Lewis: May 9, 1806
The expedition sent out hunters and traveled six miles to the lodge of Twisted Hair, a Nez Perce chief, where they halted while a man accompanied Twisted Hair to retrieve saddles cached at the canoe camp. Twisted Hair sent young men to gather the party's horses, returning with 21, though several were in poor condition. Lewis described the fertile, well-watered country along the Rockies and noted the importance of cows and quamash roots in the native diet. Violent winds, rain, hail, and snow struck camp that evening. Cutnose and other Nez Perce visitors stayed the night.
Friday May 9th 1806. We sent out several hunters early this morning with
instructions to meet us at the lodge of the Twisted hair. Collecting our
horses detained us untill 9 A.M. when we charged our packhorses and set
out. our rout lay through a level rich country similar to that of
yesterday; at the distance of 6 miles we arrived at the lodge of the
twisted hair; this habitation was built in the usual form with sticks mats
and dryed hay, and contained 2 firs and about 12 persons. even at this
small habitation there was an appendage of the soletary lodge, the retreat
of the tawny damsels when nature causes them to be driven into coventry;
here we halted as had been previously concerted, and one man with 2 horses
accompayed the twisted hair to the canoe camp, about 4 ms. in quest of the
saddles. the Twisted hair sent two young men in surch of our horses
agreeably to his promis. The country along the rocky mountains for several
hundred miles in length and about 50 in width is level extreemly fertile
and in many parts covered with a tall and open growth of the longleafed
pine. near the watercouses the hills are steep and lofty tho are covered
with a good soil not remarkably stony and possess more timber than the
level country. the bottom lands on the watercourses are reather narrow and
confined tho fertile & seldom inundated. this country would form an
extensive settlement; the climate appears quite as mild as that of similar
latitude on the Atlantic coast if not more so and it cannot be otherwise
than healthy; it possesses a fine dry pure air. the grass and many plants
are now upwards of knee high. I have no doubt but this tract of country if
cultivated would produce in great abundance every article essentially
necessary to the comfort and subsistence of civillized man. to it’s
present inhabitants nature seems to have dealt with a liberal hand, for
she has distributed a great variety of esculent plants over the face of
the country which furnish them a plentiful) store of provision; these are
acquired with but little toil, and when prepared after the method of the
natives afford not only a nutricious but an agreeable food. among other
roots those called by them the Quawmash and Cows are esteemed the most
agreeable and valuable as they are also the most abundant. the cows is a
knobbed root of an irregularly rounded form not unlike the Gensang in form
and consistence. this root they collect, rub of a thin black rhind which
covers it and pounding it expose it in cakes to the sun. these cakes ate
about an inch and 1/4 thick and 6 by 18 in width, when dryed they either
eat this bread alone without any further preperation, or boil it and make
a thick muselage; the latter is most common and much the most agreeable.
the flavor of this root is not very unlike the gensang.this root
they collect as early as the snows disappear in the spring and continue to
collect it until) the quawmash supplys it’s place which happens about the
latter end of June. the quawmash is also collected for a few weaks after
it first makes it’s appearance in the spring, but when the scape appears
it is no longer fit for use untill the seed are ripe which happens about
the time just mentioned, and then the cows declines. the latter is also
frequently dryed in the sun and pounded afterwards and then used in making
soope.I observed a few trees of the larch and a few small bushes of
the balsam fir near the lodge of the Twisted hair. at 2 P.M. our hunters
joined us Drewyer killed a deer but lost it in the river. a few pheasants
was the produce of the hunt. we procured a few roots of cows of which we
made scope. late in the evening The Twisted hair and Willard returned;
they brought about half of our saddles, and some powder and lead which had
been buried at that place. my saddle was among the number of those which
were lost. about the same time the young men arrived with 21 of our
horses. the greater part of our horses were in fine order. five of them
appeared to have been so much injured by the indians riding them last fall
that they had not yet recovered and were in low order. three others had
soar backs. we had these horses caught and hubbled. the situation of our
camp was a disagreeable one in an open plain; the wind blew violently and
was cold. at seven P.M. it began to rain and hail, at 9 it was succeeded
by a heavy shower of snow which continued untill the next morning.several
indians joined us this evening from the village of the broken arm or
Tunnachemootoolt and continued all night. The man who had imposed himself
on us as a relation of the twisted hair rejoined us this evening we found
him an impertinent proud supercilious fellow and of no kind of
rispectability in the nation, we therefore did not indulge his advances
towards a very intimate connection. The Cutnose lodged with the twisted
hair I beleive they have become good friends again. several indians slept
about us.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Friday May 9th 1806. We sent out several hunters early this morning with instructions to meet us at the lodge of the Twisted Hair. Collecting our horses detained us until 9 A.M., when we loaded our packhorses and set out. Our route lay through a level, rich country similar to that of yesterday; at the distance of 6 miles we arrived at the lodge of the Twisted Hair. This habitation was built in the usual form with sticks, mats, and dried hay, and contained 2 fires and about 12 persons. Even at this small habitation there was an appendage of the solitary lodge, the retreat of the tawny damsels when nature causes them to be driven into coventry. Here we halted as had been previously arranged, and one man with 2 horses accompanied the Twisted Hair to the canoe camp, about 4 miles away, in quest of the saddles. The Twisted Hair sent two young men in search of our horses, in keeping with his promise.
