University of Virginia Library

Chapter XIII

CROSSING THE GREAT DIVIDE, AND SEARCHING
FOR NAVIGABLE WATERS

XIII. August 17–26, 1805

Saturday 17th.. August 1805.

a CLEAR cold morning, we lay last night with 2
blankets or Robes over us & lay cold. Some frost
this morning. we took an eairly breakfast and Set
out. proceeded on a Short distance. heared a nomber of
Indians a Singing on L. Side. directly their came Several
of the Snake nation. Came to us & told us that Capt. Lewis
& party was at the forks. Capt. Clark our Intrepter & wife
went with the natives rode their horses to the forks. they
kept rideing back & forward to See us comeing up with the
canoes. we were obledged to hale the canoes a great part
of the way untill we got to Capt. Lewises Camp a little below
the forks their was 20 odd of the Snake nation Camped with
Capt. Lewis. they appeared harmeless & friendly. Capt. Lewis
informed us that he had been over the mountain on the head
waters of Columbian River and that this band was Camped on
Sd. waters and Creek or Small River on their way across to this
place a hunting. the first they Saw was one Spy they had
Some distance a head on horse back. Capt. Lewis Swung &
held up a blanket as a token of friendship, but as it hapened
2 of the men were a hunting one on each Side of him, which
frightned him as he Suposed they wished to take [him] prisoner
[he] turned about his horse & rode verry S[p]eedy out
of his road & made no halt untill he got to the band, & told
his people the news. they met 3 Squaws on the Side of the
mountain a digging roots 2 of them ran off, the other being
old Stood hir ground. Capt. Lewis came or went up to hir &
gave hir Some Small presents, and Shewed everry mark of

freiendship. She then called up the other 2 and they piloted
Capt. Lewis & party to the band, which received them with a
great deal of fear at first. app[e]ared frightened until they lay
down their guns and made Some tokens & motions of friendship.
the natives then put their arms around their or our
peoples necks & appeared glad to See them and used them
friendly. they had Some Salmon which they had brought with
them from the main river. it is only about 40 miles over the
mount. to the head waters of the other R. the[y] drank at the
head waters or Spring of the Missourie and went only abt. a
mile and drank out of the head Spring of the Columbian
River which ran west. the natives tell us that their is no
timber large enofe for canoes on the head waters &c. Capt.
Lewis got 20 [o]dd of the band to come over with their
horses, only 3 women with them. we conclude to leave the
canoes at this place and git horses of the natives to take our
baggage over the mountains. So we unloaded the canoes and
formed a Camp on a Smooth prarie on L. Side. the grass
high, but no timber we could git no timber to burn but
small dry willow Sticks about as big as a mans finger &c. a
high hill in the point or between the forks of the River. high
hills around this valley. the hunters killed 3 deer & 2 goats
this day. Capt. Lewis informes us that the game is verry
Scarse on the mountain, & that they were without any thing of
account to eat for 2 or three days, but the natives tell us that
their is pleanty of fish on the columbian River Such as Salmon
&c. our officers told the natives that we wanted to git their
horses to take our baggage over the Mountain & wanted to
buy Some from them also So they Gave them considerable
of marchandize divided it among them all. they consented to
let us have their horses & assist us over the mt. they tell us
that it is only about 8 days travvel a South course to the
Spanish country, but these Indians git but little trade amongst
them &c.

Sunday 18th.. August 1805.

One beaver caught in a trap l[ast] n[ight]. a clear morning.
Capt. Clark and 11 men got in readiness to Set out with the

