Cameahwait Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database

Joyce Badgley Hunsucker: Sacagawea’s Life and the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:35:51 +0000

e good afternoon everyone and welcome to the tent of mini voices and the core of Discovery 2 here in the T of mini voices we have regular programming every hour on the hour we get a wide variety of speakers and presenters here and this afternoon we’re pleased with help of our good friends at the Bureau of Land Management one of our sister agencies to have Joyce Badgley huncker she’s an awardwinning historical interpreter author and Storyteller whose meticulously researched programs have earned her International claim is both an actress and a historian her ancestral Bloodlines include Cherokee and Lota French English and Scotch Irish her program today sagaia speaks is premise on the assumption that sagaia was a shishoni tribal member not all tribal Nations agree that this was the case you may ask questions of sagaa after the program she will answer in character then you may ask questions of joy and she will answer as a scholar so please give a warm t to many voices welcome to Saga we some say my name is sakaia others say sakaa or sakaka or Saka my own husband rarely called me the same thing twice usually he just said you woman or squa when Lewis and Clark came they called me the same things as my husband had but they added Janie for it was easy for their white tongues to say and when they named a river for me they called it bird woman’s River for it was the their understanding this was the meaning of my name but once my son was born amongst my birth Clan I became a new name the mother of Pomp and that is how I have thought of myself ever since I was not born among those that lwis and Clark called minari where they f around me I was born instead amongst nma the people the agic of people the salmon eaters this is the sign by which my people identified themselves it’s the tale of the salmon coming Upstream de fetus but those who did not understand this sign said looks like the snake crawling along the ground so they called us the snake Indians and later they called the shoson and shush the people of the waving grass from which we made our baskets in the old days there were many of us on the land and every year we would go out beyond the beaver head out beyond the mountains onto the Plains and the men would hunt Buffalo and elk and deer it was when I had 11 snows at Buffalo camp that my life changed it was at a place where the Three Forks of the river come together all of the able-bodied men were out hunting and only old men were left in Camp to look after the women and the children I was old enough to help the women scrape the hides old enough to have my own root digging stick old enough to be promised in marriage and the cry went out run cried the old men run for your lives run to the trees it’s our enemies from the plains they’re coming on their fast horses we knew who they were these were the ones that Lewis and Clark called minari but they were mandam they were hia and they had raided our camp for as long as there was memory they came to take slaves so we ran to the trees and we tried to hide but we didn’t hide good enough I saw my people killed that day four women most all of the boy children but the girls the girls they took to be slaves they found me and they took me as a slave this is how it came to be that I lived among the menen and hia I lived there as their slave at the Great Village called a on the river called Misery I kept my mouth quiet all of the sleeps it took to come to AA I kept my eyes open I was made to work very very hard I learned new things I learned to Mound up the earth and the trees in lodges different from The Lodges of my people I learned to do a thing they called plant corn and beans and squash I learned that here at the Great Village of a there were manyari also called big belly Indians for their bellies were always full from this planting that they did and I learned their talk it was in this way that I found out one of the other girls who had been taken same time as me she ran away I knew she would try to find our people again but the way was so long and the dangers were so many I thought she’ll never make it she’ll die alone in the mountains with no one to grieve for her no one to do ceremony so I stayed where I was the sleeps came the sleeps went moons came moons went and by and by I grew content I continued to work very very hard but one of the things I liked the best about AA were the strange looking and strange sounding men that came up and down the river they called themselves tra they brought iron cooking pots ribbons beads axes knives guns but best of all they brought their stories of all they’d seen and all they had heard and that was what I liked the best to hear their stories of places I had never seen it was here at aat XA that I was given the name by which you call me it was a day of women the women came to me and they had gift it was a belt like this one blue beads Chief beads you cannot make such a belt for yourself you cannot buy one or trade for one it must be given to you a mark of honor it says to all who see this the women have found you worthy it says to all who see you wearing the belt you are now one of them it was on the day of the blue beads that I became one of them made a relative adopted into the tribe and it was the women who gave me the name Saka little Blackbird woman it was hoped that now I was one of them I would marry inside the tribe for then my husband would be HonorBound to provide meat not only for me his wife but for all of my new relatives this is how it was done in the old days but that didn’t happen instead I became the wife the woman of toussant sharbono a mixed blood from the second village how did this happen some say it was a bet and I was the prize some say he bought me some say he just took me doesn’t matter how it happened I had no say I was barely 14 snows and he was almost 50 when I became toussant shano’s snake wife it was said of him he was always marry and somebody so I shouldn’t have been surprised when I went with him to the second village I entered into the lodge and there I met another one of his wives her name was otter woman and she was also of the snake tribe and I was thinking how good it would be to speak the talk of my birth people again but sharino my husband said no he did not understand the language of the snakes he didn’t know what otter woman and I might say to one another behind his back in this Lodge said my new husband there will be only Manden or hia spoken or a few words of frch that I will teach you this is all so we kept our mouths quiet but I marveled at how hard otter woman worked I marveled that she already had a son by our husband he stood this tall when I came and his name was also tant sharbono just like his father when l Le and Clark came to AA it was the time of the falling leaves the smell of the warming fires was on the wind and the geese were already in the air they came into the village they made their speeches and they gave their gifts and they smoked the pipe with the head men lights danced in the sky at night which was taken for a great sign so they decided to stay the winter the first thing they did was to cut down trees and colum logs then they built what they called rooms but these rooms were not round as a lodge should be they weren’t round as a village should be these rooms they made in a straight line touching one another until there were three such lines they called it Fort Mandan and then they built a wall around Fort Mandan with a gate in front that locked us out and them in we wondered what was so important in side Fort Manda and they had to keep it up locked all the time my husband said he had seen a great black dog almost as big as a bear he said he’d seen a great black man almost as tall as a tree he said this black man’s name was York and he was the slave of the redhaired chief Clark but when I heard this I knew it was a lie no tribe I knew took men as slaves men they kill as be fitting Warriors but my husband said it’s not the same among the whites some men own other men he said this York had been in the Council of the head men and one of the Chiefs had tried to rub this man’s color off of his body he rubbed and he rubbed but the color did not come off they felt his hair and said this feels like the hair of Buffalo this is a different animal than the white man this man is Big medicine and there after all the people wanted to stand by this great black black man York wanted to touch his color and rub his color on them so that they too would share in his medicine my husband said Louis and Clark wanted to find a Riverway to where the sun goes down he said they would pay white man’s money for those who would speak the talk for them and show them the way my husband liked the white man’s money and he began to visit Fort Mandan every day to speak French to one who spoke French there one afternoon late he entered the lodge of otter woman and his chest was all puffed out it came in before the rest of him he said you pointing to woman make me more shirts you he pointed to me make me moccasin I sharino I’m going with lwis and Clark in the spring we’ll be gone a long time otter and woman and I put our eyes down and started working but my husband wasn’t finished speaking first to Otter woman tell me about your birth people the snakes he said do they have horses that they might trade to the whites for going through mountains otter woman had not seen her people for so many years she felt she couldn’t answer so she kept her eyes down then he asked me the same thing what have your people he said I have heard they have horses will they trade those horses to the whites I couldn’t answer surely my husband knew that only men did the trading of horses not women but Charo would not be quiet he knew my people had horses so he asked me can you remember the words of your people can you speak these words I had not been allowed to speak these words all the time I had been with my husband but yes I did remember then you will come with me cried charmino the words will be said first by Lewis or Clark in English by somebody else in French I sharbono will say the words to You and Menan or hia then you will say the words in the language of the salmon eaters I did not want to go I was big and slow and awkward with child I did not know when my baby would come I wanted to stay here but my husband would hear none of it a woman carrying a baby BBE it’s a good sign a sign this is a peace party everybody knows gather your things he told me were moving inside the fort what about otter woman what about their son tant sharbono I knew because they had not been named they would be left behind I did what my husband told me to do I gathered our things and the gates closed behind us at the Fort when my son decided to be born was the middle of the night there was no woman Inside the fort to help me and the pain lasted so long for so many hours I thought I might not live to see morning if it went any longer somebody finally sent for lwis he and Clark had been making medicine in the village all through the winter maybe there was something in his pills or his powders from me but when he looked he said no not for childbirth this is an army EXP Edition I didn’t figure the men would be given birth to no babies but The Interpreter jome whose wife was amandan he said I know what will make this baby come the rattle of a snake will make the baby come I could see by the face of lwis he didn’t think so but he had such a Rattle and jome told him break it into pieces in a cup and pour the water in then make her drink and that’s just what he did and within minutes my son was born his name will be Jean Baptist charbono cried my husband after my father hm H I kept my mouth quiet but I thought my son will have one name and one name only pomp means firstborn in the language of my birth people I began to make a cradle Board of Willows for pump just as soon as I could for I knew when the river flow free of ice it would be time to leave and it happened only 55 sleeps after my son was born the long canoes the boats of lwis and Clark were all loaded down in the river with books instruments papers all manner of boxes and bundles there was barely any room for me to sit with pomp in the Cradle board on my back so sometimes I took him out and I held him against me in a sling made of skins just as women have done since the beginning of time the great black dog of Lewis ran up and down the river bank sometimes barking sometimes jumping in sometimes trying to get in inside the boat and all the men were anxious to leave the village to the places they had never seen before we left the village behind and every man was given his turn at steering the boat even sharbono who could not swim it was he who was steering when a great wind came up up against the sail and almost tipped us over my Brave husband raised both arms to his God m m save me charmo he was out of his mind with his own concerns until the fiddleman crusat took a pistol from his pants and pointed it at my husband he said regain your senses or lose your head off all together and sharbono regained his senses two of the other men bailed the water out with kettles while three remaining rode us to the shore but before we got to safety I began to see things coming out of the boat going over the side into the water and floating down so I did what any one of you would do I reached out and grabbed these things back as many as I could and at last when we were safe on dry land the journals were pulled out and the lists were looked at and things were counted very little had been lost the days came the days went weeks and moons all the same we would stop with the tribes as we would meet them and Lewis and Clark would make the same speeches they would give the same gifts they would smoke the pipe of peace and they gave medals to those they called Chief these medals had the face of greata Jefferson on one side they said to the people great father Jefferson can see your face right now he can see into your heart and know if you want peace or if you want war great father Jefferson wants peace for his yellow children that’s what they called us yellow children on the backs of the medals shows hands clasping one another they told us hands clasped in Friendship cannot be raised against one another in war and they gave so many of these out that finally there were no more and they reached inside their pants and brought out coins from greata George Washington’s time and they gave these out as medals then they traded for beaver skin for par flesh for shields for beads for moccasin they said these we will send back to the great father Jefferson but the way grew long the way grew Steep and the water in the rivers grew less and less the Rocks grew more and more and holes had to be dug in the earth so that the white men could put their supplies and make the boats lighter they needed them to be lighter because they were pulling them themselves some times with ropes and they were putting bundles on their own backs this is called Portage that’s what my husband said picking up things out of the boats and carrying them on your back it was the time of the long grass that I began to be sick first it was the fever and then the dullness and the aching of the body and then they said I walked with Spirits they said my heart would race and then slow and race again and slow they said my arms and legs were trembling like leaves before the wind I do not remember this thing what I do remember remember is LS bringing to me water water from the stinking spring sulfur and he made me drink and drink and drink until finally I slept in my body once again and when I woke I knew who I was I knew what I was I was hungry hungry and I begged for food but they said no for days you have been with Spirits you almost died we will give you broth one day broth two days broth three days broth at the end of the third day I wanted something else to eat so I fli from camp and I found breadroot Prairie Apple that’s what they called and I dug and dug and dug and I ate and ate and ate and that night my stomach thundered and thundered and thundered Lis was very angry too many raw apples he said to me Janie Janie Janie too little sense when I was Stronger we began to climb around the great thundering Falls and when we came to a place that was high and flat the men put one of the canoes on Wheels put up a sail in the canoe and let the wind blow that canoe faster on the dry land than it had ever gone on the water the men danced and clapped their hands and made a great joke until they had to run after the canoe so it wouldn’t crash but the same winds that had blown the canoe brought the summer storms the skies grew dark the winds howled like Wolves and the winds brought hailstones the size of fists coming down from the sky and hitting us on our head on our shoulders slamming us to the ground Clark pointed to a dry Ravine go he said go for safety sharbono and I ran to this dry Ravine I had pump on my back in the C board but there was no room for the Cradle board so I took it off and I hiled my son to me I put my back towards the River Bank thinking this would keep me dry and keep my son safe Clark came too this was not a safe place to be all of a sudden the hillside above gave way and the dry Ravine was filled with water pieces of trees rocks my Brave husband climbed out first and Clark pushed me up to my husband with pomp in my arms Clark was standing waste Deep in water where there had been no water before and just as he climbed out the water grew as tall as two men standing on one another and then as tall as three men standing before it flooded over the top and chased us towards the trees the next day we went back trying to find the things that had been lost Clark’s Compass his umbrella and the Cradle board we found this compass and Clark was so happy he wrote about it in the journal I shall name this place defeated drain for the instrument has been saved when sharino told me what Clark had named this place I kept my mouth quiet but I thought it’s a bad name for it is not the drain that is defeated Pomp’s cradle board all of pom’s clothes that were inside and all of my possessions were gone and those never came back never were found days went on they came they went and Louis and Clark grew worried about where they were going to find the people with the horses for cross and through mountains we came to the place of the Buffalo Jump and they found mockasin in the dirt they had Janie Reed the moccasins no these are not the shape these are not the beads these are not the patterns of my people and then they began to ask every day aren’t we there yet and the answer was always not yet not yet but we came to the place of the Three Forks and I began to recognize the country I told the story to my husband about the Three Forks and being taken by the Mandan people I told him once we see the beaver head Hill then we will find my birth people and it happened in this way we got to beaverhead Hill Lewis made a strange decision he said all of the men are tired they’re still bruised from the hailstones the spikes from the plants that have gone through their moccasins they need r rest so all of you you stay right here in this Camp I’ll take a few men forward with me and I will find these people with the horses when my husband told me of this plan I thought he doesn’t know signs he doesn’t know the talk of the AGA how’s he going to trade for horses I should go these are my people but LS said no he came to sharbono and said ask Janie what is the word amongst the snake people for a white man there was no word for white man but to say nothing would have shown disrespect so I had to say something I thought about this thing he had asked and I finally came up with the word tell him t means stranger in the language of my people and surely these men with their faces the color of Ash their stink of the great black dog upon them they would be strangers to my people I told him paint the cheeks of the women red it’s a sign of peace that everybody knows just by looking and then they were gone it took seven sleeps for us to catch up to them but the morning I could hear the dogs barking in the Far Away Camp I could smell the warming fires I could hear chill children I knew this was the camp of my people the people I turned to tell Clark but he did not know signs he did not know the talk so I did the only thing I could think of I curled my fingers and sucked on them I danced from foot to foot as a child does when a child is was excited I was trying to tell him these are the people of my childhood and he looked and he saw first came the dogs sniffing and snarling and biting at our ankles then came the proud young men every inch Warriors and the women and the children to the sides in a great throng the crowd broke open Lewis strolled out he had shelled in his hair a mark of honor and his face was covered with the red he hugged Clark so tightly and so many times that soon both men were covered with the red paint he wrote of this in his journal and he called it the National Hug and I am heartily tired of it said he I got the horses they needed for crossing the shining mountains I reclaimed part of my family who was still alive but this was the beginning of even more Adventure I tell you these things that they they will be remembered and honored in the true way that they happened it is good that you remember it is finished now I could see as I was talking there were questions written on some of your faces I can maybe answer a question or two anybody have a question yes sir my brother when did I catch up with my brother my brother was at the Village of my people and I didn’t recognize him at first he was in Council and I had been asked to come in and say the words in the language of the people but I kept my eyes down all the time I didn’t see the faces and Lis said the words in English and labish said them in French charmo said them in Mandan then I said them in the AGA tongue and for a long time nobody he answered until finally a man’s voice spoke and even though it had been years since I heard that voice even though I could not see his face I knew who it was and I jumped to my feet and I cried out brother brother it was kit my clan brother who was there the one lwis and Clark called Chief but until I called out his name he had not recognize this m and woman with a husband with a son with a new name all right folks why we’re getting ready for our next presentation which is going to be curly bear Wagner to talk about black feet history and culture and they’re encounters with ls and Clark if we can have you kind of head to the back of the tent I’m sure that she would be very happy to continue to answer your questions as we switch over between the programs so again please please give her a hand for presenting here in the ten minut voices for

