Clark: September 21, 1805

September 21st, Saturday 1805. A fine morning. Sent out all the hunters early in different directions to kill something, and stayed behind with the Indians to prevent suspicion and to gather as much information as possible. One of them drew me a chart of the river and the nations below, and told me of a falls below which white men lived, from whom they got white beads, cloth, etc. The day proved warm. Two chiefs of bands visited me today. The hunters all returned without anything. I collected a horse load of roots and 3 salmon, and sent R. Fields with one Indian to meet Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis). At 4 o'clock I set out with the other men to the river, passed through a fine pine country, descended a steep, rugged, very long hill to a small river which comes from our left, which I suppose to be ____ River. Passed down the river 2 miles on a steep hillside. At 11 o'clock P.M. arrived at a camp of 5 squaws, a boy, and 2 children. These people were glad to see us and gave us dried salmon. One of them had formerly been taken by the Minitarries (Minitarees) of the north and had seen white men. Our guide called the chief, who was fishing on the other side of the river, whom I found to be a cheerful man of about 65. I gave him a medal.

Thursday, 21st September 1805. A fine morning. Sent out all the hunters in different directions to hunt deer. I myself stayed with the chief to prevent suspicion and to collect by signs as much information as possible about the river and country ahead. The chief drew me a kind of chart of the river, and informed me that a greater chief than himself, called the Twisted Hair, was fishing at the river half a day's march from his village, and that the river forked a little below his camp, and at a long distance below there were 2 large forks, one from the left and the other from the right. The river passed through the mountains at which place was a great fall of water passing through the rocks. At those falls white people lived, from whom they procured the white beads, brass, etc., which the women wore. A chief of another band visited me today and smoked a pipe. I gave my handkerchief and a silver cord, with a little tobacco, to those chiefs. The hunters all returned without anything. I purchased as much provisions as I could with what few things I happened to have in my pockets, such as salmon, bread, roots, and berries, and sent one man, R. Fields, with an Indian to meet Capt. Lewis. At 4 o'clock P.M. I set out to the river. Met a man at dark on his way from the river to the village, whom I hired and gave the neck handkerchief of one of the men, to guide me to the camp of the Twisted Hair. We did not arrive opposite the camp of the Twisted Hair until half past 11 o'clock P.M. Found at this camp five squaws and 3 children. My guide called to the chief, who was camped with 2 others on a small island in the river. He soon joined me. I found him a cheerful man with apparent sincerity. I gave him a medal, etc., and smoked until 1 o'clock a.m., and then went to sleep. The country from the mountains to the river hills is a level, rich, beautiful pine country, badly watered, thinly timbered, and covered with grass. The weather is very warm after descending into the low country. The river hills are very high and steep, with small bottoms to this little river, which is Flathead and is 160 yards wide and shoaly. This river is the one we killed the first colt on, near a fishing weir. I am very sick today and vomited, which relieved me.