University of Virginia Library

[Clark:]

Thursday 22nd. May 1806

a fine day we exposed all our baggage to the sun to air
and dry, also our roots which we have precured of the nativs.
gave promission to Windser & Mr Neal to go to the Indian
Villages. Sergt. Ordway and Goodrich returned at 11 A. M.
soon after 2 Indian men came down on a raft and continued
with us about 3 hours and then returned to their village.
Shannon & Colter went out to day to hunt towards the
mountains. Serjt. Pryor went out to hunt down the river,
and examine the mouth of Collins Creek, if a good situation
was below that creek for a camp. this creek which cannot
be passed owing to it's debth & rapidity is a great bearrer
[barrier] in our way to the best hunting country. it confines
us to a narrow scope between this creek and the river on
which we are camped. If a situation can be found imediately
below the creek it will answer us better than our present one
as from there we can get out to some distance to hunt, and

be convenient also to the fish should they pass up &c. The
horse the Indian's left with us to kill has been drove to their
village with a gang of horses which I suppose belonged to
enother man. as the greater part of our men have not had
any meat to eate for 2 days, and the roots they complain of
not being accustomed to live on them altogether we directed
a large coalt which was given to us by a young man with
an elegant mare on the [blank space in MS.] instant [to be
killed]. this coalt was fat and was handsom looking meat.
late in the evening we were informed that the horse which
Capt L. rode over the rocky mountains and which was cut day
before yesterday had his hip out of place since that time, and
could not walk. Capt. Lewis examined him and thought he
could not recover. at 3 P. M. we observed a number of
Indians in chase of a deer on their horses on the opposit hill
sides. soon after the deer took the water I Capt L. and 3
men run down on this side and killed the deer in the water, the
deer floated down and the Indians took it by means of a raft
which they had ready. on my return to camp found Drewyer
Jos. & Reuben Fields, Shields, and gibson just arrived from
the chass with 5 Deer which they had killed on the high lands
toward the mountains. they also brought with them two
salmon trout which they had purchased of Indians which they
saw on their return to camp. at 5 p. m. two young men
highly decurated in their way came to our camp and informed
us that the fat fish were in great numbers in Lewis's river. that
those salmon trout which our hunters brought were pore and
such as were cought in the winter in this river and were not
the kind which comes up in the spring of the year. great
number of Indians come to the opposit bank and inform those
on this side that the Snake Indians had come to a Lodge on
Lewis's river at night. the inhabitents previously discovering
them abandened the house. Shabonos son a small child is
dangerously ill.[13] his jaw and throat is much swelled. we
apply a poltice of onions, after giveing him some creem of
tarter &c. this day proved to be fine and fair which afforded
us an oppertunety of drying our baggage which had got a
little wet.