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Lewis: August 25, 1805

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:35:54 +0000

Sunday August 25th 1805. This morning loaded our horses and set out a
little after sunrise; a few only of the Indians unengaged in assisting us
went on as I had yesterday proposed to the Cheif. the others flanked us on
each side and started some Antelope which they pursued for several hours
but killed none of them. we proceeded within 2 Ms. of the narrow pass or
seven miles from our camp of last evening and halted for dinner. Our
hunters joined us at noon with three deer the greater part of which I gave
the indians. sometime after we had halted, Charbono mentioned to me with
apparent unconcern that he expected to meet all the Indians from the camp
on the Columbia tomorrow on their way to the Missouri. allarmed at this
information I asked why he expected to meet them. he then informed me that
the 1st Cheif had dispatched some of his young men this morning to this
camp requesting the Indians to meet them tomorrow and that himself and
those with him would go on with them down the Missouri, and consequently
leave me and my baggage on the mountain or thereabouts. I was out of
patience with the folly of Charbono who had not sufficient sagacity to see
the consequencies which would inevitably flow from such a movement of the
indians, and altho he had been in possession of this information since
early in the morning when it had been communicated to him by his Indian
woman yet he never mentioned it untill the after noon. I could not forbear
speaking to him with some degree of asperity on this occasion. I saw that
there was no time to be lost in having those orders countermanded, or that
we should not in all probability obtain any more horses or even get my
baggage to the waters of the Columbia. I therefore Called the three Cheifs
together and having smoked a pipe with them, I asked them if they were men
of their words, and whether I could depent on the promises they had made
me; they readily answered in the affermative; I then asked them if they
had not promised to assist me with my baggage to their camp on the other
side of the mountains, or to the place at which Capt. Clark might build
the canoes, should I wish it. they acknowledged that they had. I then
asked them why they had requested their people on the other side of the
mountain to meet them tomorrow on the mountain where there would be no
possibility of our remaining together for the purpose of trading for their
horses as they had also promised. that if they had not promised to have
given me their assistance in transporting my baggage to the waters on the
other side of the mountain that I should not have attempted to pass the
mountains but would have returned down the river and that in that case
they would never have seen anymore white men in their country. that if
they wished the white men to be their friends and to assist them against
their enemies by furnishing them with arms and keeping their enemies from
attacking them that they must never promis us anything which they did not
mean to perform. that when I had first seen them they had doubted what I
told them about the arrival of the party of whitemen in canoes, that they
had been convinced that what I told them on that occasion was true, why
then would they doubt what I said on any other point. I told them that
they had witnessed my liberality in dividing the meat which my hunters
killed with them; and that I should continue to give such of them as
assisted me a part of whatever we had ourselves to eat. and finally
concluded by telling them if they intended to keep the promisses they had
made me to dispatch one of their young men immediately with orders to
their people to remain where they were untill our arrival. the two
inferior cheifs said that they wished to assist me and be as good as their
word, and that they had not sent for their people, that it was the first
Chief who had done so, and they did not approve of the measure. Cameahwait
remained silent for some time, at length he told me that he knew he had
done wrong but that he had been induced to that measure from seeing all
his people hungary, but as he had promised to give me his assistance he
would not in future be worse than his word. I then desired him to send
immediately and countermand his orders; acordingly a young man was sent
for this purpose and I gave him a handkerchief to engage him in my
interest. this matter being arranged to my satisfaction I called all the
women and men together who had been assisting me in the transportation of
the baggage and gave them a billet for each horse which they had imployed
in that service and informed them when we arrived at the plaice where we
should finally halt on the river I would take the billet back and give
them merchandize for it. every one appeared now satisfyed and when I
ordered the horses loaded for our departure the Indians were more than
usually allert. we continued our march untill late in the evening and
encamped at the upper part of the cove where the creek enters the
mountains; here our hunters joined us with another deer which they had
killed, this I gave to the women and Children, and for my own part
remained supperless. I observed considerable quantities of wild onions in
the bottom lands of this cove. I also saw several large hares and many of
the cock of the plains.

Capt. Clark set out early this morning and continued his rout to the
indian camp at the entrance of fish Creek; here he halted about an hour;
the indians gave himself and party some boiled salmon and hurries. these
people appeared extreemly hospitable tho poor and dirty in the extreem. he
still pursued the track up the river by which he had decended and in the
evening arrived at the bluff on the river where he had encamped on the
21st Inst. it was late in the evening before he reached this place. they
formed their camp, and Capt. C. sent them in different directions to hunt
and fish. some little time after they halted a party of Indians passed by
on their way down the river, consisting of a man a woman and several boys;
from these people the guide obtained 2 salmon which together with some
small fish they caught and a beaver which Shannon killed furnished them
with a plentifull supper. the pine grows pretty abundantly high up on the
sides of the mountains on the opposite side of the river. one of the
hunters saw a large herd of Elk on the opposite side of the river in the
edge of the timbered land.Winsor was taken very sick today and
detained Capt C. very much on his march. three hunters whom he had sent on
before him this morning joined him in the evening having killed nothing;
they saw only one deer.

The course and the distances, of Capt. Clark’s rout down this branch of
the Columbia below this bluff, commencing opposite to an Island, are as
follow.

This morning while passing through the Shoshone cove Frazier fired his
musquet at some ducks in a little pond at the distance of about 60 yards
from me; the ball rebounded from the water and pased within a very few
feet of me. near the upper part of this cove the Shoshonees suffered a
very severe defeat by the Minnetares about six years since. this part of
the cove on the N. E. side of the Creek has lately been birned by the
Indians as a signal on some occasion.

The post Lewis: August 25, 1805 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

Lewis: August 26, 1805

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:35:54 +0000

Monday August 26th 1805. This morning was excessively cold; there was ice
on the vessels of water which stood exposed to the air nearly a quarter of
an inch thick. we collected our horses and set out at sunrise. we soon
arrived at the extreem source of the Missouri; here I halted a few
minutes, the men drank of the water and consoled themselves with the idea
of having at length arrived at this long wished for point. from hence we
proceeded to a fine spring on the side of the mountain where I had lain
the evening before I first arrived at the Shoshone Camp. here I halted to
dine and graize our horses, there being fine green grass on that part of
the hillside which was moistened by the water of the spring while the
grass on the other parts was perfectly dry and parched with the sun. I
directed a pint of corn to be given each Indian who was engaged in
transporting our baggage and about the same quantity to each of the men
which they parched pounded and made into supe. one of the women who had
been assisting in the transportation of the baggage halted at a little run
about a mile behind us, and sent on the two pack horses which she had been
conducting by one of her female friends. I enquired of Cameahwait the
cause of her detention, and was informed by him in an unconcerned manner
that she had halted to bring fourth a child and would soon overtake us; in
about an hour the woman arrived with her newborn babe and passed us on her
way to the camp apparently as well as she ever was. It appears to me that
the facility and ease with which the women of the aborigines of North
America bring fourth their children is reather a gift of nature than
depending as some have supposed on the habitude of carrying heavy burthens
on their backs while in a state of pregnancy. if a pure and dry air, an
elivated and cold country is unfavourable to childbirth, we might expect
every difficult incident to that operation of nature in this part of the
continent; again as the snake Indians possess an abundance of horses,
their women are seldom compelled like those in other parts of the
continent to carry burthens on their backs, yet they have their children
with equal convenience, and it is a rare occurrence for any of them to
experience difficulty in childbirth. I have been several times informed by
those who were conversent with the fact, that the indian women who are
pregnant by whitemen experience more difficulty in childbirth than when
pregnant by an Indian. if this be true it would go far in suport of the
opinion I have advanced.

