Nez Perce villages on Clearwater — John Ordway: September 23, 1805
The expedition traded with Native villages, acquiring salmon and camas roots. Ordway noted the natives were stockpiling food for winter and planned to hunt buffalo on the Medicine and Missouri Rivers in spring. They possessed copper kettles, trinkets, and many horses, dressing in well-prepared elk, deer, and mountain sheep skins, and prized blue beads above other trade goods. The officers presented flags and medals to chiefs of two villages about two miles apart. After gathering most of their horses, the party moved to the second village and camped, weathering a thunder shower and trading for more provisions.
erable of Sammon and commass roots from the natives, these Sav-
ages are now laying up food for the winter and in the Spring they
are going over on the medicine River and Missourie River to hunt
the buffalow. Some of them have fine copper kittles and differ-
ent kinds of trinkets hanging about them, also they are fond of
any kind of marchandize, but the blue beeds they want mostly,
our officers gave the chiefs of this nation a flag a meddle and some
other Small articles their is another village about 2 miles fur-
ther down the plain they gave the chief of that village a flag and
meddle also, these natives have a great many horses and live
well, are well dressed in Elk deer and Mountain Sheep Skins,
well dressed they have but a fiew buffalow Robes, the most of
them have leather lodges and are now makeing flag lodges &C.
we got up our horses towards evening all except one which we
could not find, we loaded up left one man to look for his horse
and proceed on down to the other village and Camped, had a
Thunder Shower this evening, we bought some more Sammon
and commass, Some dressed Elk Skins &C. from these villages
who live like other.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
...erable of salmon and camas roots from the natives. These savages are now laying up food for the winter, and in the spring they are going over to the Medicine River and Missouri River to hunt the buffalo. Some of them have fine copper kettles and different kinds of trinkets hanging about them, and they are fond of any kind of merchandise, but the blue beads they want most. Our officers gave the chiefs of this nation a flag, a medal, and some other small articles. There is another village about 2 miles further down the plain; they gave the chief of that village a flag and medal also.
These natives have a great many horses and live well. They are well dressed in elk, deer, and mountain sheep skins, well dressed. They have but a few buffalo robes. Most of them have leather lodges and are now making flag lodges, etc.
We got up our horses toward evening, all except one which we could not find. We loaded up, left one man to look for his horse, and proceeded on down to the other village and camped. Had a thunder shower this evening. We bought some more salmon and camas, some dressed elk skins, etc., from these villages, who live like the others.
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