move one of his legs and thy's and work his toes pritty well, the other leg he can move a little; his fingers and arms Seem to be almost entirely restored.    he Seems highly delighted with his recovery. I begin to entertain Strong hope of his recovering by these Sweats.—.

in the evening Joseph Fields returned in serch of his horses which had left them last evening and returned to Camp. Field informed us that himself and his brother whome he had left at their Camp 6 ms. distant on Collins Creek had killed 3 Deer.—    The reptiles which I have observed in this quarter are the Rattle Snake of the Species discribed on the Missouri, they are abundant in every part of the Country and are the only poisonous Snake which we have met with Since we left St. Louis.    the Second Species of Snake of an inosent kind already discribd.    the Common black Lizzard, the horned Lizzard, a small green tree-frog; the Same frog which is common to our Country which Sings in the Spring of the year.    a large Species of frog which resorts the water considerably larger than our bull-frog, it's Shape Seems to be a Medium between the delicate and lengthy form of our bullfrogs and that of our land frog or toad as they are Sometimes called in the United States.    like the latter their bodies are covered with little pustles or lumps, elevated above the ordinary Surface of the body; I never heard them make any Sound or noise, the Mockerson Snake or Copper head, a number of vipers, a variety of Lizzards, the toad bullfrog &c. common to the U. States are not to be found in this Country. Most of the insects common to the U States are found here.    the butterfly, common house and blowing flies, the horse flies, except the gold coloured ear fly.    tho' in Stead of this fly we have a brown coloured fly about the same Size which attatches itself to that part of the horse and is equally as troublesom.    the Silk worm is also found here.    a great variety of beatles common to the atlantic States are Seen here likewise.    except from this order the large Cow beatle and the black beatle usially termed tumble bug which are not found here.    the hornet, the Wasp and yellow Wasp or yellow jacket as they are frequently Called are not met with in this quarter.    there is an insect which much resembles the latter only a vast deel larger which are very noumerous particular in the Rocky mountains on the waters of the Columbia, those build in the ground where they form a nest like the hornet with an outer covering to the Comb in which they deposit their eggs and raise their young. the Sheets of this Comb are attatched to each other as those of the hornets are.    their wings are four of a dark brown Colour—.    the head is black, the body and abdomin are yellow insercled with transverce rings of black, they are firce and Sting very Severely; we found them troublesom in frightening our horses as we passed through mountains.    the honey bee is not found here.    the bumble bee is.    one of the men brought me to day Some Onions from the high plains of a different Species from those near the borders of the river as they are also from the Shive or Small Onion noticed below the Falls of Columbia.    these Onions were as large as an nutmeg, they generally grow double or two bulbs connected by the same tissue of radicles; each bulb has two long liner flat solid leaves.    the pedencle is solid celindric and cround with an umble of from 20 to 30 flowers.    this Onion is exceedingly crisp and delicately flavoured indeed. I think more Sweet and less strong than any I ever tasted, it is not yet perfectly in blume, the parts of the flower are not distinct.—

Our Party has bad luck with a canoe and the sick chief is improving with each sweat.  Clark opines on the local reptile situation, wasps and discovers a very good onion.

May 29th Thursday, 1806

[Lewis] No movement of the party today worthy of notice.    we have once more a good stock of meat and roots. Bratton is recovering his strength very fast; the Child and the Indian Cheif are also on the recovery.    the cheif has much more uce of his hands and arms.    he washed his face himself today which he has been unable to do previously for more than twelvemonths.    we would have repeated the sweat today had not been cloudy and frequently raining.    a speceis of Lizzard  called by the French engages prarie buffaloe are native of these plains as well as of those of the Missouri. I have called them the horned Lizzard.    they are about the size and a good deel the figure of the common black lizzard.    but their bellies are broader, the tail shorter and their action much slower; they crawl much like the toad.    they are of brown colour with yellowish and yellowish-brown spots.    it is covered with minute scales intermixed with little horny prosesses like blont prickles on the upper surface of the body.    the belley and throat is more like the frog and are of a light yelowish brown colour. arround the edge of the belley is regularly set with little horney projections which give to those edges a serrate figure the eye is small and of a dark colour.    above and behind the eyes there are several projections of the bone which being armed at their extremities with a firm black substance has the appearance of horns sprouting out from the head.    this part has induced me to distinguish it be the apppellation of the horned Lizzard. I cannot conceive how the engages ever assimilated this animal with the buffaloe for there is not greater analogy than between the horse and the frog.    this animal is found in greatest numbers in the sandy open parts of the plains, and appear in great abundance after a shower of rain; they are sometimes found basking in the sunshine but conceal themselves in little holes in the earth much the greater preportion of their time. they are numerous about the falls of the Missouri and in the plains through which we past lately above the Wallahwallahs.—    The Choke Cherry  has been in blume since the 20th inst.    it is a simple branching ascending stem.    the cortex smooth and of a dark brown with a redish cast.    the leaf is scattered petiolate oval accute at its apex finely serrate smooth and of an ordinary green.    from 2½ to 3 inches in length and 1¾ to 2 in width.    the peduncles are common, cilindric, and from 4 to 5 inches in length and are inserted promiscuously on the twigs of the preceeding years growth.    on the lower portion of the common peduncle are frequently from 3 to 4 small leaves being the same in form as those last discribed.    other peduncles ¼ of an inch in length are thickly scattered and inserted on all sides of the common peduncle at wright angles with it each elivating a single flower, which has five obtuse short patent white petals with short claws inserted on the upper edge of the calyx. the calyx is a perianth including both stamens and germ, one leafed fine cleft entire simiglobular, infrior, deciduous.    the stamens are upwards of twenty and are seated on the margin of the flower cup or what I have called the perianth.    the filaments are unequal in length subulate inflected and superior membranous.    the anthers are equal in number with the filaments, they are very short oblong & flat, naked and situated at the extremity of the filaments, is of a yelow colour as is also the pollen.    one pistillum.    the germen is ovate, smooth, superior, sessile, very small; the Style is very short, simple, erect, on the top of the germen, deciduous.    the stigma is simple, flat very short.—

The sick continue to mend and Lewis describes the choke cheeries' blooming. Few fruits better represent the West than do choke cheeries.  They're  common pretty much all over the West.  Growing in slightly wetter locations than sage brush, they can be small bushes with corresponding small berries to real trees with berries large as ones fingernails.  They aren't particulary sweet, but eaten raw have a very distinctive taste.  The jellies, wines and syrups made from them are just the very best.

May 28th Wednesday, 1806

[Lewis] We sent Goodrich to the village of the broken arm this morning    he returned in the evening with some roots bread and a parsel of goats-hair for making our saddle pads. Reubin and Joseph Feilds set out this morning to hunt high up on a creek which discharges itself into this river about 8 miles above us.    at Noon Charbono, York and Lapage returned; they had obtained four bags of the dryed roots of Cows and some bread.    in the evening Collins Shannon and Colter returned with eight deer.    they had fortunately discovered a ford on Collins's Creek where they were enabled to pass it with their horses and had hunted at the quawmash ground where we first met with the Chopunnish last fall.    deer were very abundant they informed us, but there were not many bear. The sick Cheif was much better this morning he can use his hands and arms and seems much pleased with the prospect of recovering, he says he feels much better than he has for a great number of months. I sincerely wish these sweats may restore him; we have consented that he should still remain with us and repeat these sweats.    he set up a great proportion of the day.—    The Child is also better, he is free of fever, the imposthume is not so large but seems to be advancing to maturity.—    since my arrival here I have killed several birds  of the corvus genus [EC: Picicorvus] of a kind found only in the rocky mountains and their neighbourhood. I first met with this bird above the three forks of the Missouri and saw them on the hights of the rocky Mountains but never before had an opportunity of examining them closely.    the small corvus  [EC: Perisoreus] discribed at Fort Clatsop is a different speceis, tho' untill now I had taken it to be the same, this is much larger and has a loud squawling note something like the mewing of a cat.    the beak of this bird is 1½ inches long, is proportionably large, black and of the form which characterizes the genus.    the upper exceeds the under chap a little.    the head and neck are also proportionably large.    the eye full and reather prominent, the iris dark brown and puple black.    it is about the size and somewhat the form of the Jaybird tho reather rounder or more full in the body.    the tail is four and a half inches in length, composed of 12 feathers nearly of the same length.    the head neck and body of this bird are of a dove colour.    the wings are black except the extremities of six large fathers ocupying the middle joint of the wing which are white.    the under disk of the wing is not of the shining or grossy black which marks it's upper surface.    the two feathers in the center of the tail are black as are the two adjacent feathers for half their width the ballance are of a pure white.    the feet and legs are black and imbricated with wide scales.    the nails are black and remarkably long and sharp, also much curved.    it has four toes on each foot of which one is in the rear and three in front.    the toes are long particularly that in the rear.    this bird feeds on the seed of the pine and also on insects.    it resides in the rocky mountains at all seasons of the year, and in many parts is the only bird to be found.—    our hunters brought us a large hooting Owl  [EC: Scotiaptex cinerea] which differs considerably from those of the Atlantic States which are also common here.    the plumage of this owl is an uniform mixture of dark yellowish brown and white, in which the dark brown predominates.    it's colour may be properly termed a dark iron grey.    the plumage is very long and remarkably silky and soft.    these have not the long feathers on the head which give it the appearance of ears or horns.    the leathers of the head are long narrow and closely set, they rise upwright nearly to the extremity and then are bent back sudonly as iff curled.    a kind of ruff of these feathers incircle the thoat.    the head has a flat appearance being broadest before and behind and is 1 foot 10 Is. in circumference.    incircling the eyes and extending from them like rays from the center a tissue of open hairy long feathers are placed of a light grey colour, these conceal the ears which are very large and are placed close to the eyes behind and extending below them.    these feathers meet over the beak which they nearly conceal and form the face of the owl.    they eyes are remarkably large and prominant, the iris of a pale goald colour and iris circular and of a deep sea green.    the beak is short and wide at it's base. the upper chap is much curved at the extremity and comes down over and in front of the under chap.    this bird is about the size of the largest hooting Owl.    the tail is composed of eleven feathers, of which those in the center are reather the longest.    it is booted to the extremity of the toes, of which it has four on each foot, one in the rear one on the outer side and two in front.    the toes are short particularly that in rear, but are all armed with long keen curved nails of a dark brown colour.    the beak is white and nostrils circular large and unconnected.    the habits and the note of this owl is much that of the common large hooting owl.—

Some deer are finally located and killed, Pomp doesn't appear in Lewis's post (although he is listed by Clark as much better) and even the very sick older Chief of the Nez Perce seems improved.  A good day for our guys and Lewis essays on the Clarks Nutcracker and various owls.