the tops of the high and irregular mountains which present themselves to
our view on the opposite side of this branch of the Columbia are yet
perfectly covered with snow; the air which proceeds from those mountains
has an agreeable coolness and renders these parched and South hillsides
much more supportable at this time of the day it being now about noon. I
observe the indian women collecting the root of a speceis of fennel which
grows in the moist grounds and feeding their poor starved children; it is
really distressing to witness the situation of those poor wretches. the
radix of this plant is of the knob kind, of a long ovate form terminating
in a single radicle, the whole bing about 3 or four inches in length and
the thickest part about the size of a man’s little finger. it is white
firm and crisp in it’s present state, when dryed and pounded it makes a
fine white meal; the flavor of this root is not unlike that of annisseed
but not so pungent; the stem rises to the hight of 3 or four feet is
jointed smooth and cilindric; from r to 4 of those knobed roots are
attatched to the base of this stem. the leaf is sheathing sessile, &
pultipartite, the divisions long and narrow; the whole is of a deep green.
it is now in blame; the flowers are numerous, small, petals white, and are
of the umbellaferous kind. several small peduncles put forth from the main
stock one at each joint above the sheathing leaf. it has no root leaves.
the root of the present year declines when the seeds have been matured and
the succeeding spring other roots of a similar kind put fourth from the
little knot which unites the roots and stem and grow and decline with the
stem as before mentioned. The sunflower is very abundant near the
watercourses the seeds of this plant are now rip and the natives collect
them in considerable quantities and reduce them to meal by pounding and
rubing them between smooth stones. this meal is a favorite food their
manner of using it has been beforementiond. after dinner we continued our
rout towards the village. on our near approach we were met by a number of
young men on horseback. Cameahwait requested that we would discharge our
guns when we arrived in sight of the Village, accordingly when I arrived
on an eminence above the village in the plain I drew up the party at open
order in a single rank and gave them a runing fire discharging two rounds.
they appeared much gratifyed with this exhibition. we then proceeded to
the village or encampment of brush lodges 32 in number. we were conducted
to a large lodge which had been prepared for me in the center of their
encampmerit which was situated in a beautifull level smooth and extensive
bottom near the river about 3 miles above the place I had first found them
encamped. here we arrived at 6 in the evening arranged our baggage near my
tent and placed those of the men on either side of the baggage facing
outwards. I found Colter here who had just arrived with a letter from
Capt. Clark in which Capt. C. had given me an account of his peregrination
and the description of the river and country as before detailed from this
view of the subject I found it a folly to think of attemping to decend
this river in canoes and therefore to commence the purchase of horses in
the morning from the indians in order to carry into execution the design
we had formed of passing the rocky Mountains. I now informed Cameahwait of
my intended expedition overland to the great river which lay in the plains
beyond the mountains and told him that I wished to purchase 20 horses of
himself and his people to convey our baggage. he observed that the
Minnetares had stolen a great number of their horses this spring but hoped
his people would spear me the number I wished. I also asked a guide, he
observed that he had no doubt but the old man who was with Capt. C. would
accompany us if we wished him and that he was better informed of the
country than any of them. matters being thus far arranged I directed the
fiddle to be played and the party danced very merily much to the amusement
and gratification of the natives, though I must confess that the state of
my own mind at this moment did not well accord with the prevailing mirth
as I somewhat feared that the caprice of the indians might suddenly induce
them to withhold their horses from us without which my hopes of
prosicuting my voyage to advantage was lost; however I determined to keep
the indians in a good humour if possible, and to loose no time in
obtaining the necessary number of horses. I directed the hunters to turn
out early in the morning and indeavor to obtain some meat. I had nothing
but a little parched corn to eat this evening.

This morning Capt. C. and party

The post Lewis: August 26, 1805 appeared first on Lewis & Clark Research Database.

Lewis: August 22, 1805

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:35:53 +0000

Thursday August 22ed 1805 This morning early I sent a couple of men to
complete the covering of the cash which could not be done well last night
in the dark, they soon accomplished their work and returned. late last
night Drewyer returned with a fawn he had killed and a considerable
quantity of Indian plunder. the anecdote with rispect to the latter is
perhaps worthy of relation. he informed me that while hunting in the Cove
yesterday about 12 OCk. he came suddonly upon an Indian Camp, at which
there were a young man an Old man a boy and three women, that they seemed
but little supprised at seeing him and he rode up to them and dismounted
turning horse out to graize. these people had just finished their repast
on some roots, he entered into conversation with them by signs, and after
about 20 minutes one of the women spoke to the others of the party and
they all went immediately and collected their horses brought them to camp
and saddled them at this moment he thought he would also set out and
continue his hunt, and accorgingly walked to catch his horse at some
little distance and neglected to take up his gun which, he left at camp.
the Indians perceiving him at the distance of fifty paces immediately
mounted their horses, the young man took the gun and the whole of them
left their baggage and laid whip to their horses directing their course to
the pass of the mountains. finding himself deprived of his gun he
immediately mounted his horse and pursued; after runing them about 10
miles the horses of two of the women nearly gave out and the young fellow
with the gun from their frequent crys slackened his pace and being on a
very fleet horse road around the women at a little distance at length
Drewer overtook the women and by signs convinced them that he did not wish
to hirt them they then halted and the young fellow approached still
nearer, he asked him for his gun but the only part of the answer which he
could understand was pah kee which he knew to be the name by which they
called their enimies. watching his opportunity when the fellow was off his
guard he suddonly rode along side of him seized his gun and wrest her out
of his hands. the fellow finding Drewyer too strong for him and
discovering that he must yeald the gun had pesents of mind to open the pan
and cast the priming before he let the gun escape from his hands; now
finding himself devested of the gun he turned his horse about and laid
whip leaving the women to follow him as well as they could. Drewyer now
returned to the place they had left their baggage and brought it with him
to my camp. it consisted of several dressed and undressed skins; a couple
of bags wove with the fingers of the bark of the silk-grass containing
each about a bushel of dryed service berries some checherry cakes and
about a bushel of roots of three different kinds dryed and prepared for
uce which were foalded in as many parchment hides of buffaloe. some flint
and the instrument of bone for manufactureing the flint into arrow points.
some of this flint was as transparent as the common black glass and much
of the same colour easily broken, and flaked off much like glass leaving a
very sharp edge. one speceis of the roots were fusiform abot six inches
long and about the size of a man’s finger at the larger end tapering to a
small point. the radicles larger than in most fusiform roots. the rind was
white and thin. the body or consistence of the root was white mealy and
easily reduced by pounding to a substance resembleing flour which thickens
with boiling water something like flour and is agreeably flavored. this
rout is frequently eaten by the Indians either green or in it’s dryed
state without the preparation of boiling. another speceis was much
mutilated but appeared to be fibrous; the parts were brittle, hard of the
size of a small quill, cilindric and as white as snow throughout, except
some small parts of the hard black rind which they had not seperated in
the preperation. this the Indians with me informed were always boiled for
use. I made the exprement, found that they became perfectly soft by
boiling, but had a very bitter taste, which was naucious to my pallate,
and I transfered them to the Indians who had eat them heartily. a third
speceis were about the size of a nutmeg, and of an irregularly rounded
form, something like the smallest of the Jerusalem artichoke, which they
also resemble in every other appearance. they had become very hard by
being dryed these I also boiled agreeably to the instruction of the
Indians and found them very agreeable. they resemble the Jerusalem
Artichoke very much in their flavor and I thought them preferable, however
there is some allowance to be made for the length of time I have now been
without vegitable food to which I was always much attatched. these are
certainly the best root I have yet seen in uce among the Indians. I asked
the Indians to shew me the plant of which these roots formed a part but
they informed me that neither of them grew near this place. I had set most
of the men at work today to dress the deerskin belonging to those who had
gone on command with Capt. Clark. at 11 A.M. Charbono the Indian Woman,
Cameahwait and about 50 men with a number of women and children arrived.
they encamped near us. after they had turned out their horses and arranged
their camp I called the Cheifs and warriors together and addressed them a
second time; gave them some further presents, particularly the second and
third Cheifs who it appeared had agreeably to their promise exerted
themselves in my favour. having no fresh meat and these poor devils half
starved I had previously prepared a good meal for them all of boiled corn
and beans which I gave them as soon as the council was over and I had
distributed the presents. this was thankfully received by them. the Chief
wished that his nation could live in a country where they could provide
such food. I told him that it would not be many years before the whitemen
would put it in the power of his nation to live in the country below the
mountains where they might cultivate corn beans and squashes. he appeared
much pleased with the information. I gave him a few dryed squashes which
we had brought from the Mandans he had them boiled and declared them to be
the best thing he had ever tasted except sugar, a small lump of which it
seems his sister Sah-cah-gar Wea had given him. late in the evening I made
the men form a bush drag, and with it in about 2 hours they caught 528
very good fish, most of them large trout. among them I now for the first
time saw ten or a douzen of a whte speceis of trout. they are of a silvery
colour except on the back and head, where they are of a bluish cast. the
scales are much larger than the speckled trout, but in their form position
of their fins teeth mouth &c they are precisely like them they are not
generally quite as large but equally well flavored. I distributed much the
greater portion of the fish among the Indians. I purchased five good
horses of them very reasonably, or at least for about the value of six
dollars a peice in merchandize. the Indians are very orderly and do not
croud about our camp nor attempt to disterb any article they see lying
about. they borrow knives kettles &c from the men and always carefully
return them. Capt. Clark says, “we set out early and passed a small creek
at one mile, also the points of four mountains which were high steep and
rocky. the mountains are so steep that it is almost incredible to mention
that horses had passed them. our road in many places lay over the sharp
fragments of rocks which had fallen from the mountains and lay in confused
heaps for miles together; yet notwithstanding our horsed traveled barefoot
over them as fast as we could and did not detain us. passed two bold
runing streams, and arrived at the entrance of a small river” where some
Indian families resided. they had some scaffoalds of fish and burries
exposed to dry. they were not acquainted with the circumstance of any
whitemen being in their country and were therefore much allarmed on our
approach several of the women and children fled in the woods for shelter.
the guide was behind and the wood thick in which their lodges were
situated we came on them before they had the least notice of us. those who
remained offered us every thing they had, which was but little; they
offered us collars of elks tusks which their children woar Salmon beries
&c. we eat some of their fish and buries but returned them the other
articles they had offered with a present of some small articles which
seemed to add much to their pacification.

The guide who had by this time arrived explained to them who we were and
our object in visiting them; but still there were some of the women and
Children inconsoleable, they continued to cry during our stay, which was
about an hour. a road passes up this river which my guide informed me led
over the mountains to the Missouri. from this place I continued my rout
along the steep side of a mountain for about 3 miles and arrived at the
river near a small Island on the lower point of which we encamped in the
evening we attempted to gig fish but were unsuccessfull only obtaining one
small salmon. in the course of the day we had passed several women and
children geathering burries who were very liberal in bestoing us a part of
their collections. the river is very rapid and shoaly; many rocks lie in
various derections scattered throughout it’s bed. There are some few small
pine scattered through the bottoms, of which I only saw one which appeared
as if it would answer for a canoe and that was but small. the tops of the
mountains on the Lard. side are covered with pine and some also scattered
on the sides of all the mountains. I saw today a speceis of woodpecker,
which fed on the seeds of the pine. it’s beak and tail were white, it’s
wings were black, and every other part of a dark brown. it was about the
size of a robin-

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Lewis: August 23, 1805

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:35:53 +0000

Friday August 23rd 1805. This morning I arrose very early and despatched
two hunters on horseback with orders to extend their hunt to a greater
distance up the S. E. fork than they had done heretofore, in order if
possible to obtain some meet for ourselves as well as the Indians who
appeared to depend on us for food and our store of provision is growing
too low to indulge them with much more corn or flour. I wished to have set
out this morning but the cheef requested that I would wait untill another
party of his nation arrived which he expected today, to this I consented
from necessity, and therefore sent out the hunters as I have mentioned. I
also laid up the canoes this morning in a pond near the forks; sunk them
in the water and weighted them down with stone, after taking out the plugs
of the gage holes in their bottoms; hoping by this means to guard against
both the effects of high water, and that of the fire which is frequently
kindled in these plains by the natives. the Indians have promised to do
them no intentional injury and beleive they are too lazy at any rate to
give themselves the trouble to raise them from their present situation in
order to cut or birn them. I reminded the chief of the low state of our
stores of provision and advised him to send his young men to hunt, which
he immediately recommended to them and most of them turned out. I wished
to have purchased some more horses of them but they objected against
disposing of any more of them untill we reach their camp beyond the
mountains. the Indians pursued a mule buck near our camp I saw this chase
for about 4 miles it was really entertaining, there were about twelve of
them in pursuit of it on horseback, they finally rode it down and killed
it. the all came in about 1 P.M. having killed 2 mule deer and three
goats. this mule buck was the largest deer of any kind I had ever seen. it
was nearly as large as a doe Elk. I observed that there was but little
division or distribution of the meat they had taken among themselves. some
familes had a large stock and others none. this is not customary among the
nations of Indians with whom I have hitherto been acquainted I asked
Cameahwait the reason why the hunters did not divide the meat among
themselves; he said that meat was so scarce with them that the men who
killed it reserved it for themselves and their own families. my hunters
arrived about 2 in the evening with two mule deer and three common deer. I
distributed three of the deer among those families who appeared to have
nothing to eat. at three P.M. the expected party of Indians arrived, about
50 men women and Children. I now learnt that most of them were thus far on
their way down the valley towards the buffaloe country, and observed that
there was a good deel of anxiety on the part of some of those who had
promised to assist me over the mountains to accompany this party, I felt
some uneasiness on this subject but as they still said they would return
with me as they had promised I said nothing to them but resolved to set
out in the morning as early as possible. I dispatched two hunters this
evening into the cove to hunt and leave the meat they might kill on the
rout we shall pass tomorrow.

