University of Virginia Library

XVI. The ORIGINAL JOURNALS OF
LEWIS AND CLARK

Chapter XVI

SEARCHING FOR NAVIGABLE WATERS

XVI. Lewis's Journal, August 21–26, 1805
Clark's Journal, August 21–26

[Lewis:]

Wednesday August 21st. 1805.

THIS morning was very cold, the ice ¼ of an inch
thick on the water which stood in the vessels exposed
to the air. some wet deerskins that had been spread
on the grass last evening are stiffly frozen. the ink f[r]eizes
in my pen. the bottoms are perfectly covered with frost, insomuch
that they appear to be covered with snow. This
morning early I dispatched two hunters to kill some meat if
possible before the Indians arrive; Drewyer I sent with the
horse into the cove for that purpose. The party pursued
their several occupations as yesterday. by evening I had all
the baggage, saddles, and harness completely ready for a
march. after dark, I made the men take the baggage to the
cash and deposit it. I beleve we have been unperceived by
the Indians in this movement. notwithstanding the coldness
of the last night the day has proved excessively warm.
neither of the hunters returned this evening and I was obliged
to issue pork and corn. The mockersons of both sexes are
usually the same and are made of deer Elk or buffaloe skin
dressed without the hair. sometimes in the winter they make
them of buffaloe skin dressed with the hair on and turn the
hair inwards as the Mandans Minetares and most of the nations
do who inhabit the buffaloe country. the mockerson is formed
with one seem on the outer edge of the foot is cut open at the

instep to admit the foot and sewed up behind. in this rispect they
are the same with the Mandans. they sometimes ornament
their mockersons with various figures wrought with the quills
of the Porcupine. some of the dressey young men orniment
the tops of their mockersons with the skins of polecats and
trale the tail of that animal on the ground at their heels as they
walk. the robe of the woman is generally smaller than that
of the man but is woarn in the same manner over the sholders.
the Chemise is roomy and comes down below the middle of
the leg the upper part of this garment is formed much like the
shirt of the men except the sholder strap which is never used
with the Chemise. in women who give suck, they are left open
at the sides nearly as low as the waist, in others, close as high
as the sleeve. the sleeve underneath as low as the elbow is
open, that part being left very full. the sides tail and upper
part of the sleeves are deeply fringed and sometimes ornimented
in a similar manner with the shirts of the men with the addition
of little patches of red cloth about the tail edged around
with beads. the breast is usually ornament[e]d with various
figures of party colours rought with the quills of the Porcupine.
it is on this part of the garment that they appear to exert their
greatest engenuity. a girdle of dressed leather confines the
Chemise around the waist. when either the man or the woman
wish to disengage their arm from the sleeve they draw it out
by means of the opening underneath the arm and throw the
sleeve behind the body.[1] the legings of the women reach as
high as the knee and are confined with a garter below. the
mockerson covers and confins it's lower extremity. they are
neither fringed nor ornamented. these legings are made of
the skins of the antelope and the Chemise usually of those of
the large deer Bighorn and the smallest elk. They seldom
wear the beads they possess about their necks; at least I have
never seen a grown person of either sex wear them on this
part; some [of] their children are seen with them in this way.
the men and women were [wear] them suspen[ded] from the
ear in little bunches or intermixed with triangular peices of the
shells of the perl oister. the men also were them attached in
a similar manner to the hare of the fore part of the crown of
the head; to which they sometimes make the addition of the
wings and tails of birds. the nose in neither sex is pierced nor
do they wear any ornament in it. they have a variety of small
sea shells of which they form collars woarn indiscriminately by
both sexes. these as well as the shell of the perl oister they
value very highly and inform us that they obtain them from
their friends and relations who live beyond the barren plain
towards the Ocean in a S. Westerly direction. these friends
of theirs they say inhabit a good country abounding with Elk,
deer, bear, and Antelope, and possess a much greater number
of horses and mules than they do themselves; or using their
own figure that their horses and mules are as numerous as the
grass of the plains. the warriors or such as esteem themselves
brave men wear collars made of the claws of the brown bear
which are also esteemed of great value and are preserved with
great care. these claws are ornamented with beads about the
thick end near which they are peirced through their sides and
strung on a throng of dressed leather and tyed about the neck
commonly with the upper edge of the tallon next the breast or
neck but sometimes are reversed. it is esteemed by them an act
of equal celebrity the killing one of these bear or an enimy, and
with the means they have of killing this animal it must really
be a serious undertaking. the sweet sented grass which grows
very abundant on this river is either twisted or plaited and
woarn around the neck in ether sex, but most commonly by
the men. they have a collar also woarn by either sex. it [is]
generally round and about the size of a man's finger; formed
of leather or silk-grass twisted or firmly rolled and covered
with the quills of the porcupine of different colours. the tusks
of the Elk are pierced strung on a throng and woarn as an orniment
for the neck, and is most generally woarn by the women
and children.[2] the men frequently wear the skin of a fox or
a broad strip of that of the otter around the forehead and head
in form of a bando. they are also fond of the feathers of the
tail of the beautifull eagle or callumet bird with which they ornament
their own hair and the tails and mains of their horses.
also a collar of round bones which look like the joints of a
fishes back The dress of these people is quite as desent and
convenient as that of any nation of Indians I ever saw.

This morning early Capt. C. resumed his march; at the distance
of five miles he arrived at some brush lodges of the Shoshones
inhabited by about seven families. here he halted and
was very friendly received by these people, who gave himself
and party as much boiled salmon as they could eat; they also
gave him several dryed salmon and a considerable quantity of
dryed chokecherries. after smoking with them he visited their
fish wear [weir] which was abut 200 yds. distant. he found the
wear extended across four channels of the river which was here
divided by three small islands. three of these channels were
narrow, and were stoped by means of trees fallen across, supported
by which stakes of willow were driven down sufficiently
near each other to prevent the salmon from passing. about
the center of each a cilindric basket of eighteen or 20 feet in
length terminating in a conic shape at it's lower extremity,
formed of willows, was opposed to a small apperture in the
wear with it's mouth up stream to receive the fish. the main
channel of the water was conducted to this basket, which was
so narrow at it's lower extremity that the fish when once in
could not turn itself about, and were taken out by untying the
small ends of the longitudinal willows, which form the hull of
the basket. the wear in the main channel was somewhat differently
contrived. there were two distinct wears formed of poles
and willow sticks, quite across the river, at no great distance
from each other. each of these, were furnished with two
baskets; the one wear to take them ascending and the other

in decending. in constructing these wears, poles were first
tyed together in parcels of three near the smaller extremity;
these were set on end, and spread in a triangular form at the
base, in such manner, that two of the three poles ranged in the
direction of the intended work, and the third down the stream.
two ranges of horizontal poles were next lashed with willow
bark and wythes to the ranging poles, and on these willow
sticks were placed perpendicularly, reaching from the bottom
of the river to about 3 or four feet above it's surface; and
placed so near each other, as not to permit the passage of the
fish, and even so thick in some parts, as with the help of gravel
and stone to give a direction to the water which they wished.
the baskets were the same in form of the others. this is the

[ILLUSTRATION]

form of the work, and disposition of the baskets. After examining
the wears Capt. C. returned to the lodges, and shortly
continued his rout and passed the river to the Lard side a little
distance below the wears. he sent Collins with an Indian down
the Lard. side of the river to the forks 5 M. in surch of Cruzatte
who was left at the upper camp yesterday to purchase a
horse and had followed on today and passed them by another
road while they were at the lodges and had gone on to the
forks. while Capt. Clark was at these lodges an Indian brought
him a tomehawk which he said he found in the grass near the
lodge where I had staid at the upper camp when I was first
with his nation. the tommahawk was Drewyer's he missed it
in the morning before we had set out and surched for it but it
was not to be found I beleive the young fellow stole it, but
if he did it is the only article they have pilfered and this was
now returned. Capt. C. after traveling about 20 miles through
the valley with the course of the river nearly N.W. encamped
on the Stard. side in a small bottom under a high Clift of rocks.
on his way one of the party killed a very large Salmon in a
creek which they passed at the distance of 14 Ms. he was
joined this evening by Cruzatte and Collins who brought with
them five fresh salmon which had been given them by the Indians
at the forks. the forks of this river is famous as a gig
fishery and is much resorted [to] by the natives. They killed
one deer today. The Guide apeared to be a very friendly intelligent
old man, Capt. C. is much pleased with him.

This day I observed Equal Altitudes of the ☉ with Sextant.

       

	h m s		h m s
A.M.	8. 38. 36.	P.M.	4. –. 56	Altitude at the time of
	". 40. 8.		". 1. 34	observation.
	". 42. 45.		". 3. 5.	65°. 57'. 30".