May 27th Tuesday, 1806

[Clark] A cloudy morning Serjt. Pryor and party Set out at 7 A. M. Serjt. Ordway and two men are ordered to cross this river and proceed on through the plains to Lewis's and precure Some Salmon on that river, and return tomorrow if possible    he Set out at 8 A. M.    we Sent Rub: Field in Serch of the horse which the indians had given us to kill.    at 10 A. M he returned with the horse and he was killed and butchered; he was large and in good order.    hohâstillpilp told us that most of the horses which we Saw running in those plains in this neighbourhood at large belonged to himself and his people, and whenever we were in want of meet, he requested that would kill any of them we wished; this is a piece of liberallity which would do honour to Such as bost of civilization. Serjt. Pryor, Gibson & Shields returned from the Village with a good Stock of roots and bread. Shabono Lapage & Yourk whome we had Sent to purchase roots for ourselves remained at the Village all night.    Drewyer, Labiech & Crusat return at 4 P. M. with 5 Deer which they had killed at Some distance up Collin's Creek on this Side, that Stream Still continue So high that they could not pass it.—

Shabono's child is much better to day; tho' the Swelling on the Side of his neck I believe will termonate in an ugly imposthume a little below the ear. The Indians were so anxious that the Sick Chief (who has lost the use of his limbs) Should be Sweted under our inspection they requested me to make a 2d attempt to day; accordingly the hole was enlargened and his father a very good looking old man performed all the drugery &c.    we could not make him Swet as copously as we wished.    being compelled to keep him erect in the hole by means of Cords.    after the oppiration he complained of Considerable pain, I gave him 30 drops of Laudnom which Soon composed him and he rested very well—. I observe the Strongest marks of parental affection.    they all appear extreemly attentive to this Sick man, no do they appear to relax in their ascituity towards him not withstanding he has been Sick and helpless for near 5 years. The Chopunnish appeare to be very attentive & kind to their aged people and treat their women with more respect than the nativs on the Missouri.—

There is a Species of whistleing Squirel common in these plains which in their habit Somewhat resembles those of the Missouri but are a distinct Species.    this little animale measures 1 foot 5 inches & a half from the nose to the extremity of the tail, of which the tail occupies 2 ¼ inches only; in the girth it is 11 inches the body is perpotionably long, the neck and legs Short; the ears are Short, obtusely pointed, and lye close to the head; the aperture of the ear is larger proportionably than most animals which burrow.    the eyes are of Moderate Size, the puple black and iris of a dark dusky brown.    the teeth are like those of the Squirel as is it's whole contour.    the whiskers are full, long and black; it has also Some long black hars above the eye—.    it has five toes on each foot; the 2 iner toes of the fore feet are remarkably Short, and have Short blut nails.    the remaining toes on these feet are long Slightly Curved, black and Sharply pointed.    the outer and inner toes of the hind feet are not Short yet they are by no means as long as the three toes in the Center of the foot which are remarkably long but the nails are not as long as those of the fore feet tho' of the Same form and colour.    the hars of the tail tho thickly inserted on every part respects the two Sides only.    this givs it a flat appearance and a long oval form.    the tips of the hair which forms the outer edges of the tail are white.    the bace of the hair are either black or a fox red.    the under disk of the tail is an iron gray, the upper a redish brown.    the lower part of the jaws, under part of the neck, legs and feet from the body down and belly are of a light brick red.    the nose as high as the eyes is of a darker brick red.    the upper part of the head neck and body are of a curious brownish gray colour with a cast of the brick red.    the longer hairs of these parts being of a redish white colour at their extremities fall together in Such a Manner as to give it to the appearance of being Spekled at a little distance.    these animals form large ascoations as those of the Missouri, occupying with their burroughs one or Sometimes 200 acres of Land.    the burrows are Seperate and are each occupyed perhaps by 10 or 12 of those Animals.    there is a little Mound in front of the hole formed of the earth thrown out of the burrow and frequently there are three or four distinct holes forming what I call one burrow, around the base of the mound, which Seams to be occupied as a watch tower in common by the inhabitents of those Several holes.    these Mounds are Sometimes as much as 2 feet high, and 4 feet in diameter, and are irregularly distributed over the tract they occupy at the distance of from ten to 30 or forty yards. When you approach a burrow the Squirels one, or more, usially Set erect on these Mounds and make a kind of Shrill whisteling nois, Something like tweet, tweet, tweet &c.    they do not live on grass as those of the Missouri but on roots.    one which I examoned had in his mouth two Small bulbs of a Species of grass, which resembles very much what is Sometimes Called the Grass Nut.    the intestins of these little animals are remarkably large for it's Size; fur Short and very fine.    the grass in their village is not Cut down as in these of the plains of the Missouri. I preserved the Skins of Several of these animals with the heads feet and legs entire—.—. The Black Wood pecker which is found in most parts of the rocky Mountains as will as the Western and S W. mountains, I had never an oppertunity of examineing, untill a fiew days Since when we killed and preserved Several of them.    this bird is about the Size of the lark woodpecker or the turtle dove, tho' it's wings are longer than either of these birds.    the beak is black, one inch long reather wide at the base, Somewhat cirved, and Sharply pointed; the chaps are of equal length.    around the bace of the beak including the eye and a Small part of the throat is of a crimson red.    the neck and as low as the croop in front is of an iron gray.    the belly and breast is of a curious mixture of white and blood red which has much the appearance of having been artifically painted or Stained of that colour, the red reather predominates.    the top of the head, back, Sides, upper Surface of the wings and tail are black, the under Side of the wings and tail are black.    it has ten feathers in the tail, Sharply pointed, and those in the center reather longest, being 2½ inches in Length    the tongue is barbed, pointed, and of an elastic cartalaginous Substance.    the eye is moderately large, puple black and iris of a dark yellowish brown.    this bird in it's actions when flying resemble the Small redish woodpecker common to the altantic States; it's note also Somewhat resembles that bird.    the pointed tail Seems to assist it in sitting with more ease or retaining it, in it's resting position against the perpendicular Side of a tree.    the legs and feet are black, and covered with imbricated scales.    it has four toes on each foot, of which two are in rear and two in front; the nails are much curved long and remarkably Keen or Sharply pointed.    it feeds on bugs, worms and a variety of insects.—.

Well, Pomp recovers, even from the enema, as we knew he would. He's buried here in Idaho after having a rough time fording the Owyhee river in one of this state's early gold rushs.  Clark has the extra time to write about the Columbian ground squirrel which he seems to relate to the plains states' prairie dog.  The Nez Perce chief tells him it's okay to slaughter any horse if they're hungry, a most gracious act if ever there was one to white men.  It was certainly never returned.

May 26th Monday, 1806

[Lewis] Had frequent showers in the course of the last night. Collins, Shannon and Colter set out to hunt on the high lands some distance up on the N. E. side of Collins's Creek. The Clyster given the Child last evening operated very well.    it is clear of fever this evening and is much better, the swelling is considerably abated and appears as if it would pass off without coming to a head.    we still continue fresh poltices of onions to the swolen part.    we directed the indians in what manner to treat the dieased Cheif, gave him a few dozes of flour of sulpher and Creem of tartar & some portable soupe and directed them to take him home.    they seemed unwilling to comply with the latter part of the injunction for they consumed the day and remained with us all night.    at 1 P. M. Joseph and R. Feilds returned, accompanyed by Hohâstillpilp several other inferior Cheifs and some young men. These hunters informed us they were unable to reach the grounds to which they had been directed in consequence of the debth and rapidity of a large creek which falls in about 10 Ms. above. they passed Commearp Creek at about 1½ Ms. and a second creek reather larger at 3 Ms. further.   at the distance of 4 Ms. up this last creek on their return they called at a village which our traders have never yet visited, here they obtained a large quantity of bread and roots of Cows on very moderate terms.    we permitted Sergt. Pryor and four men to pass the river tomorrow morning with a view to visit this village    we also directed Charbono York and LePage to set out early for the same place and procure us some roots.    our meat is again exhausted, we therefore directed R. Fields to hunt the horse in the morning which the Indians have given us to kill.    one of our men saw a salmon in the river today.    in the afternoon we compleated our canoe and put her in the water; she appears to answer very well and will carry about 12 persons.—    the river still rising fast and snows of the mountains visibly diminish

Pomp appears to have been helped a great deal by the clyster, which is in fact an enema.  This treatment was regarded as the best all-around remedy for any and all of the childhood health problems and was strictly adhered to by many generations clear down to my mothers (born in 1892) as I well remember.