The metal which we found in possession of these people consited of a few
indifferent knives, a few brass kettles some arm bands of iron and brass,
a few buttons, woarn as ornaments in their hair, a spear or two of a foot
in length and some iron and brass arrow points which they informed me they
obtained in exchange for horses from the Crow or Rocky Mountain Indians on
the yellowstone River. the bridlebits and stirrips they obtained from the
Spaniards, tho these were but few. many of them made use of flint for
knives, and with this instrument, skined the animals they killed, dressed
their fish and made their arrows; in short they used it for every purpose
to which the knife is applyed. this flint is of no regular form, and if
they can only obtain a part of it, an inch or two in length that will cut
they are satisfyed, they renew the edge by fleaking off the flint by means
of the point of an Elk’s or deer’s horn. with the point of a deer or Elk’s
horn they also form their arrow points of the flint, with a quickness and
neatness that is really astonishing. we found no axes nor hatchets among
them; what wood they cut was done either with stone or Elk’s horn. the
latter they use always to rive or split their wood. their culinary
eutensils exclusive of the brass kettle before mentioned consist of pots
in the form of ajar made either of earth, or of a white soft stone which
becomes black and very hard by birning, and is found in the hills near the
three forks of the Missouri betwen Madison’s and Gallitin’s rivers they
have also spoons made of the Buffaloe’s horn and those of the Bighorn.
Their bows are made of ceader or pine and have nothing remarkable about
them. the back of the bow is covered with sinues and glue and is about
21/2 feet long. much the shape of those used by the Siouxs Mandans
Minnetares &c. their arrows are more slender generally than those used
by the nations just mentioned but much the same in construction. Their
Sheild is formed of buffaloe hide, perfectly arrow proof, and is a circle
of 2 feet 4 I. or 2 F. 6 I. in diameter. this is frequently painted with
varios figures and ornamented around the edges with feather and a fringe
of dressed leather. they sometimes make bows of the Elk’s horn and those
also of the bighorn. those of the Elk’s horn are made of a single peice
and covered on the back with glue and sinues like those made of wood, and
are frequently ornamented with a stran wrought porcupine quills and sinues
raped around them for some distance at both extremities. the bows of the
bighorn are formed of small peices laid flat and cemented with gleue, and
rolled with sinews, after which, they are also covered on the back with
sinews and glew, and highly ornamented as they are much prized. forming
the sheild is a cerimony of great importance among them, this implement
would in their minds be devested of much of its protecting power were it
not inspired with those virtues by their old men and jugglers. their
method of preparing it is thus, an entire skin of a bull buffaloe two
years old is first provided; a feast is next prepared and all the warriors
old men and jugglers invited to partake. a hole is sunk in the ground
about the same in diameter with the intended sheild and about 18 inches
deep. a parcel of stones are now made red hot and thrown into the hole
water is next thrown in and the hot stones cause it to emit a very strong
hot steem, over this they spread the green skin which must not have been
suffered to dry after taken off the beast. the flesh side is laid next to
the groround and as many of the workmen as can reach it take hold on it’s
edges and extend it in every direction. as the skin becomes heated, the
hair seperates and is taken of with the fingers, and the skin continues to
contract untill the whoe is drawn within the compas designed for the
shield, it is then taken off and laid on a parchment hide where they pound
it with their heels when barefoot. this operation of pounding continues
for several days or as long as the feast lasts when it is delivered to the
propryeter and declared by the jugglers and old men to be a sufficient
defence against the arrows of their enimies or even bullets if feast has
been a satisfactory one. many of them beleive implisitly that a ball
cannot penitrate their sheilds, in consequence of certain supernaural
powers with which they have been inspired by their jugglers.The
Poggamoggon is an instrument with a handle of wood covered with dressed
leather about the size of a whip handle and 22 inches long; a round stone
of 2 pounds weight is also covered with leather and strongly united to the
leather of the handle by a throng of 2 inches long; a loop of leather
united to the handle passes arond the wrist. a very heavy blow may be
given with this instrument. They have also a kind of armor which they form
with many foalds of dressed Atelope’s skin, unite with glue and sand. with
this they cover their own bodies and those of their horses. these are
sufficient against the effects of the arrow.the quiver which
contains their arrows and implements for making fire is formed of various
skins. that of the Otter seems to be prefered. they are but narrow, of a
length sufficent to protect the arrow from the weather, and are woarn on
the back by means of a strap which passes over the left sholder and under
the wright arm.their impliments for making fire is nothing more than a
blunt arrow and a peice of well seasoned soft spongey wood such as the
willow or cottonwood. the point of this arrow they apply to this dry stick
so near one edge of it that the particles of wood which are seperated from
it by the friction of the arrow falls down by it’s side in a little pile.
the arrow is held between the palms of the hand with the fingers extended,
and being pressed as much as possible against the peice is briskly rolled
between the palms of the hands backwards and forwards by pressing the
arrow downwards the hands of course in rolling arrow also decend; they
bring them back with a quick motion and repeat the operation till the dust
by the friction takes fire; the peice and arrow are then removed and some
dry grass or Boated wood is added. it astonished me to see in what little
time these people would kindle fire in this way. in less than a minute
they will produce fire.

Capt. Clark set out this morning very early and poroceeded but slowly in
consequence of the difficulty of his road which lay along the steep side
of a mountain over large irregular and broken masses of rocks which had
tumbled from the upper part of the mountain. it was with much wrisk and
pain that the horses could get on. at the distance of four miles he
arrived at the river and the rocks were here so steep and juted into the
river such manner that there was no other alternative but passing through
the river, this he attempted with success tho water was so deep for a
short distance as to swim the horses and was very rapid; he continued his
rout one mile along the edge of the river under this steep Clift to a
little bottom, below which the whole current of the river beat against the
Stard. shore on which he was, and which was formed of a solid rock
perfectly inaccessible to horses. here also the little track which he had
been pursuing, terminated. he therefore determined to leave the horses and
the majority of the party here and with his guide and three men to
continue his rout down the river still further, in order more fully to
satisfy himself as to it’s practicability. accordingly he directed the men
to hunt and fish at this place untill his return. they had not killed
anything today but one goose, and the ballance of the little provision
they had brought with them, as well as the five salmon they had procured
yesterday were consumed last evening; there was of tours no inducement for
his halting any time, at this place; after a few minutes he continued his
rout clambering over immence rocks and along the sides of lofty precepices
on the border of the river to the distance of 12 miles, at which place a
large creek discharged itself on the Norh side 12 yds. wide and deep. a
short distance above the entrance of this creek there is a narrow bottom
which is the first that he had found on the river from that in which he
left the horses and party. a plain indian road led up this creek which the
guide informed him led to a large river that ran to the North, and was
frequented by another nation who occasionally visited this river for the
purpose of taking fish. at this place he saw some late appearance of
Indians having been encamped and the tracks of a number of horses. Capt.
C. halted here about 2 hours, caught some small fish, on which, with the
addition of some berries, they dined. the river from the place at which he
left the party to his present station was one continued rapid, in which
there were five shoals neither of which could be passed with loaded canoes
nor even run with empty ones. at those several places therefore it would
be necessary to unload and transport the baggage for a considerable
distance over steep and almost inacassable rocks where there was no
possibility of employing horses for the releif of the men; the canoes
would next have to be let down by cords and even with this precaution
Capt. C. conceived there would be much wriske of both canoes and men. at
one of those shoals the lofty perpendicular rocks which from the bases of
the mountains approach the river so nearly on each side, as to prevent the
possibility of a portage, or passage for the canoes without expending much
labour in removing rocks and cuting away the earth in some places. to
surmount These difficulties, precautions must be observed which in their
execution must necessarily consume much time and provision, neither of
which we can command. the season is now far advanced to remain in these
mountains as the Indians inform us we shall shortly have snow; the salmon
have so far declined that they are themselves haistening from the country
and not an animal of any discription is to be seen in this difficult part
of the river larger than a pheasant or a squirrel and they not abundant;
add to this that our stock of provision is now so low that it would not
support us more than ten days. the bends of the river are short and the
currant beats from side to side against the rocks with great violence. the
river is about 100 yds. wide and so deep that it cannot be foarded but in
a few places, and the rocks approach the river so near in most places that
there is no possibility of passing between them and the water; a passage
therefore with horses along the river is also impracticable. The sides of
these mountains present generally one barren surface of confused and
broken masses of stone. above these are white or brown and towards the
base of a grey colour and so hard that when struck with a steel, yeald
fire like flint. those he had just past were scarcely releived by the
appearance of a tree; but those below the entrance of the creek were
better covered with timber, and there were also some tall pine near the
river. The sides of the mountains are very steep, and the torrents of
water which roll down their sides at certain seasons appear to carry with
them vast quantities of the loose stone into the river. after dinner Capt.
C. continued his rout down the river and at 1/2 a mile pased another creek
not so large as that just mentioned, or about 5 yards wide. here his guide
informed him that by ascending this creek some distance they would have a
better road and would cut off a considerable bend which the river made to
the south; accordingly he pursued a well beaten Indian track which led up
this creek about six miles, then leaving the creek on the wright he passed
over a ridge, and at the distance of a mile arrived at the river where it
passes through a well timbered bottom of about eighty acres of land; they
passed this bottom and asscended a steep and elivated point of a mountain,
from whence the guide shewed him the brake of the river through the
mountains for about 20 miles further. this view was terminated by one of
the most lofty mountains, Capt. C. informed me, he had ever seen which was
perfectly covered with snow. the river directed it’s course immediately to
this stupendous mountain at the bace of which the gude informe him those
difficulties of which himself and nation had spoken, commenced. that after
the river reached this mountain it continued it’s rout to the North for
many miles between high and perpendicular rocks, roling foaming and
beating against innumerable rocks which crouded it’s channel; that then it
penetrated the mountain through a narrow gap leaving a perpendicular rock
on either side as high as the top of the mountain which he beheld. that
the river here making a bend they could not see through the mountain, and
as it was impossible to decend the river or clamber over that vast
mountain covered with eternal snow, neither himself nor any of his nation
had ever been lower in this direction, than in view of the place at which
the river entered this mountain; that if Capt. C. wished him to do so, he
would conduct him to that place, where he thought they could probably
arrive by the next evening. Capt. C. being now perfictly satisfyed as to
the impractability of this rout either by land or water, informed the old
man, that he was convinced of the varacity of his assertions and would now
return to the village from whence they had set out where he expected to
meet myself and party. they now returned to the upper part of the last
creek he had passed, and encamped. it was an hour after dark before he
reached this place. a small river falls into this fork of the Columbia
just above the high mountain through which it passes on the south side.

