Clark: April 20, 1806

April 20th, 1806. This morning was very cold, with the hills covered in snow. I showed the natives what I had to offer for their horses and tried to purchase them. They informed me that they would not sell any horses to me, that their horses were a long way off, and they would not trade them. My offer was a blue robe, a calico shirt, a handkerchief, 5 parcels of paint, a knife, a wampum moon, 4 braces of ribbon, a piece of brass, and about 6 braces of yellow beads; and to that amount for what I had. I also offered my large blue blanket for one, my coat, sword, and plume, none of which seemed to entice these people to give horses, if they had any.

They sit in their huts, which are made of mats supported on poles, without fire. At night, when they want a light, they burn dry straw and a few small dry willows. They speak differently from those below and have very little to eat. Some roots and dried fish are to be found in their houses. I am half frozen at this inhospitable village, which has been moved from its former position above the falls to one below, and contains 19 large houses. A village is also established on the other side immediately above the falls. All the natives who were established above the falls for some distance have moved.

These people are much better dressed than they were at the time we went down the river. They all have new deer, elk, ibex (mountain goat), goat, and wolf skin robes. Their children also have large squirrel skin robes. Many of them have leggings and moccasins, all of which they obtain from Indians at a distance in exchange for their pounded fish and beads. They also purchase silk grass, from which they make their nets and seines for catching fish. They also purchase bear grass and many other things for their fish. These people gave me roots and berries prepared in different ways, for which I gave some small articles in return. There are great numbers of skimming nets on their houses. These people are poor, kind, dirty, and indolent. They wear their hair loose and flowing; the men cut it in the front, which the Skilloots do not, etc., etc.

I could not procure a single horse from these people during this day at any price. They offered me 2 for 2 kettles, which we could not spare. I used every decent artifice, and even false statements, to induce these poor devils to sell me horses. In the evening, two different men offered to sell me three horses, which they informed me were a little distance off, and that they would bring them immediately. Those two persons, as I found, went immediately up the river to their tribe without any intention of finding or selling their horses. A little before sunset, 3 men arrived from some distance above and informed me that they had come to see me. At sunset, finding no probability of Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) arriving, I packed up the articles and took them into the lodge in which I had slept last night. Great numbers of these people gathered around me to smoke. I gave them 2 pipes and lay down in the back part of the house with Sgt. P. and the men, with our arms in a position to be ready in case of any alarm. These poor people appear entirely harmless. I purchased a dog and some wood, along with a little pounded fish and chappelle. We made a fire on the rocks and cooked the dog, on which the men breakfasted and dined. The wind was hard all day, cold from the N.W.

Sunday, 20th April 1806. A very cold morning, the western mountains covered with snow. I showed the Eneshers the articles I had to give for their horses. They informed me without hesitation that they would not sell me any for the articles I had; if I would give them kettles, they would let me have horses, and not otherwise. They said their horses were a long way off on the plains and they would not send for them, etc. My offer was a blue robe, a calico shirt, a silk handkerchief, 5 parcels of paint, a knife, a wampum moon, 8 yards of ribbon, several pieces of brass, a moccasin awl, and 6 braces of yellow beads; and to that amount for each horse, which is more than double what we gave either the Shoshone or the first Flatheads we met with on Clark's river. I also offered my large blue blanket, my coat, sword, and plume, none of which seemed to entice these people to sell their horses. Notwithstanding every exertion, not a single horse could be procured from these people in the course of the day.

These people are much better clad than they were last fall. Their men generally have leggings, moccasins, and large robes. Many of them wear shirts of the same form as those of the Chopunnish and Shoshone, highly ornamented with porcupine quills. The dress of their women differs very little from those above the great rapids. Their children have small robes of squirrel skins. Those of the men and women are principally deer, with some elk, wolf, ibex, and buffalo, which they procure from distant nations who purchase their pounded fish in exchange for those robes and beads.

The principal village of the Enesher nation is immediately below the falls on the north side. One other village of the same nation is above the falls on the opposite side, and one other a few miles above on the north side. The houses of these people, like the Skillutes', have the floors of their summer dwellings on the surface of the earth, instead of the cellars in which they resided when we passed them last fall. These houses are covered with mats and straw, are large, and contain several families each. I counted 19 at this village and 11 on the opposite side. These people are poor, dirty, and haughty. They burn straw and small willows. They have very little to eat, and deal with what they have. They procure the silk grass, from which they make their nets, the bear grass for making their mats, and several other necessities from the Indians of the following nations who trade with them, as do the Skillutes, for their pounded fish: namely, the Skad-dats, Squan-nun-os, Shan-wappoms, and Shall-lat-tos, who reside to the north, and several bands who reside on the Columbia above.

I obtained a sketch of the Columbia and its branches from these people, in which they showed the river that falls into the Columbia immediately above the falls on the south side branching out into 3 branches: one of which they say has its head in Mt. Jefferson, one in Mount Hood, and the other in the S.W. range of mountains, and does not water that extensive country we have heretofore calculated on. A great portion of that extensive tract of country to the south and southwest of the Columbia and Lewis's river, and between it and the waters of California, must be watered by the Multnomah river. (See sketch in the latter part of this book, No. 5.) These people are great jokers and deceitful in trade.

At sunset, finding that Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) would not arrive this evening as I expected, I packed up all the articles which I had displayed at the spot I had picked to camp, and at which place we had bought as many fishing poles as made a fire to cook a dog which I had purchased for the men to eat, and returned to the lodge in which I had slept last night. Great numbers gathered around me to smoke. I gave them two pipes, and then lay myself down with the men to sleep, having our merchandise under our heads and guns, etc., in our arms, as we always do in similar situations.