      

The hunters continue with their bad luck, but they have horses enough to see them through at least this spell.  The good news is the show appears to be going down.

May 25th Sunday, 1806

[Clark] rained moderately the greater part of last night and this morning untill 6 A. M. The child is not So well to day as yesterday. I repeeted the Creem of tarter and the onion poltice. I caused a Swet to be prepared for the Indn. in the Same hole which bratten had been Sweten in two days past Drewyer Labiech and Peter crusatt Set out hunting towards the quarmash grounds if they can cross the Creek which is between this and that place, which has been the bearrer as yet to our hunters. Jos. & R Fields crossed the river to hunt on the opposit side. Goodrich went to the 2d village to purchase roots a fiew of which he precured.    he informed us that only 8 persons remained in the Village.    the men were either hunting on Lewis's river fishing, & the women out digging roots.    he saw Several fresh Salmon which the nativs informed him Came from Lewis's river and were fat and fine.    one of our men purchased a Bear Skin of the nativs which was nearly of a Cream Coloured white.    this Skin which was the Skin of an animal of the middle Size of bears together with the defferent Sizes colours &c. of those which have been killed by our hunters give me a Stronger evidence of the various Coloured bear of this country being one Species only, than any I have heretofore had.    the poil of these bear were infinately longer finer & thicker than the black bear    their tallons also longer & more blunt as worn by digging roots. the white redish brown and bey Coloured bear I saw together on the Missouri; the bey & Grizly have been Seen and killed together here.    for these were the Colours of those which Collins killed on the 14th inst.    in short it is not common to find two bear here of this Species presisely of the same colour, and if we were to attempt to distinguish them by their colours and to denomonate each colour a distinct Species we Should Soon find at least twenty.   

the most Strikeing difference between this Species of bear and the Common black bear are that the former are large and have longer tallens, hair, and tushes, prey more on other animals, do not lie so long or so closely in winter quarters, and will not Climb a tree, tho' ever so hardly pursued.    the varigated bear I believe to be the Same here with those of the Missouri but these are not so ferocious as those on the Missouri perhaps from the Circumstance of their being compeled from the scercity of game in this quarter to live more on roots and of course not so much in the habit of Seizing and debowering liveing animals.    the bear here is far from being as passive as the common black bear, they have atacked and fought our hunters already but not so feircely as those of the Missouri. There are also some of the Common black bear in this neghbourhood tho no So Comon as the other Species.

we attempted to swet the sick indian but could not Suckceed.    he was not able either to Set up or be Supported in the place prepared for him. I therefore deturmined to inform the Nativs that nothing but Sefere Swetts would restore this disabled man, and even that doubtfull in his present Situation.    in the evening Shields & gibson returned haveing killed a Sandhill Crane only.    they Saw a female bear, & 2 Cubs & Several deer.    they Shot the bear and a deer both of which made their escape. Gibson told me that the Cubs were of different Colours one jut black and the other of a whiteish Colour—.    4 indians Continue with us, one return to their village to daey

Pomp Charbano is still on the very sick list and they attempt Bratten's treatment on a sick native but it doesn't work very well.  Clark gives a long discourse on the region's bear population, attempting to tie it to their various color schemes.  The common black bear in Idaho of this day range from a very very black to sort of a light bay and its certainly not unusual to see twin or triplet cubs of different colors.  The lighter colored bear often have a triangular spot of white on their chests. I've never seen a wild grizzly among our local bear (Sawtooth National Forest), although their range is said to be expanding.

May 24th Saturday, 1806

[Clark] a fine morning    the Child was very restless last night its jaw and back of its neck is much more Swelled than it was yesterday. I gave it a dost of Creme of Tarter and a fresh Poltice of Onions.    ordered Shields, Gibson, Drewyer, Crusat, Collins, and Jo. & rubin Fields to turn out hunting and if possible Cross Collins Creek and hunt towards the quar mash fields. W. Brattin is yet very low    he eats hartily but he is So weak in the Small of his back that he Can't walk.    we have made use of every remidy to restore him without it's haveing the desired effect.    one of our party, John Shields observed that he had Seen men in Similar Situations restored by Violent Swets.    and bratten requested that he might be Swetted in the way Sheilds purposed which we agreed to. Shields dug a round hole 4 feet deep & 3 feet Diamuter in which he made a large fire So as to heet the hole after which the fire was taken out a Seet placed in the hole.    the patent was then Set on the Seat with a board under his feet and a can of water handed him to throw on the bottom & Sides of the hole So as to create as greate a heat as he Could bear.    and the hole covered with blankets supported by hoops.    after about 20 minits the patient was taken out and put in Cold water a few minits, & returned to the hole in which he was kept about 1 hour.    then taken out and Covered with Several blankets, which was taken off by degrees untill he became Cool.    this remedy took place yesterday and bratten is walking about to day and is much better than he has been.    at 11 A. M. a canoe came down with the Indian man who had applyed for medical assistance while we lay at the broken arms village.    this man I had given a fiew doses of Flower of Sulpher & Creme of Tarter and derected that he Should take the Cold bath every morning.    he Conceited himself a little better than he was at that time.    he had lost the use of all his limbs and his fingers are Contracted. We are at a loss to deturmine what to do for this unfortunate man. I gave him a few drops of Lodman and Some portable Supe as medisine.    4 of our men Crossed the river and went to the broken arms Village and returned in the evening with a Supply of bread and roots which they precured in exchange for Awls which were made of pieces of a chane—    we were visited to day by the 2 young men who gave Capt. L. and my Self a horse each at the village.    those men Stayed about two hours and returned to their village.    this day proved to be very worm.

Pomp remains very sick and Clark mulls on which of his remedies to apply next. I remember well how my father always cussed laudnum's unavailabiltiy.  It which was the super drug of those olden days, either for human or animal sicknesses.  The heat treatment for Bratten's problem sounds a bit extreme but evidently worked for a bit.

May 23rd Friday, 1806

[Lewis] Segt. Pryor wounded a deer early this morning in a lick near camp; my dog pursud it into the river; the two young Indian men who had remained with us all night mounted their horses [one word erased; illegible] swam the river and drove the deer into the water again; Sergt. Pryor killed it as it reached the shore on this side, the indians returned as they had passed over.    we directed half this deer to be given to the indians, they immediately made a fire and cooked their meat, 4 others joined them from the village with the assistance of whom they consumed their portion of the spoil in less than 2 hours and took their leave of our camp. The Creem of tartar and sulpher operated several times on the child in the course of the last night,  he is considerably better this morning, tho' the swelling of the neck has abated but little; we still apply polices of onions which we renew frequently in the course of the day and night.    at noon we were visited by 4 indians who informed us they had come from their village on Lewis's river at the distance of two days ride in order to see us and obtain a little eyewater, Capt. C. washed their eyes and they set out on their return to their village.    our skill as phisicans and the virture of our medecines  has been spread it seems to a great distance. I sincerely wish it was in our power to give releif to these poor afficted wretches.    at 1 P. M. Shannon, Colter, Labuish, Cruzatte, Collins, and LaPage returned from hunting without having killed anything except a few pheasants of the dark brown kind, which they brought with them.— These hunters informed us that they had hunted the country deligently between the river and Creek for some distance above and below our camp and that there was no game to be found.    all the horses which have been castrated except my poor unfortunate horse appear as if they would do very well. I am convinced that those cut by the indians will get well much soonest and they do not swell nor appear to suffer as much as those cut in the common way.—

Lewis finds Pomp Charbano better this morning. Some speculate that it was the mumps, although it would appear that, if this were the case, there would certainly be others.  Seems the snow which has held the Party in camp has only gotten deeper.  Lewis finds the Indians' method of castrating horses better than their own.  This confirms the apparent fact that the Nez Perce were among the worlds finest horsemen if that time.