The country along the Rocky Mountains for several hundred miles in length and about 50 in width is level, extremely fertile, and in many parts covered with a tall and open growth of the longleafed pine. Near the watercourses the hills are steep and lofty, though they are covered with a good soil, not remarkably stony, and possess more timber than the level country. The bottom lands on the watercourses are rather narrow and confined, though fertile and seldom flooded. This country would form an extensive settlement; the climate appears quite as mild as that of similar latitude on the Atlantic coast, if not more so, and it cannot be otherwise than healthy; it possesses a fine, dry, pure air. The grass and many plants are now upwards of knee high. I have no doubt that this tract of country, if cultivated, would produce in great abundance every article essentially necessary to the comfort and subsistence of civilized man. To its present inhabitants nature seems to have dealt with a liberal hand, for she has distributed a great variety of edible plants over the face of the country which furnish them a plentiful store of provisions; these are acquired with but little toil, and when prepared after the method of the natives afford not only a nutritious but an agreeable food.
Among other roots, those called by them the Quawmash and Cows are esteemed the most agreeable and valuable, as they are also the most abundant. The cows is a knobbed root of an irregularly rounded form, not unlike the ginseng in form and consistence. This root they collect, rub off a thin black rind which covers it, and pounding it, expose it in cakes to the sun. These cakes are about an inch and 1/4 thick and 6 by 18 in width. When dried, they either eat this bread alone without any further preparation, or boil it and make a thick mucilage; the latter is most common and much the more agreeable. The flavor of this root is not very unlike the ginseng. This root they collect as early as the snows disappear in the spring, and continue to collect it until the quawmash supplies its place, which happens about the latter end of June. The quawmash is also collected for a few weeks after it first makes its appearance in the spring, but when the stalk appears it is no longer fit for use until the seeds are ripe, which happens about the time just mentioned, and then the cows declines. The latter is also frequently dried in the sun and pounded afterwards, and then used in making soup.
I observed a few trees of the larch and a few small bushes of the balsam fir near the lodge of the Twisted Hair. At 2 P.M. our hunters joined us; Drewyer killed a deer but lost it in the river. A few pheasants were the produce of the hunt. We procured a few roots of cows, of which we made soup. Late in the evening the Twisted Hair and Willard returned; they brought about half of our saddles, and some powder and lead which had been buried at that place. My saddle was among the number of those which were lost. About the same time the young men arrived with 21 of our horses. The greater part of our horses were in fine order. Five of them appeared to have been so much injured by the Indians riding them last fall that they had not yet recovered and were in poor condition. Three others had sore backs. We had these horses caught and hobbled.
The situation of our camp was a disagreeable one, in an open plain; the wind blew violently and was cold. At seven P.M. it began to rain and hail; at 9 it was succeeded by a heavy shower of snow which continued until the next morning. Several Indians joined us this evening from the village of the Broken Arm or Tunnachemootoolt, and remained all night. The man who had imposed himself on us as a relation of the Twisted Hair rejoined us this evening; we found him an impertinent, proud, supercilious fellow, and of no kind of respectability in the nation, so we did not indulge his advances toward a very intimate connection. The Cutnose lodged with the Twisted Hair; I believe they have become good friends again. Several Indians slept about us.
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