   

Also observed Meridian Altd. of ☉'s. L.L. with	° ′ ″
Octant by the back observation.	72. –. –.

   

	° ′ ″
Latitude deduced from this observation.	North. 44. 30. 21.7.

   

	° ′ ″
Mean Latitude of the Forks of Jefferson's river, deduced from three observations of the Meridian Altd. of ☉'s L.L. with Octant, and one calculation by means of the hor: 〈 [angle] of the ☉'s center in the P.M. observation for equal Altitudes on the 20th. Instant	N. 44. 35. 28.1

[Clark:]

August 21st.. Wednesday 1805.

Frost last night proceeded on with the Indians I met about
5 miles to there Camp, I entered a lodge and after smokeing
with all who Came about me I went to see the place those
people take the fish, a wear across the Creek in which there is
Stuk baskets Set in different derections So as to take the fish
either decending or assending on my return to the Camp
which was 200 yards only the different lodges (which is only
bushes) brought in to the lodge I was introduced into, Sammon
boiled, and dried Choke Chers. Sufficent for all my party.
one man brought me a tomahawk which we expected they had
Stolen from a man of Cap Lewis's party, this man informed
me he found the tomak. in the grass near the place the man
Slept. Crossed the River and went over a point of high land
& Struck it again near a Bluff on the right Side; the man I
left to get a horse at the upper Camp missed me & went to
the forks which is about five miles below the last Camp. I
sent one man by the forks with derections to join me to night
with the one now at that place, those two men joined me at
my Camp on the right Side below the 1st. Clift with 5 Sammon
which the Indians gave them at the forks, the place they gig
fish at this season. Their method of takeing fish with a gig or
bone is with a long pole, about a foot from one End is a
Strong String attached to the pole, this String is a little more
than a foot long and is tied to the middle of a bone from 4 to
6 inches long, one end Sharp the other with a whole to fasten
on the end of the pole with a beard [i. e., barb] to the large
end, the[y] fasten this bone on one end & with the other,
feel for the fish & turn and Strike them So hard that the bone
passes through and Catches on the opposit Side, Slips off the
End of the pole and holds the Center of the bone Those
Indians are mild in their disposition, appear Sincere in their
friendship, punctial, and decided. kind with what they have,
to spare. They are excessive pore, nothing but horses there
Enemies which are noumerous on account of there horses &
Defenceless Situation, have deprived them of tents and all the
Small Conveniances of life. They have only a few indifferent
Knives, no ax, make use of Elk's horn Sharpened to Sp[l]it

ther wood, no clothes except a Short Legins & robes of different
animals, Beaver, Bear, Buffalow, wolf Panther, Ibex
(Sheep), Deer, but most commonly the antilope Skins which
they ware loosely about them. Their ornements are Orter
Skin d[e]curated with See Shells & the Skins & tales of the
white weasel, Sea Shels of different size hung to their Ears hair
and breast of their Shirts, beeds of Shells platted Grass, and
Small strings of otter Skin dressed, they are fond of our
trinkets, and give us those ornements as the most valueable
of their possession. The women are held more sacred among
them than any nation we have seen and appear to have an
equal Shere in all conversation, which is not the Case in any
other nation I have seen. their boys & girls are also admited
to speak except in Councels, the women doe all the drugery
except fishing and takeing care of the horses, which the men
apr. to take upon themselves. The men ware the hair loose
flowing over ther Sholders & face, the women Cut Short,
ornements of the back bones of fish Strung, plated grass grains
of Corn Strung Feathers and orniments of Birds Claws of the
Bear encurcling their necks the most sacred of all the orniments
of this nation is the Sea Shells of various Sizes and
Shapes and colours, of the bassterd perl kind, which they
inform us they get from the Indians to the South on the other
Side of a large fork of this river in passing to which they have
to pass thro: Sandy & barren open plains without water to
which place they can travel in 15 or 20 days. The men who
passed by the forks informed me that the S W. fork was
double the Size of the one I came down, and I observed that
it was a handsom river at my camp I shall in justice to
Capt. Lewis who was the first white man ever on this fork of
the Columbia Call this Louis's [Lewis's] river. one Deer
killed this morning, and a Sammon in the last Creek 2 ½ feet
long The Westerley fork of the Columbia River is double
the Size of the Easterley fork & below those forks the river is
about the Size [of] Jeffersons River near its mouth or 100
yards wide, it is verry rapid & Sholey water Clear, but little
timber. This Clift is of a redish brown Colour, the rocks
which fall from it is a dark brown flint tinged with that
Colour. Some Gullies of white Sand Stone and Sand fine &
a[s] white as Snow. The mountains on each Side are high,
and those on the East ruged & Contain a fiew Scattering pine,
those on the West contain pine on ther tops & high up the
hollows. The bottoms of this day is wide & rich from some
distance above the place I struck the East fork they are also
wide on the East Passed a large Creek which fall[s] in on
the right side 6 miles below the forks a road passes up this
Creek & to the Missouri.

[Lewis:]

Thursday August 22ed. 1805.

This morning early I sent a couple of men to complete the
covering of the cash which could not be done well last night
in the dark, they soon accomplished their work and returned.
late last night Drewyer returned with a fawn he had killed and
a considerable quantity of Indian plunder. the anecdote with
rispect to the latter is perhaps worthy of relation. he informed
me that while hunting in the Cove yesterday about 12 OCk. he
came suddonly upon an Indian Camp, at which there were a
young man an Old man and a boy and three women, that
they seemed but little supprised at seeing him and he rode up
to them and dismounted turning [his] horse out to graize.
these people had just finished their repast on some roots, he
entered into conversation with them by signs, and after about
20 minutes one of the women spoke to the others of the
party and they all went immediately and collected their horses
brought them to camp and saddled them at this moment he
thought he would also set out and continue his hunt, and accorgingly
walked to catch his horse at some little distance and
neglected to take up his gun which he left at camp, the Indians
perceiving him at the distance of fifty paces immediately
mounted their horses, the young man took the gun, and the
whole of them left their baggage and laid whip to their horses
directing their course to the pass of the mountains. finding
himself deprived of his gun he immediately mounted his horse
and pursued; after runing them about 10 miles the horses of

