University of Virginia Library

[Lewis:]

Wednesday April 23rd. 1806.

At day light this morning we were informed that the two
horses of our Interpreter Charbono were absent; on enquiry
it appeared that he had neglected to confine them to picqu[i]ts
as had been directed last evening. we immediately dispatched
Reubin Feilds and Labuish to assist Charbono in recovering
his horses. one of them was found at no great distance and
the other was given over as lost. at 8 A.M. Reubin Feilds
and Sergt. Gass proceeded in the canoe. at 10 Labuish and
Charbono returned unsuccessfull, they had gone back on the
road nearly to the last village and su[r]ched the plains on either
hand to a considerable distance. our remaining longer would
have prevented our making a timely stage which in our situation
is all important; we therefore determined to proceed
immediately to the next village which from the information
of our guide will occupy the greater part of the day to reach.
at eleven OCk. we loaded our horses and set out. during the
time we were detained this morning we had two packsaddles
made. we continued our march along a narrow rocky bottom

on the N. side of the river about 12 miles to the Wah-how-pum
Village of 12 temperary mat lodges near the Rock rapid.[10]
these people appeared much pleased to see us, sold us 4 dogs
and some wood for our small articles which we had previously
prepared as our only resource to obtain fuel and food through
those plains. these articles con[s]isted of pewter buttons, strips
of tin iron and brass, twisted wire &c. we also obtained some
shap-pe-lell newly made from these people. here we met with
a Chopunnish man on his return up the river with his family
and about 13 head of horses most of them young and unbroken.
he offered to hire us some of them to pack as far [as] his nation,
but we prefer bying as by hireing his horses we shal have the
whole of his family most probably to mentain. at a little distance
below this village we passed five lodges of the same
people who like those were waiting the arrival of the salmon.
after we had arranged our camp we caused all the old and brave
men to set arround and smoke with us. we had the violin
played and some of the men danced; after which the natives
entertained us with a dance after their method. this dance
differed from any I have yet seen. they formed a circle and
all sung as well the spectators as the dancers who performed
within the circle, these placed their sholders together with
their robes tightly drawn about them and danced in a line from
side to side, several parties of from 4 to seven will be performing
within the circle at the same time. the whole concluded
with a premiscuous dance in which most of them sung and
danced. these people speak a language very similar to the
Chopunnish whome they also resemble in their dress their
women wear long legings mockersons shirts and robes. their
men also dress with legings shirts robes and mockersons.
after the dance was ended the indians retired at our request
and .we retired to rest. we had all our horses side hubbled
and turned out to graize; at this village, a large creek falls in
on the N. side which we did not observe as we decended the
river, the river is by no means as rapid as when we decended
or at least not obstructed with those dangerous rapids the water
at present covers most of the rocks in the bed of the river.
the natives promised to barter their horses with us in the
morning we therefore entertained a hope that we shall be
enabled to proceede by land from hence with the whole of our
party and baggage. came 12 miles by land. the sands made
the march fatieguing.