Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Some frost this morning every Man except one, [1] out hunting, a young man Came from the upper Village & informed me that Capt Lewis would join me abt. 12 oClock to day. one man killed a Small Sammon, and the Indians gave me another which afforded us a Sleight brackfast. Those Pore people are here depending on what fish They Can Catch, without anything else to depend on; and appere Contented, my party hourly Complaining of their retched Situation and [contemplating?] doubts of Starveing in a Countrey where no game of any kind except a fiew fish can be found, an Indian brough in to the Camp 5 Sammon, two of which I purchased which afforded us a Supper.
Tuesday 27th August 1805. a beautiful pleasant morning. 4 men went out a hunting with horses. we hoisted the large flag Capt. Lewis gave one to the head chief and one to the next. the [Indians] hoisted them also. Capt. Lewis Settled & paid off the Indian women who helped us over the divideing mountain, then began to trade with the natives for horses. our Intrepter bought one for a red cloak the Indian women are mostly employed githering and drying Seeds & roots for food. they git large quantitites of fine black Seed [2] which they grind in to meal between two Stones. they kill but fiew Deer but catch considerable quantity of fresh water Salmon with poles with a Sharpened bone fixed on a pole for a gig. they Some years go down on the Missourie after buffalow and Elk. the country around this place is mountainious and broken Snow now lying a Short distance to the South of us on the broken mountains. our hunters all returned towards evening had killed 4 deer and giged 8 or 10 fine fish which we call salmon. they would wiegh 7 or 8 pound each. but differ from the Salmon caught in the Salt water, but the reason may be there living So far from the ocean in fresh water Capt. Lewis bought 8 or 9 horses this day. the natives do not wish to part with any more of their horses without gitting a higher price for them. the most of those he has bought as yet was for about 3 or 4 dollars worth of marchandize at the first cost, but we will have to give a little more to git a fiew more horses. in the evening the natives had a war dance and danced with their guns those that had any but they had only three or 4 among them. they were verry merry but did not dance So regular as the Indians on the Missourie. their women Sang with them, but did not dance any they tell us that Some of their horses will dance but they have not brought them out yet. they have different kinds of plays and games they have a game [3] which they play most like playing butten only they kick singing and do all by motions they risk all the property they git for their horses or Some of them but it does not trouble them they appear to be easy & well contented let the world go as it may
Tuesday 27th. A fine morning with frost; and eight of us went out to hunt. I observed some flax [4] growing in the bottoms on this river, but saw no clover or timothy, as I had seen on the Missouri and Jefferson river. [5] There is a kind of wild sage or hyssop, [6] as high as a man's head, full of branches and leaves, which grows in these bottoms, with shrubs of different kinds. In the evening we all came in again, and had killed nothing but a fish. We got some more from the natives, which we subsisted on. We lodged here again all night, but heard nothing from Captain Lewis.
Tuesday 27th August 1805. a beautiful pleasant morning we hoisted our large flag. Capt. Lewis Gave the head chief [7] a flag also the 2 chief one they hoisted them on the levil near their lodges. Capt. Lewis then began to trade with the natives for horses, after paying off the women who helped us over the divideing mount. Mr. Sharbono bought one horse for a red cloak. the natives brought up Several horses for trade. 2 hunters went out this morning to hunt with horses. the natives caught a nomber of fine Trout which would weigh abt. 8 pound Some call them Salmon Trout. others call them real Salmon, but they are not So red as the large Salmon. the Indian women are mostly employed gethering a kind of Small black Seed not So large as buck wheat, which they dry and pound or rub between 2 Stone and make a Sort of meal of it they also dry cherries and Servis berryes & roots &c &c. for food. they kill but fiew Deer or any wild game except when they go down on the missourie after the buffalow. the country in general is barron broken and mountainious. an Indian came in with a horse load of Deer meat, which our hunters killd our hunters all returned towards evening had killed 4 Deer & 8 or 10 fine Salmon which they had killed with a wooden gig. Capt. Lewis has bought 7 or 8 horses this day for a little of different kinds of Marchandize &c, but they Seem loth to part with any more without asking more for them. Some of them play away whatever they git for their horses, at a game nearly like playing butten only they keep Singing all the while and do all by motions. more or less play at this game & loose or win more or less they care not always appear Still peaceable and contented, poor as they be in the evening they had a war dance. their women Sang with them they danced verry well, but no So regular as those on the Missourie they tell us that Some of their horses will dance but I have not Seen them yet.
Tuesday August 27th We had a pleasant morning. We hoisted our large flag, and Captain Lewis gave the head Chief a flag, & one other flag each to 2 of their Chiefs, & they had them all hoisted 〈their flags〉 in a level near to their lodges.—
Captain Lewis rewarded the Indian Women for bringing our baggage & the Indian Men for the hire of their Horses, packed with our baggage across the mountains, he then began to trade with the Natives for horses, which they had brought to trade with us. Two of our hunters went out this morning on horse back to hunt by order of Captain Lewis.— The natives had also sent out some of their Men to fish, & they were very successfull. They caught a number of fish, which some call Salmon trout, & others Salmon, they weighed in general about 8 pounds, & their flesh were not so red, as the flesh of those caught in the New England States.— The Indian women 〈are〉 were mostly employed in gathering a kind of small black seed, which is not so large as buck wheat, which they dry & pound or grind, between 2 Stones, & make a sort of meal of it. They also dry Cherries, service berries, & roots, of different kinds which they make use of for food, The Men among them kill but few Deer, or any kind of Game, but when they go down on the Mesouri River after Buffalo— The Country here is barren, broken, and mountaineous.— One of the Indians came to our Camp with a horse load of deer meat, which our hunters had killed— Our hunters all returned towards evening. they had killed 4 Deer, & 10 fine Trout or Salmon; they had killed those fish with a Wooden Gig, which is the method that the Natives use in fishing— Captain Lewis purchased 8 horses from the Natives this day for a small quantity of Merchandise. The natives not wishing to part with any more of them, unless he gave them considerable more, than he paid for those he had purchased of them. Some of these Natives played away what Goods they had receiv'd at a game nearly like the Game called [blank] only with this difference, that they keep singing all the while, and do all by motions; most of the Natives play at this game, and seem very little concerned whether they Win or lose,— they always appearing contented & peacable.— In the Evening they had a warr dance, their women sang & danced with them; they danced very well, but not so regular as those Indians did who live on the Mesouri River.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.