May 22nd Thursday, 1806

[Clark] a fine day    we exposed all our baggage to the Sun to air and dry, also our roots which we have precured of the nativs.    gave promission to Windser & McNeal to go to the Indian Villages. Sergt. Ordway and goodrich returned at 11 A. M. Soon after 2 Indian men Came down on a raft and Continued with us about 3 hours and then returned to their Village. Shannon & Colter went out to day to hunt towards the mountains. Sergt. Pryor went out to hunt down the river, and examine the mouth of Collins Creek, if a good Situation was below that Creek for a Camp.    this Creek which Cannot be passed owing to it's debth & rapidity is a great beariore in our way to the best hunting Country.    it confines us to a narrow scope between this Creek and the river on which we are Camped. If a Situation can be found imedeately below the Creek it will answer us better than our present one as from thence we Can get out to Some distance to hunt, and be convenient also to the fish Should they pass up &c. The horse the Indian's left with us to kill has been drove to their village with a gang of horses which I suppose belonged to another man.    as the greater part of our men have not had any Meat to eate for 2 days, and the roots they Complain of, not being accustiomed to live on them altogether we derected a large Coalt which was given to us by a young man with an elegant mare on the [blank] instant.    this Coalt was fat and was handsom looking meat.    late in the evening we were informed that the horse which Capt L. rode over the rocky mountains which was Cut day before yesterday had his hip out of place Since that time, and Could not walk. Capt. Lewis examined him and thought he Could not recover.    at 3 P. M. we observed a number of Indians in chase of a deer on their horses on the opposit hill Sides. Soon after the deer took the water I Capt L. and 3 men run down on this Side, and killed the deer in the water, the deer floated down and the Indians took it by means of a raft which they had ready. on my return to Camp found Drewyer Jos. & Reuben Fields, Shields and gibson just arrived from the Chass with 5 Deer which they had killed on the high lands toward the mountains.    they also brought with them two Salmon trout which they had purchased of Indians which they Saw on their return to Camp.    at 5 p. M. two young men highly decurated in their way Came to our camp and informed us that the fat fish were in great numbers in Lewis's river.    that those Salmon trout which our hunters brought were pore and Such as were Cought in the Winter in this river and were not the kind which Comes up in the Spring of the year. great number of Indians Come to the opposit bank and inform those on this Side that the Snake Indians had come to a Lodge on Lewis's river at night.    the inhabitents previously discovering them abandened the house. Shabonoes Son a Small child is, dangerously ill.    his jaw and throat is much Swelled.    we apply a poltice of Onions.    after giveing him Some creem of tarter &c.    this day proved to be fine fair which afforded us an oppertunety of drying our baggage which had got a little wet

The salmon have arrived in the Snake, the hunters get some deer and they butcher a fat colt. Along with all this good news, we find Pomp ailing with Clark applying an "onion poltice".  We're sure that Pomp heals and are glad the weather allowed their baggage to dry.

Wednesday 21st May 1806

[Clark]     rained this morning. Shields and Gibson Set out to hunt towards the mountains. Collins Came in to day and Stayed in about two hours, he has killed nothing Since he went out last.    we Set 5 Men at work to build a Canoe for the purpose of takeing fish and passing the river and for which we can get a good horse.    as our tent is not Sufficient to keep off the rain we are Compelled to have Some other resort for a Security from the repeeted Showers which fall.    we have a small half circular place made and Covered with grass which makes a very Secure Shelter for us to Sleep under. We devided our Store of merchindize amongst our party for the purpose of precureing Some roots &c. of the nativs    to each mans part amounted to about an awl Knitting pin a little paint and Some thread & 2 Needles which is but a Scanty dependance for roots to take us over those Great Snowey Barriers (rocky mountains) which is and will be the Cause of our Detention in this neighbourhood probably untill the 10 or 15 of June.    they are at this time Covered deep with Snow.    the plains on the high Country above us is also covered with Snow. Serjt. Ordway, Goodrich, & Willard went to the village to day to precure a fiew roots.    we eate the last of our meat for Dinner to day, and our only Certain dependance is the roots we Can precure from the nativs for the fiew articles we have left    those roots with what Game we Can precure from the wods will probably last us untill the arival of the Salmon.    if they Should not; we have a horse in Store ready to be killed which the indians have offered to us. Willard returned from the Village. Sergt. Ordway and Goodrich Continued all night.    one of the men brought me a young Sandhill Crain which was about 5 or 6 days old    it was of a yellowish brown Colour, about the Size of a partridge. Those Crains are very abundant in every part of this country in pars of two, and Sometimes three together.

The Nez Perce again prove their hospitality by providing a horse for butchering, if necessary.  Meanwhile they continue to hunt, without much luck.

May 20th Tuesday, 1806

[Lewis] It rained the greater part of last night and continued this morning untill noon when it cleared away about an hour and then rained at intervals untill 4 in the evening.    our covering is so indifferent that Capt C. and myself lay in the water the greater part of the last night. Drewyer, and the two Feildses set out on a hunting excurtion towards the mountains. Shannon and Colter came in unsuccessfull, they had wounded a bear and a deer last evening but the night coming on they were unable to pursue them, and the snow which fell in the course of the night and this morning had covered the blood and rendered all further pursuit impracticable.    at 2 P. M. Labuish arrived with a large buck of the Mule deer  speceis which he had killed on Collins's Creek yesterday.    he had left Cruzatte and Collins on the Creek where they were to wait his return.    he informed us that it was snowing on the plain while it was raining at our camp in the river bottom.    late in the evening Labuish and LaPage set out to join Collins and Cruzatte in order to resume their hunt early tomorrow morning.    this evening a party of indians assembled on the opposite bank of the river and viewed our camp with much attention for some time and retired.—    at 5 P. M. Frazier who had been permitted to go to the village this morning returned with a pasel of Roots and bread which he had purchased.    brass buttons is an article of which they people are tolerable fond, the men have taken advantage of their prepossession in favour of buttons and have devested themselves of all they had in possesson which they have given in exchange for roots and bread.

A bit of hunting luck, Labuish brings in a muley buck, but they need far more than one deer.  The soldiers find better uses for their brass buttons.  Most of them are wearing elkskin clothing anyway. So far their semi permanent camp (for a month) has not proven very comfortable because of their tent shortage.

May 19th Monday, 1806

[Clark] Rained this morning untill 8 oClock when it Cleared off and became fair—.    we Sent Shabono, Thomson, Potts, Hall & Wizer over to the Villages above to purchase Some roots to eate with our pore bear meat, for which purchase we gave them a fiew Awls, Knitting pins, & arm bans and directed them to proceed up on this Side of the river opposit to the Village and Cross in the Cano which we are informed is at that place. Sent Jo. & Reuben Field up the river a Short distance after the horse which Capt. Lewis rode over the mountains last fall, which horse was Seen yesterday with a gangue of Indian horses, and is Very wild—.    about 11 oClock 4 men and 8 Women Came to our Camp with Thompson who went to the Village very early this morning.    those Men applyed for Eye water and the Women had a Variety of Complaints tho' the most general Complaint was the Rhumitism, pains in the back and the Sore eyes, they also brought fowd. a very young Child whome they Said had been very Sick—. I administered eye water to all, two of the women I gave a carthartic, one whose Spirets wre very low and much hiped  I gave 30 drops of Lodomem, and to the others I had their backs hips legs thighs & arms well rubed with Volitile leniment    all of those pore people thought themselves much benifited by what had been done for them, and at 3 P. M. they all returned to their Villages well satisfied.    at 5 P. M. Potts, Shabono &c. returned from the Village with about 6 bushels of the root the nativs Call Cowse and Some bread of the Same root. Rubin & Jos. Fields returned with the horse Capt. Lewis rode across the rocky mountains    we had this horse imedeately Cut with 2 others which we had not before thought proper to Castrate.    we amusd ourselves about an hour this after noon looking at the men run their horses, Several of them would be thought Swift horses in the atlantic States.    a little after dark John Shields and Gibson returned haveing killed nothing.    they Saw Some deer but Saw no bear.

Our Group continues to have little luck at hunting and must resort to the roots bought from the natives. Clark continues his medical practice and speaks well of the local horses' speed relative to the settled part of the USA.

May 18th Sunday, 1806

[Lewis] Twelve hunters  turned out this morning in different directions agreeably to the order of last evening. Potts and Whitehouse accompanied Collins to the bear he had killed on the 16th inst. with which they returned in the afternoon.    the colours of this bear was a mixture of light redish brown white and dark brown in which the bey or redish brown predominated, the fur was bey as well as the lower pertion of the long hairs, the white next succeeded in the long hairs which at their extremites were dark brown, this uncommon mixture might be termed a bey grizzle.—

our indian woman was busily engaged today in laying in a store of the fennel roots for the Rocky mountains.    these are called by the Shoshones year-pah.     at 2 P. M. 3 Indians who had been hunting towards the place at which we met with Chopunnish last fall, called by them the quawmash grounds,  called at our camp; they informed us that they had been hunting several days and had killed nothing; we gave them a small peice of meat which they told us they would reserve for their small children who were very hungary; we smoked with them and they shortly after departed.    early this morning the natives erected a lodge on the opposite side of the river near a fishing stand a little above us.    no doubt to be in readiness for the salmon, the arrival of which they are so ardently wishing as well as ourselves.    this stand is a small stage are warf constructed of sticks and projecting about 10 feet into the river and about 3 feet above the surface of the water on the extremity of this the fisherman stands with his scooping net, which differ but little in their form from those commonly used in our country    it is formed thus.     the fisherman exercised himself some hours today but I believe without success.    at 3 P. M. J. Fields returned very unwell having killed nothing.    shortly after an old man and woman arrived; the former had soar eyes and the latter complained of a lax and rheumatic effections.    we gave the woman some creem of tartar and flour of sulpher, and washed the old man's eyes with a little eyewater.    a little before dark Drewyer R. Fields and LaPage returned having been also unsuccessfull    they had killed a hawk only and taken the part of a salmon from an Eagle, the latter altho' it was of itself not valuable was an agreeable sight as it gave us reason to hope that the salmon would shortly be with us.    these hunters had scowered the country between the Kooskooske and Collins's Creek from hence to their junction about 10 miles and had seen no deer or bear and but little sign of either.    shortly after dark it began to rain and continued raining moderately all night.    the air was extreemly cold and disagreeable and we lay in the water as the preceeding night.—

So far, the hunting seems to be getting worse. Even the Indians are having their own problems with the game depletion.  They have little else to do but wait for the salmon and doctor the natives.

