Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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Traded with the Indians, made 3 Chiefs and gave them meadels & Tobacco & Handkerchif & knives, and a flag & left a Flag & hand kerches for the great Chief when he returns from war, in the evening proceeded to the 2d Vilg 2 miles, a hard wind and rain at dark, traded for Some root Bread & Skins to make Shirts. hot day
We assembled the principal Men as well as the Chiefs and by Signs informed them where we came from where bound our wish to inculcate peace and good understanding between all the red people &c. which appeared to Satisfy them much, we then gave 2 other Medals to other Chefs of bands, a flag to the twisted hare, left a flag & Handkerchief to the grand Chief gave, a Shirt to the Twisted hare & a knife & Handkerchif with a Small pece of Tobacco to each. Finding that those people gave no provisions to day we deturmined to purchase with our Small articles of merchindize, accord we purchased all we could, Such as roots dried, in bread, & in ther raw State, Berris of red Haws & Fish and in the evening Set out and proceeded on to the 2d Village [1] 2 miles dist. where we also purchased a few articles all amounting to as much as our weak horses Could Carry to the river Capt. Lewis & 2 men verry Sick this evening, my hip verry Painfull, the men trade a few old tin Canisters for dressed Elk Skin to make themselves Shirts, at dark a hard wind from The S W accompaned with rain which lasted half an hour. The twisted hare envited Capt Lewis & myself to his lodge which was nothin more than Pine bushes & bark, and gave us Some broiled dried Salmon to eate, great numbers about us all night at this village the women were busily employed in gathering and drying the Pas-she co root of which they had great quantites dug in piles
Monday 23rd Sept. 1805. a fair morning. we purchased considerable of Sammon and commass roots from the natives. these Savages are now laying up food for the winter and in the Spring they are going over on the medicine River and Missourie River to hunt the buffalow. Some of them have fine copper kittles and different kinds of trinkets hanging about them. also they are fond of any kind of marchandize, but the blue beeds they want mostly. our officers gave the chiefs of this nation a flag a meddle and Some other Small articles their is another village about 2 miles further down the plain they gave the chief of that village a flag and meddle also. these natives have a great many horses and live well. are well dressed in Elk deer and Mountain Sheep Skins. well dressed they have but a fiew buffalow Robes. the most of them have leather lodges and are now makeing flag [2] lodges &C. we got up our horses towards evening all except one which we could not find. we loaded up left one man to look for his horse and proceed. on down to the other village and Camped. had a Thunder Shower this evening. we bought Some more Sammon and Commass, Some dressed Elk Skins &C. from these villages who live like other.
Monday 23rd. The morning was warm and pleasant. We stayed here some time to procure provisions from the natives, for which we gave them in exchange a number of small articles. The provisions which we got consisted of roots, bread and fish.— Their bread is made of roots which they call comas, and which resemble onions in shape, but are of a sweet taste. This bread is manufactured by steaming, pounding and baking the roots on a kiln they have for the purpose. About 4 o'clock we renewed our journey, and went 2 miles to another small village, through a beautiful rich plain, in which these roots grow in abundance. We halted at the second village all night [3] and got some more provisions. About dark a shower of rain fell.
Monday 23rd Sept. 1805. a clear pleasant morning. we purchased considerable quantity of Sammon and root or potatoe bread from the natives. these natives are now at war with Some other nation to the west, and the most of the warries, are mostly gone to war, and the women are engaged laying up food for the winter as they tell us that they intend going over to the Missourie in the Spring after the buffaloe &c. Some of the natives have copper kittles, and beeds a fiew knives &c. which they tell us that they got from the traders to the west, which must have Come from the western ocean. they are verry fond of our marchandize. the large blue beeds they are the fondest of but are glad to git anything we have. a Small peace of red cloath, as wide as a mans hand they gave as much for as they would for double the value in any other article. our officers gave the chiefs of this village a flag & one to the chief [4] of the next village about 2 miles further on our road, which they hoisted. these natives live well are verry kind and well dressed in mountain Sheep & deer & Elk Skins well dressed. they have buffaloe robes but are verry choice of them. in the afternoon we got up our horses, all except one which we could not find. we loaded up our horses, left one man who had not found his horse, and went down to the next village about 2 miles and Camped. [5] bought Some more Sammon and Some dressed Elk Skins &c. we had a Shower of rain attended with Thunder this evening. these Savages at this village live the Same as those at the other village. they are numerous and talk loud & confused. they live much comfort in their villages. Several lodges all join. the most of them have leather lodges, and are makeing flag lodges &c.
Monday Septemr 23rd This morning we had clear pleasant weather. Our officers purchased from the Natives a quantity of Salmon & root or potatoe bread, for which they gave them some small articles of Merchandise. The Natives informed us, that they were at present engaged in a Warr, with a Nation of Indians who lived to the West of them, and that most of their Warriors were gone out to fight that Nation; The Indian women at this Village, are mostly employed in laying in Provisions for the Winter, and they informed us, that they intend going across the Mountains in the next Spring, over to the Mesouri River; in Order to hunt buffalo. We found among the Natives which are with us, Copper kettles, Beads & a few knives; which they informed us they got from the Traders, living to the Westwards of their Village, and which we suppose came from the Western Ocean. They appeared to be very fond of our Merchandise, & in particular of some large Blue beads, which our officers had. They were likewise fond of Red Cloth. They gave our Officers for a Small piece of that article as broad as ones hand, double the quantity of Salmon & bread, that they would for any article of the same Value, (excepting the large blue beads) however as Merchandise of all sorts are scarce among them, they appeared to be fond of every article that we had of Merchandise among us. Our officers gave the Chiefs of this Village a Flag; they also gave a Flag to a Chief who resided at a Village 2 Miles from this Village on our Road.— They hoisted the flag at the Chiefs lodge, & seemed very much pleased at the present their Chiefs had received.— These Indians live very well. They dress themselves with Mountain sheep, (Ibex) deer & Elk skins, which they dress & make very pliable. They have Buffalo Robes among them, but don't wish to part with any of them.—
These Indians behaved very friendly to us, & gave both our officers & men many small presents.— In the afternoon we hunted up our horses, & found them all but two, & loaded them. We left one of our Men behind, in order to hunt for the horses which was lost. We proceeded on to another Indian Village, which lay on the same Creek, & about 2 Miles distant, and Encamped. Our officers here purchased from the Indians belonging to this Village, Some Salmon & skins of various kinds which were dressed. In the Evening we had a Shower of Rain attended with thunder. The Indians at this Village, live in the same manner as those at the other Village which we left this day, & have Salmon & root bread in great plenty.— The Indians at this Village are far more numerous than those at the first Village that we came to, after crossing the Mountains. They talk very loud, & their language seems confused. This Village is built more compact than the last Village that we left; several of their lodges join each other, the most of which, are made out of dressed leather. they have also lodges made out of Flags & are preparing to build several others of the same kind.
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.