Lewis: May 2, 1806
The expedition spent the morning rounding up horses, but one acquired from a Chopunnish man had broken loose overnight. A young Indian hired by Lewis and Joseph Fields tracked it down 17 miles back, returning by 1:30 PM. The party then traveled 19 miles east-northeast through hilly terrain and wide creek bottoms, noting pine timber, blooming quamash, and signs of beaver and otter. Three young Walla Walla men continued traveling with them. Lewis sampled an edible plant the Indians were eating and found it agreeable. Hunters killed only a duck.
Friday May 2cd 1806. This morning we dispatched two hunters a head. we had
much difficulty in collecting our horses. at 8 A.M. we obtained them all
except the horse we obtained from the Chopunnish man whom we seperated
from yesterday. we apprehended that this horse would make some attempts to
rejoin the horses of this man and accordingly had him as we thought
securely bubbled both before and at the side, but he broke the strings in
the course of the night and absconded. we sent several men in different
directions in surch of him. I engaged one of the young indians who
overtook us last evening to return in surch of him. at half after 1 P.M.
The indian and Joseph Feilds returned with the horse, they had found him
on his way back about 17 Ms. I paid the indian the price stipulated for
his services and we immediately loaded up and set forward. steered East 3
M. over a hilly road along the N. side of the Creek, wide bottom on S.
side. a branch falls in on S. side which runs south towards the S. W.
mountains which appear to be about 25 Ms. distant low yet covered with
snow N. 75 E. 7 through an extensive level bottom. more timber than usual
on the creek, some pine of the long leafed kind appears on the sides of
the creek hills, also about 50 acres of well timbered pine land where we
passed the creek at 4 m. on this course N. 45 E. 9 ms. repassed the creek
at 4 M. and continued up a N. E. branch of the same which falls in about a
mile below where we passed the main creek. the bottoms though which we
passed were wide. the main creek boar to the S. and heads in the
Mountains; it’s bottoms are much narrower above where we passed it and the
hills appear high. we passed the small creek at 83/4 from the commencement
of this course and encamped on the N. side in a little bottom, having
traveled 19 miles today. at this place the road leaves the creek and takes
the open high plain. this creek is about 4 yds. wide and bears East as far
as I could observe it. I observed considerable quantities of the qua-mash
in the bottoms through which we passed this evening now in blume. there is
much appearance of beaver and otter along these creeks. saw two deer at a
distance; also observed many sandhill crains Curloos and other fowls
common to the plains. the soil appears to improve as we advance on this
road. our hunters killed a duck only. the three young men of the
Wollahwollah nation continued with us. in the course of the day I observed
them eat the inner part of the young and succulent stem of a large coarse
plant with a ternate leaf, the leafets of which are three loabed and
covered with a woolly pubersence. the flower and fructification resembles
that of the parsnip this plant is very common in the rich lands on the
Ohio and it’s branches the Mississippi &c. I tasted of this plant
found it agreeable and eat heartily of it without feeling any
inconvenience.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday May 2nd 1806. This morning we sent two hunters ahead. We had much difficulty in collecting our horses. At 8 A.M. we had recovered them all except the horse we had obtained from the Chopunnish man whom we separated from yesterday. We were afraid that this horse would try to rejoin the horses of his former owner, so we had hobbled him both in front and at the side, as we thought securely, but he broke the strings during the night and ran off. We sent several men in different directions to search for him. I hired one of the young Indians who had overtaken us last evening to go back and look for him. At half past 1 P.M. the Indian and Joseph Fields returned with the horse; they had found him on his way back about 17 miles away. I paid the Indian the price agreed on for his services, and we immediately loaded up and set out.
We steered East 3 miles over a hilly road along the north side of the creek, with a wide bottom on the south side. A branch falls in on the south side which runs south toward the southwest mountains, which appear to be about 25 miles distant, low yet covered with snow. N. 75 E. 7 miles through an extensive level bottom. There is more timber than usual along the creek, and some long-leafed pine appears on the sides of the creek hills, also about 50 acres of well-timbered pine land where we crossed the creek at 4 miles on this course. N. 45 E. 9 miles, recrossed the creek at 4 miles and continued up a northeast branch of the same, which joins it about a mile below where we crossed the main creek. The bottoms through which we passed were wide. The main creek bears to the south and heads in the mountains; its bottoms are much narrower above where we crossed it, and the hills appear high. We crossed the small creek at 8 3/4 miles from the beginning of this course and camped on the north side in a little bottom, having traveled 19 miles today. At this place the road leaves the creek and takes to the open high plain. This creek is about 4 yards wide and bears east as far as I could observe.
I noticed considerable quantities of the quamash in the bottoms through which we passed this evening, now in bloom. There is much sign of beaver and otter along these creeks. We saw two deer at a distance, and also observed many sandhill cranes, curlews, and other fowls common to the plains. The soil appears to improve as we advance on this road. Our hunters killed only a duck. The three young men of the Wollahwollah nation continued with us. During the day I observed them eat the inner part of the young and succulent stem of a large, coarse plant with a ternate leaf, the leaflets of which are three-lobed and covered with a woolly down. The flower and fruit resemble those of the parsnip. This plant is very common in the rich lands along the Ohio and its branches, the Mississippi, etc. I tasted this plant, found it agreeable, and ate heartily of it without feeling any ill effects.
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