June 1, 1806
Sunday June 1st 1806.
Yesterday evening Charbono an LaPage returned, having made a broken
voyage. they ascended the river on this side nearly opposite to a
village eight miles above us, here their led horse which had on him
their merchandize, feell into the river from the side of a steep clift
and swam over; they saw an indian on the opposite side whom they
prevailed on to drive their horse back again to them; in swiming the
river the horse lost a dressed Elkskin of LaPages and several small
articles, & their paint was destroyed by the water. here they remained
and dryed their articles the evening of the 30th Ult. the indians at
the village learning their errand and not having a canoe, made an
attempt esterday morning to pass the river to them on a raft with a
parsel of roots and bread in order to trade with them; the indian raft
struck a rock, upset and lost thir cargo; the river having fallen heir
to both merchandize and roots, our traders returned with empty bags.
This morning Drewyer accompanyed by Hohastillpilp set out in surch of
two tomahawks of ours which we have understood were in the possession
of certain indians residing at a distance in the plains on the South
side of the Kooskoske; the one is a tomahawk which Capt. C. left at our
camp on Musquetoe Creek and the other was stolen from us while we lay
at the forks of this and the Chopunnish rivers last fall. Colter and
Willard set out this morning on a hunting excurtion towards the quamash
grounds beyond Collins's Creek. we begin to feel some anxiety with
rispect to Sergt. Ordway and party who were sent to Lewis's river for
salmon; we have received no inteligence of them since they set out. we
desired Drewyer to make some enquiry after the Twisted hair; the old
man has not been as good as his word with rispect to encamping near us,
and we fear we shall be at a loss to procure guides to conduct us by
the different routs we wish to pursue from Traveller's rest to the
waters of the Missouri.— I met with a singular plant today in blume of
which I preserved a specemine; it grows on the steep sides of the
fertile hills near this place, the radix is fibrous, not much branched,
annual, woody, white and nearly smooth. the stem is simple branching
ascending, 21/2 feet high celindric, villose and of a pale red colour.
the branches are but few and those near it's upper extremity. the
extremities of the branches are flexable and are bent down near their
extremities with the weight of the flowers. the leaf is sissile,
scattered thinly, nearly linear tho somewhat widest in the middle, two
inches in length, absolutely entire, villose, obtusely pointed and of
an ordinary green. above each leaf a small short branch protrudes,
supporting a tissue of four or five smaller leaves of the same
appearance with those discribed. a leaf is placed underneath eah
branch, and each flower. the calyx is a one flowered spathe. the
corolla superior consists of four pale perple petals which are
tripartite, the central lobe largest and all terminate obtusely; they
are inserted with a long and narrow claw on the top of the germ, are
long, smooth, & deciduous. there are two distinct sets of stamens the
1st or principal consist of four, the filaments of which are capillary,
erect, inserted on the top of the germ alternately with the petals,
equal short, membranous; the anthers are also four each being elivated
with it's fillament, they are linear and reather flat, erect sessile,
cohering at the base, membranous, longitudinally furrowed, twise as
long as the fillament naked, and of a pale perple colour. the second
set of stamens are very minute are also four and placed within and
opposite to the petals, these are scarcely persceptable while the 1st
are large and conspicuous; the filaments are capillary equal, very
short, white and smooth. the anthers are four, oblong, beaked, erect,
cohering at the base, membranous, shorter than the fillaments, white
naked and appear not to form pollen. there is one pistillum; the germ
of which is also one, cilindric, villous, inferior, sessile, as long as
the 1st stamens, and marked with 8 longitudinal furrows. the single
style and stigma form a perfict monapetallous corolla only with this
difference, that the style which elivates the stigma or limb is not a
tube but solid tho it's outer appearance is that of the tube of a
monopetallous corolla swelling as it ascends and gliding in such manner
into the limb that it cannot be said where the style ends, or the
stigma begins; jointly they are as long as the corolla, white, the limb
is four cleft, sauser shaped, and the margins of the lobes entire and
rounded. this has the appearance of a monopetallous flower growing from
the center of a four petalled corollar, which is rendered more
conspicuous in consequence of the 1st being white and the latter of a
pale perple. I regret very much that the seed of this plant are not yet
ripe and it is proble will not be so during my residence in this
neighbourhood.
Sunday June 1st 1806.
Late last evening Shabono & Lapage returnd. haveing made a broken
voyage. they assended the river on this Side nearly opposit to the
Village Eight miles above us, here their led horse who had on him their
Stock of Merchindize fell into the river from the Side of a Steep Clift
and swam over, they Saw an indian on the opposit side whome they
provailed on to drive their horse back again to them; in swiming the
horse lost a dressed Elk skin of LaPages and Several small articles,
and their paint was distroyed by the water. here they remained and
dryed their articles the evening of the 30th ulto. the indians at the
village learned their errand and not haveing a canoe, made an attempt
Yesterday morning made an attempt to pass the river to them on a raft
with a parcel of roots and bread in order to trade with them; the
indian raft Struck a rock upset and lost their Cargo; the river haveing
Swallowed both Merchindize & roots, our traders returned with empty
bags. This morning Geo. Drewyer accompanied by Hohastillpilp Set out in
Serch of two tomahawks of ours which we have understood were in the
possession of certain indians resideing at a distance in the Plains on
the South Side of Flat Head river; one is a pipe tomahawk which Capt L.
left at our Camp on Musquetor Creek and the other was stolen from me
whilst we lay at the forks of this and Chopunnish rivers last fall.
Colter and Willard Set out this morning on a hunting excurtion towards
the quawmash grounds beyond Colins creek. we begin to feel Some anxiety
with respect to Sergt. Ordway and party who were Sent to Lewis's river
for salmon; we have receved no intillegence of them Sence they Set out.
we desired Drewyer to make Some enquiry after the Twisted hair; the old
man has not been as good as his word with respect to encamping near us,
and we fear we Shall be at a loss to procure guides to conduct us by
the different routs we wish to pursue from Travillers rest to the
waters of the Missouri
