Patrick Gass: October 14, 1806
On a frosty morning, hunters crossed to the north side of the river while the rest of the party gathered horses and ferried baggage across, finishing by noon. Hunters had killed two bears, and three more grizzlies were brought in later. Local natives accompanied the group to camp at an old village site on the Kooskooske River, gave them a horse, and returned three strays. A native gelded six of seven horses to make them more manageable, and the natives demonstrated their method of cooking bear meat with heated stones and brush.
some white frost. Three hunters went over very
early to the north side of the river. All the rest of the
men. were employed in collecting our horses and
taking over the bargage. About noon we got: all he :
a the
horses and baggage over safe ; and met vgth o
our hunters, who had killed two bears, some distance :
off. So two men were dispatched with him to
eamp at the remains of an ancient village on the north
side of the Koos-koos-ke river. We were accom-
panied. by a number of the natives, one of whom gave
us a horse; and three more of our old stock were
brought in by them. In the afternoon we had an
_ operation performed on seven of our horses, to ren-_
: der them more peaceable ; which was done by one
of the natives upon all but one. In the evening the
men came in with the meat of the two bears; and
alse our other hunters,who had killed three more, –
_ all of the grizly kind. We gave some of the meat.
to the natives at our camp, who cooked it in their
_ ewn way; which was done in the following manner.
oa They: “first collected some stones and heated them,
upon which they placed.a part of the meat, and upon
the meat some sma -brugh, and so alternately. meat —
and brush, until all the meat was en ; when saree: ee
. was covered. with brush ~ Oa with € Pi 80
“JOURNAL, “ ee Saat ‘4
re) Scan it in this way. “The ae a ae
t our nese Mere BS Oe
h. This was a fine morning, ited
| 8 went out early. ~The rest of the party
– ” cwere engaged. making places of shelter, to defend
– #hem- from the stormy: weather. Some had small
sails to cover their little hovelsy and others had to
make frames and cover them with grass. Around.
our camp the plains have the appearance of a mee ae
dow before it is mowed, and affords abundance O88 ae
food for our horses., Here we expect to remain a. *,
month before we can cross the mountains. The na-. |
tives staid all day atourcamp; and oneofthemhad =~
md his neck a scalp of an Indian, with six thumbs, me
a, eg of other Indians he lalate killed in bat-
: a he nation
ie — hheve 0 nations have bein age at war dad –
_ destroyed me mers of each other in a few years ‘
Fr Mai oie nation to ‘he Pacific accents, the a
arms of. the Indians are generally bows and arrows, ru i
andthe war-mallet: The war-malletis a club with a>
darge. head of wood or stone; those of stone are _
generally covered with déather, and fastened to the % |
_end ofkthe club with’ thongs or recat of tepther: and
the Mews of animals.*
NaN
he ie “ae A ene
© f # rd “ , 5
Pn eee a ~ F rs
a
iblisher iiss seen one of these stone heads, lately
Hatfield, the farm of Mr David Davis, three 1
from , sburgh onthe Allegheny river. itis of a hard sr
‘of stone and weighs seven ounces. It is nearly spi
| witha groove cut round to hold, as is supposed, ms str
ee which it is fastened to the club. Mr Gass says it is “ex
: ct Oe annie’ aor to the west ard. Thete 1 is
at8 a mg OURN AL
are Une atcamban cues of our poi sae in and
had killed nothing but aon, C $33 fourm con
tinued out. — : te oe a Oe
‘ Lriday 16th. .T he morning was cloudy and some
pain fell; but in- about two. hours it cleared away
we had a fine day. JAn, Indian | p’ med tk i
ing operation on two more of ‘our. horses. In the
– “evening two of our hunters came in, and brought
with them two ‘deer and some ducks. ‘Two of the
ik -hant ies still remained out. T he natives all left our
fo camp this..evening:~.¢. ees a ‘
oe Dhursday 7th: We had a , cloudy wet sential: aac |
~@ – some light rain: all day. Our other two hunters came
in and had killed two large bears. They said it snow-
ed on the hills, when we rained at our. case in the
re yalley. “af siete.
