October 10th.. Wednesday (Thursday)
a fine Morning loaded and Set out at 7 oClock at 2 ½
miles passed a run on the Stard. Side haveing passed 2 Islands
and two bad rapids at 3 miles lower passed a Creek[71]
on the
Lard. with wide cotton willow bottoms haveing passed an Island
and a rapid an Indian Camp of three Lodges below the
Creek at 8 ½ miles lower we arrived at the heade of a verry
bad riffle at which place we landed near 8 Lodges of Indians
(Choponnesh) on the Lard Side to view the riffle, haveing passed
two Islands & Six rapids Several of them verry bad after
viewg. this riffle two Canoes were taken over verry well; the
third stuck on a rock which took us an hour to get her off which
was effected without her receving a greater injurey than a Small
Split in her Side which was repaired in a Short time, we purchased
fish & dogs[72]
of those people, dined and proceeded on.
here we met with an Indian from the falls at which place he
Sais he saw white people, and expressd an inclination to accompany
us,[73]
we passd. a few miles above this riffle 2 Lodges
and an Indian batheing in a hot bath made by hot stones
thrown into a pon[d] of water. at this riffle which we Call
ragid rapid took Meridian altitude of the Suns upper Limb
with Sext. 74°. 26′ 0″ Latd. produced [blank space in MS.]
North at five miles lower and Sixty miles below the forks
arived at a large southerly fork which is the one we were on
with the Snake or So-So-nee nation (haveing passed 5 rapids)
This South fork or Lewis's River[74]
which has two forks which
fall into it on the South the 1
st Small the upper large and about
2 days march up imediately parrelal to the first villages we
Came to and is called by those Indians
Pâr-nash-te[75]
on this
fork a little above its mouth resides a Chief who as the Indian
say has more horses than he can count and further sayeth that
Louises River is navagable about 60 miles up with maney
rapids at which places the Indians have fishing Camps and
Lodges built of an oblong form with flat ruffs. below the
1
st. river on the South Side there is ten established fishing
places on the 1
st. fork which fall[s] in on the South Side is
one fishing place, between that and the
Par-nashte River, five
fishing places, above two; and one on that river all of the
Cho-pun-nish or Pierced nose
Nation many other Indians reside
high up those rivers The Countrey about the forks is
an open Plain on either Side. I can observe at a distance on
the lower Lar
d. Side a high ridge of Thinly timbered Countrey
the water of the South fork is a greenish blue, the north as
clear as cristial
Imediately in the point is an Indian Cabin & in the South
fork a Small Island, we came to on the Stard. Side below with
a view to make some luner observations, the night proved
cloudy and we were disapointed. The Indians Came down
all the Cou[r]ses of this river on each side on horses to view
us as we were decending. The man whome we saw at the
ruged rapid and expressed an inclination to accompany us to
the great rapids, came up with his son in a Small Canoe and
procisted in his intentions, worthey of remark that not one
stick of timber on the river near the forks and but a fiew trees
for a great distance up the River we decended I think Lewis's
[Snake] River is about 250 yards wide, the
Koos koos ke[76]
River
about 150 yards wide and the river below the forks about
300 yards wide a miss understanding took place between
Shabono one of our interpreters and Jo & R Fields which appears
to have originated in just [jest]. our diet extremely bad
haveing nothing but roots and dried fish to eate, all the Party
have greatly the advantage of me, in as much as they all relish
the flesh of the dogs, Several of which we purchased of the
nativs for to add to our store of fish and roots &c. &c.—
[77]
The Cho-pun-nish or Pierced nose Indians are Stout likely
men, handsom women,[78]
and verry dressey in their way, the
dress of the men are a White Buffalow robe or Elk Skin dressed
with Beeds which are generally white, Sea Shells & the Mother
of Pirl hung to the[i]r hair & on a piece of otter skin about
their necks hair Ceewed in two parsels hanging forward over
their Sholders, feathers, and different Coloured Paints which
they find in their Countrey Generally white, Green & light
Blue. Some fiew were a Shirt of Dressed Skins and long
legins & Mockersons Painted, which appears to be their winters
dress, with a plat of twisted grass about their Necks.
The women dress in a Shirt of Ibex or Goat [Argalia] Skins
which reach quite down to their anckles with[79]
a girdle, their
heads are not ornemented, their Shirts are ornemented with
quilled Brass, Small peces of Brass Cut into different forms,
Beeds, Shells & curious bones &c. The men expose those
parts which are generally kept from few [view] by other nations
but the women are more perticular than any other nation which
I have passed [in s[e]creting the parts]
Their amusements appear but fiew as their Situation requires
the utmost exertion to pr[o]cure food they are generally
employed in that pursute, all the Summer & fall fishing for the
Salmon, the winter hunting the deer on Snow Shoes in the
plains and takeing care of ther emence numbers of horses, & in
the Spring cross the mountains to the Missouri to get Buffalow
robes and meet &c. at which time they frequent[ly] meet
with their enemies & lose their horses & maney of their
people.
[80]
Their disorders are but fiew and those fiew of a s[c]rofelous
nature. they make great use of Swetting. The hot and cold
bathes, They are verry Selfish and Stingey of what they have
to eate or ware, and they expect in return Something for everything
give[n] as presents or the survices which they doe let it
be however Small, and fail to make those returns on their
part.[81]
