Nez Perce camps, reuniting with horses — Patrick Gass: May 2, 1806

Patrick Gass · Nez Perce camps, reuniting with horses · Thwaites Vol. Gass 1807 First Edition

three of the Wal-la-wal-las came up with us, and brought a
steel trap that had been left at our camp on the north side of
the Columbia, opposite the mouth of Wal-la-wal-la river: per-
haps one of the greatest instances of honesty ever known
among Indians. Some hunters went on ahead, and haying
collected our horses, we found one missing; some of the men
went to look for him, and brought him back. We then con-
tinued our journey up this branch; and saw to our right a
range of high hills covered with timber and snow, not more
than ten miles distant. We went fifteen miles and encamped
on the north fork, the creek having forked about two miles
below our encampment. The south fork is the largest, and
from its course is supposed to issue from those snow-topped
hills on our right. In the evening our hunters joined us, and
had killed only one beaver and an otter. The three Indians
remained with us all day ; and at night we set three steel traps,
there being a great many beaver signs on this branch.