Journals of the
Lewis & Clark Expedition

[Lewis]

Information of Mr. John Hay—commencing at the discharge of the Ottertail Lake, which forms the source of the Red River, to his winter station on the Assinneboin River—

Notes— [(]1) the general course of the red River from Leaf river to the mouth of the assinnaboin is due West

(2ed) the River Pembenar heads in three large lakes bearing as it proceds upwards towards the Assinnaboin—    the first lake three leagues in length and 1 in width—   the turtle mountain bearing S W. distnt. 7 leagues—    the second smaller lying N N W. not very distant from the former the third and last [lake] large and extending within a few miles of the mouth of Mouse river branch of the Assinnaboin—

(3) Salt is made in sundry places on the Red river (to [w]it) just below the mouth of river Pembenar on the S. side. head of salt river, also on the South side of the red river a little way below the dirty water river—

[Lewis]

Mr. Labaum ^[11] informs that a Mr. Teboux who is at present with Louasell ^[12] up the Missouri can give us much information in relation to that country.—

[Lewis]

The Kickapoo calls a certain water plant ^[14] with a large Circular floating leaf found in the ponds and marshes in the neighbourhood of Kaskaskias & Cahokia—Po-kish'-a-co-mah, of the root of this plant the Indians prepare an agreable dish, the root when taken in it's green state is from 8 to 14 inches in circumpherence    is dryed by being exposed to the sun and air or at other times with a slow fire or smoke of the chimnies, it shrinks much in drying—    The root of this plant grows in a horrizontal direction near the surface of the rich loam or mud which forms the bottoms of their ponds or morasses, generall three, sometimes four or more of these roots are attatced together by a small root or string of hearder substance of a foot or six inches in length, the root of the plant thus annually progresses shooting out a root from a bud at the extremity of the root of the presceeding years groath, this in the course of the Summer p[r]oduces a new root prepared with a bud for the progression of the next season, also one leaf and one seed stalk the stem of the former supporting or reather attatched to a large green circular leaf 18 inches to two feet in diameter which fl[o]ats while green usually on the serface of the water, the sta[l]k is propotioned to the debth of the water, and of a celindrical form, is an inch and a half in circumpherence at or near it's junction of the root thence regularly tapering to the leaf where it is perhaps not more than an inch, the large fibers of the leaf project from the extremity of the stalk in every direction at right angles from it to the circumpherence of the leaf like rays from the center, there are from twelve to eighteen of those fibers—    the leaf is nearly a circle smoth on both sides and even and regular on it's edges—    near the same part of the root from which the leaf stalk project the seed stalk dose also—    it is about the same size and form of it but usually a foot longer standing erect and bearing it[s] blossum above the surface of the water which I am informed is of a white colour—    The seed vessel or matrix is the form of a depressed cone the small extremity of which is attatced to the uper end of the stalk; before it has attained it's groath it resembles an inverted cone but when grown the base obtains a preponderancy and inclining downwards rests it's edge against the stalk—    the base is a perfect circular plain from 〈fifteen to〉 eighteen to twenty inches in circumpherence in it's succulent state, and from two to three inches in hight—    the surface of the cone when dryed by the sun and air after being exposed to the frost is purforated with two circular ranges of globular holes from twenty to 30 in number arond one which forms the center placed at the distance of from an eighth to ¼ of an inch assunder, each of those cells contains an oval nut of a light brown colour much resembling a small white oak acorn smothe extreemly heard, and containing a white cernal of an agreeable flavor; these the native frequently eat either in this state or roasted; they frequently eat them also in their succulent state—    the bear feed on the leaves of this plant in the spring and summer—    in the autumn and winter the Swan, geese, brant, ducks and other acquatic fowls feed on the root—    the one is brown, pitty and extreemly light, and when seperated from the stalks flots on the suface of the water with its base down—    the Indians procure it and prepare it for food in the following manner—    they enter the bonds [ponds] where it grows, barefooted in autumn, and feel for it among the mud which being soft and the root large and near the surface they readily find it    they easily draw it up it having no fiborus, or colateral roots to attatch it firmly to the mud    they wash and scrape a thin bleack rind off it and cut it croswise into pieces of an inch in length    when it is prepared for the pot it is of a fine white colour boils to a pulp and makes an agreeable soupe in which way it is usually dressed by the natives    when they wish to preserve it for any length of time they cut it in pieces in the manner before discribed string it on bark or leather throngs of a convenient length and hang it to dry in the sun, or exposed it to the smoke of their chimnies, when thus dryed it will keep for several years, it is esteemed as nutricius as the pumpkin or squash and is not very dissimilar in taste—    The Chipiways or sateaus call this plant Wab-bis-sa-pin or Swan-root— ^[15]    The ferench or Canadians know it by two names the Pois de Shicoriat or Graine de Volais—    the roots of this plant are from one foot to eighteen inches in length—

