Sunday June 8th.. 1806
Drewyer returned this morning from the chase without killing
any thing. his horse left him last night and he prosued
him near our camp before he cought him. The Sick
Chief is much mended, he can bear his weight on his legs
and recovers strength. the Child has nearly recovered. The
Cut nose and ten or 12 came over today to visit us, two of
those were of the tribes from the plains of Lewis's river
whome we had not before seen; one of those men brought
a horse [for] which I gave a tomahawk which I had exchanged
for with the chief of the Clahclahlah's Nation below the Great
rapids of Columbia, and [a] broken-down horse which was
not able to cross the mountains, we also exchanged 2 of our
indifferent horses for sound back horses, in the evening several
foot races were run by the men of our party and the Indians;
after which our party devided and played at prisoners base
untill night, after dark the fiddle was played and the party
amused themselves in danceing. one of those Indians informed
us that we could not cross the mountains untill the full of the
next moon; or about the 1st. of July. if we attempted it Sooner
our horses would be three days without eating, on the top of
the Mountns. this information is disagreeable to us, in as
much as it admits of some doubt, as to the time most proper
for us to Set out. at all events we Shall Set out at or about
the time which the indians Seem to be generally agreed would
be the most proper. about the middle of this month.