two of the women nearly gave out and the young fellow with
the gun from their frequent crys slackened his pace and being
on a very fleet horse road around the women at a little distance
at length Drewer overtook the women and by signs
convinced them that he did not wish to hirt them they
then halted and the young fellow approached still nearer, he
asked him for his gun but the only part of the answer which
he could understand was pahkee which he knew to be the
name by which they called their enimies. watching his opportunity
when the fellow was off his guard he suddonly rode
along side of him seized his gun and wrest[ed] her out of his
hands. the fellow finding Drewyer too strong for him and
discovering that he must yeald the gun had p[r]esents of mind
to open the pan and cast the priming before he let the gun
escape from his hands; now finding himself devested of the
gun he turned his horse about and laid whip leaving the
women to follow him as well as they could. Drewyer now
returned to the place they had left their baggage and brought
it with him to my camp. it consisted of several dressed and
undressed skins; a couple of bags wove with the fingers of
the bark of the silk-grass containing each about a bushel of
dryed service burries some ch[ok]echerry cakes and about a
bushel of roots of three different kinds dryed and prepared
for uce which were foalded in as many parchment hides of
buffaloe. some flint and the instrument of bone for manufactureing
the flint into arrow points. some of this flint was as
transparent as the common black glass and much of the same
colour, easily broken, and flaked of[f] much like glass leaving
a very sharp edge.[3] one speceis of the roots were fusiform
abo[u]t six inches long and about the size of a man's finger
at the larger end tapering to a small point. the radicles larger
than in most fusiform roots. the rind was white and thin.
the body or consistence of the root was white mealy and easily
reduced by pounding to a substance resembleing flour which
thickens with boiling water something like flour and is agreeably
flavored. this rout is frequently eaten by the Indians
either green or in it's dryed state without the preparation of
boiling. another speceis was much mutilated but appeared to
be fibrous; the parts were brittle, hard, of the size of a small
quill, cilindric and as white as snow throughout, except some
small parts of the hard black rind which they had not seperated
in the preperation. this the Indians with me informed were
always boiled for use. I made the exp[e]riment, found that
they became perfectly soft by boiling, but had a very bitter
taste, which was naucious to my pallate, and I transfered them
to the Indians who had eat them heartily. a third speceis
were about the size of a nutmeg, and of an irregularly rounded
form, something like the smallest of the Jarusalem artichoke,
which they also resemble in every other appearance. they had
become very hard by being dryed, these I also boiled agreeably
to the instruction of the Indians and found them very
agreeable. they resemble the Jerusalem Artichoke very much
in their flavor and I thought them preferable, however there
is some allowance to be made for the length of time I have
now been without vegitable food to which I was always much
attatched. these are certainly the best root[s] I have yet seen
in uce among the Indians. I asked the Indians to shew me
the plant of which these roots formed a part but they informed
me that neither of them grew near this place.[4] I had set most
of the men at work today to dress the deerskin belonging to
those who had gone on command with Capt. Clark. at II.A.M.
Charbono, the Indian Woman, Cameahwait and about 50 men
with a number of women and children arrived. they encamped
near us. after they had turned out their horses and
arranged their camp I called the Cheifs and warriors together
and addressed them a second time; gave them some further
presents, particularly the second and third Cheifs who it appeared
had agreeably to their promise exerted themselves in
my favour, having no fresh meat and these poor devils half
starved I had previously prepared a good meal for them all
of boiled corn and beans which I gave them as soon as the
council was over and I had distributed the presents. this was
thankfully received by them. the Cheif wished that his nation
could live in a country where they could provide such food.
I told him that it would not be many years before the white-men
would put it in the power of his nation to live in the
country below the mountains where they might cultivate corn
beans and squashes. he appeared much pleased with the information.
I gave him a few dryed squashes which we had
brought from the Mandans he had them boiled and declared
them to be the best thing he had ever tasted except sugar, a
small lump of which it seems his sister Sah-cah-gar Wea had
given him. late in the evening I made the men form a bush
drag, and with it in about 2 hours they caught 528 very good
fish, most of them large trout. among them I now for the
first time saw ten or a douzen of a white speceis of trout.
they are of a silvery colour except on the back and head, where
they are of a bluish cast. the scales are much larger than the
speckled trout, but in their form position of their fins teeth
mouth &c they are precisely like them. they are not generally
quite as large but equally well flavored.[5] I distributed
much the greater portion of the fish among the Indians. I
purchased five good horses of them very reasonably, or at
least for about the value of six dollars a peice in merchandize.
the Indians are very orderly and do not croud about our camp
nor attempt to disterb any article they see lying about. they
borrow knives kettles &c from the men and always carefully
return them. Capt Clark says, "we set out early and passed
a small creek at one mile, also the points of four mountains
which were high steep and rocky. the mountains are so steep
that it is almost incredible to mention that horses had passed
them. our road in many places lay over the sharp fragments
of rocks which had fallen from the mountains and lay in
confused heaps for miles together; yet notwithstanding our
horsed[s] traveled barefoot [i.e., unshod] over them as fast as
we could and did not detain us. passed two bold runing
streams, and arrived at the entrance of a small river where
some Indian families resided. they had some scaffoalds of
fish and burries exposed to dry. they were not acquainted
with the circumstance of any whitemen being in their country
and were therefore much allarmed on our approach several
of the women and children fled in the woods for shelter. the
guide was behind and the wood thick in which their lodges
were situated we came on them before they had the least
notice of us. those who remained offered us every thing they
had, which was but little; they offered us collars of elks tusks
which their children woar, Salmon beries &c we eat some
of their fish and buries but returned them the other articles
they had offered with a present of some small articles which
seemed to add much to their pacification. The guide who had
by this time arrived explained to them who we were and our
object in visiting them; but still there were some of the women
and Children inconsoleable, they continued to cry during our
stay, which was about an hour. a road passes up this river
which my guide informed me led over the mountains to the
Missouri. from this place I continued my rout along the
steep side of a mountain for about 3 miles and arrived at
the river near a small Island on the lower point of which we
encamped. in the evening we attempted to gig fish but were
unsuccessfull only obtaining one small salmon. in the course
of the day we had passed several women and children geathering
burries who were very liberal in bestoing us a part of their
collections. the river is very rapid and shoaly; many rocks
lie in various derections scattered throughout it's bed. There
are some few small pine scattered through the bottoms, of
which I only saw one which appeared as if it would answer for
a canoe and that was but small. the tops of the mountains
on the Lard. side are covered with pine and some also scattered
on the sides of all the mountains. I saw today a speceis of
woodpecker, which fed on the seeds of the pine. it's beak
and tail were white, it's wings were black, and every other part
of a dark brown. it was about the size of a robin.[6] ["]

[Clark:]

August 22d. Thursday 1805.

We Set out early passed a Small Creek on the right at 1
mile and the points of four mountains verry Steup high &
rockey, the assent of three was So Steup that it is incredeable
to describe the rocks in maney places loose & Sliped from
those mountains and is a Solid bed of rugid loose white and
dark brown loose rock for miles. the Indian horses pass over
those Clifts hills beds & rocks as fast as a man, the three
horses with me do not detain me any on account of those dificulties,
passed two bold rung. Streams on the right and a
Small river[7] [Fisher. also on the right] at the mouth of which
Several families of Indians were encamped and had Several
Scaffolds of fish & buries drying we allarmed them verry
much as they knew nothing of a white man being in their
Countrey, and at the time we approached their lodges which
was in a thick place of bushes my guides were behind. They
offered every thing they possessed (which was verry little) to
us, Some run off and hid in the bushes The first offer of
theirs were Elks tushes from around their childrens necks,
Sammon &c. my guide attempted [to] passify those people
and they Set before me berri[e]s, & fish to eate,[8] I gave a
fiew Small articles to those fritened people which added verry
much to their pasification but not entirely as some of the
women & Childn. Cried dureing my Stay of an hour at this
place, I proceeded on the Side of a verry Steep & rockey

mountain for 3 miles and Encamped on the lower pt. of an
Island we attempted to gig fish without Suckcess caught
but one Small one. The last Creek or Small river is on the
right Side and "a road passes up it & over to the Missouri"
(to Wisdom) (From Several of these Streams roads go across to
Wisdom River) in this day passed Several womin and Children
gathering and drying buries of which they were very kind
and gave us a part. the river rapid and Sholey maney Stones
Scattered through it in different directions. I saw to day [a]
Bird of the woodpecker kind which fed on Pine burs its Bill
and tale white the wings black every other part of a light
brown, and about the Size of a robin. Some fiew Pine scattered
in the bottoms & Sides of the Mountains (the Top of
the Mtn. to the left Covered & inaxcessable) I saw one which
would make a Small Canoe.

[Lewis:][9]

Friday August 23rd. 1805.

This morning I arrose very early and despatched two hunters
on horseback with orders to extend their hunt to a greater
distance up the S. E. fork than they had done heretofore, in
order if possible to obtain some meet for ourselves as well as
the Indians who appeared to depend on us for food and our
store of provision is growing too low to indulge them with
much more corn or flour. I wished to have set out this
morning but the cheif requested that I would wait untill another
party of his nation arrived which he expected today, to this
I consented from necessity, and therefore sent out the hunters
as I have mentioned. I also laid up the canoes this morning
in a pond near the forks; sunk them in the water and weighted
them down with stone, after taking out the plugs of the gage
holes in their bottoms; hoping by this means to guard against
both the effects of high water, and that of the fire which is
frequently kindled in these plains by the natives. the Indians
have promised to do them no intentional injury and [I] beleive

they are too laizy at any rate to give themselves the trouble
to raise them from their present situation in order to cut or
birn them. I reminded the chief of the low state of our stores
of provision and advised him to send his young men to hunt,
which he immediately recommended to them and most of them
turned out. I wished to have purchased some more horses
of them but they objected against disposing of any more of
them untill we reach their camp beyond the mountains. the
Indians pursued a mule buck[10] near our camp I saw this chase
for about 4 miles it was really entertaining, there were about
twelve of them in pursuit of it on horseback, they finally rode
it down and killed it. the[y] all came in about 1. P. M. having
killed 2 mule deer and three goats. this mule buck was
the largest deer of any kind I had ever seen. it was nearly as
large as a doe Elk. I observed that there was but little division
or distribution of the meat they had taken among themselves.
some familes had a large stock and others none.
this is not custumary among the nations of Indians with whom
I have hitherto been acquainted. I asked Cameahwait the
reason why the hunters did not divide the meat among themselves;
he said that meat was so scarce with them that the men
who killed it reserved it for themselves and their own families.
my hunters arrived about 2 in the evening with two mule deer
and three common deer. I distributed three of the deer among
those families who appeared to have nothing to eat. at three
P. M. the expected party of Indians arrived, about 50 men
women and children. I now learnt that most of them were
thus far on their way down the valley towards the buffaloe
country, and observed that there was a good deel of anxiety
on the part of some of those who had promised to assist me
over the mountains to accompany this party; I felt some
uneasiness on this subject but as they still said they would
return with me as they had promised I said nothing to them
but resolved to set out in the morning as early as possible. I
dispatched two hunters this evening into the cove to hunt
and leave the meat they might kill on the rout we shall pass
tomorrow.

