Weippe Prairie, rescued by Nez Perce — John Ordway: September 22, 1805
After a frosty morning delayed by horse-hunting, the party set out around nine, crossing a mountain into a small prairie. Reuben Fields, sent back by Captain Clark, met them with salmon and root bread obtained from nearby Indians. They rested, ate, and continued on, joined by two men who had recovered a lost horse and baggage but lost another. Descending into a valley of plains and pine groves, they reached a Nez Perce (Flathead) village where the natives welcomed them with bread and dried salmon. Clark rejoined them, reporting he had found a navigable branch of the Columbia River nearby.
frost, we were detained Some time a hunting our horses, about
nine oClock at which time we Set out assended a Mountain and
proceeded on came on a small Smooth prarie or plain, and run
came through it. we met Reuben fields who Cap* Clark Sent
back to meet us, with a bag of Sammon and excelent root bread
which they purchased from a nation of Indians who are Camped
on a plain at the foot of the Moun* about 8 or 10 miles distance
from this place we halted about one hour and a half eat hearty
of the Sammon and bread, and let our horses feed, then we pro-
ceeded on the two men who had been back to look for the lost
horse overtook us they had found the horse and portmantaus,
but had lost the horse they took with them, we proceeded on over
a mountain and descended it down it to a valley which is Smooth
and mostly handsome plains. Some groves of handsome tall large
pitch pine timber, about 3 miles further we came to a large Indian
village of the flat head rfation2 they appeared very glad to see
1 This stream, already reached by Clark and given the name Collins Creek,
is modern Lolo Creek, or Lolo Fork of the Clearwater. Not to be confused
with Lolo Creek, the tributary of Bitter Root River.
2 “They call themselves Cho punnish or Pierced noses.” Clark, September
20. These Indians, more commonly known as Nez Perces, were among the
290 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 23
us ran meetting us with some root bread which they gave us to
eat. we Camped by a branch near the village, the natives gave
us dryed Sammon and different kinds of the food. Cap* Clark
joined us this evening and informed us that the[y] had been on a
branch of the Columbia River where he expected it is navagable
for canoes and only 15 or 20 miles from this place & C. these
natives have a large quantity of this root bread which they call
Commass. the roots grow in these plains, they have kills engean-
iously made where they Sweet [sweat] these roots and make them
Sweet and good to the taste.1
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Frost. We were delayed some time hunting our horses. About nine o'clock we set out, ascended a mountain, and proceeded on. We came onto a small smooth prairie or plain, and a stream ran through it. We met Reuben Fields, whom Capt. Clark (Capt. Clark) had sent back to meet us, with a bag of salmon and excellent root bread which they had purchased from a nation of Indians who are camped on a plain at the foot of the mountain about 8 or 10 miles distant from this place. We halted about one hour and a half, ate heartily of the salmon and bread, and let our horses feed. Then we proceeded on. The two men who had been back to look for the lost horse overtook us. They had found the horse and portmanteaus, but had lost the horse they took with them. We proceeded on over a mountain and descended down it to a valley which is smooth and mostly handsome plains, with some groves of handsome tall large pitch pine timber. About 3 miles further we came to a large Indian village of the Flathead nation. They appeared very glad to see us, running to meet us with some root bread which they gave us to eat. We camped by a branch near the village. The natives gave us dried salmon and different kinds of food. Capt. Clark joined us this evening and informed us that they had been on a branch of the Columbia River, where he expects it is navigable for canoes and only 15 or 20 miles from this place, etc. These natives have a large quantity of this root bread, which they call Commass. The roots grow in these plains. They have kilns ingeniously made where they sweat these roots and make them sweet and good to the taste.
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