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Lewis: August 24, 1805

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:35:53 +0000

Saturday August 24th 1805. As the Indians who were on their way down the
Missouri had a number of spare hoses with them I thought it probable that
I could obtain some of them and therefore desired the Cheif to speak to
them and inform me whether they would trade. they gave no positive answer
but requested to see the goods which I was willing to give in exchange. I
now produced some battle axes which I had made at Fort Mandan with which
they were much pleased. knives also seemed in great demand among them. I
soon purchased three horses and a mule. for each horse I gave an ax a
knife handkercheif and a little paint; & for the mule the addition of
a knife a shirt handkercheif and a pair of legings; at this price which
was quite double that given for the horses, the fellow who sold him made a
merit of having bestoed me one of his mules. I consider this mule a great
acquisition. These Indians soon told me that they had no more horses for
sale and I directed the party to prepare to set out. I had now nine horses
and a mule, and two which I had hired made twelve these I had loaded and
the Indian women took the ballance of the baggage. I had given the
Interpreter some articles with which to purchase a horse for the woman
which he had obtained. at twelve Oclock we set out and passed the river
below the forks, directing our rout towards the cove along the track
formerly mentioned. most of the horses were heavily laden, and it appears
to me that it will require at least 25 horses to convey our baggage along
such roads as I expect we shall be obliged to pass in the mountains. I had
now the inexpressible satisfaction to find myself once more under way with
all my baggage and party. an Indian had the politeness to offer me one of
his horses to ride which I accepted with cheerfullness as it enabled me to
attend better to the march of the party. I had reached the lower part of
the cove when an Indian rode up and informed me that one of my men was
very sick and unable to come on. I directed the party to halt at a small
run which falls into the creek on Lard. at the lower part of the Cove and
rode back about 2 Miles where I found Wiser very ill with a fit of the
cholic. I sent Sergt. Ordway who had remained with him for some water and
gave him a doze of the essence of Peppermint and laudinum which in the
course of half an hour so far recovered him that he was enabled to ride my
horse and I proceeded on foot and rejoined the party. the sun was yet an
hour high but the Indians who had for some time impatiently waited my
return at length unloaded and turned out their horses and my party had
followed there ex-ample. as it was so late and the Indians had prepared
their camp for the night I thought it best to acquiess and determined also
to remain. we had traveled only about six miles. after we encamped we had
a slight shower of rain. Goodrich who is our principal fisherman caught
several fine trout. Drewyer came to us late in the evening and had not
killed anything. I gave the Indians who were absolutely engaged in
transporting the baggage, a little corn as they had nothing to eat. I told
Cameahwait that my stock of provision was too small to indulge all his
people with provision and recommended it to him to advise such as were not
assisting us with our baggage to go on to their camp to morrow and wait
our arrival; which he did accordingly. Cameahwait literally translated is
one who never walks. he told me that his nation had also given him another
name by which he was signalized as a warrior which was Too-et’-te-con’-e
or black gun. these people have many names in the course of their lives,
particularly if they become distinguished characters. for it seems that
every important event by which they happen to distinguish themselves
intitles them to claim another name which is generally scelected by
themselves and confirmed by the nation. those distinguishing acts are the
killing and scalping an enemy, the killing a white bear, leading a party
to war who happen to be successfull either in destroying their enemies or
robing them of their horses, or individually stealing the horses of an
enemy. these are considered acts of equal heroism among them, and that of
killing an enemy without scalping him is considered of no importance; in
fact the whole honour seems to be founded in the act of scalping, for if a
man happens to slay a dozen of his enemies in action and others get the
scalps or first lay their hand on the dead person the honor is lost to him
who killed them and devolves on those who scalp or first touch them. Among
the Shoshones, as well as all the Indians of America, bravery is esteemed
the primary virtue; nor can any one become eminent among them who has not
at some period of his life given proofs of his possessing this virtue.
with them there can be no preferment without some warelike achievement,
and so completely interwoven is this principle with the earliest Elements
of thought that it will in my opinion prove a serious obstruction to the
restoration of a general peace among the nations of the Missouri. while at
Fort Mandan I was one day addressing some cheifs of the Minetares wo
visited us and pointing out to them the advantages of a state of peace
with their neighbours over that of war in which they were engaged. the
Chiefs who had already geathered their havest of larals, and having
forceably felt in many instances some of those inconveniences attending a
state of war which I pointed out, readily agreed with me in opinon. a
young fellow under the full impression of the Idea I have just suggested
asked me if they were in a state of peace with all their neighhours what
the nation would do for Cheifs?, and added that the cheifs were now oald
and must shortly die and that the nation could not exist without cheifs.
taking as granted that there could be no other mode devised for making
Cheifs but that which custom had established through the medium of warlike
acievements.

The few guns which the Shoshones have are reserved for war almost
exclusively and the bow and arrows are used in hunting. I have seen a few
skins among these people which have almost every appearance of the common
sheep. they inform me that they finde this animals on the high mountains
to the West and S. W. of them. it is about the size of the common sheep,
the wool is reather shorter and more intermixed with long hairs
particularly on the upper part of the neck. these skins have been so much
woarn that I could not form a just Idea of the animal or it’s colour. the
Indians however inform me that it is white and that it’s horns are lunated
comprest twisted and bent backward as those of the common sheep. the
texture of the skin appears to be that of the sheep. I am now perfectly
convinced that the sheep as well as the Bighorn exist in these mountains.

The usual caparison of the Shoshone horse is a halter and saddle. the 1st
consists either of a round plated or twisted cord of six or seven strands
of buffaloe’s hair, or a throng of raw hide made pliant by pounding and
rubing. these cords of bufaloe’s hair are about the size of a man’s finger
and remarkably strong. this is the kind of halter which is prefered by
them. the halter of whatever it may be composed is always of great length
and is never taken from the neck of the horse which they commonly use at
any time. it is first attatched at one end about the neck of the horse
with a knot that will not slip, it is then brought down to his under jaw
and being passed through the mouth imbaces the under jaw and tonge in a
simple noose formed by crossing the rope inderneath the jaw of the horse.
this when mounted he draws up on the near side of the horse’s neck and
holds in the left hand, suffering it to trail at a great distance behind
him sometimes the halter is attatched so far from the end that while the
shorter end serves him to govern his horse, the other trails on the grond
as before mentioned. they put their horses to their full speed with those
cords trailing on the ground. when they turn out the horse to graze the
noose is mearly loosed from his mouth. the saddle is made of wood and
covered with raw hide which holds the parts very firmly together. it is
made like the pack saddles in uce among the French and Spaniards. it
consists of two flat thin boards which fit the sides of the horses back,
and are held frirm by two peices which are united to them behind and
before on the outer side and which rise to a considerable hight
terminating sometimes in flat horizontal points extending outwards, and
alwas in an accute angle or short bend underneath the upper part of these
peices. a peice of buffaloe’s skin with the hair on, is usually put
underneath the saddle; and very seldom any covering on the saddle.
stirrups when used are made of wood and covered with leather. these are
generally used by the elderly men and women; the young men scarcely ever
use anything more than a small pad of dressed leather stuffed with hair,
which is confined with a leather thong passing arond the body of the horse
in the manner of a girth. they frequently paint their favorite horses, and
cut their ears in various shapes. they also decorate their mains and
tails, which they never draw or trim, with the feathers of birds, and
sometimes suspend at the breast of the horse the finest ornaments they
possess. the Spanish bridle is prefered by them when they can obtain them,
but they never dispence with the cord about the neck of the horse, which
serves them to take him with more ease when he is runing at large. They
are excellent horsemen and extreemly expert in casting the cord about the
neck of a horse. the horses that have been habituated to be taken with the
cord in this way, however wild they may appear at first, surrender the
moment they feel the cord about their necks.There are no horses in
this quarter which can with propriety be termed wild. there are some few
which have been left by the indians at large for so great a length of time
that they have become shye, but they all shew marks of having been in
possession of man. such is that one which Capt. Clark saw just below the
three forks of the Missouri, and one other which I saw on the Missouri
below the entrance of the Mussle shell river.Capt. Clark set out
very early this morning on his return, he traveled down the creek to it’s
entrance by the same Indian track he had ascended it; at the river he
marked his name on a pine tree, then ascended to the bottom above the
second creek, and brekfasted on burries, which occupyed them about one
hour. he now retraced his former track and joined the party where he had
left them at 4 P.M. on his way Capt. C. fell from a rock and injured one
of his legs very much. the party during his absence had killed a few
pheasants and caught a few small fish on which together with haws and
Serviceburies they had subsisted. they had also killed one cock of the
Mountains Capt. Clark now wrote me a discription of the river and country,
and stated our prospects by this rout as they have been heretofore
mentioned and dispatched Colter on horseback with orders to loose no time
reaching me. he set out late with the party continued his rout about two
miles and encamped. Capt Clark had seen some trees which would make small
canoes but all of them some distance below the Indian Caps which he passed
at the entrance of fish Creek.