ie Sunday 18th, “The morning was. ‘cloudy, b
out rain; and ten of the party turned out to. hare ~
– None pes the natives visited us yesterday, or to day ; ;
-. – qntil about 2.0’cleck in the afternoon, when five came
that had not I seen before. They rema ,
hour and had some eye water put inte
which were sore ; after which they } “away, anc
». an old man and his wife came for some medicine, as
the old woman was sick. In’ the evening four hun-
gle ters came in and had killed nothing, but som e grous.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Some white frost. Three hunters went over very early to the north side of the river. All the rest of the men were employed in collecting our horses and taking over the baggage. About noon we got all the horses and baggage over safely, and met with one of our hunters, who had killed two bears some distance off. So two men were dispatched with him to camp at the remains of an ancient village on the north side of the Koos-koos-ke (Kooskooskee) river. We were accompanied by a number of the natives, one of whom gave us a horse; and three more of our old stock were brought in by them. In the afternoon we had an operation performed on seven of our horses, to render them more peaceable; which was done by one of the natives upon all but one. In the evening the men came in with the meat of the two bears; and also our other hunters, who had killed three more, all of the grizzly kind. We gave some of the meat to the natives at our camp, who cooked it in their own way, which was done in the following manner. They first collected some stones and heated them, upon which they placed a part of the meat, and upon the meat some small brush, and so alternately meat and brush, until all the meat was in; when the whole was covered with brush and earth. They then poured on water, which, passing through the brush to the hot stones, raised a steam that cooked the meat in a short time.
Wednesday 15th. This was a fine morning, and our hunters went out early. The rest of the party were engaged making places of shelter, to defend them from the stormy weather. Some had small sails to cover their little hovels, and others had to make frames and cover them with grass. Around our camp the plains have the appearance of a meadow before it is mowed, and affords abundance of food for our horses. Here we expect to remain a month before we can cross the mountains. The natives stayed all day at our camp; and one of them had on his neck a scalp of an Indian, with six thumbs, and as many toes, of other Indians he had killed in battle. The nation he belonged to are at war with another nation that live in the mountains; and these two nations have been long at war and destroyed numbers of each other in a few years. From the Mandan nation to the Pacific ocean, the arms of the Indians are generally bows and arrows, and the war-mallet. The war-mallet is a club with a large head of wood or stone; those of stone are generally covered with leather, and fastened to the end of the club with thongs or strips of leather and the sinews of animals.*
* The publisher has seen one of these stone heads, lately found at Hatfield, the farm of Mr. David Davis, three miles from Pittsburgh on the Allegheny river. It is of a hard sort of stone and weighs seven ounces. It is nearly spherical, with a groove cut round to hold, as is supposed, the strap by which it is fastened to the club. Mr. Gass says it is exactly similar to those used by the Indians to the westward. There are also several of our party in, and they had killed nothing but some grouse. Four more continued out.
Friday 16th. The morning was cloudy and some rain fell; but in about two hours it cleared away and we had a fine day. An Indian performed the operation on two more of our horses. In the evening two of our hunters came in, and brought with them two deer and some ducks. Two of the hunters still remained out. The natives all left our camp this evening.
Thursday 17th. We had a cloudy wet morning and some light rain all day. Our other two hunters came in and had killed two large bears. They said it snowed on the hills, when it rained at our camp in the valley.
Sunday 18th. The morning was cloudy, but without rain; and ten of the party turned out to hunt. None of the natives visited us yesterday, or today, until about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, when five came that we had not seen before. They remained about an hour and had some eye water put into their eyes, which were sore; after which they went away, and an old man and his wife came for some medicine, as the old woman was sick. In the evening four hunters came in and had killed nothing, but some grouse.
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