The metal which we found in possession of these people
consi[s]ted of a few indifferent knives, a few brass kettles some
arm bands of iron and brass, a few buttons, woarn as ornaments
in their hair, a spear or two of a foot in length and some iron
and brass arrow points which they informed me they obtained
in exchange for horses from the Crow or Rocky Mountain
Indians on the yellowstone River. the bridlebits and stirreps
they obtained from the Spaniards, tho these were but few.
many of them made use of flint for knives, and with this instrument,
skined the animals they killed, dressed their fish and
made their arrows; in short they used it for every purpose to
which the knife is applyed. this flint is of no regular form,
and if they can only obtain a part of it, an inch or two in length
that will cut they are satisfyed. they renew the edge by flecking
off the flint by means of the point of an Elk's or deer's
horn. with the point of a deer or Elk's horn they also form
their arrow points of the flint, with a quickness and neatness
that is really astonishing. we found no axes nor hatchets
among them; what wood they cut was done either with stone
or Elk's horn. the latter they use always to rive or split their
wood. their culinary eutensils exclusive of the brass kettle
before mentioned consist of pots in the form of a jar made
either of earth, or of a white soft stone which becomes black
and very hard by birning, and is found in the hills near the
three forks of the Missouri betwen Madison's and Gallitin's
rivers.[11] they have also spoons made of the Buffaloe's horn
and those of the Bighorn. Their bows are made of ceader or
pine and have nothing remarkable about them. the back of
the bow is covered with sinues and glue and is about 2 ½ feet
long. much the shape of those used by the Siouxs Mandans
Minnetares &c. their arrows are more slender generally than
those used by the nations just mentioned but much the same
in construction. Their sheild is formed of buffaloe hide, perfectly
arrow proof, and is a circle of 2 feet 4 I. or 2 F. 6 I. in
diameter. this is frequently painted with varios figures and
ornamented around the edges with feather[s] and a fringe of

dressed leather. they sometimes make bows of the Elk's
horn and those also of the bighorn. those of the Elk's horn
are made of a single peice and covered on the back with glue
and sinues like those made of wood, and are frequently ornamented
with a stran[d] wrought [of] porcupine quills and
sinues raped around them for some distance at both extremities.
the bows of the bighorn are formed of small peices laid flat
and cemented with gleue, and rolled with siniws, after which,
they are also covered on the back with sinews and glew, and
highly ornamented as they are much prized. forming the
sheild is a cerimony of great importance among them, this
implement would in their minds be devested of much of its
protecting power were it not inspired with those virtues by
their old men and jugglers. their method of preparing it is
thus, an entire skin of a bull buffaloe two years old is first
provided; a feast is next prepared and all the warriors old men
and jugglers invited to partake. a hole is sunk in the ground
about the same in diameter with the intended sheild and about
18 inches deep. a parcel of stones are now made red hot and
thrown into the hole water is next thrown in and the hot
stones cause it to emit a very strong hot steem, over this they
spread the green skin which must not have been suffered to
dry after taken off the beast. the flesh side is laid next to the
groround and as many of the workmen as can reach it take
hold on it's edges and extend it in every direction. as the
skin becomes heated, the hair seperates and is taken of[f] with
the fingers, and the skin continues to contract untill the who[l]e
is drawn within the compas designed for the shield, it is then
taken off and laid on a parchment hide where they pound it
with their heels when barefoot. this operation of pounding
continues for several days or as long as the feast lasts when it
is delivered to the propryeter and declared by the jugglers and
old men to be a sufficient defence against the arrows of their
enimies or even bullets if [the] feast has been a satisfactory
one. many of them beleive implisitly that a ball cannot penitrate
their sheilds, in consequence of certain superna[t]ural
powers with which they have been inspired by their jugglers.
The Pog̍gâmog̍gon is an instrument with a handle of wood
covered with dressed leather about the size of a whip handle
and 22 inches long; a round stone of 2 pounds weight is also
covered with leather and strongly united to the leather of the
handle by a throng of 2 inches long; a loop of leather united
to the handle passes arond the wrist. a very heavy blow may
be given with this instrument. They have also a kind of
armor which they form with many foalds of dressed a[n]telope's
skin, unite with glue and sand. with this they cover their
own bodies and those of their horses. these are sufficient
against the effects of the arrow. the quiver which contains
their arrows and implements for making fire is formed of
various skins. that of the Otter seems to be prefered. they
are but narrow, of a length sufficent to protect the arrow from
the weather, and are woarn on the back by means of a strap
which passes over the left sholder and under the wright arm.
their impliments for making fire is nothing more than a blunt
arrow and a peice of well seasoned soft spongey wood such as
the willow or cottonwood. the point of this arrow they apply
to this dry stick so near one edge of it that the particles of
wood which are seperated from it by the friction of the arrow
falls down by it's side in a little pile. the arrow is held between
the palms of the hand with the fingers extended, and being
pressed as much as possible against the peice is briskly rolled
between the palms of the hands backwards and forwards by
pressing the arrow downwards the hands of course in rolling
[the] arrow also decend; they bring them back with a quick
motion and repeat the operation till the dust by the friction
takes fire; the peice and arrow are then removed and some
dry grass or dooted [rotted] wood is added. it astonished me
to see in what little time these people would kindle fire in this
way. in less than a minute they will produce fire.[12]

Capt. Clark set out this morning very early and poroceeded
but slowly in consequence of the difficulty of his road which
lay along the steep side of a mountain over large irregular

and broken masses of rocks which had tumbled from the
upper part of the mountain. it was with much wrisk and pain
that the horses could get on. at the distance of four miles he
arrived at the river and the rocks were here so steep and juted
into the river [in] such manner that there was no other alternative
but passing through the river, this he attempted with
success tho' water was so deep for a short distance as to swim
the horses and was very rapid; he continued his rout one
mile along the edge of the river under this steep Clift to a
little bottom, below which the whole current of the river beat
against the Stard. shore on which he was, and which was formed
of a solid rock perfectly inaccessible to horses. here also the
little track which he had been pursuing, terminated. he
therefore determined to leave the horses and the majority of
the party here and with his guide and three men to continue
his rout down the river still further, in order more fully to
satisfy himself as to it's practicability. accordingly he directed
the men to hunt and fish at this place untill his return. they
had not killed anything today but one goose, and the ballance
of the little provision they had brought with them, as well as
the five salmon they had procured yesterday were consumed
last evening; there was of cour[s]e no inducement for his
halting any time, at this place; after a few minutes he continued
his rout clambering over immence rocks and along the
sides of lofty precepices on the border of the river to the distance
of 12 miles, at which place a large creek discharged itself
on the No[r]th side 12 yds. wide and deep. a short distance
above the entrance of this creek there is a narrow bottom
which is the first that he had found on the river from that in
which he left the horses and party. a plain indian road led up
this creek which the guide informed him led to a large river
that ran to the North, and was frequented by another nation
who occasionally visited this river for the purpose of taking
fish. at this place he saw some late appearance of Indians
having been encamped and the tracks of a number of horses.
Capt. C. halted here about 2 hours, caught some small fish, on
which, with the addition of some berries, they dined. the
river from the place at which he left the party to his present
station was one continued rapid, in which there were five shoals
neither of which could be passed with loaded canoes nor even
run with empty ones. at those several places therefore it
would be necessary to unload and transport the baggage for a
considerable distance over steep and almost inaccessable rocks
where there was no possibility of employing horses for the
releif of the men; the canoes would next have to be let down
by cords and even with this precaution Capt. C. conceived
there would be much wrisk of both canoes and men. at one
of those shoals the lofty perpendicular rocks which from [form]
the bases of the mountains approach the river so nearly on
each side, as to prevent the possibility of a portage, or passage
for the canoes without expending much labour in removing
rocks and cuting away the earth in some places. to surmount
These difficulties, precautions must be observed which in their
execution must necessarily consume much time and provision,
neither of which we can command. the season is now [too]
far advanced to remain in these mountains as the Indians
inform us we shall shortly have snow; the salmon have so
far declined that they are themselves haistening from the
country and not an animal of any discription is to be seen in
this difficult part of the river larger than a pheasant or a
squirrel and they not abundant; add to this that our stock of
provision is now so low that it would not support us more
than ten days. the bends of the river are short and the currant
beats from side to side against the rocks with great violence.
the river is about 100 yds. wide and so deep that it cannot
be foarded but in a few places; and the rocks approach
the river so near in most places that there is no possibility
of passing between them and the water; a passage therefore
with horses along the river is also impracticable. The sides
of these mountains present generally one barren surface of
confused and broken masses of stone. above these are white
or brown and towards the base of a grey colour and so hard
that when struck with a steel, yeald fire like flint. those he
had just past were scarcely releived by the appearance of a
tree; but those below the entrance of the creek were better
covered with timber, and there were also some tall pine near
the river. The sides of the mountains are very steep, and the
torrents of water which roll down their sides at certain seasons
appear to carry with them vast quantities of the loose stone
into the river. after dinner Capt. C. continued his rout down
the river and at ½ a mile pased another creek not so large as
that just mentioned, or about 5 yards wide. here his guide
informed him that by ascending this creek some distance they
would have a better road and would cut off a considerable
bend which the river made to the south; accordingly he pursued
a well beaten Indian track which led up this creek about
six miles, then leaving the creek on the wright he passed
over a ridge, and at the distance of a mile arrived at the river
where it passes through a well timbered bottom of about eighty
acres of land; they passed this bottom and asscended a steep
and elivated point of a mountain, from whence the guide
shewed him the brake of the river through the mountains for
about 20 miles further. this view was terminated by one of the
most lofty mountains, Capt. C. informed me, he had ever seen
which was perfectly covered with snow. the river directed it's
course immediately to this stupendous mountain at the bace
of which the gu[i]de informed him those difficulties of which
himself and nation had spoken, commenced. that after the
river reached this mountain it continued it's rout to the North
for many miles between high and perpendicular rocks, roling
foaming and beating against innumerable rocks which crouded
it's channel; that then it penetrated the mountain through a
narrow gap leaving a perpendicular rock on either side as high
as the top of the mountain which he beheld. that the river
here making a bend they could not see through the mountain,
and as it was impossible to decend the river or clamber over
that vast mountain covered with eternal snow neither himself
nor any of his nation had ever been lower in this direction,
than in view of the place at which the river entered this mountain;
that if Capt. C. wished him to do so, he would conduct
him to that place, where he thought they could probably arrive
by the next evening. Capt. C. being now perfictly satisfyed as
to the impracticability of this rout either by land or water,
informed the old man, that he was convinced of the varacity
of his assertions and would now return to the village from
whence they had set out where he expected to meet myself and
party. they now returned to the upper part of the last creek
he had passed, and encamped. it was an hour after dark
before he reached this place. a small river falls into this fork
of the Columbia just above the high mountain through which
it passes on the south side.