May 17th Saturday, 1806

[Clark] rained moderately all the last night and this morning untill we are wet. The little river on which we are encamped rise Sepriseingly fast.    at 9 A. M. Sergt. Pryor and Collins returned with the flesh and Skin of a Black bear on Sgt. Pryors horse. Collins's horse haveing run off from him yesterday.    they informed us that they had each killed a Bear neither of which were fat.    the one which they left in the woods was of the white Species and very large    we did not think it necessary in the cours of this day to Send for the flesh of the bear left in the woods.    the rains of the last night unfortunately wet the Crenomuter in the fob of Capt. L. breaches. which has never before been wet Since we Set out on this expedition.    her works were cautiously wiped and made dry by Capt. L. and I think She will recive no injury from this misfortune &c.    we arranged the hunters and horses to each hunter and directed them to turn out in the morning early and continue out untill they Killed Something.    others arranged so as to take care of the hunters horses in their absence.    rained moderately all day.    at the Same time Snowed on the mountains which is in to the S. E. of us.    no Indians visit us to day which is a Singular circumstance as we have not been one day without Indians Since we left the long narrows of the Columbia.    the fiew worm days which we have had has melted the Snows in the Mountains and the river has rose considerably.    that icy barier which Seperates me from my friends and Country, from all which makes life estimable, is yet white with the Snow which is maney feet deep. I frequently Consult the nativs on the subject of passing this tremendious barier which now present themselves to our view for great extent, they all appear to agree as to the time those Mountains may be passed which is about the Middle of June.

Sergt. pryor informs me that the Snow on the high plains from the river was Shoe deep this morning when he Came down.    it is somewhat estonishing that the grass and a variety of Plants Sustain no injurey from the Snow or frost; Maney of those plants are in blume and appear to be of tender susceptable texture. At the distance of 18 Miles from the river and on the Eastern border of the high Plain the Rocky Mountain Commences and presents us with Winter    here we have Summer, Spring and Winter in the Short Space of twenty or thirty miles—.

Our Party's tents and other shelters can't offer much cover in an all night rain and the chronometer suffers its first wetting of the trip.  The hunters still are not finding much in the way of game and Clark marvels at their camp's elevation climate in comparison with the higher elevations easily in view.

May 16th Friday, 1806

[Lewis] Drewyer's horse left his camp last night and was brought to us this morning by an indian who informed us he had found him a considerable distance towards the mountains. Hohâstillpilp and all the natives left us about noon and informed us that they were going up the river some distance to a place at which they expected to fine a canoe, we gave them the head and neck of a bear, a part of which they eat and took the ballance with them.    these people sometimes kill the variagated bear when they can get them in the open plain where they can pursue them on horseback and shoot them with their arrows.    the black bear they more frequently kill as they are less ferocious.    our sick men are much better today. Sahcargarmeah geathered a quantity of the roots of a speceis of fennel   which we found very agreeable food, the flavor of this root is not unlike annis seed, and they dispell the wind which the roots called Cows and quawmash are apt to create particularly the latter.    we also boil a small onion   which we find in great abundance, with other roots and find them also an antidote to the effects of the others.    the mush of roots we find adds much to the comfort of our diet.—    we sent out several hunters this morning but they returned about 11 A. M. without success; they killed a few pheasants only.    at 5 P. M. Drewyer and Cruzatte returned having killed one deer only. Drewyer had wounded three bear which he said were as white as sheep but had obtained neither of them.    they informed us that the hunting was but bad in the quarter they had been, the Country was broken and thickly covered in most parts with underbrush.    a little after dark Shannon and Labuish returned with one deer; they informed us that game was wild and scarce, that a large creek (Collins' Creek)   ran parallel with the river at the distance of about 5 or 6 miles which they found impracticable to pass with their horses in consequence of the debth and rapidity of it's current.    beyond this creek the Indians inform us that there is great abundance of game. Sergt. Pryor and Collins who set out this morning on a hunting excurtion did not return this evening.—    I killed a snake  near our camp, it is 3 feet 11 Inches in length, is much the colour of the rattlesnake common to the middle atlantic states, it has no poisonous teeth.    it has 218 scutae on the abdomen and fifty nine squamae or half formed scutae on the tail.    the eye is of moderate size, the iris of a dark yellowish brown and puple black.    there is nothing remarkable in the form of the head which is not so wide across the jaws as those of the poisonous class of snakes usually are.—    I preserved the skin of this snake.

Game is still wild and scarce near the Group's camp.  Sacajawea points them to several plants and roots that seem to please their tastes and Lewis classifies a large snake.  Not too much going on this Friday.

May 15th Thursday, 1806

[Clark] This morning Reuben Fields went out to hunt his horse very early and Saw a large bear and no great distance from Camp. Several men went in pursute of the bear, and prosued his trail Some time without gitting Sight of this Monster. Shannon went out with Labeach to hunt and continue out 3 days, Gibson and Hall accompanied them for the meat Labeech killed yesterday which they brought in by 11 A M. this Morning    the female was black with white hares intermixed and a white Spot on the breast    the Cubs were about the Size of a dog also pore.    one of them very black and the other a light redish brown or bey colour. These bear give me a Stronger evidence of the various Coloured bear of this Country being one Specie only, than any I have heretofore had. Several other Colours have been seen. Drewyer and Peter Crusat went up the river. John Shields, R. Fields and Willard hunted in the hills near Camp and returned before 2 P. M without killing any thing except a fiew Grows. they saw but few deer. Some bear Sign. Frazur Jo. Fields and Peter Wizer Complain of a violent pain in their heads. Howard and York with violent Cholicks.    the Cause of those disorders we are unable to account for. their diet and the Sudin Change of Climate must contribute. The Great Chief Tin nach-e-moo-tolt (or broken Arm) and 12 of the young men of his nation left us today about 11 oClock and Crossed the river to his Village Hoh-hâst-ill-pilt and 3 old men Continued with us untill about 5 P. M when they left us and returnd. to their Village.    a party of 14 Indians passed our Camp about 1 P. M. on their way to the leavel uplands to run and kill the deer with their horses and Bows and arrows. Some of them were also provided with deers heads Cased for the purpose of decoying the deer.    those men continued withus but a fiew minits and proceeded on. Those people hunt most Commonly on horse back Seround the Deer or Goat which they find in the open plains & kill them with their arrows. tho' they Sometimes hunt the deer on foot & decoy them.    we had all of our horses drove together to day with a view to fermilurize them to each other.    those that were Cut yesterday are Stiff and Several of them much Swelled.    we had all our baggage Secured and Covered with a rouf of Straw.    our little fortification also completely Secured with brush around which our Camp is formed.    the Greater part of our Security from the rains &c. is the grass which is formed in a kind of ruff So as to turn the rain Completely and is much the best tents we have.    as the days are worm &c. we have a bowry made to write under which we find not only comfortable but necessary, to keep off the intence heet of the Sun which has great effect in this low bottom.    on the high plains off the river the Climate is entirely different cool. Some Snow on the north hill Sides near the top and vegetation near 3 weeks later than in the river bottoms.    and the rocky Mountains imedeately in view covered Several say 4 & 5 feet deep with Snow. here I behold three different Climats within a fiew miles    a little before dark Hoh-hast-ill-pilt and the 3 old men & one other returned to our Camp and informed us the Canoe was a great way off and they could not cross this evening.

All hands turn out for hunting but with only a little success, so far.  Clark is clearly taken with the view which includes three abrupt seasons in the same scene.

May 14th Wednesday, 1806

[Lewis]   The morning was fair, we arrose early and dispatched a few of our hunters to the opposite side of the river, and employed a part of the men in transporting our baggage to the opposite shore wile others were directed to collect the horses; at 10 A. M. we had taken our baggage over and collected our horses, we then took breakfast, after which we drove our horses into the river which they swam without accedent and all arrived safe on the opposite shore.    the river is 150 yds. wide at this place and extreemly rapid.    tho' it may be safely navigated at this season, as the water covers all the rocks which lie in it's bed to a considerable debth.    we followed our horses and again collected them, after which we removed our baggage to a position which we had previously selected for our permanent camp about half a mile below.      this was a very eligible spot for defence it had been an ancient habitation of the indians; was sunk about 4 feet in the ground and raised arround it's outer edge about three ½ feet with a good wall of eath.    the whole was a circle of about 30 feet in diameter.    arround this we formed our tents of sticks and grass facing outwards and deposited our baggage within the sunken space under a shelter which we constructed for the purpose.    our situation was within 40 paces of the river in an extentsive level bottom thinly timbered with the longleafed pine.    here we are in the vicinity of the best hunting grounds from indian information, are convenient to the salmon which we expect daily and have an excellent pasture for our horses.    the hills to the E and North of us are high broken and but partially timbered; the soil is rich and affords fine grass.    in short as we are compelled to reside a while in this neighbourhood I feel perfectly satisfyed with our position.— immediately after we had passed the river Tunnachemootoolt and Hosâstillpilp arrived on the south side with a party of a douzen of their young men; they began to sing in token of friendship as is their custom, and we sent the canoe over for them.    they left their horses and came over accompanyed by several of their party among whom were the 2 young men who had presented us with two horses in behalf of the nation; one of these was the son of Tunnachemootoolt and the other the son of the Cheif who was killed by the Minnetares of Fort de Prarie last year and the same who had given us the mare and Colt.    we received them at our camp and smoked with them; after some hours Hohâstillpilp with much cerimony presented me with a very eligant grey gelding which he had brought for that purpose. I gave him in return a handkercheif 200 balls and 4 lbs. of powder.    with which he appeared perfectly satisfyed. Collins killed two bear this morning and was sent with two others in quest of the meat; with which they returned in the evening; the mail bear was large and fat the female was of moderate size and reather meagre.    we had the fat bear fleaced in order to reserve the oil for the mountains. both these bear were of the speceis common to the upper part of the missouri.    they may be called white black grzly brown or red bear for they are found of all those colours.    perhaps it would not be [erased word; illegible] unappropriate to designate them the variagated bear.     we gave the indians who were about 15 in number half the female bear, with the sholder head and neck of the other.    this was a great treat to those poor wretches who scarcely taist meat once a month.    they immediately prepared a brisk fire of dry wood on which they threw a parsel of smooth stones from the river, when the fire had birnt down and heated the stones they placed them level and laid on a parsel of pine boughs, on these they laid the flesh of the bear in flitches, placing boughs between each course of meat and then covering it thickly with pine boughs; after this they poared on a small quantity of water and covered the whoe over with  earth to the debth of four inches.    in this situation they suffered it to remain about 3 hours when they took it out. I taisted of this meat and found it much more tender than that which we had roasted or boiled, but the strong flavor of the pine distroyed it for my pallate. Labuish returned late in the evening and informed us that he had killed a female bear and two large cubbs, he brought with him several large dark brown pheasants which he had also killed. Shannon also returned with a few pheasants and two squirrells.    we have found our stone horses so troublesome that we indeavoured to exchange them with the Chopunnish for mears or gelings but they will not exchange altho' we offer 2 for one; we came to a resolution to castrate them and began the operation this evening    one of the indians present offered his services on this occasion.    he cut them without tying the string of the stone as is usual, and assures us that they will do much better in that way;   he takes care to scrape the string very clean and to seperate it from all the adhereing veigns before he cuts it.    we shall have an opportunity of judging whether this is a method preferable to that commonly practiced as Drewyer had gelded two in the usual way. The indians after their feast took a pipe or two with us and retired to rest much pleased with their repast.    these bear are tremendious animals to them; they esteem the act of killing a bear equally great with that of an enimy in the field of action.—    I gave the claws of those which Collins killed to Hohâstillpulp.—

