Camp Chopunnish (Long Camp), waiting for snow to melt — John Ordway: May 22, 1806
At camp, Native women left early on horseback to dig roots while the men gathered at a sweat lodge, heating stones and bathing in a small pit for about two hours to treat ailments like sore eyes. Members of the party worked on a canoe for fishing, and four hunters went out, eventually returning with five deer. Sergeant Pryor was sent to scout the mouth of Collins Creek as a possible new camp but turned back after eight miles due to high cliffs. Short on meat, the group killed a colt for food.
most of the women went out eairly with their horses to dig roots,
the women do the most of the Slavery as those on the Missourie
the men went eairly to a Swet house built a large fire and put in a
large quantity of Small Stone and het them red hot then put them
in some water in the Swet hole which was prepared for that purpose
& only a hole big enofe to git in one at a time, about 12 at on
once got in to the hole untill they Sweet then went in the water
and bathed themselves, then in the hole again and bathed them-
selves in that way for about 2 hours, they Signed to me that it
was to help them of Some disease & Sore eyes, &C. &C. I then
returned with a back load of white roots to the Encampment.
Several of the party were employed makeing a canoe for con-
venience of the fishing &C and 4 men were gone a hunting. Serg*
Pryor was sent down to the mouth of Collins creek [Lolo Creek]
to see if their is any good place to encamp as all may moove down
in our canoe for a better place to fish and hunt if the place will
admit &C. we haveing had no meat of any account for several
days we killed a fine colt. Serg* Pryor returnd without finding
the mouth of Collins creek as the clifts were so high he got only
8 miles five of our hunters returnd had killed five deer and
brought in the meat, a number of Indians chased a deer down
the hills with their horses on South Side of the river it took the
river tho the Inds had wounded it with their arrows. Some of
the party Shot in [it] in the river and the Indians got it. in the
evening we made a fire on the canoe to burn it out.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Most of the women went out early with their horses to dig roots. The women do most of the slavery work, as those on the Missouri do. The men went early to a sweat house, built a large fire and put in a large quantity of small stones and heated them red hot, then put them in some water in the sweat hole, which was prepared for that purpose, with only a hole big enough to get in one at a time. About 12 at once got into the hole until they sweat, then went into the water and bathed themselves, then back into the hole and bathed themselves in that way for about 2 hours. They signed to me that it was to help them with some disease and sore eyes, etc. I then returned with a back-load of white roots to the encampment.
Several of the party were employed making a canoe for the convenience of fishing, etc., and 4 men had gone hunting. Sergeant Pryor was sent down to the mouth of Collins Creek [Lolo Creek] to see if there is any good place to camp, as we may all move down in our canoe to a better place to fish and hunt if the place will allow it, etc. Having had no meat of any account for several days, we killed a fine colt. Sergeant Pryor returned without finding the mouth of Collins Creek, as the cliffs were so high he got only 8 miles. Five of our hunters returned, having killed five deer, and brought in the meat. A number of Indians chased a deer down the hills with their horses on the south side of the river. It took to the river, though the Indians had wounded it with their arrows. Some of the party shot it in the river and the Indians got it. In the evening we made a fire on the canoe to burn it out.
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