Lewis: September 22, 1805
The party's departure was delayed until 11:30 a.m. because a man failed to hobble the horses as ordered. Heading west, they met hunter Reuben Fields, sent by Captain Clark with dried fish and roots from a nearby Indian band. After sharing the food, they continued 7.5 miles through heavily timbered pine country, reaching the village of eighteen lodges at 5 p.m. Lewis expressed deep relief at descending from the Rocky Mountains into fertile land. Most women fled with children on horseback, but the men remained calm and approached unarmed.
Sunday September 22cd 1805. Notwithstanding my positive directions to
hubble the horses last evening one of the men neglected to comply. he
plead ignorance of the order. this neglect however detained us untill 1/2
after eleven OCk at which time we renewed our march, our course being
about west. we had proceeded about two and a half miles when we met Reubin
Fields one of oure hunters, whom Capt. Clark had dispatched to meet us
with some dryed fish and roots that he had procured from a band of
Indians, whose lodges were about eight miles in advance. I ordered the
party to halt for the purpose of taking some refreshment. I divided the
fish roots and buries, and was happy to find a sufficiency to satisfy
compleatly all our appetites. Fields also killed a crow after refreshing
ourselves we proceeded to the village due West 71/2 Miles where we arrived
at 5 OCk. in the afternoon our rout was through lands heavily timbered,
the larger wood entirely pine. the country except the last 3 miles was
broken and decending the pleasure I now felt in having tryumphed over the
rocky Mountains and decending once more to a level and fertile country
where there was every rational hope of finding a comfortable subsistence
for myself and party can be more readily conceived than expressed, nor was
the flattering prospect of the final success of the expedition less
pleasing. on our approach to the village which consisted of eighteen
lodges most of the women fled to the neighbouring woods on horseback with
their children, a circumstance I did not expect as Capt. Clark had
previously been with them and informed them of our pacific intentions
towards them and also the time at which we should most probably arrive.
the men seemed but little concerned, and several of them came to meet us
at a short distance from their lodges unarmed.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Sunday, September 22, 1805. Despite my clear orders to hobble the horses last evening, one of the men failed to comply. He claimed ignorance of the order. This oversight delayed us until half past eleven o'clock, at which time we resumed our march, our course being roughly west. We had gone about two and a half miles when we met Reubin Fields, one of our hunters, whom Capt. Clark (Capt. Clark) had sent to meet us with some dried fish and roots he had obtained from a band of Indians whose lodges were about eight miles ahead. I ordered the party to halt for the purpose of taking some refreshment. I divided the fish, roots, and berries, and was happy to find enough to completely satisfy all our appetites. Fields also killed a crow.
After refreshing ourselves, we continued to the village, due west 7 1/2 miles, where we arrived at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Our route was through heavily timbered land, the larger wood being entirely pine. The country, except for the last 3 miles, was broken and descending. The pleasure I now felt in having triumphed over the Rocky Mountains and descending once more to a level and fertile country, where there was every reasonable hope of finding a comfortable livelihood for myself and party, can be more readily conceived than expressed, nor was the encouraging prospect of the final success of the expedition any less pleasing.
On our approach to the village, which consisted of eighteen lodges, most of the women fled on horseback with their children to the neighboring woods, a circumstance I did not expect, as Capt. Clark had previously been with them and informed them of our peaceful intentions toward them and also the time at which we would most likely arrive. The men seemed little concerned, and several of them came unarmed to meet us a short distance from their lodges.
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