Our Party moves to their chosen site for and indefinite vacation as they wait for the mountain snow to melt.  They stay here almost a month, longer than any camping place except for the two winter camps.  The Indians say this is a good area to hunt. The site is in Idaho County, Idaho, near the eastern boundary of the present Nez Perce Reservation on the east bank of the Clearwater River.

After failing to trade off their four stallions, they decide to castrate them.  Reminds me of an old rancher's saying that the only thing more troublesome than a stud horse to have around was a hay baler. Granted this was in the very early days of the hay baler

May 13th Tuesday, 1806

[Clark] a fine morning    I administered to the Sick and gave directions.    we collected all our horses and Set out at 1 P. M. and proceeded down the Creek to the Flat head River   a Short distance below the enterance of the Creek at the distance of 3 miles from the Village.    at this place we expected to have met the Canoe which was promised to be furnished us, and for which an indian Set out very early this morning.    we halted at the Flat Head River unloaded our horses and turnd. them out to feed. Several Indians accompanied us to the river and Continued untill evening. The man who Set out early this morning to the forks of this river for a Canoe and was to meet us at this place.    as the Canoe did not arive untill after Sun set we remained all night; in the evening we tried the Speed of Several of our horses.    these horses are strong active and well formed. Those people have emence numbers of them 50 or 60 or a Hundred head is not unusial for an individual to possess.

The Chopunnish are in general Stout well formd active men.    they have high noses and maney of them on he acqueline order with chearfull and agreeable countinances; their complexions are not remarkable.    in common with other Indian Nations of America they extract their beard, but the men do not uniformly extract the hair below, this is more particularly confined to the females.    they appear to be cheerfull but not gay; they are fond of gambling and of their amusements which consists principally in shooting their arrows at a targit made of Willow bark, and in rideing and exersiseing themselves on horsback, raceing &c.    they are expirt marks men & good riders.    they do not appear to be So much devoted to baubles as most of the nations we have met with, but Seen anxious always to riceve articles of utility, Such as knives, axes, Kittles, blankets & Mockerson awls.    blue beeds however may form an exception to this remark; This article among all the nations of this Country may be justly compared to gold and Silver among civilized nations. They are generally well clothed in their Stile.    their dress Consists of a long shirt which reaches to the middle of leg, long legins which reach as high as the waist, mockersons & robe.    those are formed of various skins and are in all respects like those of the Shoshone. Their orniments consists of beeds, Shells and peices of brass variously attached to their dress, to their ears arround theire necks wrists arms &c.    a band of Some kind usially Serounds the head, this is most frequently the Skin of Some fer animal as the fox otter &c.; I observed a tippet worn by Hohâstillpilp, which was formed of Humane Scalps and ornemented with the thumbs and fingers of Several men which he had Slain in battle.    they also were a coller or breast plate of otter Skin orniminted with Shells beeds & quills.    the women brade their hair in two tresses which hang in the same position of those of the men, which ar Cewed and hang over each sholder. &c

Other journal keepers of the Party state they now have sixty head of horses with only four head that have saddle sores or other problems and not usable.  The Nez Perce indians are famous for their love of horses and development of the appaloosa breed. The Captains are rightfully impressed with these people.

May 12th Monday, 1806

[Lewis] This morning a great number of indians collected about us as usual. we took an early breakfast and Capt. C. began to administer eyewater to a croud of at least 50 applicants. The Indians held a council among themselves this morning with rispect to the subjects on which we had spoken to them yesterday.    the result as we learnt was favourable.    they placed confidence in the information they had received and resolved to pusue our advise.    after this council was over the principal Cheif or the broken Arm, took the flour of the roots of cows and thickened the soope in the kettles and baskets  of all his people, this being ended he made a harangue the purport of which was making known the deliberations of their council and impressing the necessity of unanimity among them and a strict attention to the resolutions which had been agreed on in councill; he concluded by inviting all such men as had resolved to abide by the decrees of the council to come and eat and requested such as would not be so bound to shew themselves by not partaking of the feast. I was told by one of our men who was present, that there was not a dissenting voice on this great national question, but all swallowed their objections if any they had, very cheerfully with their mush.    during the time of this loud and animated harangue of the Cheif the women cryed wrung their hands, toar their hair and appeared to be in the utmost distress.   after this cerimony was over the Cheifs and considerate men came in a body to where we were seated at a little distance from our tent, and two young men at the instance of the nation, presented us each with a fine horse. we caused the cheifs to be seated and gave them each a flag a pound of powder and fifty balls.    we also gave powder and ball to the two young men who had presented the horses. Neeshneeparkkeeook gave Drewyer a good horse. The band of Ten-nach-e-moo-toolt have six guns which they acquired from the Minnetaries and appear anxious to obtain arms and amunition.    after they had received those presents the Cheifs requested we would retire to the tent whither they accompanied us, they now informed us that they wished to give an answer to what we had said to them the preceeding day, but also informed us that there were many of their people waiting in great pain at that moment for the aid of our medecine.    it was agreed between Capt. C. and myself that he should attend the sick as he was their favorite phisician while I would here and answer the Cheifs. The father of Hohâstillpilp was the orrator on this occasion.    he observed that they had listened with attention to our advise and that the whole nation was resolved to follow it, that they had only one heart and one tongue on this subject.    he said they were fully sensible of the advantages of peace and that the ardent desire which they had to cultivate peace with their neighbours had induced his nation early last summer to send a pipe by 3 of their brave men to the Shoshonees on the S. side of Lewis's river in the Plains of Columbia, that these people had murdered these men, which had given rise to the war expedition against that nation last fall; that their warriors had fallen in with the shoshonees at that time and had killed 42 of them with the loss of 3 only on their part; that this had satisfyed the blood of their disceased friends and that they would never again make war against the Shoshonees, but were willing to receive them as friends.    that they valued the lives of their young men too much to wish them to be engaged in war. That as we had not yet seen the black foot Indians and the Minnetares of Fort de Prarie they did not think it safe to venture over to the Plains of the Missouri, where they would fondly go provided those nations would not kill them.    that when we had established our forts on the Missouri as we had promised, they would come over and trade for arms Amunition &c. and live about us. that it would give them much pleasure to be at peace with these nations altho' they had shed much of their blood.    he said that the whitemen might be assured of their warmest attatchment and that they would alwas give them every assistance in their power; that they were poor but their hearts were good.    he said that some of their young men would go over with us to the Missouri and bring them the news as we wished, and that if we could make a peace between themselves and their enimies on the other side of the mountain their nation would go over to the Missouri in the latter end of the summer.    on the subject of one of their cheifs accompanying us to the Land of the whitemen they could not yet determine, but that they would let us know before we left them.    that the snow was yet so deep in the mountain if we attempted to pass we would certainly perish, and advised us to remain untill after the next full moon when the said the snow would disappear and we could find grass for our horses.—    when the oald man had concluded I again spoke to them at some length with which they appeared highly gratifyed.    after smoking the pipe which was about 2 P. M. they gave us another fat horse to kill which was thankfully received by the party. Capt C. now joined us having just made an end of his medical distrabution.    we gave a phiol of eyewater to the Broken Arm, and requested that he would wash the eyes of such as might apply for that purpose, and that when it was exhausted we would replenish the phiol.    he was much pleased with this present.    we now gave the Twisted hair one gun and a hundred balls and 2 lbs. of powder in part for his attention to our horses and promised the other gun and a similar quantity of powder and lead when we received the ballance of our horses.    this gun we had purchased of the indians below for 2 Elkskins.   this evening three other of our original stock of horses were produced, they were in fine order as well as those received yesterday. we have now six horses out only, as our old guide Toby and his son each took a horse of ours when they returned last fall.     these horses are said to be on the opposite side of the river at no great distance from this place. we gave the young men who had delivered us the two horses this morning some ribbon, blue wampum and vermillion, one of them gave me a hansome pare of legings and the Broken Arm gave Capt. C. his shirt, in return for which we gave him a linin shirt.—    we informed the indians of our wish to pass the river and form a camp at some proper place to fish, hunt, and graize our horses untill the snows of the mountains would permit us to pass.    they recommended a position a few miles distant from hence on the opposite side of the river, but informed us that there was no canoe at this place by means of which we could pass our baggage over the river, but promised to send a man early in the morning for one which they said would meet us at the river by noon the next day. The indians formed themselves this evening into two large parties and began to gamble for their beads and other ornaments.    the game at which they played was that of hiding a stick in their hands which they frequently changed acompanying their opperations with a song.    this game seems common to all the nations in this country, and dose not differ from that before discribed of the Shoshonees on the S. E. branch of Lewis's river.    we are anxious to procure some guides to accompany us on the different routs we mean to take from Travellers rest; for this purpose we have turned our attention to the Twisted hair who has several sons grown who are well acquainted as well as himself with the various roads in those mountains.    we invited the old fellow to remove his family and live near us while we remained; he appeared gratifyed with this expression of our confidence and promissed to do so.—    shot at a mark with the indians, struck the mark with 2 balls.    distn. 220 yds.

