Thursday June 5th.. 1806.
Colter and Bratten were permitted to visit the Indian Village
to day for the purpose of tradeing for roots and bread,
they were fortunate and made a good return. We gave the
Indian Chief another sweat to-day, continuing it as long as he
could bear it, in the evening he was very languid but still
[continued] to improve in the use of his limbs. the Child is
recovereing fast. I applied a plaster of sarve [salve] made
of the rozen of the long leafed pine, Beaswax and Bears oil
mixed, which has subsided the inflomation entirely, the part
is considerably swelled and hard. in the evening Reuben
Fields, G. Shannon, Labiech, & Collins returned from the
chaise and brought with them five deer and a
brown Bear.
Among the Grasses of this country I observe a large species
which grows in moist situations; it rises to the hight of eight
or ten feet, the culm is jointed, hollow, smooth, as large as a
goose quill, and more firm than ordinary grass; the leaf is
linner [linear] broad and rough; it has much the appearance
of the meadin cain [maiden cane] as it is called in the Southern
parts of the U'States, and retains it's virdu[r]e untill late in
the fall, this grass propagates principally by the root which
is horozontal and perennial. a second species grows in tussucks
and rises to the hight of six or eight feet; it seams to
delight in the soil of the river bottoms which possess a greater
mixture of sand than the hills in this neighbourhood. this is
also a harsh course grass; it appears to be the same which
is called the corn grass in the southern states, and the Foxtail
in virginia. a third species resembles the cheet, tho' the
horses feed on it very freely. a fou[r]th and most prevalent
species is a grass which appears to be the same called the blue
Grass common to maney parts of the United States; it is common
to the bottoms as well as the uplands, is now seeding and
is from 9 inches to 2 feet high; it affords an excellent pa[s]terage
for horses and appears to bear the frost and snow better
than any grass in our country; I therefore regrett very much
that the seed will not be ripe before our probable departure.
this is a fine soft grass and would no doubt make excellent hay
if cultivated. I do not find the greensword here, which we
met with on the lower part of the Columbia. There are also
several species of the wild rye to be met with in the praries.
among the plants and shrubs common to our country I observe
here the seven bark, wild rose, vineing honeysuckle,
sweet willow, red willow, long leafed pine, cattail or coopers
Flag, Lambsquarter, Strawberries, Raspberries, Gooseberries,
tongue grass, Mustard, tanzy, sinquefield, horse mint, water
penerial [pennyroyal], elder, coalts foot, Green plantin, canser
weed, Shoemate, and several of the pea blume flowering plants.
Frazier who had permission to visit the Twisted Hairs Lodge
at the distance of ten or twelve miles did not return this evening.
The river falls in course of the day and rises some at
night as will Be seen by the remarks in the Diary of the weather.
this most probably is the melding [melting] of the snows dureing
the day &c.
