University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Sunday May 11th 1806.

The last evening we were much crouded with the indians in
our lodge, the whole floor of which was covered with their
sleeping carcases. we arrose early and took breakfast. at
8 A.M. a Cheif of great note among these people arrived from
his village or lodge on the S. side of Lewis's River. this is a
stout fellow of good countenance about 40 years of age and
has lost the left eye. his name is Yoom-parḱ-kar-tim.[10] to this

man we gave a medal of the smal kind. those with the likeness
of Mr. Jefferson have all been disposed of except one of
the largest size which we reserve for some great Cheif on the
Yellow rock river. we now pretty fully informed ourselves
that Tunnachemootoolt, Neeshneparkkeeook, Yoomparkkartim
and Hohâstillpilp were the principal Cheif[s] of the Chopunnish
nation and rank in the order here mentioned; as all
those cheifs were present in our lodge[11] we thought it a favorable
time to repeat what had been said yesterday and to enter
more minutely into the views of our government with rispect
to the inhabitants of this western part of the continent, their
intention of establishing trading houses for their relief, their
wish to restore peace and harmony among the natives, the
strength power and wealth of our nation &c. to this end we
drew a map of the country with a coal on a mat in their way
and by the assistance of the snake boy and our interpretters
were enabled to make ourselves understood by them altho' it
had to pass through the French, Minnetare, Shoshone and
Chopunnish languages. the interpretation being tedious it
ocupyed nearly half the day before we had communicated to
them what we wished. they appeared highly pleased. after
this council was over we amused ourselves with shewing them
the power of magnetism, the spye glass, compass, watch, air-gun
and sundry other articles equally novel and incomprehensible
to them. they informed us that after we had left the
Minnetares last spring that three of their people had visited
that nation and that they had informed them of us and had
told them that we had such things in our possession but that
they could not place confidence in the information untill they
had now witnessed it themselves. A young man, son of a
conspicuous cheif among these people who was killed not long
since by the Minnetares of Fort de Prarie, brought and presented
us a very fine mare and colt. he said he had opened
his ears to our councils and would observe them strictly, and
that our words had made his heart glad. he requested that we
would accept this mear and colt which he gave in token of his
determination to pursue our advise. about 3 P.M. Drewyer
arrived with 2 deer which he had killed. he informed us that
the snow still continued to cover the plain. many of the
natives apply to us for medical aid which we gave them cheerfully
so far as our skill and store of medicine would enable us.
schrofela, ulsers, rheumatism, soar eyes, and the loss of the uce
of their limbs are the most common cases among them. the
latter case is not very common but we have seen th[r]ee instances
of it among the Chopunnish. it is a very extraordinary
complaint. a Cheif of considerable note at this place
has been afflicted with it for three years, he is incapable of
moving a single limb but lies like a corps in whatever position
he is placed, yet he eats heartily, digests his food perfectly,
injoys his understanding, his pulse are good, and has retained
his flesh almost perfectly, in short were it not that he appears
a little pale from having lain so long in the shade he might
well be taken for a man in good health. I suspect that their
confinement to a diet of roots may give rise to all those disorders
except the rheumatism & soar eyes, and to the latter
of these, the state of debility incident to a vegetable diet
may measureably contribute. The Chopunnish notwithstanding
they live in the crouded manner before mentioned are much
more clenly in their persons and habitations than any nation
we have seen since we left the Ottoes on the river Platte.
The Twisted hair brought us six of our horses.