The Nez Perce, mainly because of their territory is pretty remote, feel disadvantaged in trading with the white men, mainly for lack of guns and powder.  The Captains have pledged to advance trading posts closer, mainly the entire length of the Missouri.  This would allow the more western tribes access and is a real crowd pleaser.  Looks as if the Party will gather all of the horses left in the Nez Perce's care.

May 11th Sunday, 1806

[Clark]    Some little rain last night.    we were Crouded in the Lodge with Indians who continued all night and this morning Great numbers were around us. The One Eyes Chief Yoom-park-kar-tim  arived and we gave him a medal of the Small Size and Spoke to the Indians through a Snake boy Shabono and his wife.    we informed them who were were, where we Came from & our intentions towards them, which pleased them very much.    a young man Son to the great Cheif who was killed not long Sence by the Indians from the N. E. brought an elegant mare and Coalt and Gave us.    and Said he had opend. his ears to what we had Said and his heart was glad and requested us to take this mare and Coalt as a token of his deturmination to pursue our Councels &c. The twisted hair brough Six of our horses all in fine order. Great numbers of Indians apply to us for medical aide which we gave them Cherfully So far as our Skill and Store of Medicine would enable us. Schrofla, ulsers, rhumitism, Sore eyes, and the loss of the use of their Limbs are the most common cases among them.    the latter Case is not very common but We have Seen 3 instances of it among the Chopunnish.    a very extraordinery complnt. about 3 P. M. Geo. drewyer arived with 2 deer which he had killed.    he informed us that the Snow Still Continued to cover the plains. We are now pretty well informed that Tunnachemootoolt, Hohâstillpilp, Neshneparkkeeook, and Yoomparkkartim were the principal Chiefs of the Chopunnish Nation and ranked in the order here mentioned; as all those chiefs were present in our lodge we thought it a favourable time to repeet what had been said and to enter more minutely into the views of our government with respect to the inhabitents of this Western part of the Continent, their intention of establishing tradeing houses for their relief, their wish to restore peace and harmony and among the nativs, the Strength welth and powers of our Nation &c.    to this end we drew a map of the Country with a coal on a mat in their way, and by the assistance of the Snake boy and our interpeters were enabled to make ourselves under stood by them altho' it had to pass through French, Minnetare, Shoshone and Chopunnish languages.    the interpretation being tegious it occupied the greater part of the day, before we had communicated to them what we wished.    they appeared highly pleased.    after this Council was over [they] we amused ourselves with Shewing them the power of Magnetism, the Spye glass, compass, watch, air gun and Sundery other articles equally novel and incomprehensible to them.   they informed us that after we left the Menetares last Spring that 3 of their people had visited that nation, and that they had informed them of us, and had told them that we had Such things in our possession but that they Could not place Confidence in the information untill they had now witnessed it themselves—.

In the evening a man was brought in a robe by four Indians and laid down near me.    they informed me that this man was a Cheif of Considerable note who has been in the Situation I see him for 5 years.    this man is incapable of moveing a single limb but lies like a corps in whatever position he is placed, yet he eats hartily, dejests his food perfectly, enjoys his under standing, his pulse are good, and has retained his flesh almost perfectly; in Short were it not [for] that he appears a little pale from having been So long in the Shade, he might well be taken for a man in good health. I Suspect that their Confinement to a deet of roots may give rise to all the disordes of the Nativs of this quarter except the Rhumitism & Sore eyes, and to the latter of those, the State of debility incident to a vegitable diet may measureably contribute.—. The Chopunnish not withstanding they live in the Crouded manner before mentioned are much more clenly in their persons and habitations than any nation we have Seen Sence we left the Illinois. These nativs take their fish in the following manner to wit.    a Stand Small Stage or warf consisting of Sticks and projecting about 10 feet into the river and about 3 feet above the water on the extremity of this the fisherman stands with his guig or a Skooping Net which differ but little in their form those Commonly used in our Country    it is formed thus  with those nets they take the Suckers  [9] and also the Salmon trout and I am told the Salmon also.

The Party's socializing and doctoring take up most of their time, although they did bag a couple of deer this day.  There's not a big rush anyway for the snow is still deep on their homeward route.  Their wintered horses seem to be pretty well gathered up now.  At least they'll have plenty of horses when they start over the high mountains.

May 10th Saturday, 1806

[Lewis] This morning the snow continued falling ½ after 6 A. M. when it ceased, the air keen and cold, the snow 8 inches deep on the plain; we collected our horses and after taking a scant breakfast of roots we set out for the village of Tunnachemootoolt; our rout lay through an open plain course S. 35 E. and distance 16 ms.    the road was slippery and the snow clogged to the horses feet, and caused them to trip frequently.    the mud at the sources of the little ravines was deep black  and well supplyed with quawmash.  Drewyer turned off to the left of the road in order to hunt and did not join us this evening.    at 4 in the afternoon we decended the hills to Commearp Creek and arrived at the Village of Tunnachemootoolt,  the cheeif at whos lodge we had left a flag last fall.    this flag was now displayed on a staff placed at no great distance from the lodge. underneath the flag the Cheif met my friend Capt. C. who was in front and conducted him about 80 yds. to a place on the bank of the creek where he requested we should encamp; I came up in a few minutes and we collected the Cheifs and men of consideration smoked with them and stated our situation with rispect to provision.    the Cheif spoke to his people and they produced us about 2 bushels of the Quawmas roots dryed, four cakes of the bread of cows and a dryed salmon trout.   We thanked them for this store of provision but informed them that our men not being accustomed to live on roots alone we feared it would make them sick, to obviate which we proposed exchangeing a good horse in reather low order for a young horse in tolerable order with a view to kill.    the hospitality of the cheif revolted at the aydea of an exchange, he told us that his young men had a great abundance of young horses and if we wished to eat them we should by furnished with as many as we wanted.    accordingly they soon produced us two fat young horses one of which we killed, the other we informed them we would pospone killing untill we had consumed the one already killed. This is a much greater act of hospitality than we have witnessed from any nation or tribe since we have passed the Rocky mountains.    in short be it spoken to their immortal honor it is the only act which deserves the appellation of hospitallity which we have witnessed in this quarter.   we informed these people that we were hungry and fatiegued at this moment, that when we had eaten and refreshed ourselves we would inform them who we were, from whence we had come and the objects of our resurches.    a principal Cheif by name Ho-hâst,-ill-pilp  arrived with a party of fifty men mounted on eligant horses.    he had come on a visit to us from his village which is situated about six miles distant near the river.    we invited this man into our circle and smoked with him, his retinue continued on horseback at a little distance.    after we had eaten a few roots we spoke to them as we had promised; and gave Tinnachemootoolt and Hohâstillpilp each a medal; the former one of the small size with the likeness of Mr. Jefferson and the latter one of the sewing medals struck in the presidency of Washington,   we explained to them the desighn and the importance of medals in the estimation of the whites as well as the red men who had been taught their value. The Cheif had a large conic lodge of leather  erected for our reception and a parsel of wood collected and laid at the door after which he invited Capt. C. and myself to make that lodge our home while we remained with him.    we had a fire lighted in this lodge and retired to it accompanyed by the Cheifs and as many of the considerate men as could croud in a circcle within it.    here after we had taken a repast on some horsebeef we resumed our council with the indians which together with smoking the pipe occupyed the ballance of the evening. I was surprised to find on decending the hills of Commearp Cr. to find that there had been no snow in the bottoms of that stream.    it seems that the snow melted in falling and decended here in rain while it snowed on the plains.    the hills are about six hundred feet high about one fourth of which distance the snow had decended and still lay on the sides of the hills.    as these people had been liberal with is with rispect to provision I directed the men not to croud their lodge surch of food in the manner hunger has compelled them to do at most lodges we have passed, and which the Twisted hair had informed me was disgreeable to the natives.    but their previous want of hospitality had induced us to consult their enclinations but little and suffer our men to obtain provision from them on the best terms they could. The village of the broken arm as I have heretofore termed it consists of one house only which is 150 feet in length built in the usual form of sticks matts and dry grass.    it contains twenty four fires and about double that number of families.    from appearances I presume they could raise 100 fighting men.    the noise of their women pounding roots reminds me of a nail factory. The indians seem well pleased, and I am confident that they are not more so than our men who have their somachs once more well filled with horsebeef and mush of the bread of cows.—    the house of coventry is also seen here.—

 

Once again the Nez Perce people come through for our Party, this time with two fat young horses. The location of this camp is Lawyer Creek, southwest of present Kamiah, in Lewis County, Idaho.  The principle chief, Hohâstillpilp was still alive in 1840 when he often told visitors, of his meeting  Lewis and Clark.

