August 15, 1805
Thursday August 15th 1805.
This morning I arrose very early and as hungary as a wolf. I had eat
nothing yesterday except one scant meal of the flour and berries except
the dryed cakes of berries which did not appear to satisfy my appetite
as they appeared to do those of my Indian friends. I found on enquiry
of McNeal that we had only about two pounds of flour remaining. this I
directed him to divide into two equal parts and to cook the one half
this morning in a kind of pudding with the hurries as he had done
yesterday and reserve the ballance for the evening. on this new
fashoned pudding four of us breakfasted, giving a pretty good allowance
also to the Chief who declared it the best thing he had taisted for a
long time. he took a little of the Hour in his hand, taisted and
examined very scrutinously and asked me if we made it of roots. I
explained to him the manner in which it grew. I hurried the departure
of the Indians. the Chief addressed them several times before they
would move they seemed very reluctant to accompany me. I at length
asked the reason and he told me that some foolish persons among them
had suggested the idea that we were in league with the Pahkees and had
come on in order to decoy them into an ambuscade where their enimies
were waiting to receive them. but that for his part he did not believe
it. I readily perceived that our situation was not entirely free from
danger as the transision from suspicion to the confermation of the fact
would not be very difficult in the minds of these ignorant people who
have been accustomed from their infancy to view every stranger as an
enimy. I told Cameahwait that I was sorry to find that they had put so
little confidence in us, that I knew they were not acquainted with
whitemen and therefore could forgive them. that among whitemen it was
considered disgracefull to lye or entrap an enimy by falsehood. I told
him if they continued to think thus meanly of us that they might rely
on it that no whitemen would ever come to trade with them or bring them
arms and amunition and that if the bulk of his nation still entertained
this opinion I still hoped that there were some among them that were
not affraid to die, that were men and would go with me and convince
themselves of the truth of what I had asscerted. that there was a party
of whitemen waiting my return either at the forks of Jefferson's river
or a little below coining on to that place in canoes loaded with
provisions and merchandize. he told me for his own part he was
determined to go, that he was not affraid to die. I soon found that I
had touched him on the right string; to doubt the bravery of a savage
is at once to put him on his metal. he now mounted his horse and
haranged his village a third time; the perport of which as he
afterwards told me was to inform them that he would go with us and
convince himself of the truth or falsity of what we had told him if he
was sertain he should be killed, that he hoped there were some of them
who heard him were not affraid to die with him and if there was to let
him see them mount their horses and prepare to set out. shortly after
this harange he was joined by six or eight only and with these I smoked
a pipe and directed the men to put on their packs being determined to
set out with them while I had them in the humour at half after 12 we
set out, several of the old women were crying and imploring the great
sperit to protect their warriors as if they were going to inevitable
distruction. we had not proceeded far before our party was augmented by
ten or twelve more, and before we reached the Creek which we had passed
in the morning of the 13th it appeared to me that we had all the men of
the village and a number of women with us. this may serve in some
measure to ilustrate the capricious disposition of those people who
never act but from the impulse of the moment. they were now very
cheerfull and gay, and two hours ago they looked as sirly as so many
imps of satturn. when we arrived at the spring on the side of the
mountain where we had encamped on the 12th the Chief insited on halting
to let the horses graize with which I complyed and gave the Indians
smoke. they are excessively fond of the pipe; but have it not much in
their power to indulge themselves with even their native tobacco as
they do not cultivate it themselves.— after remaining about an hour we
again set out, and by engaging to make compensation to four of them for
their trouble obtained the previlege of riding with an indian myself
and a similar situation for each of my party. I soon found it more
tiresome riding without tirrups than walking and of course chose the
latter making the Indian carry my pack. about sunset we reached the
upper part of the level valley of the Cove which now called Shoshone
Cove. the grass being birned on the North side of the river we passed
over to the south and encamped near some willow brush about 4 miles
above the narrow pass between the hills noticed as I came up this cove
the river was here about six yards wide, and frequently darned up by
the beaver. I had sent Drewyer forward this evening before we halted to
kill some meat but he was unsuccessfull and did not rejoin us untill
after dark I now cooked and among six of us eat the remaining pound of
flour stired in a little boiling water.— Capt. Clark delayed again this
morning untill after breakfast, when he set out and passed between low
and rugged mountains which had a few pine trees distributed over them
the clifts are formed of limestone and a hard black rock intermixed. no
trees on the river, the bottoms narrow river crooked shallow shoally
and rapid. the water is as coald as that of the best springs in our
country. the men as usual suffered excessively with fatiegue and the
coldness of the water to which they were exposed for hours together. at
the distance of 6 miles by water they passed the entrance of a bold
creek on Stard. side 10 yds. wide and 3 f. 3 i. deep which we called
Willard's Creek after Alexander Willard one of our party. at 4 miles by
water from their encampment of las evening passed a bold branch which
tumbled down a steep precipice of rocks from the mountains on the Lard.
Capt Clark was very near being bitten twice today by rattlesnakes, the
Indian woman also narrowly escaped. they caught a number of fine trout.
Capt. Clark killed a buck which was the only game killed today. the
venison has an uncommon bitter taist which is unpleasent. I presume it
proceeds from some article of their food, perhaps the willow on the
leaves of which they feed very much. they encamped this evening on the
Lard. side near a few cottonwood trees about which there were the
remains of several old Indian brush lodges.
August 15th Thursday 1805
a Cool windey morning wind from the S W we proceeded on thro a ruged
low mountain water rapid as usial passed a bold running Stream which
falls from the mountain on the Lard. Side at 4 miles, also a bold
running Stream 10 yards wide on the Stard Side 8 feet 3 In. Deep at 6
miles, Willards Creek the bottoms narrow, the Clifs of a Dark brown
Stone Some limestone intermixed— an Indian road passes on the Lard Side
latterly used. Took a Meridian altitude at the Comsnt. of the Mountain
with Octent 65° 47' 0". The Latd. 44° 0' 48 1/10" proceeded on with great
labour & fatigue to the Mouth of a Small run on the Lard. Side
passed Several Spring runs, the men Complain much of their fatigue and
being repetiedly in the water which weakens them much perticularly as
they are obliged to live on pore Deer meet which has a Singular bitter
taste. I have no accounts of Capt Lewis Sence he Set out
In walking on Shore I Saw Several rattle Snakes and narrowly escaped at
two different times, as also the Squar when walking with her husband on
Shore— I killed a Buck nothing else killed to day— This mountn. I call
rattle Snake mountain. not one tree on either Side to day
