University of Virginia Library

Thursday 17th.. of April 1806

I rose early after [a] bad nights rest, and took my merchindize
to a rock which afforded an eligable situation for my purpose,
and at a short distance from the houses, and divided the

articles of merchindize into parsels of such articles as I thought
best calculated to pleas the Indians. and in each parcel I put
as many articles as we could afford to give, and thus exposed
them to view, informing the Indians that each parcel was intended
for a horse. they tanterlised me the greater part of
the day, saying that they had sent out for their horses and
would trade as soon as they came. Several parcels of merchindize
was laid by for which they told me they would bring
horses. I made a bargin with the chief for 2 horses, about an
hour after he canseled the bargin and we again bargained for 3
horses which were brought forward, only one of the 3 could
be possibly used the other two had such intolerable backs as to
render them entirely unfit for service. I refused to take two
of them which displeased him and he refused to part with the
3rd. I then packed up the articles and was about setting out
for the village above when a man came and sold me two
horses, and another man sold me one horse, and several others
informed me that they would trade with me if I would continue
untill their horses could be drove up. this induced me
to continue at this village another day. Maney of the nativs
from different villages on the Columbia above offered to trade,
but asked such things as we had not and double as much of
the articles which I had as we could afford to give. this was
a very unfavourable circumstance as my dependance for precureing
a sufficiency of horses rested on the suckcess above
where I had reasons to believe there were a greater abundance
of those animals, and was in hopes of getting them on better
terms. I purchased 3 dogs for the party with me to eate and
some chap-pa-lell for my self. before precureing the 3 horses
I dispatched Crusat, Willard & Mc Neal and Peter Wiser to
Capt Lewis at the Rock fort Camp with a note informing him
of my ill suckcess in precureing horses, and advised him to
proceed on to this place as soon as possible. that I would in
the mean time proceed on to the Enesher Nation above the
Great falls and try to purchase some horses of that people.
Soon after I had dispatched this party the Chief of the Enesher's
and 15 or 20 of his people visited me and appeared to be
anxious to see the articles I offered for the horses. several of
them agreed to let me have horses if I would add sundery
articles to those I offered which I agreed to do, and they lay'd
those bundles by and informed me they would deliver me the
horses in the morning. I proposed going with them to their
Town. the chief informed me that their horses were all in
the plains with their womin gathering roots. they would Send
out and bring the horses to this place tomorrow. this inteligence
was flattering, tho' I doubted the sincerity of those
people who had several times disapointed me in a similar way.
however I deturmined to continue untill tomorrow. in the
mean time indust[ri]ously employd. our selves with the great
multitude of Indians of differant Nations about us trying to
purchase horses. Shabono purchased a verry fine mare for
which he gave Hurmen [Ermine], Elks Teeth, a belt and
some other articles of no great value. no other purchase was
made in the course of this day. in the evening I rec[ei]ved a
note from Capt L. by Shannon informing me that he should
set out early on tomorrow morning and should proceed up to
the bason 2 miles below the Skillute Village, and adviseing me
to give double the prices which we had first agreed on for each
horse. I observe at every house scooping nets with which
they take the Salmon. I was envited into the house of the
2nd. Chief where concluded to sleep. this man was pore nothing
to eat but dried fish, and no wood to burn. altho' the
night was cold they could not rase as much wood as would
make a fire.