[Clark:]

August 23rd.. Friday 1805.

We Set out early proceed on with great dificuelty as the
rocks were So sharp large and unsettled and the hill sides
Steep that the horses could with the greatest risque and dificulty
get on, no provisions as the 5 Sammon given us yesterday
by the Indians were eaten last night, one goose killed
this morning; at 4 miles we came to a place the horses Could
not pass without going into the river, we passed one mile to
a verry bad riffle the water confined in a narrow Channel &
beeting against the left Shore, as we have no parth further
and the Mounts. jut So close as to prevent the possibility of
horses proceeding down, I Deturmined to delay the party
here and with my guide and three men proceed on down to
examine if the river continued bad or was practi[c]able, I
set out with three men directing those left to hunt and fish
until my return. I proceeded on. Sometimes in a Small
wolf parth & at other times Climing over the rocks for 12
miles to a large Creek on the right Side above the mouth of
this Creek for a Short distance is a narrow bottom & the first,
below the place I left my party. a road passes down this
Creek which I understood passed to the water of a River which
run to the North & was the ground of another nation, Some
fresh Sign about this Creek of horse[s] and Camps. I delayd.
2 hours to fish, Cought Some Small fish on which we dined.
The River from the place I left my party to this Creek is
almost one continued rapid, five verry considerable rapids the
passage of either with Canoes is entirely impossible, as the
water is Confined between huge Rocks & the Current beeting
from one against another for Some distance below &c. &c. at

one of those rapids the mountains close so Clost as to prevent
a possibility of a portage with [out] great labour in cutting
down the Side of the hill removeing large rocks &c. &c. all
the others may be passed by takeing every thing over slipery
rocks, and the Smaller ones Passed by letting down the Canoes
empty with Cords, as running them would certainly be productive
of the loss of Some Canoes, those dificulties and
necessary precautions would delay us an emence time in which
provisions would be necessary. (we have but little and nothing
to be procured in this quarter except Choke Cheres & red
haws not an animal of any kind to be Seen and only the
track of a Bear) below this Creek the lofty Pine is thick in
the bottom hill Sides on the mountains & up the runs. The
river has much the resemblance of that above bends Shorter
and no passing after a few miles between the river & the
mountains & the Current so Strong that [it] is dangerous
crossing the river, and to proceed down it would rend. it necessary
to Cross almost at every bend this river is about 100
yards wide and can be forded but in a few places. below my
guide and maney other Indians tell me that the Mountains
Close and is a perpendicular Clift on each Side, and Continues
for a great distance and that the water runs with great violence
from one rock to the other on each Side foaming & roreing
thro rocks in every direction, So as to render the passage of
any thing impossible. those rapids which I had Seen he said
was Small & trifleing in comparrison to the rocks & rapids
below, at no great distance & The Hills or mountains were
not like those I had Seen but like the Side of a tree Streight
up. Those Mountains which I had passed were Steep Contain
a white, a brown, & low down a Grey hard stone which
would make fire, those Stone were of different Sizes all Sharp
and are continuly Slipping down, and in maney places one bed
of those Stones inclined from the river bottom to the top
of the mountains. The Torrents of water which come down
after a rain carries with it emence numbers of those Stone[s]
into the river[13] about ½ a mile below the last mentioned
Creek another Creek falls in, my guide informed me that our
rout was up this Creek by which rout we would Save a considerable
bend of the river to the South. we proceeded on a
well beeten Indian parth up this creak (Berry Creek) about
6 miles and passed over a ridge 1 mile to the river in a Small
vally through which we passed and assended a Spur of the
Mountain from which place my guide Shew[ed] me the river
for about 20 miles lower & pointed out the dificulties[14] we
returned to the last creek & camped about one hour after
dark.

(There my guide Shewed me a road from the N Which came
into the one I was in which he Said went to a large river which
run to the north on which was a nation he called Tushapaws,[15] —
he made a map of it.)

[Lewis:]

Saturday August 24th.. 1805.

As the Indians who were on their way down the Missouri
had a number of spare ho[r]ses with them I thought it probable
that I could obtain some of them and therefore desired
the Cheif to speak to them and inform me whether they would
trade. they gave no positive answer but requested to see the
goods which I was willing to give in exchange. I now produced
some battle axes which I had made at Fort Mandan
with which they were much pleased. knives also seemed in
great demand among them. I soon purchased three horses

and a mule. for each horse I gave an ax a knife handkercheif
and a little paint; & for the mule the addition of a knife
a shirt handkercheif and a pair of legings; at this price which
was quite double that given for the horses, the fellow who
sold him made a merit of having bestoed [on] me one of his
mules. I consider this mule a great acquisition. these Indians
soon told me that they had no more horses for sale and I
directed the party to prepare to set out. I had now nine
horses and a mule, and two which I had hired made twelve
these I had loaded and the Indian women took the ballance
of the baggage. I had given the Interpreter some articles
with which to purchase a horse for the woman which he had
obtained. at twelve Oclock we set out and passed the river
below the forks, directing our rout towards the cove along the
track formerly mentioned. most of the horses were heavily
laden, and it appears to me that it will require at least 25
horses to convey our baggage along such roads as I expect we
shall be obliged to pass in the mountains. I had now the
inexpressible satisfaction to find myself once more under way
with all my baggage and party. an Indian had the politeness
to offer me one of his horses to ride which I accepted with
cheerfullness as it enabled me to attend better to the march of
the party. I had reached the lower part of the cove when an
Indian rode up and informed me that one of my men was very
sick and unable to come on. I directed the party to halt at a
small run which falls into the creek on Lard. at the lower part
of the Cove and rode back about 2 Miles where I found
Wiser very ill with a fit of the cholic. I sent Sergt. Ordway
who had remained with him for some water and gave him a
doze of the essence of Peppermint and laudinum which in the
course of half an hour so far recovered him that he was enabled
to ride my horse and I proceeded on foot and rejoined the
party. the sun was yet an hour high but the Indians who had
for some time impatiently waited my return at length unloaded
and turned out their horses and my party had followed there
example. as it was so late and the Indians had prepared their
camp for the night I thought it best to acquiess and determined
also to remain. we had traveled only about six miles.
after we encamped we had a slight shower of rain. Goodrich
who is our principal fisherman caught several fine trout.
Drewyer came to us late in the evening and had not killed
anything. I gave the Indians who were absolutely engaged in
transporting the baggage, a little corn as they had nothing to
eat. I told Cameahwait that my stock of provision was too
small to indulge all his people with provision and recommended
it to him to advise such as were not assisting us with
our baggage to go on to their camp to morrow and wait our
arrival; which he did accordingly. Cameahwait literally translated
is one who never walks. he told me that his nation had
also given him another name by which he was signalized as a
warrior which was Too-et́-te-cań-e or Black gun. these people
have many names in the course of their lives, particularly if
they become distinguished characters. for it seems that every
important event by which they happen to distinguish themselves
intitles them to claim another name which is generally
scelected by themselves and confirmed by the nation. those
distinguishing acts are the killing and scalping an enemy, the
killing a white bear, leading a party to war who happen to be
successfull either in destroying their enemies or robing them
of their horses, or individually stealing the horses of an enemy.
these are considered acts of equal heroism among them, and
that of killing an enemy without scalping him is considered of
no importance; in fact the whole honour seems to be founded
in the act of scalping, for if a man happens to slay a dozen of
his enemies in action and others get the scalps or first lay their
hand on the dead person the honor is lost to him who killed
them and devolves on those who scalp or first touch them.
Among the Shoshones, as well as all the Indians of America,
bravery is esteemed the primary virtue; nor can any one
become eminent among them who has not at some period of
his life given proofs of his possessing this virtue. with them
there can be no preferment without some warlike achievement,
and so completely interwoven is this principle with the earliest
Elements of thought that it will in my opinion prove a serious
obstruction to the restoration of a general peace among the
nations of the Missouri. while at Fort Mandan I was one
day addressing some cheifs of the Minetares w[h]o visited us
and pointing out to them the advantages of a state of peace
with their neighbours over that of war in which they were
engaged. the Chiefs who had already geathered their ha[r]vest
of larals [laurels], and having forceably felt in many instances
some of those inconveniences attending a state of war which I
pointed out, readily agreed with me in opin[i]on. a young
fellow under the full impression of the Idea I have just suggested
asked me if they were in a state of peace with all their
neighbours what the nation would do for Cheifs:? and added
that the cheifs were now oald and must shortly die and that
the nation could not exist without cheifs. taking as granted
that there could be no other mode devised for making Cheifs
but that which custom had established through the medium of
warlike ac[h]ievements.

