[Lewis:]
Thursday April 24th. 1806.
We were up early this morning and dispatched the men in
surch of our horses, they were all found in a little time except
McNeal's. we hired an indian to surch for this horse it was
one in the evening before he returned with him. in the intermediate
time we had 4 packsaddles made purchased three
horses of the Wah-howpums, and hired three others of the
Chopunnish man who accompanys us with his family and
horses. we now sold our canoes for a few strands of beads,
loaded up and departed at 2 P. M. the natives had tantalized
us with an exchange of horses for our canoes in the first
instance, but when they found that we had made our arrangements
to travel by land they would give us nothing for them
I determined to cut them in peices sooner than leave them
on those terms, Drewyer struck one of the canoes and split of
[f] a small peice with his tommahawk, they discovered us
determined on this subject and offered us several strands of
beads for each which were accepted. we proceeded up the
river between the hills and it's Northern shore, the road was
rocky and sandy alternately, the road difficult and fatieguing.
at 12 M
s. we arrived at a village of 5 lodges of the Met-cow-wes,
having passed 4 lodges at 4. and 2 at 2 M
s. further.
we rem[a]ined all night near the Met-cow-we lodges about 2
miles below our encampment of the [blank space in MS.] of
October last;
[11]
we purchased three dogs and some shappellel
of these people which we cooked with dry grass and willow
boughs. many of the natives pased and repassed us today on
the road and behaved themselves with distant rispect towards
us. most of the party complain of the soarness of their feet
and legs this evening; it is no doubt caused by walking over
the rough stones and deep sands after b[e]ing for some months
passed been accustomed to a soft soil. my left ankle gives me
much pain. I baithed my feet in cold water from which I experienced
considerable relief. The curloos are abundant in
these plains and are now laying their eggs. saw the kildee[r],
the brown lizzard, and a Moonax
[12]
which the natives had
petted. the winds which set from Mount Hood or in a
westerly direction are much more cold than those from the
opposite quarter. there are now [no—
Biddle] dews in these
plains, and from the appearance of the earth there appears to
have been no rain for several weeks. we directed that the
three horses which we purchased yesterday should be hubbled
and confined to a picqut, and that the others should be disposed
of in the same manner they were last evening.
