University of Virginia Library

Thursday (Saturday) 21st.. Septr. 1805

A fine Morning Sent out all the hunters in different directions
to hunt deer, I my self delayed with the Chief to prevent
Suspission and to Collect by Signs as much information
as possible about the river and Countrey in advance. The
Chief drew me a kind of chart of the river, and informed me

that a greater Chief than himself was fishing at the river half a
days march from his Village called the twisted hare [hair],
and that the river forked a little below his Camp and at a long
distance below & below 2 large forks one from the left & the
other from the right the river passed thro' the mountains at
which place was a great fall of the Water passing through the
rocks, at those falls white people lived from whome they
precured the white Beeds & Brass &c. which the womin wore;
a Chief of another band visit[ed] me to day and Smoked a
pipe, I gave my handkerchief & a Silver Cord with a little
Tobacco to those Chiefs, The hunters all return without any
thing, I purchased as much Provisions as I could with what
fiew things I chan[c]ed to have in my Pockets, Such a[s]
Salmon Bread roots & berries, & Sent one man R Fields with
an Indian to meet Capt Lewis, and at 4 oClock P.M. Set out
to the river, met a man at dark on his way from the river
to the Village, whome I hired and gave the neck handkerchief
of one of the men, to polit [pilot] me to the Camp of the
twisted hare, we did not arrive at the Camp of the Twisted
hare but opposit, untill half past 11 oClock P.M. found at
this Camp five Squars & 3 Children. my guide called to the
Chief who was Encamped with 2 others on a Small Island in
the river, he Soon joind. me, I found him a Chearfull man
with apparant siencerity, I gave him a Medal &c. and
Smoked untill 1 oClock a. m. and went to Sleep. The Countrey
from the mountains to the river hills is a leavel rich butifull
Pine Countrey badly watered, thinly timbered & covered
with grass. The weather verry worm after decending into the
low Countrey, the river hills are Verry high & Steep, Small
bottoms to this little river which is Flat head [Clearwater] &
is 160 yards wide and Sholey This river is the one we killed
the first Coalt on near a fishing were

I am verry sick to day and puke which relive me