Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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This morning early we had our small canoes drawn out, and employed all hands in transporting our baggage on their backs and by means of the four pack horses, over the portage. This labour we had accomplished by 3 P. M. and established our camp a little above the present Skil-lute village [1] which has been removed a few hundred yards lower down the river than when we passed them last fall and like others below have the floors of their summer dwellings on the surface of the earth instead of those cellars in which they resided when we passed them. there was great joy with the natives last night in consequence of the arrival of the salmon; [2] one of those fish was caught; this was the harbinger of good news to them. they informed us that these fish would arrive in great quantities in the course of about 5 days. this fish was dressed and being divided into small peices was given to each child in the village. this custom is founded in a supersticious opinion that it will hasten the arrival of the salmon. with much difficulty we obtained four other horses from the Indians today, we wer obliged to dispence with two of our kettles in order to acquire those. we have now only one small kettle to a mess of 8 men. in the evening Capt. Clark set out with four men to the Enesher village at the grand falls in order to make a further attempt to procure horses. these people are very faithless in their contracts. they frequently receive the merchandize in exchange for their horses and after some hours insist on some additional article being given them or revoke the exchange. they have pilfered several small articles from us this evening.— I directed the horses to be hubbled & suffered to graize at a little distance from our camp under the immediate eye of the men who had them in charge. one of the men Willard was negligent in his attention to his horse and suffered it to ramble off; it was not to be found when I ordered the others to be brought up and confined to the picquits. this in addition to the other difficulties under which I laboured was truly provoking. I repremanded him more severaly for this peice of negligence than had been usual with me. I had the remaining horses well secured by picquits; they were extreemly wrestless and it required the attention of the whole guard through the night to retain them notwithstanding they were hubbled and picquted. they frequently throwed themselves by the ropes by which they were confined. all except one were stone horses [3] for the people in this neighbourhood do not understand the art of gelding them, and this is a season at which they are most vicious. many of the natives remained about our camp all night.
this morning early Some rain had the Small Canoes hauled out to dry every man Capable of Carrying a load Comencd the portage and by 5 P. M had every 〈they〉 part of our baggage and canoes across the portage. I then took Sgt. Pryor, G. Shannon & Crusat & Labiech and went up to the falls at which place I arivd. about 8 P. M. in the Course of this day I purchased 4 horses at the town & Capt Lewis purchased one. the nativs finding that we were about to proceed on by water Sold us those fiew horses for which we were Compd. to pay them emence prices and the horses were indefferent. Several Showers of rain this 〈morning〉 day. description of those people &c [4] narrows bad
We deturmined to make the portage to the head of the long narrows with our baggage and 5 Small Canoes, the 2 large Canoes we Could take no further and therefore Cut them up for fuel. we had our Small Canoes drawn up very early and employed all hands in transporting our baggage on their backs and by means of 4 pack horses, over the portage. This labour we had accomplished by 3 P. M. and established our Camp a little above the present Skillute village which has been removed as before observed a fiew hundred yards lower down the river than when we passed it last fall. I left Capt L. at the bason and proceeded to the village early this morning with a view to recive the horses which were promised to be brought this morning for articles laid by last evining. in the Course of this day I purchased four horses at the Village, and Capt Lewis one at the bason before he left it. after the baggage was all Safely landed above the portage, all hands brought over the Canoes at 2 lodes which was accomplished by 5 P. M. as we had not a Sufficiency of horses to transport our baggage 〈I do〉 we agreed that I should proceed on to the Enesher villages at the great falls of the Columbia and if possible purchase as maney horses as would transport the baggage from that place, and rid us of the trouble and dificuelty of takeing our Canoes further. I set out with Serjt Pryor, Geo Shannon Peter Crusat & Labiech at half past 5 P. M. for the Enesher Village [5] at which place I arrived at 8 P. M. Several Showers of rain in the after part of to day, and the S W wind very high. there was great joy with the nativs last night in consequence of the arrival of the Salmon; one of those fish was cought, this was the harbenger of good news to them. They informed us that those fish would arive in great quantities in the Course of about 5 days. this fish was dressed and being divided into Small pieces was given to each Child in the village. this Custom is founded on a Supersticious opinion that it will hasten the arrival of the Salmon.
we were oblige to dispence with two of our kittles in order to acquire two of the horses purchasd. to day. we have now only one Small kittle to a mess of 8 men. These people are very fathless in Contracts; they frequently reive the merchindize in exchange for their horses and after Some hours insist on Some additional article being given them or revoke the exchange.
The long narrows are much more formadable than they were when we decended them last fall, there would be no possibility of passing either up or down them in any vessel at this time.
I entered the largest house of the Eneeshers village in which I found all the enhabitents in bead. they rose and made a light of Straw, they haveing no wood to burn. many men Collected. we Smoked and I informed them that I had come to purchase a fiew horses of them. they promused to Sell me Some in the morning.
Saturday 19th April 1806. a clear cold morning a little Snow fell on the hills last night. all hands went at packing the baggage past the portage which is about 2 miles towards evening we got all the baggag and canoes carried to the head of the narrows above the village & Camped carried our firewood past the portage also as it is so hard about the village that the Savages value it high. Capt. Clark bought 3 or 4 more horses this day. Capt. Clark and 3 men [6] Set out this evening to go up to the Short narrows at a village in order to purchase horses untill our arival.
Saturday 19th. The morning was cloudy and all hands were engaged in carrying the baggage and canoes over the portage, which is two miles in length. Five more horses were got in the course of the day. Some light showers of rain fell in the afternoon, and about 4 o'clock, we got all our baggage and canoes across except the two large ones, of which we made firewood. At the same time Captain Clarke and four men went on ahead to the village at the great falls [7] to endeavour to get some more horses, by the time we arrive there, a distance of about 8 miles from this village. In the evening the weather cleared up and we had a fine night.
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
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