The few guns which the Shoshones have[16] are reserved for
war almost exclusively and the bow and arrows are used in
hunting. I have seen a few skins among these people which
have almost every appearance of the common sheep. they
inform me that they finde this animal on the high mountains
to the West and S. W. of them. it is about the size of the
common sheep, the wool is reather shorter and more intermixed
with long hairs particularly on the upper part of the
neck. these skins have been so much woarn that I could not
form a just Idea of the animal or it's colour. the Indians
however inform me that it is white and that it's horns are
lunated comprest twisted and bent backward as those of the
common sheep. the texture of the skin appears to be that of
the sheep. I am now perfectly convinced that the sheep as
well as the Bighorn exist in these mountains. (Capt. C saw
one at a distance to day)

The usual caparison of the Shoshone horse is a halter and
saddle. the 1st. consists either of a round plated or twisted
cord of six or seven strands of buffaloe's hair, or a throng of
raw hide made pliant by pounding and rubing. these cords
of bufaloe's hair are about the size of a man's finger and remarkably
strong. this is the kind of halter which is prefered

by them. the halter of whatever it may be composed is
always of great length and is never taken from the neck of
the horse which they commonly use at any time. it is first
attatched at one end about the neck of the horse with a knot
that will not slip, it is then brought down to his under jaw
and being passed through the mouth imb[r]aces the under jaw
and tonge in a simple noose formed by crossing the rope inderneath
the jaw of the horse. this when mounted he draws up on
the near side of the horse's neck and holds in the left hand,
suffering it to trail at a great distance behind him—sometimes
the halter is attatched so far from the end that while the
shorter end serves him to govern his horse, the other trails on
the grond as before mentioned. they put their horses to their
full speed with those cords trailing on the ground. when they
turn out the horse to graze the noose is mearly loosed from
his mouth. the saddle is made of wood and covered with
raw hide which holds the parts very firmly together. it is
made like the pack saddles in uce among the French and
Spaniords. it consists of two flat thin boards which fit the
sides of the horses back, and are held firm by two peices
which are united to them behind and before on the outer side
and which rise to a considerable hight terminating sometimes
in flat horizontal points extending outwards, and alwas in an
accute angle or short bend underneath the upper part of these
peices. a peice of buffaloe's skin with the hair on, is usually
put underneath the saddle; and very seldom any covering on
the saddle (but when they ride they throw on a piece of skin).
stirrups when used are made of wood and covered with leather.
these are generally used by the elderly men and women; the
young men scarcely ever use anything more than a small pad
of dressed leather stuffed with hair, which is confined with a
leather thong passing around the body of the horse in the
manner of a girth. they frequently paint their favorite horses,
and cut their ears in various shapes. they also decorate their
mains and tails, which they never draw or trim, with the
feathers of birds, and sometimes suspend at the breast of the
horse the finest ornaments they possess. the Spanish bridle
is prefered by them when they can obtain them, but they
never dispence with the cord about the neck of the horse,
which serves them to take him with more ease when he is runing
at large. They are excellent horsemen and extreemly
expert in casting the cord about the neck of a horse, (make a
noose & catch him running &c.) the horses that have been
habituated to be taken with the cord in this way, however wild
they may appear at first, surrender the moment they feel the
cord about their necks. There are no horses in this quarter
which can with propriety be termed wild. there are some
few which have been left by the indians at large for so great a
length of time that they have become shye, but they all shew
marks of having been in possession of man. such is that
one which Capt. Clark saw just below the three forks of the
Missouri, and one other which I saw on the Missouri below
the entrance of the Mussle shell river. Capt. Clark set out
very early this morning on his return, he traveled down the
creek to it's entrance by the same Indian track he had ascended
it; at the river he marked his name on a pine tree, then
ascended to the bottom above the second creek, and brekfasted
on burries, which occupyed them about one hour. he now
retraced his former track and joined the party where he had
left them at 4 P. M. on his way Capt. C. fell from a rock
and injured one of his legs very much. the party during his
absence had killed a few pheasants and caught a few small
fish on which together with haws and Serviceburies they had
subsisted. they had also killed one cock of the mountain.
Capt. Clark now wrote me a discription of the river and country,
and stated our prospects by this rout as they have been
heretofore mentioned (related the information of his gu[i]de &
recomd to me to purchase horses &c he had learned from his
guid[e] that he had been on the river to the N. where he saw
people from the other side [of] the mountains and there was a
road, the route he shewed in the sand, which gave me hope of finding
a route across the m.[ountains] in that direction) and dispatched
Colter on horseback with orders to loose no time
reaching me. he set out late with the party continued his
rout about two miles and encamped. Capt Clark had seen
some trees which would make small canoes but all of them
some distance below the Indian Ca[m]ps which he passed at
the entrance of fish Creek.

[Clark:]

August 24th Satturday. 1805.

Set out verry early this morning on my return passed
down the [Berry] Creek at the Mouth Marked my name
on a pine Tree, proceed[ed] on to the bottom above the
Creek & Brackfast on buries & delayed 1 hour, then proceeded
on up the river by the Same rout we decended to the
place I left my party where we arrived at 4 oClock, (I sliped
& bruised my leg verry much on a rock) the party had killed
several phesents and cought a fiew Small fish on which they
had Subsisted in my absence. also a heath hen, near the size
of a Small turkey.

I wrote a letter to Capt Lewis informing him of the prospects
before us and information rec[ei]ved of my guide which
I thought favourable &c. & Stating two plans one of which
for us to pursue &c. and despatched one man & horse and
directed the party to get ready to march back, every man
appeared disheartened from the prospects of the river, and
nothing to eate, I Set out late and Camped 2 miles above,
nothing to eate but Choke Cherries & red haws, which act in
different ways So as to make us Sick, dew verry heavy, my
beding wet in passing around a rock the horses were obliged
to go deep into the water.

The plan I stated to Capt Lewis if he agrees with me we
shall adopt is. to procure as many horses (one for each man)
if possible and to hire my present guide who I sent on to him
to interigate thro' the Intptr. and proceed on by land to Some
navagable part of the Columbia River, or to the Ocean, depending
on what provisions we can procure by the gun aded to the
Small Stock we have on hand depending on our horses as
the last resort.

a second plan to divide the party one part to attempt this
deficuelte river with what provisions we had, and the remainde[r]
to pass by Land on ho[r]se back Depending on our gun &c.
for Provisions &c. and come together occasionally on the

river.[17] the 1st. of which I would be most pleased with &c.
I saw Several trees which would make Small Canoes and by
putting 2 together would make a Siseable one, all below the
last Indian Camp Several miles

[Lewis:]

Sunday August 25th. 1805.