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Lewis: August 20, 1805

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:35:52 +0000

Tuesday August 20th 1805. This morning I sent out the two hunters and
employed the ballance of the party pretty much as yesterday. I walked down
the river about3/4 of a mile and scelected a place near the river
bank unperceived by the Indians for a cash, which I set three men to make,
and directed the centinel to discharge his gun if he pereceived any of the
Indians going down in that direction which was to be the signal for the
men at work on the cash to desist and seperate, least these people should
discover our deposit and rob us of the baggage we intend leaving here. by
evening the cash was completed unperceived by the Indians, and all our
packages made up. the Pack-saddles and harries is not yet complete. in
this operation we find ourselves at a loss for nails and boards; for the
first we substitute throngs of raw hide which answer verry well, and for
the last to cut off the blades of our oars and use the plank of some boxes
which have heretofore held other articles and put those articles into
sacks of raw hide which I have had made for the purpose. by this means I
have obtained as many boards as will make 20 saddles which I suppose will
be sufficient for our present exegencies. The Indians with us behave
themselves extreemly well; the women have been busily engaged all day
making and mending the mockersons of our party. In the evening the hunters
returned unsuccessfull. Drewyer went in search of his trap which a beaver
had taken off last night; he found the beaver dead with the trap to his
foot about 2 miles below the place he had set it. this beaver constituted
the whole of the game taken today. the fur of this animal is as good as I
ever saw any, and beleive that they are never out of season on the upper
part of the Missouri and it’s branches within the Mountains. Goodrich
caught several douzen fine trout. today. I made up a small assortment of
medicines, together with the specemines of plants, minerals, seeds &c.
which, I have collected betwen this place and the falls of the Missouri
which I shall deposit here. the robe woarn by the Shoshonees is the same
in both sexes and is loosly thrown about their sholders, and the sides at
pleasure either hanging loose or drawn together with the hands, sometimes
if the weather is cold they confine it with a girdel arround the waist;
they are generally about the size of a 21/2 point blanket for grown
persons and reach as low as the middle of the leg. this robe forms a
garment in the day and constitutes their only covering at night. with
these people the robe is formed most commonly of the skins of Antelope,
Bighorn, or deer, dressed with the hair on, tho they prefer the buffaloe
when they can procure them. I have also observed some robes among them of
beaver, moonax, and small wolves. the summer robes of both sexes are also
frequently made of the Elk’s skin dressed without the hair. The shirt of
the men is really a commodious and decent garment. it roomy and reaches
nearly half way the thye, there is no collar, the apperture being
sufficiently large to admit the head and is left square at top, or most
frequently, both before and behind terminate in the tails of the animals
of which they are made and which foald outwards being frequently left
entire or somtimes cut into a fring on the edges and ornimented with the
quills of the Porcupine. the sides of the shirt are sewed deeply fringed,
and ornamented in a similar manner from the bottom upwards, within six or
eight inches of the sieve from whence it is left open as well as the sieve
on it’s under side to the elbow nearly. from the elbow the sieve fits the
arm tight as low as the wrist and is not ornimented with a fringe as the
sides and under parts of the sieve are above the elbow. the sholder straps
are wide and on them is generally displayed the taste of the manufacterer
in a variety of figures wrought with the quills of the porcupine of
several colours; beads when they have them are also displayed on this
part. the tail of the shirt is left in the form which the fore legs and
neck give it with the addition of a slight fringe. the hair is usually
left on the tail, & near the hoofs of the animal; part of the hoof is
also retained to the skin and is split into a fring by way of orniment.
these shirts are generally made of deer’s Antelope’s, Bighorn’s, or Elk’s
skins dressed without the hair. the Elk skin is less used for this purpose
than either of the others. their only thread used on this or any other
occasion is the sinews taken from the back and loins of the deer Elk
buffaloe &c. Their legings are most usually formed of the skins of the
Antelope dressed without the hair. in the men they are very long and full
each leging being formed of a skin nearly entire. the legs, tail and neck
are also left on these, and the tail woarn upwards; and the neck deeply
fringed and ornimented with porcupine qulls drags or trails on the ground
behind the heel. the skin is sewn in such manner as to fit the leg and
thye closely; the upper part being left open a sufficient distance to
permit the legs of the skin to be dran underneath a girdle both before and
behind, and the wide part of the skin to cover the buttock and lap before
in such manner that the breechcloth is unnecessary. they are much more
decent in concealing those parts than any nation on the Missouri the sides
of the legings are also deeply fringed and ornimented. sometimes this part
is ornimented with little fassicles of the hair of an enimy whom they have
slain in battle. The tippet of the Snake Indians is the most eligant peice
of Indian dress I ever saw, the neck or collar of this is formed of a
strip of dressed Otter skin with the fur. it is about four or five inches
wide and is cut out of the back of the skin the nose and eyes forming one
extremity and the tail the other. begining a little behind the ear of the
animal at one edge of this collar and proceeding towards the tail, they
attatch from one to two hundred and fifty little roles of Ermin skin
formed in the following manner. the skin is first dressed with the fur on
it and a narrow strip is cut out of the back of the skin reaching from the
nose and imbracing the tail. this is sewed arround a small cord of the
silk-grass twisted for the purpose and regularly tapering in such manner
as to give it ajust proportion to the tail which is to form the lower
extremity of the stran. thus arranged they are confined at the upper point
in little bundles of two-three, or more as the disign may be to make them
more full; these are then attatched to the collars as before mentioned,
and to conceal the connection of this part which would otherwise have a
course appearance they attatch a broad fringe of the Ermin skin to the
collar overlaying that part. little bundles of fine fringe of the same
materials is fastened to the extremity of the tails in order to shew their
black extremities to greater advantage. the center of the otterskin collar
is also ornamented with the shells of the perl oister. the collar is
confined arond the neck and the little roles of Ermin skin about the size
of a large quill covers the solders and body nearly to the waist and has
the appearance of a short cloak and is really handsome. these they esteem
very highly, and give or dispose of only on important occasions. the ermin
whic is known to the traiders of the N. W. by the name of the white weasel
is the genuine ermine, and might no doubt be turned to great advantage by
those people if they would encourage the Indians to take them. they are no
doubt extreemly plenty and readily taken, from the number of these tippets
which I have seen among these people and the great number of skins
employed in the construction of each timppet. scarcely any of them have
employed less than one hundred of these skins in their formation.This
morning Capt. Clark set out at 6 in the morning and soon after arrived
near their camp they having removed about 2 miles higher up the river than
the camp at which they were when I first visited them. the chief requested
a halt, which was complyed with, and a number of the indians came out from
the village and joined them after smoking a few pipes with them they all
proceeded to the village where Capt C. was conducted to a large lodge
prepared in the center of the encampment for himself and party. here they
gave him one salmon and some cakes of dryed berries. he now repeated to
them what had been said to them in council at this place which was
repeated to the village by the Cheif. when he had concluded this address
he requested a guide to accompany him down the river and an elderly man
was pointed out by the Cheif who consented to undertake this task. this
was the old man of whom Cameahwait had spoken as a person well acquainted
with the country to the North of this river. Capt. C. encouraged the
Indians to come over with their horses and assist me over with the
baggage. he distrubuted some presents among the Indians. about half the
men of the village turned out to hunt the antelope but were unsuccessfull.
at 3 P.M. Capt. Clark departed, accompanyed by his guide and party except
one man whom he left with orders to purchase a horse if possible and
overtake him as soon as he could. he left Charbono and the indian woman to
return to my camp with the Indians. he passed the river about four miles
below the Indians, and encamped on a small branch, eight miles distant. on
his way he met a rispectable looking indian who returned and continued
with him all night; this indian gave them three salmon. Capt. C. killed a
cock of the plains or mountain cock. it was of a dark brown colour with a
long and pointed tail larger than the dunghill fowl and had a fleshey
protuberant substance about the base of the upper chap, something like
that of the turkey tho without the snout.

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Lewis: August 19, 1805

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:35:51 +0000

Monday August 19th 1805. This morning I arrose at dylight. and sent out
three hunters. some of the men who were much in want of legings and
mockersons I suffered to dress some skins. the others I employed in
repacking the baggage, making pack saddles &c. we took up the net this
morning but caugt no fish. one beaver was caught in a trap. the frost
which perfectly whitened the grass this morning had a singular appearance
to me at this season. this evening I made a few of the men construct a
sein of willow brush which we hawled and caught a large number of fine
trout and a kind of mullet about 16 Inhes long which I had not seen
before. the scales are small, the nose is long and obtusely pointed and
exceedes the under jaw. the mouth is not large but opens with foalds at
the sides, the colour of it’s back and sides is of a bluish brown and
belley white; it has the faggot bones, from which I have supposed it to be
of the mullet kind. the tongue and pallate are smooth and it has no teeth.
it is by no means as good as the trout. the trout are the same which I
first met with at the falls of the Missouri, they are larger than the
speckled trout of our mountains and equally as well flavored.- The hunters
returned this evening with two deer. from what has been said of the
Shoshones it will be readily perceived that they live in a wretched stait
of poverty. yet notwithstanding their extreem poverty they are not only
cheerfull but even gay, fond of gaudy dress and amusements; like most
other Indians they are great egotists and frequently boast of heroic acts
which they never performed. they are also fond of games of wrisk. they are
frank, communicative, fair in dealing, generous with the little they
possess, extreemly honest, and by no means beggarly. each individual is
his own sovereign master, and acts from the dictates of his own mind; the
authority of the Cheif being nothing more than mere admonition supported
by the influence which the propiety of his own examplery conduct may have
acquired him in the minds of the individuals who compose the band. the
title of cheif is not hereditary, nor can I learn that there is any
cerimony of instalment, or other epoh in the life of a Cheif from which
his title as such can be dated. in fact every man is a chief, but all have
not an equal influence on the minds of the other members of the community,
and he who happens to enjoy the greatest share of confidence is the
principal Chief. The Shoshonees may be estimated at about 100 warriors,
and about three times that number of woomen and children. they have more
children among them than I expected to have seen among a people who
procure subsistence with such difficulty. there are but few very old
persons, nor did they appear to treat those with much tenderness or
rispect. The man is the sole propryetor of his wives and daughters, and
can barter or dispose of either as he thinks proper. a plurality of wives
is common among them, but these are not generally sisters as with the
Minnetares & Mandans but are purchased of different fathers. The
father frequently disposes of his infant daughters in marriage to men who
are grown or to men who have sons for whom they think proper to provide
wives. the compensation given in such cases usually consists of horses or
mules which the father receives at the time of contract and converts to
his own uce. the girl remains with her parents untill she is conceived to
have obtained the age of puberty which with them is considered to be about
the age of 13 or 14 years. the female at this age is surrendered to her
sovereign lord and husband agreeably to contract, and with her is
frequently restored by the father quite as much as he received in the
first instance in payment for his daughter; but this is discretionary with
the father. Sah-car-gar-we-ah had been thus disposed of before she was
taken by the Minnetares, or had arrived to the years of puberty. the
husband was yet living and with this band. he was more than double her age
and had two other wives. he claimed her as his wife but said that as she
had had a child by another man, who was Charbono, that he did not want
her. They seldom correct their children particularly the boys who soon
become masters of their own acts. they give as a reason that it cows and
breaks the Sperit of the boy to whip him, and that he never recovers his
independence of mind after he is grown. They treat their women but with
little rispect, and compel them to perform every species of drudgery. they
collect the wild fruits and roots, attend to the horses or assist in that
duty cook dreess the skins and make all their apparal, collect wood and
make their fires, arrange and form their lodges, and when they travel pack
the horses and take charge of all the baggage; in short the man dose
little else except attend his horses hunt and fish. the man considers
himself degraded if he is compelled to walk any distance, and if he is so
unfortunately poor as only to possess two horses he rides the best himself
and leavs the woman or women if he has more than one, to transport their
baggage and children on the other, and to walk if the horse is unable to
carry the additional weight of their personsthe chastity of their
women is not held in high estimation, and the husband will for a trifle
barter the companion of his bead for a night or longer if he conceives the
reward adiquate; tho they are not so importunate that we should caress
their women as the siouxs were and some of their women appear to be held
more sacred than in any nation we have seen I have requested the men to
give them no cause of jealousy by having connection with their women
without their knowledge, which with them strange as it may seem is
considered as disgracefull to the husband as clandestine connections of a
similar kind are among civilized nations. to prevent this mutual exchange
of good officies altogether I know it impossible to effect, particularly
on the part of our young men whom some months abstinence have made very
polite to those tawney damsels. no evil has yet resulted and I hope will
not from these connections.notwithstanding the late loss of horses
which this people sustained by the Minnetares the stock of the band may be
very safely estimated at seven hundred of which they are perhaps about 40
coalts and half that number of mules.these people are deminutive in
stature, thick ankles, crooked legs, thick flat feet and in short but illy
formed, at least much more so in general than any nation of Indians I ever
saw. their complexion is much that of the Siouxs or darker than the
Minnetares mandands or Shawnees. generally both men and women wear their
hair in a loos lank flow over the sholders and face; tho I observed some
few men who confined their hair in two equal cues hanging over each ear
and drawnn in front of the body. the cue is formed with throngs of dressed
lather or Otterskin aternately crossing each other. at present most of
them have cut short in the neck in consequence of the loss of their
relations by the Minnetares. Cameahwait has his cut close all over his
head. this constitutes their cerimony of morning for their deceased
relations. the dress of the men consists of a robe long legings, shirt,
tippet and Mockersons, that of the women is also a robe, chemise, and
Mockersons; sometimes they make use of short legings. the ornements of
both men and women are very similar, and consist of several species of sea
shells, blue and white beads, bras and Iron arm bands, plaited cords of
the sweet grass, and collars of leather ornamented with the quills of the
porcupine dyed of various colours among which I observed the red, yellow,
blue, and black. the ear is purforated in the lower part to receive
various ornaments but the nose is not, nor is the ear lasserated or
disvigored for this purpose as among many nations. the men never mark
their skins by birning, cuting, nor puncturing and introducing a colouring
matter as many nations do. there women sometimes puncture a small circle
on their forehead nose or cheeks and thus introduce a black matter usually
soot and grease which leaves an indelible stane. tho this even is by no
means common. their arms offensive and defensive consist in the bow and
arrows sheild, some lances, and a weapon called by the Cippeways who
formerly used it, the pog-gal’-mag-gon’. in fishing they employ wairs,
gigs, and fishing hooks. the salmon is the principal object of their
pursuit. they snair wolves and foxes. I was anxious to learn whether these
people had the venerial, and made the enquiry through the intrepreter and
his wife; the information was that they sometimes had it but I could not
learn their remedy; they most usually die with it’s effects. this seems a
strong proof that these disorders bothe gonaroehah and Louis venerae are
native disorders of America. tho these people have suffered much by the
small pox which is known to be imported and perhaps those other disorders
might have been contracted from other indian tribes who by a round of
communication might have obtained from the Europeans since it was
introduced into that quarter of the globe. but so much detatched on the
other had from all communication with the whites that I think it most
probable that those disorders are original with them. from the middle of
May to the firt of September these people reside on the waters of the
Columbia where they consider themselves in perfect security from their
enimies as they have not as yet ever found their way to this retreat;
during this season the salmon furnish the principal part of their
subsistence and as this firsh either perishes or returns about the 1st of
September they are compelled at this season in surch of subsistence to
resort to the Missouri, in the vallies of which, there is more game even
within the mountains. here they move slowly down the river in order to
collect and join other bands either of their own nation or the Flatheads,
and having become sufficiently strong as they conceive venture on the
Eastern side of the Rockey mountains into the plains, where the buffaloe
abound. but they never leave the interior of the mountains while they can
obtain a scanty subsistence, and always return as soon as they have
acquired a good stock of dryed meat in the plains; when this stock is
consumed they venture again into the plains; thus alternately obtaining
their food at the risk of their lives and retiring to the mountains, while
they consume it.These people are now on the eve of their departure
for the Missouri, and inform us that they expect to be joined at or about
the three forks by several bands of their own nation, and a band of the
Flatheads. as I am now two busily engaged to enter at once into a minute
discription of the several articles which compose their dress, impliments
of war hunting fishing &c I shall pursue them at my leasure in the
order they have here occurred to my mind, and have been mentioned. This
morning capt. Clark continued his rout with his party, the Indians
accompanying him as yesterday; he was obliged to feed them. nothing
remarkable happened during the day. he was met by an Indian with two mules
on this side of the dividing ridge at the foot of the mountain, the Indian
had the politeness to offer Capt. C. one of his mules to ride as he was on
foot, which he accepted and gave the fellow a waistcoat as a reward for
his politeness. in the evening he reached the creek on this side of the
Indian camp and halted for the night. his hunters killed nothing today.
The Indians value their mules very highly. a good mule can not be obtained
for less than three and sometimes four horses, and the most indifferent
are rated at two horses. their mules generally are the finest I ever saw
without any comparison.today I observed time and distance of sun’s
and moon’s nearest limbs with sextant sun East.

