Clark: May 12, 1806

Monday 12th May 1806. A fine morning. A great number of Indians flocked about us as usual. After breakfast I began to administer eye water, and in a few minutes had nearly 40 applicants with sore eyes, and many others with other complaints—most commonly rheumatic disorders and weaknesses in the back and loins, particularly the women.

The Indians held a grand council this morning, after which we were each presented with a horse by two young men, at the instance of the nation. We had the chiefs seated and gave them each a flag, a pint of powder, and 50 balls. To the two young men who had presented the horses we also gave powder and ball. The Broken Arm, or Tunnachemootoolt, pulled off his leather shirt and gave it to me. In return I gave him a shirt.

We retired into the lodge, and the natives spoke to the following purpose: that they had listened to our advice and that the whole nation was determined to follow it; that they had only one heart and one tongue on this subject. They explained the cause of the war with the Shoshones. They wished to be at peace with all nations, and some of their men would accompany us to the Missouri, etc., etc.

As a great number of men, women, and children were waiting and requesting medical assistance—many of them with the most simple complaints which could be easily relieved, aside from many with disorders entirely beyond the power of medicine—all requesting something, we agreed that I should administer the medicine and Capt. L. (Capt. Lewis) should hear and answer the Indians. I was closely employed until 12 P.M. administering eye water to about 40 grown persons, some simple cooling medicines to the disabled chief, to several women with rheumatic afflictions, and to a man who had a swelled hip, etc., etc.

In the evening three of our horses were brought in, all in fine order. We have now only six remaining out. We gave to each chief a pint of powder and 50 balls and a small flag, and to the two young men who delivered us the horses we also gave powder and ball and some blue wampum and ribbon. All appeared much pleased.

These people are much afraid of the Blackfoot Indians and the Big Bellies of the Fort de Prairie establishment. Those Indians kill great numbers of this nation whenever they pass over to hunt on the Missouri. One of our men bought a horse from an Indian for a few small articles. The Indians brought up a fat horse and requested us to kill and eat it, as they had nothing else to offer us to eat. The Cut Nose made a present of a horse to Drewyer at the same time the two horses were offered to Capt. Lewis and myself.

The horses of these people are large, well formed, and active, generally in fine order. Sore backs are caused by riding them either without saddles or with pads, which does not prevent the weight of the rider from pressing immediately on the backbone and withers of the horse. The Indians formed two parties and played for their heads. We gave the Twisted Hair a gun, powder, and 100 balls, in part for taking care of our horses, etc., and wished him to camp near us until we crossed the mountains, which he agreed to do, and was much pleased. We have turned our attentions toward the Twisted Hair, who has several grown sons who are well acquainted, as well as himself, with the various roads through the Rocky Mountains and will answer very well as guides to us through those mountains.

In the council today the father of Hohastillpelp said the Chopunnish were fully convinced of the advantages of peace and ardently wished to cultivate peace with their neighbors. Early last summer 3 of their brave men were sent with a pipe to the Shoshones on the S.E. fork of Lewis's River in the plains of the Columbia. Their pipe was disregarded and their 3 men murdered, which had given rise to the war expedition against that nation last fall. Their warriors had fallen in with and killed 42 of the Shoshones, with the loss of only 3 men on their part. This had satisfied the blood of their deceased friends, and they would never again make war against the Shoshones, but were willing to receive them as friends. As we had not seen the Indians toward Fort de Prairie, they did not think it safe to venture over to the plains of the Missouri, where they would gladly go provided those nations would not kill them.

I gave a vial of eye water to the Broken Arm to wash the eyes of all who applied to him, and told him that when it was out we would replenish it again.