This morning loaded our horses and set out a little after
sunrise; a few only of the Indians unengaged in assisting us
went on as I had yesterday proposed to the cheif. the others
flanked us on each side and started some Antelope which they
pursued for several hours but killed none of them. we proceeded
within 2 Ms. of the narrow pass or seven miles from
our camp of last evening and halted for dinner. Our hunters
joined us at noon with three deer the greater part of which I
gave the indians. sometime after we had halted, Charbono
mentioned to me with apparent unconcern that he expected to
meet all the Indians from the camp on the Columbia tomorrow
on their way to the Missouri. allarmed at this information I
asked why he expected to meet them. he then informed me
that the 1st. Cheif had dispatched some of his young men this
morning to this camp requesting the Indians to meet them
tomorrow and that himself and those with him would go on
with them down the Missouri, and consequently leave me and
my baggage on the mountain or thereabouts. I was out of
patience with the folly of Charbono who had not sufficient
sagacity to see the consequencies which would inevitably flow
from such a movement of the indians, and altho' he had been
in possession of this information since early in the morning
when it had been communicated to him by his Indian woman
yet he never mentioned it untill the after noon. I could not
forbear speaking to him with some degree of asperity on this
occasion. I saw that there was no time to be lost in having
those orders countermanded, or that we should not in all probability
obtain any more horses or even get my baggage to the

waters of the Columbia. I therefore Called the three Cheifs
together and having smoked a pipe with them, I asked them
if they were men of their words, and whether I could depent
on the promises they had made me; they readily answered in
the affermative; I then asked them if they had not promised
to assist me with my baggage to their camp on the other side
of the mountains, or to the place at which Capt. Clark might
build the canoes, should I wish it. they acknowledged that
they had. I then asked them why they had requested their
people on the other side of the mountain to meet them
tomorrow on the mountain where there would be no possibility
of our remaining together for the purpose of trading for
their horses as they had also promised. that if they had not
promised to have given me their assistance in transporting
my baggage to the waters on the other side of the mountain
that I should not have attempted to pass the mountains but
would have returned down the river and that in that case they
would never have seen anymore white men in their country.
that if they wished the white men to be their friends and to
assist them against their enemies by furnishing them with arms
and keeping their enemies from attacking them that they must
never promis us anything which they did not mean to perform.
that when I had first seen them they had doubted
what I told them about the arrival of the party of whitemen
in canoes, that they had been convinced that what I told them
on that occasion was true, why then would they doubt what
I said on any other point. I told them that they had witnessed
my liberality in dividing the meat which my hunters
killed with them; and that I should continue to give such of
them as assisted me a part of whatever we had ourselves to
eat. and finally concluded by telling them if they intended to
keep the promises they had made me to dispatch one of their
young men immediately with orders to their people to remain
where they were untill our arrival. the two inferior cheifs said
that they wished to assist me and be as good as their word,
and that they had not sent for their people, that it was the
first Chief who had done so, and they did not approve of the
measure. Cameahwait remained silent for some time, at length
he told me that he knew he had done wrong but that he had
been induced to that measure from seeing all his people
hungry, but as he had promised to give me his assistance he
would not in future be worse than his word. I then desired
him to send immediately and countermand his orders; accordingly
a young man was sent for this purpose and I gave him a
handkerchief to engage him in my interest. this matter being
arranged to my satisfaction I called all the women and men
together who had been assisting me in the transportation of
the baggage and gave them a billet for each horse which they
had imployed in that service and informed them when we
arrived at the plaice where we should finally halt on the river
I would take the billet back and give them merchandize for it.
every one appeared now satisfyed and when I ordered the
horses loaded for our departure the Indians were more than
usually allert. we continued our march untill late in the
evening and encamped at the upper part of the cove where the
creek enters the mountains; here our hunters joined us with
another deer which they had killed, this I gave to the women
and Children, and for my own part remained supperless. I
observed considerable quantities of wild onions in the bottom
lands of this cove. I also saw several large hares and many of
the cock of the plains.

Capt. Clark set out early this morning and continued his
rout to the indian camp at the entrance of fish Creek; here he
halted about an hour; the indians gave himself and party
some boiled salmon and berries (tho' not half Sufficient &c).
these people appeared extreemly hospitable tho' poor and dirty
in the extreem. he still pursued the track up the river by
which he had decended and in the evening arrived at the bluff
on the river where he had encamped on the 21st. Inst. it was
late in the evening before he reached this place. they formed
their camp, and Capt. C. sent them in different directions to
hunt and fish. some little time after they halted a party of
Indians passed by on their way down the river, consisting
of a man a woman and several boys; from these people the
guide obtained 2 salmon which together with some small fish
they caught and a beaver which Shannon killed furnished them

with a plentifull supper. the pine grows pretty abundantly
high up on the sides of the mountains on the opposite side of
the river. one of the hunters saw a large herd of Elk on the
opposite side of the river in the edge of the timbered land.
Winsor was taken very sick today and detained Capt. C. very
much on his march. three hunters whom he had sent on
before him this morning joined him in the evening having
killed nothing; they saw only one deer.

The courses and distances, of Capt. Clark's rout down this branch of
the Columbia below this bluff, commencing opposite to an Island, are
as follow.

               

N. 30°. W.	2 To the top of a mountain the river 1 m. on the left.
N. 45°. W.	10. With the general cou[r]se of the river; passing over the spurs of four mountains, almost inaccessible, and two small runs from the wright, to some Indian lodges at the entrance of fish creek which discharges itself on the N. Side. a large Indian road passes up this creek. on this course Capt. C. also passed several Islands, and some small bottoms between the river and the mountains.
West	3. along the river to the ascent of a mountain, passing one spur of the same. also 2 Islands and a bottom in which there was an abundance of berries.
S. 45°. W.	5. to a very bad rapid, opposite which, a small run discharges itself on N. side. passing perpendicular clifts where the [y] were compelled to pass through the water; passed over loose fragments of rocks on the side of a steep mountain also passed one Island and a number of small rapids.
N. 45°. W.	3. high clifts on either side of the river, no road.
West	2. no road. passed several bad rapids which it would be scarcely possible either to ascend or decend with empty canoes.
N. 45°. W.	6. to a large Creek on the N. side; passing several bad rappids and a number of riffles. the mountains high steep and very rocky. no bottom except a little above the entrance of this Creek.
South	1. to the entrance of a small run on N. side opposite to a small island and a bad rapid.

     

N. 45. W.	6. up the run along an indian road through a piney country; steep and lofty hills on each side.
S 45°. W.	1. to the river at a small bottom, passing a gap in the mountain from the top of which can be seen the break of the river through the mountains for 20 miles to a very high mountain on the South, at which place the guide informed Capt. C. that the
Miles	39    impassable part of the river commenced, and was in[fi]nitely worse than any part he had yet seen.

This morning while passing through the Shoshone cove
Frazier fired his musquet at some ducks in a little pond at the
distance of about 60 yards from me; the ball rebounded from
the water and pased within a very few feet of me. near the
upper part of this cove the Shoshonees suffered a very severe
defeat by the Minnetares about six years since. this part of
the cove on the N. E. side of the Creek has lately been birned
by the Indians as a signal on some occasion.

[Clark:]

August 25th.. Sunday 1805.

Set out verry early and halted one hour at the Indian Camp,
they were kind gave us all a little boiled Sammon & dried
buries to eate, abt. half as much as I could eate, those people
are kind with what they have but excessive pore & Durtey.
we proceeded on over the mountains we had before passed to
the Bluff we Encamped at on the 21st. instant where we arrived
late and turned out to hunt & fish, Cought Several Small
fish, a party of Squars & one man with Several boys going
down to guathe[r] berries below, my guide got two Sammon
from this party which made about half a Supper for the party,
after Dark Shannon came in with a beaver which the Party
suped on Sumptiously. one man verry Sick to day which detained
us verry much I had three hunters out all day, they
saw one Deer, killed nothing. one of the Party Saw 9 Elk on
a Mountain to our right assending, amongst the Pine timber
which is thick on that side

Course & Distance Down Columbia [Lemhi and Salmon] river by
Land, as I Decended &c.

