Nez Perce camps, reuniting with horses — John Ordway: May 1, 1806

go on a hunting, we Set out as usal & proceeded on up this river,
over high plains and river bottom which is partly covred with
cotton & other timber, the beaver are pleanty. one of the
hunters killd one. no other game to be seen about noon we
halted to dine. Several of the Savages who accompy us leave
us here and take a cross road to the Columbia river, we proceed
on up the branch, over Smooth handsom plains and bottoms.
Saw a timbred country a long distance to the S. E. & Moun*
of Snow. Saw Several deer run out of the groves of timber
along the branch, about Sunset one of the hunters killed a deer.
So we Camped by the branch2 having made 26 miles this day
Soon after we Camped two young men of the wal-a-wal tribe
came up to our Camp & brought us our Steel trap which was
forgot at their village, this is an Instance which we had not
any right to expect from Savages, we gave them one a knife
the other a Sun glass, &.C. and a little vension. the wal-a-wal
tribe of Flat heads have proved themselves the honnestest Sav-
ages we have met with for they had great chance to Steel had
they been disposed, but instead of that they helped us as much
as lay in their power and believe that we will return and trade
with them, as we have told them, they disired us to bring them
guns and ammunition, copper kittles, knives beeds Scarlet but-
tens, and allmost any kind of marchandize as other Savages, &C.
1 On the Touchet, a tributary of the Walla Walla, instead of on the Latter
stream itself. The day’s journey was overland in a northeasterly direction
from the modern town of Wallula to the point where the Indian trail inter-
sected the Touchet River.
■ The “branch” was Touchet River, the valley of which the party had been
ascending all day. The camp was in eastern Walla Walla County between
Prescotl and Waitsburg, according to Coues; he further affirms that a person
familiar with the locality “could almost pitch a tent where Lewis and Clark
sleep tonight.”
CHAPTER XIV
From the Walla Walla to the Headwaters of
the Missouri, May 2 — July 9, 1806