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Lewis: August 13, 1805

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:35:50 +0000

Tuesday August 13th 1805. We set out very early on the Indian road which
still led us through an open broken country in a westerly direction. a
deep valley appeared to our left at the base of a high range of mountains
which extended from S. E. to N. W. having their sides better clad with
pine timber than we had been accustomed to see the mountains and their
tops were also partially covered with snow. at the distance of five miles
the road after leading us down a long decending valley for 2 Ms. brought
us to a large creek about 10 yds. wide; this we passed and on rising the
hill beyond it had a view of a handsome little valley to our left of about
a mile in width through which from the appearance of the timber I
conjectured that a river passed. I saw near the creek some bushes of the
white maple, the shumate of the small species with the winged rib, and a
species of honeysuckle much in it’s growth and leaf like the small
honeysuckle of the Missouri only reather larger and bears a globular berry
as large as a garden pea and as white as wax. this berry is formed of a
thin smooth pellicle which envellopes a soft white musilagenous substance
in which there are several small brown seed irregularly scattered or
intermixed without any sell or perceptable membranous covering.we
had proceeded about four miles through a wavy plain parallel to the valley
or river bottom when at the distance of about a mile we saw two women, a
man and some dogs on an eminence immediately before us. they appeared to
vew us with attention and two of them after a few minutes set down as if
to wait our arrival we continued our usual pace towards them. when we had
arrived within half a mile of them I directed the party to halt and
leaving my pack and rifle I took the flag which I unfurled and avanced
singly towards them the women soon disappeared behind the hill, the man
continued untill I arrived within a hundred yards of him and then likewise
absconded. tho I frequently repeated the word tab-ba-bone sufficiently
loud for him to have heard it. I now haistened to the top of the hill
where they had stood but could see nothing of them. the dogs were less
shye than their masters they came about me pretty close I therefore
thought of tying a handkerchief about one of their necks with some beads
and other trinkets and then let them loose to surch their fugitive owners
thinking by this means to convince them of our pacific disposition towards
them but the dogs would not suffer me to take hold of them; they also soon
disappeared. I now made a signal fror the men to come on, they joined me
and we pursued the back tarck of these Indians which lead us along the
same road which we had been traveling. the road was dusty and appeared to
have been much traveled lately both by men and horses. these praries are
very poor the soil is of a light yellow clay, intermixed with small smooth
gravel, and produces little else but prickly pears, and bearded grass
about 3 inches high. the prickley pear are of three species that with a
broad leaf common to the missouri; that of a globular form also common to
the upper part of the Missouri and more especially after it enters the
Rocky Mountains, also a 3rd peculiar to this country. it consists of small
circular thick leaves with a much greater number of thorns. these thorns
are stronger and appear to be barbed. the leaves grow from the margins of
each other as in the broad leafed pear of the missouri, but are so
slightly attatched that when the thorn touches your mockerson it adhears
and brings with it the leaf covered in every direction with many others.
this is much the most troublesome plant of the three. we had not continued
our rout more than a mile when we were so fortunate as to meet with three
female savages. the short and steep ravines which we passed concealed us
from each other untill we arrived within 30 paces. a young woman
immediately took to flight, an Elderly woman and a girl of about 12 years
old remained. I instantly laid by my gun and advanced towards them. they
appeared much allarmed but saw that we were to near for them to escape by
flight they therefore seated themselves on the ground, holding down their
heads as if reconciled to die which the expected no doubt would be their
fate; I took the elderly woman by the hand and raised her up repeated the
word tab-babone and strip up my shirt sieve to sew her my skin; to prove
to her the truth of the ascertion that I was a white man for my face and
hads which have been constantly exposed to the sun were quite as dark as
their own. they appeared instantly reconciled, and the men coming up I
gave these women some beads a few mockerson awls some pewter
looking-glasses and a little paint. I directed Drewyer to request the old
woman to recall the young woman who had run off to some distance by this
time fearing she might allarm the camp before we approached and might so
exasperate the natives that they would perhaps attack us without enquiring
who we were. the old woman did as she was requested and the fugitive soon
returned almost out of breath. I bestoed an equvolent portion of trinket
on her with the others. I now painted their tawny cheeks with some
vermillion which with this nation is emblematic of peace. after they had
become composed I informed them by signs that I wished them to conduct us
to their camp that we wer anxious to become acquainted with the chiefs and
warriors of their nation. they readily obeyed and we set out, still
pursuing the road down the river. we had marched about 2 miles when we met
a party of about 60 warriors mounted on excellent horses who came in
nearly full speed, when they arrived I advanced towards them with the flag
leaving my gun with the party about 50 paces behid me. the chief and two
others who were a little in advance of the main body spoke to the women,
and they informed them who we were and exultingly shewed the presents
which had been given them these men then advanced and embraced me very
affectionately in their way which is by puting their left arm over you
wright sholder clasping your back, while they apply their left cheek to
yours and frequently vociforate the word ah-hi’-e, &h-hi’-e that is, I
am much pleased, I am much rejoiced. bothe parties now advanced and we wer
all carresed and besmeared with their grease and paint till I was heartily
tired of the national hug. I now had the pipe lit and gave them smoke;
they seated themselves in a circle around us and pulled of their
mockersons before they would receive or smoke the pipe. this is a custom
among them as I afterwards learned indicative of a sacred obligation of
sincerity in their profession of friendship given by the act of receiving
and smoking the pipe of a stranger. or which is as much as to say that
they wish they may always go bearfoot if they are not sincere; a pretty
heavy penalty if they are to march through the plains of their country.
after smoking a few pipes with them I distributed some trifles among them,
with which they seemed much pleased particularly with the blue beads and
vermillion. I now informed the chief that the object of our visit was a
friendly one, that after we should reach his camp I would undertake to
explain to him fully those objects, who we wer, from whence we had come
and wither we were going; that in the mean time I did not care how soon we
were in motion, as the sun was very warm and no water at hand. they now
put on their mockersons, and the principal chief Ca-me-ah-wait made a
short speach to the warriors. I gave him the flag which I informed him was
an emblem of peace among whitemen and now that it had been received by him
it was to be respected as the bond of union between us. I desired him to
march on, which did and we followed him; the dragoons moved on in squadron
in our rear. after we had marched about a mile in this order he halted
them ang gave a second harang; after which six or eight of the young men
road forward to their encampment and no further regularity was observed in
the order of march. I afterwards understood that the Indians we had first
seen this morning had returned and allarmed the camp; these men had come
out armed cap a pe for action expecting to meet with their enemies the
Minnetares of Fort de Prarie whome they Call Rah’-kees. they were armed
with bows arrow and Shield except three whom I observed with small pieces
such as the N. W. Company furnish the natives with which they had obtained
from the Rocky Mountain Indians on the yellow stone river with whom they
are at peace. on our arrival at their encampmen on the river in a handsome
level and fertile bottom at the distance of 4 Ms. from where we had first
met them they introduced us to a londge made of willow brush and an old
leather lodge which had been prepared for our reception by the young men
which the chief had dispatched for that purpose. Here we were seated on
green boughs and the skins of Antelopes. one of the warriors then pulled
up the grass in the center of the lodge forming a smal circle of about 2
feet in diameter the chief next produced his pipe and native tobacco and
began a long cerimony of the pipe when we were requested to take of our
mockersons, the Chief having previously taken off his as well as all the
warriors present. this we complyed with; the Chief then lit his pipe at
the fire kindled in this little magic circle, and standing on the oposite
side of the circle uttered a speach of several minutes in length at the
conclusion of which he pointed the stem to the four cardinal points of the
heavens first begining at the East and ending with the North. he now
presented the pipe to me as if desirous that I should smoke, but when I
reached my hand to receive it, he drew it back and repeated the same
cremony three times, after which he pointed the stern first to the heavens
then to the center of the magic circle smoked himself with three whifs and
held the pipe untill I took as many as I thought proper; he then held it
to each of the white persons and then gave it to be consumed by his
warriors. this pipe was made of a dense simitransparent green stone very
highly polished about 21/2 inches long and of an oval figure, the bowl
being in the same direction with the stem. a small piece of birned clay is
placed in the bottom of the bowl to seperate the tobacco from the end of
the stem and is of an irregularly rounded figure not fitting the tube
purfectly close in order that the smoke may pass. this is the form of the
pipe. their tobacco is of the same kind of that used by the Minnetares
Mandans and Ricares of the Missouri. the Shoshonees do not cultivate this
plant, but obtain it from the Rocky mountain Indians and some of the bands
of their own nation who live further south. I now explained to them the
objects of our journey &c. all the women and children of the camp were
shortly collected about the lodge to indulge themselves with looking at
us, we being the first white persons they had ever seen. after the
cerimony of the pipe was over I distributed the remainder of the small
articles I had brought with me among the women and children. by this time
it was late in the evening and we had not taisted any food since the
evening before. the Chief informed us that they had nothing but berries to
eat and gave us some cakes of serviceberries and Choke cherries which had
been dryed in the sun; of these I made a hearty meal, and then walked to
the river, which I found about 40 yards wide very rapid clear and about 3
feet deep. the banks low and abrupt as those of the upper part of the
Missouri, and the bed formed of loose stones and gravel. Cameahwait
informed me that this stream discharged itself into another doubly as
large at the distance of half a days march which came from the S. W. but
he added on further enquiry that there was but little more timber below
the junction of those rivers than I saw here, and that the river was
confined between inacessable mountains, was very rapid and rocky insomuch
that it was impossible for us to pass either by land or water down this
river to the great lake where the white men lived as he had been informed.
this was unwelcome information but I still hoped that this account had
been exagerated with a view to detain us among them. as to timber I could
discover not any that would answer the purpose of constructing canoes or
in short more than was bearly necessary for fuel consisting of the narrow
leafed cottonwood and willow, also the red willow Choke Cherry service
berry and a few currant bushes such as were common on the Missouri. these
people had been attacked by the Minetares of Fort de prarie this spring
and about 20 of them killed and taken prisoners. on this occasion they
lost a great part of their horses and all their lodges except that which
they had erected for our accomodation; they were now living in lodges of a
conic figure made of willow brush. I still observe a great number of
horses feeding in every direction around their camp and therefore
entertain but little doubt but we shall be enable to furnish ourselves
with an adiquate number to transport our stores even if we are compelled
to travel by land over these mountains. on my return to my lodge an indian
called me in to his bower and gave me a small morsel of the flesh of an
antelope boiled, and a peice of a fresh salmon roasted; both which I eat
with a very good relish. this was the first salmon I had seen and
perfectly convinced me that we were on the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
the course of this river is a little to the North of west as far as I can
discover it; and is bounded on each side by a range of high Mountains. tho
those on the E. side are lowest and more distant from the river.

This evening the Indians entertained us with their dancing nearly all
night. at 12 O’Ck. I grew sleepy and retired to rest leaving the men to
amuse themselves with the Indians. I observe no essential difference
between the music and manner of dancing among this nation and those of the
Missouri. I was several times awoke in the course of the night by their
yells but was too much fortiegued to be deprived of a tolerable sound
night’s repose.