natives to go over the mountain to the other River to make
canoes &c. Capt. Lewis bought 4 horses of the natives Gave
them, Some he gave a uniform coat a knife & a hankerchief,
others he gave red leggins a knife a hankerf and a fiew arrow
points &c. 2 of the men joined and bought a horse to take
their baggage on & gave only one brich [breech] cloath one
old or poo[r] Shirt & one knife, for a good pack horse. these
Indian are verry poor and vallue a little worth a great deal, as
they never had Scarsely any kind of a kinife or Tommahawk
or any weapons of war or to use. 2 or 3 guns only to be
seen among them which we expect they got from Some other
nation, who traded with the french or Spanish traders. Gave
their horses &c. for them. they are tollarably well dressed with
Skins Such as antelope and Mountain rams Skins &c. they
have a fiew beeds and ear bobs among them. they gave Capt.
Lewis a kind of an ornament which Spread around the
Shoulders it was made of wezels tales & Some other ornemental
afares. they have little things made of mussell shell
which they hang in their ears with their beeds &c. about 10
oClock A. M. Capt. Clark 11 men and all the natives but
4 [–] 2 women & 2 men which Stayed at our Camp, Set out
with their horses & considerable baggage to cross the mountain
and Send back the horses for us to pack over all the baggage,
which we wish to take over. we put out the Indian goods &c
to air & Sort we had Some Showers of rain this afternoon
the one hunter killed one Deer to day.

Monday 19th.. August 1805.

a cold morning. we Set our net across this little Stream in
hopes to catch Some fish. Several traps Set for beaver.
caught no fish in the net. Caught one beaver in a trap. a
white frost this morning a clear pleasant day, all hands
employed in dressing Skins & Sorting the Indian goods &
packing up the baggage. Some at makeing pack Saddles &c.
three men out with a horse to hunt. Some of the men caught
a nomber of fine fish, large Trout black Spots all over them.
the hunters returned in the afternoon had killed 2 Deer.

light Showers of rain. we packed up the most of the baggage
&c. halled the fish net across the river but caught none any
other way but with a hook & line. Capt. Lewis takes observations
here this being the upper fork of Jeffersons River &
the extream navigable part of the Missourie close under the
dividing ridge of the western Country.

Tuesday 20th.. August 1805.

a clear cold morning. a white frost. two men out hunting.
the men at Camp employed dressing Skins &c. the 2
Indians who Stay at Camp behave well their women mend &
make our moccasons. these Indians behave as well and are as
friendly as any Savages we have yet Seen. our hunters returned
had killed nothing. one beaver caught which ran off
with a Steel trap last night. we found [it] 2 miles down the
river. a nomber of fish caught to day. Capt. Lewis looked
out a place down the river a Short distance for a carsh [cache]
or hole to put Some baggage in which we can do without untill
our return.

Wednesday 21st.. August 1805.

a hard white frost the water which Stood in the Small vessells
froze a little. Some deer Skins which was Spread out wet
last night are froze Stiff this morning. the Ink freezes in the
pen at Sunrise. a clear pleasant morning. one hunter out
with a horse a hunting. 4 men Sent to dig a carsh or hole.
at 8 oClock A. M. Some of the party found Ice in Some
Standing water ¼ of an Inch thick. Captain Lewis took observations
at this place and the Latitude produced is 43D, 44M,
19S North. in the evening after dark we carried our baggage
we concluded to carsh to the place of cashing, So as that the
Indians need not discover us, or mistrust that we are going to
berry any thing at this place &c &c.

Thursday 22nd.. August 1805.

a white frost & cold as usal in the morning. our hunter
returned late last night. had killed a faun deer, and informed

us that he fell among a party of Indians which were troublesome
as they took his gun & rode off he rode after them and
got his gun from out of an Indians hand. their was Several
Squaws which had considerable of their kinds of food and
Skins. they went and left it all he took it and brought it
in with him. a clear pleasant morning three men wen[t] to
finish hideing the baggage. the men at Camp employed dressing
their Deer Skins & makeing their mockasons &c. I am
employed makeing up their leather Shirts & overalls. about
11 oClock A. M. one tribe of the Snake nation 50 odd in
nomber arived here on horse back some women & children.
they have now come over the dividing ridge to trade their
horses &c. with us. Capt. Lewis counciled with them made 2
of them chiefs, and told them that we had come to open the
way and try to make peace among the red people, and that
they would be Supplyed with goods and necessaries, if they
would catch beaver and otter and Save their Skins which the
white people were fond of, and would trade with them as Soon
as times would admit &c. Capt. Lewis traded with them &
bought 3 horses & 2 mules or half mules, for a little marchandize
&c. we being out of fresh meat & have but little Salt
meat we joined and made a fish dragg out of willows tyed
bunches of them together and made it long enofe to reach
across the River, and Caught with it 520 different kinds of
fine pan fish. we divided them with the natives. Gave them
a mess of boiled corn which they were fond of. they appear
to be verry kind and friendly. we trade with them for dressed
mountn. rams Skins and otter Skins &c. our Interpeter &
wife came over with them & were all Scarse off for provissions.
killed nothing but one or 2 mountain Sheep & rabits &c. they
all Camp with us and are peacable, do not attempt to Steel
any thing. borrow nothing but what they return. they appear
to live in fear of other nations who are at war with them,
but Capt. Lewis tells them that these other nations promise to
let them alone and if they do not, their Great father will Send
them arms and amunition to defend themselves with, but rather
that they would live in peace &c.

