Camp Chopunnish (Long Camp), waiting for snow to melt — Patrick Gass: May 22, 1806
The day began with white frost. By three o'clock, five hunters returned with five deer, and the party had also killed a colt. In the afternoon, the men watched local natives on horseback chase a deer across the river; expedition members shot it from the bank, and the natives retrieved it on a raft. Gass marveled at the natives' horsemanship and described their high-pommeled, wood-framed saddles covered in rawhide, noting their Spanish style and likely Spanish-derived horse breed. Riders cushioned the hard saddles with buffalo robes.
white frost. At three o’clock five of our hunters came in with
five deer; previous to which we had killed a fine colt. In the
afternoon we saw a great number of the natives on horseback
pursuing a deer on the opposite side of the river. They
drove it so hard that it was obliged to take the water, when
some of our men went down the bank and shot it, and the
natives got on a raft and caught it. These Indians are the
most active horsemen I ever saw: they will gallop their horses
over precipices, that I should not think of riding over at all.
The frames of their saddles are made of wood nicely
jointed, and then covered with raw skins, which when they
become dry, bind every part tight, and keep the joints in their
places. The saddles rise very high before and behind, in the
236 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
manner of the saddles of the Spaniards, from whom they no
doubt received the form: and also obtained their breed of
horses. When the Indians are going to-mount they throw
their buffaloe robes over the saddles and ride on them, as the
saddles would otherwise be too hard.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION — 237
CHAP. XXI.
RIDAY 23rd. We again had a fine morning.—One of
our sergeants shot a deer at a lick close to our camp,
and wounded it very bad, but it got to the river and swam
over. Two young Indians who had been at our camp all
night, then mounted their horses, swam over and drove it
back ; and we killed it and gave them half of it. The river is
about two hundred yards wide and cold and rapid. In the aft-
ernoon all the hunters came in but had killed nothing more.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
White frost. At three o'clock five of our hunters came in with five deer; before that we had killed a fine colt. In the afternoon we saw a great number of the natives on horseback chasing a deer on the opposite side of the river. They drove it so hard that it was forced to take to the water, when some of our men went down the bank and shot it, and the natives got on a raft and caught it. These Indians are the most skilled horsemen I ever saw: they will gallop their horses over cliffs that I would not even think of riding over.
The frames of their saddles are made of wood neatly jointed, and then covered with rawhide, which when it dries binds every part tight and keeps the joints in place. The saddles rise very high in front and behind, in the manner of Spanish saddles, from whom they no doubt got the design, and also their breed of horses. When the Indians are about to mount, they throw their buffalo robes over the saddles and ride on them, since the saddles would otherwise be too hard.
CHAP. XXI.
Friday 23rd. We again had a fine morning. One of our sergeants shot a deer at a lick close to our camp, and wounded it badly, but it made it to the river and swam across. Two young Indians who had been at our camp all night then mounted their horses, swam over, and drove it back; we killed it and gave them half of it. The river is about two hundred yards wide, cold, and rapid. In the afternoon all the hunters came in, but had killed nothing more.
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