Clark: April 16, 1806

April 16th 1806. Crossed the river and sent Drewyer (Drouillard) and Goodrich to the Skil-lute village to invite the Indians to trade horses with us. I also sent Frazer and Shabono (Charbonneau) to the Che-luck-kit-ti-quar village for the same purpose. A number of Indians came from both nations and stayed for the greater part of the day without trading a single horse. The Great Chief of the Skillutes also came with Drewyer. He was lame and could not walk. He told me that if I would go to his town, his people would trade with me. I set out late and arrived at sunset, and informed the natives that in the morning I would trade with them. He gave me onions to eat, which had been steamed. Peter played the violin and the men danced. Saw about 100 stacks of fish. Many nations visit this place for trade. The description of the houses, their dress, habits, etc. Smoked, etc. I saw great numbers of horses.

Wednesday, April 16th 1806. About 8 o'clock this morning I crossed the river with the two interpreters and nine men in order to trade with the natives for their horses. For this purpose, I took with me a good part of our stock of merchandise. Capt. L. (Capt. Lewis) sent out the hunters and set several men at work making pack saddles. Twelve horses will be sufficient to transport our baggage and some pounded fish along with our dried elk, which we intend taking with us as a reserve store for the Plains and Rocky Mountains.

I formed a camp on the north side and sent Drewyer and Goodrich to the Skillute village, and Shabono and Frazer down to the Chilluckkitequaw villages with directions to inform the natives that I had crossed the river for the purpose of purchasing horses, and that if they had horses to sell us, they should bring them to my camp. Great numbers of Indians came from both villages and stayed for the greater part of the day without trading a single horse. Drewyer returned with the principal chief of the Skillutes, who was lame and could not walk. After his arrival some horses were offered for sale, but they asked nearly half the merchandise I had with me for one horse. This price I could not think of giving. The chief informed me that if I would go to his town with him, his people would sell me horses. I therefore decided to accompany him to his village, 7 miles distant. We set out and arrived at the village at sunset. After some ceremony, I entered the house of the chief. I then informed them that I would trade with them for their horses in the morning, for which I would give for each horse the articles I had offered yesterday. The chief set before me a large platter of onions which had been steamed. I gave a part of those onions to all my party and we all ate of them. In this state the root is very sweet and the tops tender. The natives requested the party to dance, which they very readily consented to, and Peter Cruzat played on the violin and the men danced several dances, and then retired to rest in the houses of the first and second chief.

This village has been moved about 300 yards below the spot it stood last fall at the time we passed down. They were all above ground and built in the same form as those below, already described. We observed many stacks of fish remaining untouched on either side of the river. The inhabitants of this village wear the robe of deer, elk, goat, etc., and most of the men wear leggings, moccasins, and shirts highly ornamented with porcupine quills and beads. The women wear the truss most commonly, though some of them have long shirts. All of those articles they procure from other nations who visit them for the purpose of exchanging those articles for their pounded fish, of which they prepare great quantities. This is the great market of all this country. Ten different tribes who reside on the Taptate and Cataract River visit these people for the purpose of purchasing their fish, and the Indians on the Columbia and Lewis's river, quite to the Chopunnish nation, visit them for the purpose of trading horses and buffalo robes for beads and such articles as they have not. The Skillutes procure most of their cloth, knives, axes, and beads from the Indians to the north of them, who trade with white people who come into the inlets to the north at no great distance from the Tapteet. Their horses, of which I saw great numbers, they procure from the Indians who reside on the banks of the Columbia above, and the few they take from the To-war-ne-hi-ooks or Snake Indians. I smoked with all the principal men of this nation in the house of their great chief, and lay myself down on a mat to sleep, but was prevented by the mice and vermin with which this house abounded, and which were very troublesome to me.