October 26th. Saturday 1805.
A fine morning Sent Six men out to hunt Deer, and collect
rozin to pitch the canoes which has become verry leakey by
frequently hauling them over rocks &c. as well [as] Striking
rocks frequently in passing down. all our articles we have
exposed to the Sun to Dry; and the Canoes drawn out and
turned up. maney of our Stores entirely spoiled by being
repeetedly wet,
[17]
A number of Indians came to the oposit side of the river in
the fore part of the day and Shew[ed] that they were anxious
to cross to us, we did not think proper to cross them in our
Canoes and did not Send for them. in the evening two
chiefs and 15 men came over in a Small Canoe, those two
chiefs proved to be the two Principal Chiefs of the tribes above
at the falls, and above, who was out hunting at the time we
passed their bands; one of those Chiefs made Capt. Lewis and
my self each a Small present of Deer meat, and small cakes of
white bread made of roots. we gave to each chief a Meadel
of the Small Size a red Silk handkerchief, arm band, Knife
& a piece of Paint, and acknowledged them as chiefs; as we
thought it necessary at this time to treat those people verry
friendly & ingratiate our Selves with them, to insure us a kind
& friendly reception on our return, we gave Small presents to
Several, and half a Deer to them to eate. we had also a fire
made for those people to sit around in the middle of our camp,
and Peter Crusat Played on the violin, which pleased those
nativs exceedingly. (Yorke danced for the Inds.) the two Chiefs
and several men deturmined to delay all night with us all the
others returned, leaving the horses for those who staied on the
opposit Side. our hunters returned in the evening Killed five
Deer, four verry large grey Squirels and a grouse. one of the
guard at the river guiged a Salmon Trout, which we had fried
in a little Bears oil which the Chief we passed below the narrows
gave us: this I thought one of the most delicious fish I have
ever tasted
Great numbers of white crain flying in different Directions
verry high. The river rose 8 inches to day from what cause
I cannot Say certainly, as the tides cannot effect the river
here as there is a falls below, I conjecture that the rise is owing
to the winds which has Set up the river for 24 hours past
our hunters inform that the country back is broken, stoney
and thinly timbered with pine and white Oake. They saw
Elk & Bear sign in the mountains. Dried all our wet articles
and repaired our canoes to day, and the Party amused themselves
at night danceing. The
Flees which the party got on
them at the upper & great falls, are very troublesom and dificuelt
to get rid of, perticularly as the me[n] have not a Change
of Clothes to put on, they strip off their Clothes and kill the
flees, dureing which time they remain nakid.
The nations in the vicinity of this place is at War with the
Snake Indians who they Say are noumerous and live on the
river we passed above the falls on the Same Side on which we
have encamped, and, the nearest town is about four days march
they pointed nearly S. E. and informed that they had a battle
with those Inds. laterly, their loss I could not assertain.
