University of Virginia Library

[Clark:]

Thursday 8th.. of May 1806.

This morning our hunters was out by the time it was light.
about 8 oClock Shields brought in a small deer, on which we
brackfast by 11 A.M. all our hunters returned Drewyer &
P. Crusat brought ia a Deer each & Collins wounded one
which our Dog caught near our camp. Total of our stock
of provisions 4 deer & some horse flesh. on the small creek
which passes our Camp, the nativs have laterly encamped and
as we are informed have been much distressed for provisions,
they have fallen a number of small pine in the vicinity of this
Encampment for the Seed which is in the bur of which they
eate. we are informed that they were compelled to collect the
moss off the pine boil & eate it in the latter part of the last
winter. on the creek near our camp I observed a kind of trap
which was made with great panes to catch the small fish which
pass down with the stream. This was a dam formed of stone
so as to collect the water in a narrow part not exceeding 3 feet
wide from which place the water shot with great force and
scattered through some small willows closely connected and
fastened with bark, this mat of willow switches was about 4
feet wide and 6 long lying in a horozontal position, fastened
at the extremety. the small fish which fell on those willows
was washed on the Willows where they [lie] untill taken off
&c. I cought or took off those willows 9 small trout from
3 to 7 Inches in length. Soon after I returned from the
fishery an Indian came from a fishery of a similar kind a little
above with 12 small fish which he offered me which I declined
axcepting as I found from his signs that his house was a short
distance above, and that those fisheries afforded the principal

part of the food for his children. The great Chief of the
Bands below who has a cut nose joined us this morning. we
gave the interals with 4 young fauns which was in two of the
deer killed to day to the Indians also some of our deer &
horse flesh. the paunch of the deer they eate without any
preperation further than washing them a little. the fauns they
boiled and eate every part of them even the Skins with the
hair. The Snake Indian was much displeased that he was not
furnished with as much Deer as he could eate. he refused to
speake to the wife of Shabono, through whome we could understand
the nativs. we did not indulge him and in the after
part of the day he came too and spoke very well. one of the
Indians drew me a sketch of the river in this sketch he makes
the 1st. large Southerly fork of Lewis's river much the longest
and on which great numbers of the Snake Indians reside &c. at
[blank space in MS.] P. M. we loaded up and set on on the
roade leading as we were informed to the lodge of the twisted
hair, the Chief in whoes care we had left our horses. we were
accompanied by the Cut nose Chief our old Chief who had
accompanied us down the river and several men. we assended
the hills which was steep and emencely high to a leavel rich
country thinly timbered with pine. we had not proceeded
more than 4 miles before we met the twisted hair and several
men meeting of us. we were verry coolly receved by the
twisted hair. he spoke aloud and was answered by the Cut
nose. we could not learn what they said, but plainly discovered
that a missunderstanding had taken place between
them. we made signs to them that we should proceed on to
the next water and encamp. accordingly I set out and they
all followed. we had not proceeded far before the road crossed
a small handsom stream on which we encamped. The parties
of those two Chiefs took different positions at some distance
from each other and all appeared sulkey. after we had formed
our camp we sent Drewyer with a pipe to smoke with the
twisted hair and lern the cause of the dispute between him
and the Cut nose, and also to invite him to our fire to smoke
with us. The twisted hair came to our fire to smoke we then
sent drewyer to the Cut Noses fire with the same directions.
he returned and informed us that the Cut nose said he would
join us in a fiew minits. it appears that the cause of the
quarrel between those two men is about our horses and we
cannot lern the particulars of this quarrel which probably
originated through jelousy on the part of the Cut nose who
blames the twisted hair for suffer[ing] our horses to be rode,
and want water dureing the winter &c. twisted hair says the
horses were taken from him &c. The Cut nose joined us in a
short time We smoked with all the party of both Chiefs, and
told them that we were sorry to find them at varience with each
other the cut nose said that the twisted hair was a bad man
and wore two faces, that he had not taken care of our horses
as was expected, that himself an the broken arm had caused
our horses to be watered in the winter and had them drove
together, and that if we would proceed on to the village of the
great chief [for] whome we had left a flag last fall the broken
arm he would send for our horses, that he had himself three
of them. he also informed us that the great Chief hereing of
our distressed situation had sent his son and 4 men to meet us
and have us furnished on the way &c. that the young men had
missed us and could never over take us untill this time. that
the great Chief had 2 bad horses for us and expected us to go
to his lodge which was near the river and about half a days
march above &c. The twisted hair told us that he wished to
smoke with us at his lodge which was on the road leading to
the Great Chiefs lodge, and but a fiew miles ahead. if we
would delay at his lodge tomorrow he would go after our
saddles and horses which was near the place we made our
canoes our last fall. we deturmined to set out early in the
morning and proceed on to the lodge of the twisted hair and
send for our saddles and powder which we had left burried
near the forks, and the day after tomorrow to proceed on to
the lodge of the Grand Chief. accordingly we informed the
Indians of our intentions. we all smoked and conversed
untill about 10 P M. the Indians retired and we lay down.
Derected 5 hunters to turn out early in the morning to hunt
and meet us at the twisted hair's lodge.