"Collected our horses and set out at 7 A.M. At 4 and a half miles
we arrived at the entrance of the Kooskooskee, up the N. Eastern side of
which we continued our march 12 miles to a large lodge of 10 families,
having passed two other large mat lodges.
"At the second lodge, we passed an Indian man who gave Captain
Clark a very elegant gray mare, for which he requested a phial of
eye-water, which was accordingly given him. While we were encamped last
fall at the entrance of the Chopunnish river, Captain Clark gave an
Indian man some volatile liniment to rub his knee and thigh for a pain
of which he complained. The fellow soon after recovered, and has never
ceased to extol the virtues of our medicines, and the skill of my friend
Captain Clark as a physician. This occurrence, added to the benefit
which many of them experienced from the eye-water we gave them about the
same time, has given them an exalted opinion of our medicine.
"My friend Captain Clark is their favorite physician and has
already received many applications. In our present situation, I think it
pardonable to continue this deception, for they will not give us any
provision without compensation in merchandise, and our stock is now
reduced to a mere handful. We take care to give them no article which
can possibly injure them.
[One paragraph omitted here]
"We had several applications to assist their sick, which we refused
unless they would let us have some dogs or horses to eat. A chief, whose
wife had an abscess formed on the small of her back, promised a horse in
the morning, provided we would administer to her. Accordingly, Captain
Clark opened the abscess, introduced a tent [a roll of lint], and
dressed it with basilicon [an ointment of wax, pitch, resin, and olive
oil]. Captain Clark soon had more than fifty applications. I prepared
some doses of flower of sulphur and cream of tartar, which were given
with directions to be taken on each morning.
"A little girl and sundry other patients were offered for cure, but
we postponed our operations until morning. They produced us several
dogs, but they were so poor that they were unfit for use.
"This is the residence of one of the four principal chiefs of the
nation, whom they call Neeshneparkkeook, or The Cut Nose, from the
circumstance of his nose being cut by the Snake [Shoshone] Indians with
a lance, in battle. To this man we gave a medal of the small size, with
the likeness of the President. He may be a great chief, but his
countenance has but little intelligence, and his influence among his
people seems but inconsiderable. A number of Indians besides the
inhabitants of these lodges gathered about us this evening and encamped
in the timbered bottom on the creek near us.
"We met with a Snake Indian man at this place, through whom we
spoke at some length to the natives this evening with respect to the
objects which had induced us to visit their country. This address was
induced at this moment by the suggestions of an old man who observed to
the natives that he thought we were bad men and had come, most probably,
in order to kin them. This impression, if really entertained, I believe
we effaced. They appeared well satisfied with what we said to them, and,
being hungry and tired, we retired to rest at 11 o'clock."
Captain
Lewis, 5 May 1806
