Thursday 29th.. August 1805.
a clear pleasant morning. about 8 oClock A. M. a nomber
of Indians arived here from the East Side of the Mountain.
they belonged to this nation but had been gone a long time
and one of the warrie[r]s had been Sculped by Some war party
in the plain. a nomber of their relation cryed aloud when they
arived in the village. Capt. Lewis bought 2 more horses.
about 11 oClock A. M. Capt. Clark & party except 2 who
Stayed to take care of the baggage arived here. they informed
us the Mountains are amazeing high and rough So that it is
impossable to follow the River down for the Steep clifts &c.
and the River So rapid and full of rocks that it is impossable
to go down with crafts, and no game of any kind. they killed
nothing but one Deer, while they were gone. they lived
Several days on Servis berrys and cherries &c. they passed a
lodge of Indians in a Small valley in the mount
n. gethering
cherries & Servisses. they Started to run but our men having
a guide of their nation with them, he Spoke to them and they
were easy. these Savages had nothing to give our men but
Some of their berries. they got Some Salmon from the natives
who Stayed on the River, but Suffered a great deal with hunger.
the Natives tells us that we cannot find the ocean by
going a west course for Some of them who are old men has
been on that a Season or more to find the ocean but could not
find it, and that their was troublesome tribes of Indians to pass.
that they had no horses but would rob and Steal all they could
and eat them as they had nothing as it were to eat. the country
verry mountaineous and no game. these natives do not
incline to Sell any more horses without guns in return as they
say they must have one or the other for defence, as they could
jump on their horses & ride off and carry their children &c.
we told them they [
sc. we] could not Spare any guns if we
Should git no more horses So we put up the goods & make
ready to Set out tomorrow on our way round the or between
the mountains and Strike Columbian River below if possable.
our hunters came in had caught 6 fish and killed one Deer.