Friday 23rd.. August 1805.

a clear pleasant morning. 2 men Sent out a hunting. Capt.
Lewis Commences trading with the natives for more horses,
but they do not incline to part with any more horses untill
they git over the mountains, but will carry all our baggage
over for us. Several of the natives went out with horses to
hunt. they rode after the Deer & chased Some in site of our
Camp and ran them down So that they killed 4 or 5 of them.
this day, we halled all the canoes out in a Small pond on the
North Side of the River and Sunk them in the water, So as
they may be Safe for us at our return. about 4 oClock P. M.
their came another party of the Snake Indians on horseback,
about 40 in nomber. they appear the Same as the others did.
we expect to Set out tomorrow to cross the mountain 2 hunters
Sent on a head to kill Some meat if possable for us by the
time we come up with them. our hunter returned in the evening
had killed 2 large Deer and three Small Deer and brought
them all to Camp on the horse.

Saturday 24th.. August 1805.

a clear cool morning. we find that the band of the Snake
nation who came here yesterday is going down on the Missourie
after the buffaloe, and offers Some of their horses for
Sale. So we detain this morning in order to purchase Some
of them. we got 3 or 4 more horses and hired 2 and loaded
all our horses which was abt. 12 in nomber then the Squaws
took the remainder of our baggage and we then Set out about
12 oC. on our way to cross the divideing ridge. proceeded
on abt. 3 miles one of the men was taken Sick with the collick,
and detained us So that we came only about 6 miles and
Camped on the creek. one of the hunters came to us had
killed nothing we gave the Indians Some corn, as they had
nothing to eat.

Sunday 25th.. August 1805.

a clear morning a little frost last night. we loaded up our
horses and loaded the Indian horses and proceeded on through
the level plain. our hunters killed 3 Deer, passed a nomber

of fine Springs and Spring runs. Some willow on the creeks
& runs but no timber of any acct. except pitch pine on the hills
& tops of the mountains. our hunters killed another Deer.
we Came about 15 miles this Day and Camped near the creek
or run.

Monday 26th.. August 1805.

a clear morning. we find it verry cold and frosty every
morning. the water froze a little in the Small vessells. we
Set out at Sunrise and proceeded on. the mountains make
along close to the branch on each Side which are partly covd.
with pi[t]ch pine. passed a nomber of fine large Springs and
drank at the head Spring of the Missourie and crossed a high
ridge only one mile and drank at the head Spring of Columbian
River running west. the runs all make the Same course Saw
a high mountain to the S. W. with Some Spots of Snow on
them. Saw Spots of pitch pine and bolsom fer on the Sides of
the Mo. and on the Spring runs, and verry tall. we halted to
dine at a Spring within about 8 miles of the Indians Camp
which is on the Small River. one of our Indian women was
taken Sick a little back of this and halted a fiew minutes on
the road and had hir child and went on without Detaining us.
we then proceeded, on after we dined and gave the Indians who
were with us a little corn. passed over Several hills. when
we came near the natives lodges we fired 2 rounds by the
requ[e]st of the chief then went to their lodges. they had a
large one in the center prepared for us, wher we unloaded and
Camped with them. their is about 30 lodges here consisting
of men women and children, but the nomber of persons would
be difficult to find out. we danced a little this evening. the
natives assembled to see us. they all appeared verry friendly
and peaceable.