[Lewis:]
Friday April 18th. 1806.
LATE last evening we were visited by the principal chief
of Chilluckkittaquaws and 12 of his nation they
remained with us untill 9 OC. when they all departed
except the Cheif and two others who slept at my feet. we
loaded our vessels and set out after an early breakfast this
morning. we gave the indians a passage to the N. shore on
which they reside and pursued our rout to the foot of the first
rapid at the distance of 4 Ms. here we found it necessary to
unload the perogues and canoes and make a portage of 70
paces over a rock; we then drew our vessels up by a cord and
the assistance of setingpoles. from hence we proceeded to the
bason below the long narrows 5 ms. further and landed on the
Lard. side at 1/2 after 3. the Cheif when he left me this morning
promised to bring some horses to barter with me at the
bason. the long narrows are much more formidable than they
were when we decended them last fall there would be no
possibility of passind[g] either up or down them in any vessel.[1]
after unloading the canoes and arranging the camp I walked
up to the Skillute Village and jouined Capt. [C.] he had
procured four horses only for which a high price had been
given, at least more than double that which we had formerly
given for those which we purchased from the Shoshonees and
the first bands of Flatheads. they have a great abundance of
horses but will not dispose of them. we determined to make
the portage to the head of the long narrows with our baggage
and five small canoes. the 2 perogues we could take no further
and therefore cut them up for fuel. in the evening Capt. C. and
myself returned to the camp at the bason and left Drewyer
and three others with the merchandize at the village, three
parsels of which had been laid by at the request of individuals
who promised to give us horses for them in the morning. I
shot my airgun in the presents of the natives at the village
which excited great astonishment.