This morning Capt Clark set out early having previously dispatched some
hunters ahead. it was cool and cloudy all the forepart of the day. at 8
A.M. they had a slight rain. they passed a number of shoals over which
they were obliged to drag the canoes; the men in the water 3/4ths of the
day, they passed a bold runing stream 7 yds. wide on the Lard. side just
below a high point of Limestone rocks. this stream we call McNeal’s Creek
after Hugh McNeal one of our party. this creek heads in the Mountains to
the East and forms a handsome valley for some miles between the mountains.
from the top of this limestone Clift above the creek The beaver’s head
boar N 24° E. 12 Ms. the course of Wisdom river or that which the opening
of it’s valley makes through the mountains is N. 25 W. to the gap through
which Jefferson’s river enters the mountains above is S 18° W 10 M. they
killed one deer only today. saw a number of Otter some beaver Antelopes
ducks gees and Grains. they caught a number of fine trout as they have
every day since I left them. they encamped on Lrd. in a smooth level
prarie near a few cottonwood trees, but were obliged to make use of the
dry willow brush for fuel.

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Lewis: August 14, 1805

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:35:50 +0000

Wednesday August 14th In order to give Capt. Clark time to reach the forks
of Jefferson’s river I concluded to spend this day at the Shoshone Camp
and obtain what information I could with rispect to the country. as we had
nothing but a little flour and parched meal to eat except the berries with
which the Indians furnished us I directed Drewyer and Shields to hunt a
few hours and try to kill something, the Indians furnished them with
horses and most of their young men also turned out to hunt. the game which
they principally hunt is the Antelope which they pursue on horseback and
shoot with their arrows. this animal is so extreemly fleet and dureable
that a single horse has no possible chance to overtake them or run them
down. the Indians are therefore obliged to have recorce to strategem when
they discover a herd of the Antelope they seperate and scatter themselves
to the distance of five or six miles in different directions arround them
generally scelecting some commanding eminence for a stand; some one or two
now pursue the herd at full speed over the hills values gullies and the
sides of precipices that are tremendious to view. thus after runing them
from five to six or seven miles the fresh horses that were in waiting head
them and drive them back persuing them as far or perhaps further quite to
the other extreem of the hunters who now in turn pursue on their fresh
horses thus worrying the poor animal down and finally killing them with
their arrows. forty or fifty hunters will be engaged for half a day in
this manner and perhaps not kill more than two or three Antelopes. they
have but few Elk or black tailed deer, and the common red deer they cannot
take as they secrete themselves in the brush when pursued, and they have
only the bow and arrow wich is a very slender dependence for killing any
game except such as they can run down with their horses. I was very much
entertained with a view of this indian chase; it was after a herd of about
10 Antelope and about 20 hunters. it lasted about 2 hours and considerable
part of the chase in view from my tent. about 1 A.M. the hunters returned
had not killed a single Antelope, and their horses foaming with sweat. my
hunters returned soon after and had been equally unsuccessfull. I now
directed McNeal to make me a little paist with the flour and added some
berries to it which I found very pallateable.

The means I had of communicating with these people was by way of Drewyer
who understood perfectly the common language of jesticulation or signs
which seems to be universally understood by all the Nations we have yet
seen. it is true that this language is imperfect and liable to error but
is much less so than would be expected. the strong parts of the ideas are
seldom mistaken.

I now prevailed on the Chief to instruct me with rispect to the geography
of his country. this he undertook very cheerfully, by delienating the
rivers on the ground. but I soon found that his information fell far short
of my expectation or wishes. he drew the river on which we now are to
which he placed two branches just above us, which he shewed me from the
openings of the mountains were in view; he next made it discharge itself
into a large river which flowed from the S. W. about ten miles below us,
then continued this joint stream in the same direction of this valley or
N. W. for one days march and then enclined it to the West for 2 more days
march, here he placed a number of beeps of sand on each side which he
informed me represented the vast mountains of rock eternally covered with
snow through which the river passed. that the perpendicular and even
juting rocks so closely hemned in the river that there was no possibilyte
of passing along the shore; that the bed of the river was obstructed by
sharp pointed rocks and the rapidity of the stream such that the whole
surface of the river was beat into perfect foam as far as the eye could
reach. that the mountains were also inaccessible to man or horse. he said
that this being the state of the country in that direction that himself
nor none of his nation had ever been further down the river than these
mountains. I then enquired the state of the country on either side of the
river but he could not inform me. he said there was an old man of his
nation a days march below who could probably give me some information of
the country to the N. W. and refered me to an old man then present for
that to the S. W.the Chief further informed me that he had
understood from the persed nosed Indians who inhabit this river below the
rocky mountains that it ran a great way toward the seting sun and finally
lost itself in a great lake of water which was illy taisted, and where the
white men lived. I next commenced my enquiries of the old man to whom I
had been refered for information relative the country S W. of us. this he
depicted with horrors and obstructions scarcely inferior to that just
mentioned. he informed me that the band of this nation to which he
belonged resided at the distance of 20 days march from hence not far from
the white people with whom they traded for horses mules cloth metal beads
and the shells which they woar as orniment being those of a species of
perl oister. that the course to his relations was a little to the West of
South. that in order to get to his relations the first seven days we
should be obliged to climb over steep and rocky mountains where we could
find no game to kill nor anything but roots such as a ferce and warlike
nation lived on whom he called the broken mockersons or mockersons with
holes, and said inhabited those mountains and lived like the bear of other
countries among the rocks and fed on roots or the flesh of such horses as
they could take or steel from those who passed through their country. that
in passing this country the feet of our horses would be so much wounded
with the stones many of them would give out. the next part of the rout was
about 10 days through a dry and parched sandy desert in which no food at
this season for either man or horse, and in which we must suffer if not
perish for the want of water. that the sun had now dryed up the little
pools of water which exist through this desert plain in the spring season
and had also scorched all the grass. that no animal inhabited this plain
on which we could hope to subsist. that about the center of this plain a
large river passed from S. E. to N. W. which was navigable but afforded
neither Salmon nor timber. that beyond this plain thee or four days march
his relations lived in a country tolerable fertile and partially covered
with timber on another large river which ran in the same direction of the
former. that this last discharged itself into a large river on which many
numerous nations lived with whom his relations were at war but whether
this last discharged itself into the great lake or not he did not know.
that from his relations it was yet a great distance to the great or
stinking lake as they call the Ocean. that the way which such of his
nation as had been to the Stinking lake traveled was up the river on which
they lived and over to that on which the white people lived which last
they knew discharged itself into the Ocean, and that this was the way
which he would advise me to travel if I was determined to proceed to the
Ocean but would advise me to put off the journey untill the next spring
when he would conduct me. I thanked him for his information and advise and
gave him a knife with which he appeared to be much gratifyed. from this
narative I was convinced that the streams of which he had spoken as runing
through the plains and that on which his relations lived were southern
branches of the Columbia, heading with the rivers Apostles and Collorado,
and that the rout he had pointed out was to the Vermillion Sea or gulph of
Callifornia. I therefore told him that this rout was more to the South
than I wished to travel, and requested to know if there was no rout on the
left of this river on which we now are, by means of which, I could
intercept it below the mountains through which it passes; but he could not
inform me of any except that of the barren plain which he said joined the
mountain on that side and through which it was impossible for us to pass
at this season even if we were fortunate enough to escape from the broken
mockerson Indians. I now asked Cameahwait by what rout the Pierced nosed
indians, who he informed me inhabited this river below the mountains, came
over to the Missouri; this he informed me was to the north, but added that
the road was a very bad one as he had been informed by them and that they
had suffered excessively with hunger on the rout being obliged to subsist
for many days on berries alone as there was no game in that part of the
mountains which were broken rockey and so thickly covered with timber that
they could scarcely pass. however knowing that Indians had passed, and did
pass, at this season on that side of this river to the same below the
mountains, my rout was instantly settled in my own mind, povided the
account of this river should prove true on an investigation of it, which I
was determined should be made before we would undertake the rout by land
in any direction. I felt perfectly satisfyed, that if the Indians could
pass these mountains with their women and Children, that we could also
pass them; and that if the nations on this river below the mountains were
as numerous as they were stated to be that they must have some means of
subsistence which it would be equally in our power to procure in the same
country. they informed me that there was no buffaloe on the West side of
these mountains; that the game consisted of a few Elk deer and Antelopes,
and that the natives subsisted on fish and roots principally. in this
manner I spent the day smoking with them and acquiring what information I
could with respect to their country. they informed me that they could pass
to the Spaniards by the way of the yellowstone river in 10 days. I can
discover that these people are by no means friendly to the Spaniard their
complaint is, that the Spaniards will not let them have fire arms and
amunition, that they put them off by telling them that if they suffer them
to have guns they will kill each other, thus leaving them defenceless and
an easy prey to their bloodthirsty neighbours to the East of them, who
being in possession of fire arms hunt them up and murder them without
rispect to sex or age and plunder them of their horses on all occasions.
they told me that to avoid their enemies who were eternally harrassing
them that they were obliged to remain in the interior of these mountains
at least two thirds of the year where the suffered as we then saw great
heardships for the want of food sometimes living for weeks without meat
and only a little fish roots and berries. but this added Cameahwait, with
his ferce eyes and lank jaws grown meager for the want of food, would not
be the case if we had guns, we could then live in the country of buffaloe
and eat as our enimies do and not be compelled to hide ourselves in these
mountains and live on roots and berries as the bear do. we do not fear our
enimies when placed on an equal footing with them. I told them that the
Minnetares Mandans & Recares of the Missouri had promised us to desist
from making war on them & that we would indevour to find the means of
making the Minnetares of fort d Prarie or as they call them Pahkees desist
from waging war against them also. that after our finally returning to our
homes towards the rising sun whitemen would come to them with an abundance
of guns and every other article necessary to their defence and comfort,
and that they would be enabled to supply themselves with these articles on
reasonable terms in exchange for the skins of the beaver Otter and Ermin
so abundant in their country. they expressed great pleasure at this
information and said they had been long anxious to see the whitemen that
traded guns; and that we might rest assured of their friendship and that
they would do whatever we wished them.

I now told Cameahwait that I wished him to speak to his people and engage
them to go with me tomorrow to the forks of Jeffersons river where our
baggage was by this time arrived with another Chief and a large party of
whitemen who would wait my return at that place. that I wish them to take
with them about 30 spare horses to transport our baggage to this place
where we would then remain sometime among them and trade with them for
horses, and finally concert our future plans for geting on to the ocean
and of the traid which would be extended to them after our return to our
homes. he complyed with my request and made a lengthey harrangue to his
village. he returned in about an hour and a half and informed me that they
would be ready to accompany me in the morning. I promised to reward them
for their trouble. Drewyer who had had a good view of their horses
estimated them at 400. most of them are fine horses. indeed many of them
would make a figure on the South side of James River or the land of fine
horses.I saw several with Spanish brands on them, and some mules
which they informed me that they had also obtained from the Spaniards. I
also saw a bridle bit of spanish manufactary, and sundry other articles
which I have no doubt were obtained from the same source. notwithstanding
the extreem poverty of those poor people they are very merry they danced
again this evening untill midnight. each warrior keep one ore more horses
tyed by a cord to a stake near his lodge both day and night and are always
prepared for action at a moments warning. they fight on horseback
altogether. lobserve that the large flies are extreemly troublesome to the
horses as well as ourselves.

The morning being cold and the men stif and soar from the exertions of
yesterday Capt. Clark did not set out this morning untill 7 A.M. the river
was so crooked and rapid that they made but little way at one mile he
passed a bold runing stream on Stard. which heads in a mountain to the
North, on which there is snow. this we called track Creek. it is 4 yard
wide and 3 feet deep at 7 Ms. passed a stout stream which heads in some
springs under the foot of the mountains on Lard. the river near the
mountain they found one continued rapid, with was extreemly laborious and
difficult to ascend. this evening Charbono struck his indian Woman for
which Capt. C. gave him a severe repremand. Joseph and Reubin Fields
killed 4 deer and an Antelope, Capt. C. killed a buck. several of the men
have lamed themselves by various accedents in working the canoes through
this difficult part of the river, and Capt. C. was obliged personally to
assist them in this labour. they encamped this evening on Lard. side near
the rattlesnake clift

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