University of Virginia Library

[Clark:]

Wednesday May 28th. 1806

We sent Goodrich to the village of the broken arm for hair
to stuff saddle pads. Jo. & R. Fields set out this morning to
hunt towards the mountains. at noon Shabono York and
Lapage returned, they had obtained 4 bags of the dried roots
of Cowse and some bread. in the evening Collins, Shannon
& Colter returned with 8 deer. they fortunately discovered a
ford on Collin's Creek where they were enable[d] to pass it
with there horses and had hunted at the quawmash Grounds
where we first met with the Chopunnish last fall. deer were
very abundant they informed us, but there was not many bear.
The Sick Chief is much better this morning he can use his
hands and arms and seems much pleased with the prospects of
recovering, he says he feels much better than he has done for
a great number of months. I sincerly wish that the swetts may
restore him. I have consented to repeet the sweets. The
Country along the rocky mountains for several hundred miles
in length and about 50 in width is leavel extremely fertile and
in many parts covered with a tall and opulent growth of the
long leafed pine. near the watercourses the hills are lofty tho'
[they] are covered with a good soil and not remarkably stoney
and possess more timber than the leavel country. the bottom
lands on the water courses are reather narrow and confined tho'
fertile and seldom inundated. this country would form an
extensive settlement; the climate appears quit[e] as mild as
that of a similar latitude on the Atlantic Coast; & it cannot

be otherwise than healthy; it possesses a fine dry pure air. the
grass and maney plants are now upwards of knee high. I have
no doubt that this tract of country if cultivated would produce
in great abundance every article esentially necessary to the
comfort and subsistence of civillized man. to it's present
inhabitents nature seems to have dealt with a liberal hand, for
she has distributed a great variety of esculent plants over the
face of the country which furnish them a plentiful store of
provisions; those are acquired [with] but little toil; and when
prepared after the method of the nativs afford not only a nutricious
but an agreeable food. among other roots those called
by them the Quawmash and Cows are esteemed the most agreeable
and valuable as they are also the most abundant in those
high plains.

The Cows is a knobbed root of an irregularly rounded form
not unlike the ginsang in form and consistance, this root they
collect, rub off a thin black rhind which covers it and pounding
it exposes it in cakes to the sun. these cakes are about an
inch and 1/4 thick and 6 by 18 in width, when dry they either
eat this bread alone without any further preperation, or boil it
and make a thick muscilage; the latter is most common &
much the most agreeable. the flower of this root is not very
unlike the ginsang. this root they collect as early as the snow
disappears in the Spring, and continues to collect it untill the
Quawmash supplies it's place which happins about the Middle
of June. the quawmash is also collected for a fiew weeks after
it first makes it's appearance in the Spring, but when the scape
appears it is no longer fit for use untill the seed are ripe which
happens about the time just mentioned, and then the Cows
declines. the Cows [quawmash?] is also frequently dried in
the sun and pounded afterwards and used in thickening supe
and makeing Mush.

The Chopunnish held a council in the morning of the 12th
among themselves in respect to the Subject on which we had
spoken to them the day before,[25] the result as we learnt was
favourable, they placed confidence in the information they
had recived and resolved to pursue our advice. after this

council was over the principal chief or the broken arm, took the
flour of the roots of Cows and thickened the Soup in the
Kittles and baskets of all his people, this being ended he
made a harangue the purpote of which was makeing known
the deliberations of their councils and impressing the necessity
of unanimity among them, and a strict attention to the resolution
which had been agreed on in councell; he concluded by
enviting all such men as had resolved to abide by the decree
of the councill to come and eat, and requested such as would
not be so bound to show themselves by not partakeing of the
feast. I was told by one of our men who was present in the
house, that there was not a decenting voice on this great national
question, but all swallowed their objections if any they had,
very cheerfully with their mush. dureing the time of this loud
animated harangue of the Chief the women cryed wrung their
hands, tore their hair and appeared to be in the utmost distress.
after this cerimoney was over, the Chiefs and considerate men
came in a body to where we were seated at a little distance
from our tent, and two young men at the instance of the nation
presented Capt L. and myself each a fine horse. and informed
us that they had listened with attention to what we had said
and were resolved to pursue our counsels &c. that as we had
not seen the Black foot Indians and the Menetarees of Fort
dePrarie they did not think it safe to venter over to the plains
of the Missouri, where they would fondly go provided those
nations would not kill them. that when we had established a
tradeing house on the Missouri as we had promised they would
come over and trade for arms amunition &c. and live about us.
that it would give them much pleasure to be at peace with
those nations altho' they had shed much of their blood. They
said that they were pore but their hearts were good. we might
be assured of their sincerety Some of their brave men would
go over with us to the Missouri and bring them the news as
we wished, and if we could make a peace between themselves
and their enimies on the other side of the mountains their
nation would go over to the Missouri in the latter end of the
summer. on the subject of one of their chiefs accompanying
us to the land of the White men they could not yet determine,
but that they would let us know before we left them. that the
Snow was yet so deep in the mountains that if we attempted
to pass, we would certainly perish, and advised us to remain
untill after the next full moon when the snow would disappear
on the South hill sides and we would find grass for our horses.
Shabonos child is better this day than he was yesterday. he is
free from fever. the imposthume is not so large but seems to
be advanceing to meturity.