The common wild pittatoe ^[16] also form another article of food in savage life    this they boil untill the skin leaves the pulp easily which it will do in the course of a few minutes    the outer rind which is of a dark brown coulour is then scaped off    the pulp is of a white coulour, the pettatoe thus prepared is exposed on a scaffold to the sun or a slow fire untill it is thoroughly dryed, or at other times strung upon throngs of leather or bark and hung in the roofs of their lodges where by the influence of the fire and smoke it becomes throughly dryed, they are then prepared for use, and will keep perfectly sound many years, these they boil with meat or pound and make an agreeable bread    this pittaitoee may be used in it's green or undryed state without danger provided it be well roasted or boiled—    it produces a vine which runs too a considerable length usually intwining itself about the neighbouring bushes and weeds, the vine is somewhat branched, and in it[s] progress at the distance of 2½ inches it puts forth one leaf stem at right angles with the vine, which is furnished with two par of ovate leaves and turminated by one of a similar shape, these are of a pale green colour not indented on their edges, reather a rough appearance, the vine is small and green except near the ground where it sometime assumes a redish hue—    the fruit is connected by a small liggament at both ends extending for many yards in length and attatching together in some instances six eight or more of these pittaitoes—    it's root is pereniel    the vine annual.

There is also another root ^[17] found in mashey lands or ponds which is much used by the Kickapoos Chipaways and any other nations as an article of food    it is called by the Chipeways Moc-cup-pin ^[18]    this in it's unprepared state is not only disagreeable to the taste but even dangerous to be taken even in a small quantity; in this state it acts as a powerfull aemetic.    a small quantity will kill a hog yet prepared by the Indians it makes not only an agreeable but a nutricious food—    I have not seen the plant and can therefore only discribe it from information—    the leaf is said to be broad and to float on the water—    the root is from 10 to 12 inches in length and about ⅔ds. as much in thickness—    it has a rough black skin, the pulp is white and of a mealy substance    when properly prepared the preparation is this—    having collected a parsel of these roots you cut and split a sufficient parsel of wood which is set on end as the coliers commence the base of their coal pitts, the [l]enghts of these sticks of wood being as nearly the same as you can conveniently cut them and about 4 feet in length thus forming when put together an even surface at top    on this is thrown soft earth of from two to 3 Inches in debth the roots are laid on this and earth thrown over the whole forming the Colliers kiln complete    fire is then communicated to the wood beneath and it is suffered to burn slowly for several days untill the wood is exausted or they concieve their roots are sufficiently cooked—    they then take them out scrape them & cut them into slices crosswise of half an inch thick and laying them on a scaffold of small sticks build small fires under them and dry them untill they become perfectly firm    thus prepared they are fit for uce and will keep for years if not exposed to wet—    they are either boiled to a pulp in their soupe or less boiled eat them with bears oil or venison and bears flesh—    they sometimes pound it and make a bread of it.—