Lewis: May 3, 1806
The party traveled 28 miles northeast through high plains to Kimooenem Creek and up a tributary, noting more fertile soil and increasing timber as they neared the Southwest mountains. They endured a violent storm of rain, hail, and snow driven by cold southwest winds at their backs. They met We-ark-koomt, the Bighorn Chief of the Chopunnish, who had brought ten men to greet them and promised provisions ahead at a nearby lodge. The group finished their dried meat and dogs, leaving nothing for the next day. Their Walla Walla guide and companions had abruptly departed.
Saturday May 3rd 1806. This morning we set out at 7 A.M. steered N. 25 E
12 ms. to Kimooenem Creek through a high level plain. this creek is about
12 yds. wide pebbly bottom low banks and discharges a considerable body of
water it heads in the S. W. mountains and discharges itself into Lewis’s
river a few miles above the narrows. the bottoms of this creek are narrow
with some timber principally Cottonwood and willow. the under brush such
as mentioned on N. East Creek. the hills are high and abrupt. the land of
the plains is much more fertile than below, less sand and covered with
taller grass; very little of the aromatic shrubs appear in this part of
the plain. we halted and dined at this creek; after which we again
proceeded N. 45 E. 3 M. through the high plain to a small creek 5 yds.
wide branch of the Kimooenem C. this stream falls into the creek some
miles below. the hills of this creek like those of the Kimooenem are high
it’s bottoms narrow and possess but little timber, lands of a good
quality, a dark rich loam. we continued our rout up this creek, on it’s N.
side. N. 75 E. 7 Ms. the timber increases in quantity the hills continue
high. East 4 Ms. up the creek. here we met with We-ark-koomt whom we have
usually distinguished by the name of the bighorn Cheif from the
circumstance of his always wearing a horn of that animal suspended by a
cord to he left arm. he is the 1st Cheif of a large band of the Chopunnish
nation. he had 10 of his young men with him. this man went down Lewis’s
river by land as we decended it by water last fall quite to the Columbia
and I beleive was very instrumental in procuring us a hospitable and
friendly reception among the natives. he had now come a considerable
distance to meet us. after meeting this cheif we continued still up the
creek bottoms N. 75. E. 2 m to the place at which the road leaves the
creek and ascends the hills to the plain here we encamped in small grove
of cottonwood tree which in some measure broke the violence of the wind.
we came 28 ms. today. it rained hailed snowed and blowed with great
violence the greater portion of the day. it was fortunate for us that this
storm was from the S. W. and of course on our backs. the air was very
cold. we divided the last of our dryed meat at dinner when it was consumed
as well as the ballance of our dogs nearly we made but a scant supper and
had not anything for tomorrow; however We-arkkoomt consoled us with the
information that there was an indian lodge on the river at no great
distance where we might supply ourselves with provision tomorrow. our
guide and the three young Wallahwollahs left us this morning reather
abruptly and we have seen nothing of them since. the S. W. mountains
appear to become lower as they proceede to the N. E. this creek reaches
the mountains. we are nearer to them than we were last evening
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Saturday, May 3rd, 1806. This morning we set out at 7 A.M. and steered N. 25 E. 12 miles to Kimooenem Creek through a high, level plain. This creek is about 12 yards wide, has a pebbly bottom and low banks, and discharges a considerable body of water. It begins in the S. W. mountains and empties into Lewis's River a few miles above the narrows. The bottoms of this creek are narrow, with some timber, principally cottonwood and willow. The underbrush is the same as that mentioned on N. East Creek. The hills are high and abrupt. The land of the plains is much more fertile than below, with less sand and covered with taller grass; very little of the aromatic shrubs appears in this part of the plain. We halted and dined at this creek.
Afterward, we again proceeded N. 45 E. 3 miles through the high plain to a small creek 5 yards wide, a branch of the Kimooenem Creek. This stream falls into the creek some miles below. The hills along this creek, like those of the Kimooenem, are high; its bottoms are narrow and have but little timber. The land is of good quality, a dark, rich loam. We continued our route up this creek on its north side, N. 75 E. 7 miles. The timber increases in quantity, and the hills continue high. East 4 miles up the creek.
Here we met with We-ark-koomt, whom we have usually distinguished by the name of the Bighorn Chief, from the circumstance of his always wearing a horn of that animal suspended by a cord from his left arm. He is the first chief of a large band of the Chopunnish nation. He had 10 of his young men with him. This man went down Lewis's River by land as we descended it by water last fall, all the way to the Columbia, and I believe he was very instrumental in obtaining us a hospitable and friendly reception among the natives. He had now come a considerable distance to meet us.
After meeting this chief, we continued still up the creek bottoms N. 75 E. 2 miles to the place where the road leaves the creek and ascends the hills to the plain. Here we camped in a small grove of cottonwood trees, which in some measure broke the violence of the wind. We came 28 miles today. It rained, hailed, snowed, and blew with great violence the greater portion of the day. It was fortunate for us that this storm was from the S. W. and therefore at our backs. The air was very cold.
We divided the last of our dried meat at dinner, when it was consumed, as well as nearly the rest of our dogs. We made but a scant supper and had nothing for tomorrow; however, We-ark-koomt consoled us with the information that there was an Indian lodge on the river not far away, where we might supply ourselves with provisions tomorrow. Our guide and the three young Wallahwollahs left us this morning rather abruptly, and we have seen nothing of them since. The S. W. mountains appear to become lower as they extend to the N. E. This creek reaches the mountains. We are nearer to them than we were last evening.
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