                                 

N. W.	18 miles from the Indian Camp to the forks [of Salmon R] crossed the [Lemhi] river twice, passed Several old
[Aug 20]	camps on the East Side and a Camp of Several lodges at a were [weir] on the west Side, passed a roade on
[Aug 21]	the left leading up the main West fork [i.e. Salmon above the Lemhi] below the last Camp, Several Small branches falls in on each Side [of the Lemhi], a high mountain on each Side, [of Salmon and Lemhi together]
N. 15°. W.	14 miles to a Island passed [a] high red Clift on the right Side passed a large [Tower] Creek [on the right] at
[Aug 21]	9 miles up which a roade passes large bottom below.
[Aug 22]	Several Spring runs falling from the mountains on the left. passed a Creek on the right.
N. 30° W.	2 to the top of a mountain the river one mile to the left
NW	10 miles with the general Course of the river, passed over the Spurs of four mountains almost inexcessable [Aug. 22] and two Small runs on the right to Some Indian Camps at the mouth of a Small river [Fish cr.] on the right up which a road passes passed Several Islands, and Small bottoms between the mountains.
West	3 miles on the right Side to the assent of a mountain, passed over one Spur of the Same Mountain passed 2 Islands, & a bottom in which berris were plenty.
S.W.	5 miles to a verry bad rapid & Camped, a Small run on the left. passed perpendicular Clift where we were
[Aug. 22]	obliged to go into the water passed Several places on Stones & sides of Mountains, one Island & several rapids, all the way rapids at intervales
N.W.	3 miles high Clifts on each Side no road [left men here]
West	2 Miles d° d°. passed bad rapids Scercely possible to
[Aug. 23]	pass down or up
N.W.	6 miles to a large Creek on the Right Side, passed verry bad rapids & a number of riffles, Mountains high and Steep verry Stoney no bottoms except the Creek & a little above
South	1 Mile to the Mouth of a Small run on the right a Small Island and rapid
N.W.	6 Miles up the Run [Berry Creek Aug. 23] thro a piney countrey large & lofty hills high

     

S.W.	1 m. to the river at a Small bottom passed over a gap in the Mountns. from the top of which I could See the hollers of the river for 20 miles to a verry high
[End of reconnoissance][18]	Mountain on the left, at which place my guide made Signs that the bad part of the river Comsd. and much worst than any I saw &c. &c.
miles	70 returned. 6 bad rapids. many others

[Lewis:]

Monday August 26th. 1805.

This morning was excessively cold; there was ice on the vessels
of water which stood exposed to the air nearly a quarter of
an inch thick. we collected our horses and set out at sunrise.
we soon arrived at the extreem source of the Missouri; here I
halted a few minutes, the men drank of the water and consoled
themselves with the idea of having at length arrived at this
long wished for point. from hence we proceeded to a fine
spring on the side of the mountain where I had lain the evening
before I first arrived at the Shoshone Camp. here I halted
to dine and graize our horses, there being fine green grass on
that part of the hillside which was moistened by the water of
the spring while the grass on the other parts was perfectly dry
and parched with the sun. I directed a pint of corn to be
given each Indian who was engaged in transporting our baggage
and about the same quantity to each of the men which
they parched pounded and made into supe. one of the women
who had been assisting in the transportation of the baggage
halted at a little run about a mile behind us, and sent on the
two pack horses which she had been conducting by one of her
female friends. I enquired of Cameahwait the cause of her
detention, and was informed by him in an unconcerned manner
that she had halted to bring fourth a child and would soon
overtake us; in about an hour the woman arrived with her
newborn babe and passed us on her way to the camp apparently

as well as she ever was. It appears to me that the facility and
ease with which the women of the aborigines of North America
bring fourth their children is reather a gift of nature than depending
as some have supposed on the habitude of carrying
heavy burthens on their backs while in a state of pregnacy.
if a pure and dry air, an elivated and cold country is unfavourable
to childbirth, we might expect every difficult incident to
that operation of nature in this part of the continent; again as
the snake Indians possess an abundance of horses, their women
are seldom compelled like those in other parts of the continent
to carry burthens on their backs, yet they have their children
with equal convenience, and it is a rare occurrence for any of
them to experience difficulty in childbirth. I have been several
times informed by those who were conversent with the fact,
that the indian women who are pregnant by whitemen experience
more difficulty in childbirth than when pregnant by
an Indian. if this be true it would go far in suport of the
opinion I have advanced. the tops of the high and irregular
mountains which present themselves to our view on the opposite
side of this branch of the Columbia are yet perfectly covered
with snow; the air which proceeds from those mountains
has an agreeable coolness and renders these parched and South
hillsides much more supportable at this time of the day it being
now about noon. I observe the indian women collecting
the root of a speceis of fennel[19] which grows in the moist
grounds and feeding their poor starved children; it is really
distressing to witness the situation of those poor wretches the
radix of this plant is of the knob kind, of a long ovate form
terminating in a single radicle, the whole being about 3 or four
inches in length and the thickest part about the size of a man's
little finger. it is white firm and crisp in it's present state,
when dryed and pounded it makes a fine white meal; the flavor
of this root is not unlike that of annis seed but not so pungent;
the stem rises to the hight of 3 or four feet is jointed smooth
and cilindric; from 1 to 4 of those knobed roots are attatched
to the base of this stem. the leaf is sheathing, sessile, and
pultipartite,[20] the divisions long and narrow; the whole is of a
deep green. it is now in blume; the flowers are numerous,
small, petals white, and are of the umbellaferous kind. several
small peduncles put forth from the main stock one at each
joint above the sheathing leaf. it has no root leaves. the
root of the present year declines when the seeds have been
matured and the succeeding spring other roots of a similar kind
put fourth from the little knot which unites the roots and stem
and grow and decline with the stem as before mentioned. The
sunflower is very abundant near the watercourses the seeds
of this plant are now rip[e] and the natives collect them in
considerable quantities and reduce them to meal by pounding
and rubing them between smooth stones. this meal is a favorite
food their manner of using it has been beforementioned.
after dinner we continued our rout towards the village. on our
near approach we were met by a number of young men on
horseback. Cameahwait requested that we would discharge
our guns when we arrived in sight of the Village, accordingly
when I arrived on an eminence above the village in the plain
I drew up the party at open order in a single rank and gave
them a runing fire discharging two rounds. they appeared
much gratifyed with this exhibition. we then proceeded to the
village or encampment of brush lodges 32 in number. we
were conducted to a large lodge which had been prepared for
me in the center of their encampment which was situated in a
beautifull level smooth and extensive bottom near the river
about 3 miles above the place I had first found them encamped.
here we arrived at 6 in the evening arranged our baggage near
my tent and placed those of the men on either side of the baggage
facing outwards. I found Colter here who had just arrived
with a letter from Capt. Clark in which Capt. C. had given
me an account of his perigrination and the description of the
river and country as before detailed [advised the purchase of
horses and the pursute of a rout he had learned from his guide who
had promised to pilot ous to a road, to the North &c.[21] ] from this
view of the subject I found it a folly to think of attemp[t]ing to
decend this river in canoes and therefore determined to commence
the purchase of horses in the morning from the indians
in order to carry into execution the design we had formed of
[Capt. C had recomended in] passing the rocky Mountains.
I now informed Cameahwait of my intended expedition overland
to the great river which lay in the plains beyond the
mountains and told him that I wished to purchase 20 horses
of himself and his people to convey our baggage. he observed
that the Minnetares had stolen a great number of their horses
this spring but hoped his people would spear me the number
I wished. I also asked a (another) guide, he observed that he
had no doubt but the old man who was with Capt. C. would
accompany us if we wished him and that he was better informed
of the country than any of them. matters being thus far arranged
I directed the fiddle to be played and the party danced
very merily much to the amusement and gratification of the
natives, though I must confess that the state of my own mind
at this moment did not well accord with the prevailing mirth
as I somewhat feared that the caprice of the indians might suddenly
induce them to withhold their horses from us without
which my hopes of prosicuting my voyage to advantage was
lost; however I determined to keep the indians in a good
humour if possible, and to loose no time in obtaining the
necessary number of horses. I directed the hunters to turn
out early in the morning and indeavor to obtain some meat.
I had nothing but a little parched corn to eat this evening.

This morning Capt. C. and party[22]

[Clark:]

August 26th. Monday 1805.

a fine morning Despatched three men a head to hunt, our
horses missing Sent out my guide and four men to hunt them,
which detained me untill 9 oClock a.m. at which time I set out

and proceeded on by way of the forks to the Indian Camps at
the first were [weir] not one mouthfull to eate untill night as
our hunters could kill nothing and I could See & catch no fish
except a few Small ones. The Indians gave us 2 Sammon
boiled which I gave to the men, one of my men Shot a Sammon
in the river about Sunset those fish gave us a Supper. all
the Camp flocked about me untill I went to Sleep. and I beleve
if they had a Sufficency to eate themselves and any to
Spare they would be liberal of it

I derected the men to mend their Mockessons to night and
turn out in the morning early to hunt Deer fish birds &c. &c.
Saw great numbers of the large Black grasshopper. Some
har[e]s which were verry wild, but few Birds, a number of
ground Lizards, Some fiew Pigions