Nez Perce camps, reuniting with horses — Patrick Gass: May 6, 1806
The expedition stayed in camp while Captains Lewis and Clark treated sick villagers, receiving a small horse in payment that the party ate for lack of other meat. Over the following days they moved on, recovered two canisters of ammunition that local Indians had safeguarded, and crossed the river with a single canoe. Gass praises the honesty of inland tribes compared to coastal ones. Native informants warned that deep mountain snow would block travel for a month and a half. Hunters killed four deer, and an old chief reported finding their cached saddles and tracking down 36 horses.
staid in our camp. Capt. Lewis and Capt. Clarke acted as
physicians to the sick of the village or lodge, for which they
gave us a small horse, that we killed and eat, as we had no
other meat of any kind. We continued here until about
3 o’clock, when we started and went on about nine miles, and
encamped close to a lodge of the natives.
WV ednesday 7th. This was a fine morning, and we contin-
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION — 227
ued here till after breakfast, when we proceeded on about four
miles to another Indian lodge, at the mouth of a small creek,
where we had to cross the river again, in order to get to a
better road. At this lodge the natives found two canisters of
ammunition, which we had buried last fall on our way down,
and which they took care of and returned to us safe. All the
Indians from the Rocky Mountains to the falls of Columbia,
are an honest, ingenious and well disposed people; but from
the falls to the sea coast, and along it, they are a rascally,
thieving set. We were here detained about three hours in
crossing, as we had but one canoe to transport ourselves and
baggage. We then proceeded over a large hill and struck a
small creek, about five miles below the place, where we made
our canoes in October last. Here we encamped for the night,
accompanied by two Indians, one of which can speak the
Sho-sho-ne or Snake language. We will therefore be able to
hold some conversation with the natives in this part of the
country, as our squaw is of the Snake nation.
Tbursday 8th. The morning of this day was pleasant; and
we remained here some time, to endeavour to kill some deer;
and the hunters were sent out.— Here some of the natives
came to our camp, and informed us, that we could not cross
the mountains for a moon and an half; as the snow was too
deep, and no grass for our horses to subsist on. We have
the mountains in view from this place, all covered white with
snow. At noon our hunters came in and had killed four deer
and some pheasants. About 3 o’clock we continued our jour-
ney; passed over a very high hill, and encamped on a small
228 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
run; where we met our other old chief, who had gone down
the river with us last fall. He told us that his men had found
our saddles, where we had hid them, and that he had them
safe. He also gave us an account of thirty-six of our horses,
and where they were.
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We stayed in our camp. Capt. Lewis and Capt. Clarke (Clark) acted as physicians to the sick of the village or lodge, for which they gave us a small horse, which we killed and ate, as we had no other meat of any kind. We remained here until about 3 o'clock, when we started and went on about nine miles, and camped close to a lodge of the natives.
Wednesday 7th. This was a fine morning, and we stayed here till after breakfast, when we proceeded about four miles to another Indian lodge, at the mouth of a small creek, where we had to cross the river again, in order to get to a better road. At this lodge the natives found two canisters of ammunition, which we had buried last fall on our way down, and which they had taken care of and returned to us safe. All the Indians from the Rocky Mountains to the falls of Columbia are an honest, ingenious and well-disposed people; but from the falls to the sea coast, and along it, they are a rascally, thieving set. We were detained here about three hours in crossing, as we had but one canoe to transport ourselves and baggage. We then proceeded over a large hill and struck a small creek, about five miles below the place where we made our canoes in October last. Here we camped for the night, accompanied by two Indians, one of whom can speak the Sho-sho-ne or Snake language. We will therefore be able to hold some conversation with the natives in this part of the country, as our squaw is of the Snake nation.
Thursday 8th. The morning of this day was pleasant; and we remained here some time, to try to kill some deer; and the hunters were sent out. Here some of the natives came to our camp, and informed us that we could not cross the mountains for a month and a half, as the snow was too deep, and there was no grass for our horses to subsist on. We have the mountains in view from this place, all covered white with snow. At noon our hunters came in and had killed four deer and some pheasants. About 3 o'clock we continued our journey, passed over a very high hill, and camped on a small run, where we met our other old chief, who had gone down the river with us last fall. He told us that his men had found our saddles, where we had hidden them, and that he had them safe. He also gave us an account of thirty-six of our horses, and where they were.
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