Overland to Walla Walla, council with Yelleppit — John Ordway: April 20, 1806
The expedition spent the day trading for horses with local Indians. Several horses went missing, and the men suspected the Indians had loosed their hobbles to collect rewards for finding them; hired Indians recovered all but one, which had been gambled away to another nation. Captain Lewis seized property from the man who gambled the horse away. The party traded old robes and elk skins for white beads and acquired two dogs and some chappalell. Unable to get a fair price for their canoes, they split and burned one. Ordway also described a hand-guessing gambling game played in circles.
went to tradeing for horses &C. Several of our men went out to
hunt their horses but could not find all of them we expect the
Indians loosed their Spanil [spancels] and took them away expect-
ing a reward to git them again, so we hired the Indians to hunt
them, found all except one who the man we bought him of Gam-
bled him away with Some [men] of an other nation & they had
taken him away, all the Indians we have Seen play a game &
risque all the property they have at different games, the game
that these Savages play is by setting in a circle & have a Small
Smooth bone in their hands & Sing crossing their hands to fix it
in a hidden manner from the other Side who gass [guess] the hand
that has it in then counts one a Stick Stuck in the ground for
tallies & So on untill one Side or the other wins the propertey
Stacked up. this game1 is played with activity, and they appear
merry & peaceable. Cap* Lewis took the property from the man
that gambled away our horse, we Sold old Robes Elk Skins &C.
&C. for white beeds. these Savages have but little pounded
Salmon in their village as they trade it to Several other nations &C.
the Indians would not give us any thing worth mentioning for our
canoes so we split & burnt one of them this evening, we tyed up
our horses &C. we bought 2 more dogs & some chappalell &C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We went to trading for horses, etc. Several of our men went out to hunt their horses but could not find all of them. We expect the Indians loosed their spancels and took them away, expecting a reward to get them back, so we hired the Indians to hunt them. We found all except one, which the man we bought him from gambled away with some men of another nation, and they had taken him away.
All the Indians we have seen play a game and risk all the property they have at different games. The game that these natives play is done by sitting in a circle and having a small smooth bone in their hands, and singing while crossing their hands to fix it in a hidden manner from the other side, who guess which hand has it. Then they count one stick stuck in the ground for tallies, and so on until one side or the other wins the property stacked up. This game is played with activity, and they appear merry and peaceable.
Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) took the property from the man that gambled away our horse. We sold old robes, elk skins, etc., etc., for white beads. These natives have but little pounded salmon in their village, as they trade it to several other nations, etc. The Indians would not give us anything worth mentioning for our canoes, so we split and burnt one of them this evening. We tied up our horses, etc. We bought 2 more dogs and some chappalell, etc.
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