May 9th Friday, 1806

[Clark] The hunters Set out very early agreeable to their derections.    we were detained untill 9 A. M. for our horses which were much Scattered at which time we Collected our horses and Set out and proceeded on through a butifull open rich Country for 6 miles to the Camp of the twisted hair.    this Campment is formed of two Lodges built in the usial form of mats and Straw.    the largest and principal Lodge is Calculated for 2 fires only and Contains about [blank] persons.    the Second lodge is Small & appears to be intended for the Sick women who always retire to a Seperate lodge when they have the [blank]    this Custom is Common to all the nations on this river as well as among all other Indian nations with whom I am acquainted.    at the distance of 2 miles we passd. a lodge of 2 fires on a fork of the road which leads to the [lef] right Situated on a Small branch which falls into Musquetor Creek.    before 2 P M all our hunters joined us haveing killed only one deer which was lost in the river and a pheasent. Soon after we halted at the lodge of the twisted hair he Set out with two boys and Willard with a pack horse down to the river near the place we made the Canoes for our Saddles and a Cannister of powder and Some lead buried there, also a part of our horses which resorted near that place.    late in the evening they returned with 21 of our horse and about half of our Saddles with the powder and ball. The greater part of the horses were in fine order, tho' five of them had been rode & worsted in Such a manner last fall by the Inds. that they had not recovered and are in very low order, and 3 with Sore backs.    we had all the recovered horses Cought & hobbled.    we precured Some pounded roots of which a Supe was made thick on which we Suped.    the wind blew hard from the S. W. accompanied with rain untill from 7 oClock untill 9 P. M. when it began to Snow and Continued all night. Several Indians Came from the village of the Chief with whome we had left a flag and Continued with us all night.    they slept in the house of the twisted hair and two of them along Side of us.

Twisted Hair comes through fairly well with at least most of their horses he'd tended through the long winter, as well as the cache of ammunition.  The Natives have, in most cases, treated the Party very well indeed and without them the huge enterprise would probably have failed miserably.  They're still unable to find enough game to support themselves, which complicates their relationship with the Natives.

May 8th Thursday, 1806

[Lewis] Most of the hunters turned out by light this morning a few others remained without our permission or knoledge untill late in the morning, we chid them severely for their indolence and inattention to the order of last evening.    about 8 OCk. Sheilds returned with a small deer on which we breakfasted.    by 11 A. M. all our hunters returned, Drewyer and Cruzatte brought each a deer, Collins wounded another which my dogs caught at a little distance from the camp.    our stock of provision now consisted of 4 deer and the remnant of the horse which we killed at Colter's Creek. Sheilds killed a duck [EC: Spatula clypeata] of an uncommon kind.     the head beak and wing of which I preserved.    the beak is remarkably wide and obtusely pointed, on it's edges it is furnished with a sceries of teeth very long and fine not unlike the teeth of a comb.    the belley is of a brick red, the lower part of the neck white, the upper part or but of the wing is a sky blue, underneath which a narrow stripe of white succeeds marking the wing transversly, the large feathers are of a dark colour.    tail short and pointed and consists of 12 dark brown feathers.    the back is black and sides white; legs yellow and feet formed like the Duckinmallard which it also resembles in size and form.    the eye is moderately large, puple black and iris of an orrange colour.    the colours and appearance of the female is precisely that of the duckinmallard only, reather smaller.    we are informed that the natives in this quarter were much distressed for food in the course of the last winter; they were compelled to collect the moss  which grows on the pine which they boiled and eat; near this camp I observed many pine trees which appear to have been cut down about that season which they inform us was done in order to collect the seed of the longleafed pine which in those moments of distress also furnishes an article of food; the seed of this speceis of pine is about the size and much the shape of the seed of the large sunflower; they are nutricious and not unpleasent when roasted or boiled, during this month the natives also peal this pine and eat the succulent or inner bark.    in the creek near our encampment I observed a falling trap constructed on the same plan with those frequent seen in the atlantic states for catching the fish decending the stream Capt. C. took several small trout from this trap. Neesh-ne-park-kee-ook and several other indians joined us this morning.    we gave this cheif and the indians with us some venison, horsebeef, the entrels of the four deer, and four fawns which were taken from two of the does that were killed, they eat none of their food raw, tho' the entrals had but little preperation and the fawns were boiled and consumed hair hide and entrals.    these people sometimes eat the flesh of the horse tho' they will in most instances suffer extreem hunger before they will kill their horses for that purpose, this seems reather to proceede from an attatchment to this animal, than a dislike to it's flesh for I observe many of them eat very heartily of the horsebeef which we give them. The Shoshone man was displeased because we did not give him as much venison as he could eat and in consequence refused to interpret, we took no further notice of him and in the course of a few hours he became very officious and seemed anxious to reinstate himself in our good opinons.    the relation of the twisted hair and Neeshneparkkeook gave us a sketch of the principall watercourses West of the Rocky Mountains a copy of which I preserved;  they make the main Southwardly branch of Lewis's river much more extensive than the other, and place many villages of the Shoshonees on it's western side.    at half after 3 P. M. we departed; for the lodge of the Twisted hair accompanyed by the Cheif and sundry other indians.    the relation of the twisted hair left us.    the road led us up a steep and high hill to a high and level plain mostly untimbered,  through which we passed parrallel with the river about 4 miles when we met the Twisted hair  and a party of six men.    to this Cheif we had confided the care of our horses and a part of our saddles when we decended the river last fall.    the Twisted hair received us very coolly an occurrence as unexpected as it was unaccountable to us.    he shortly began to speak with a loud voice and in a angry manner, when he had ceased to speak he was answered by the Cutnose Cheif or Neeshnepark-keook; we readily discovered that a violet quarrel had taken place between these Cheifs but at that instant knew not the cause; we afterwards learnt that it was on the subject of our horses.    this contreversy between the cheifs detained us about 20 minutes; in order to put an end to this dispute as well as to releive our horses from the embarasment of their loads, we informed the Cheifs that we should continue our march to the first water and encamp accordingly we moved on and the Indians all followed.    about two miles on the road we arrived at a little branch which run to the wright.    here we encamped for the evening having traveled 6 miles today.    the two cheifs with their little bands formed seperate camps at a short distance from ours, they all appeared to be in an ill humour. we had been informed some days since that the natives had discovered the deposit of our saddles and taken them away and that our horses were much scattered.    we were very anxious to learn the particulars or truth of these reports from the twisted hair, as it must in some measure govern us in the establishment of our perminent camp which in consequence of our detention by the snow of the mountains has become necessary.    to obtain our horses and saddles as quickly as possible is our wish, and we are somewhat apprehensive that this difference which has taken place between these Chiefs may millitate against our operations in this rispect.    we were therefore desireous to bring about a good understanding between them as soon as possible.    The Shoshone boy refused to speak, he aledged it was a quarrel between two Cheifs and that he had no business with it; it was in vain that we urged that his interpreting what we said on this subject was not taking the responsibility of the inteference on himself, he remained obstenately silent.    about an hour after we had encamped Drewyer returned from hunting    we sent him to the Twisted hair to make some enquiries relative to our horses and saddles and to ask him to come and smoke with us. The Twisted hair accepted the invitation and came to our fire. The twisted hair informed us that accordingly to the promis he had made us when he seperated from us at the falls of the Columbia he collected our horses on his return and took charge of them, that about this time the Cutnose or Neeshneparkkeook and Tun-nach'-e-moo-toolt or the broken arm  returned from a war excurtion against the Shoshonees on the South branch of Lewis's river which had caused their absence when we were in this neighbourhood.    that these men became dissatisfyed with him in consequence of our having confided the horses to his care and that they were eternally quarreling with him insomuch that he thought it best as he was an old man to relinguish any further attention to the horses, that they had consequently become scattered; that most of the horses were near this place, a part were in the forks between the Chopunnish and Kooskooske rivers and three or four others were at the lodge of the broken Arm about half a days march higher up the river.    he informed us with rispect to our saddles that on the rise of the water this spring the earth had fallen from the door of the cash and exposed the saddles, he being informed of their situation had taken them up and placed them in another cash where they were at this time; he said it was probable that a part of them had fallen into the water but of this he was not certain. The Twisted hair said if we would spend the day tomorrow at his lodge which was a few miles only from hence and on the road leading to the Broken arm's lodge, he would collect such of our horses as were near this place and our saddles, that he would also send some young men over the Kooskooske to collect those in the forks and bring them to the lodge of the broken Arm to met us.    he advised us to go to the lodge of the broken Arm as he said he was a Cheif of great emenence among them, and promised to accompany us thither if we wished him.    we told him that we should take his advice in every particular, that we had confided the horses to his care and expected that he would collect them and deliver them to us which when he performed we should pay him the two guns and