"This morning we collected our horses and
set out early, accompanied by the brother of The Twisted Hair as a
guide. Wearkkoomt and his party left us. We proceeded up the river 4
miles to a lodge of 6 families just below the entrance of a small
creek. Here our guide recommended our passing the river. He informed
us that the road was better on the south side, and that game was
more abundant also on that side near the entrance of the Chopunnish
River. We determined to pursue the route recommended by the guide,
and accordingly unloaded our horses and prepared to pass the river,
which we effected by means of one canoe in the course of four hours.
"A man of this lodge produced us two
canisters of powder, which he informed us he had found by means of
his dog where they had been buried in a bottom near the river some
miles above. They were the same which we had buried as we descended
the river last fall. As he kept them safe and had honesty enough to
return them to us, we gave him a fire steel by way of compensation.
"The Shoshone man of whom I have before
made mention overtook us this evening with Neeshneparkkeook, and
remained with us this evening. We supped this evening, as we had
dined, on horse beef. We saw several deer this evening, and a great
number of the tracks of these animals. We determined to remain here
until noon tomorrow in order to obtain some venison, and accordingly
gave orders to the hunters to turn out early in the morning."--Captain
Lewis, 7 May 1806
"Most of the hunters turned out by light
this morning; a few others remained without our permission or
knowledge until late in the morning. We chided them severely for
their indolence and inattention to the order of last evening. About
8 o'clock Shields returned with a small deer, on which we
breakfasted. By 11 A.M. all our hunters returned. Drouilliard and
Cruzat brought each a deer. Collins wounded another, which my dog
caught at a little distance from the camp. Our stock of provision
now consisted of 4 deer and the remnant of the horse which we killed
at Colter's Creek.
"At half after 3 P.M., we departed for
the lodge of The Twisted Hair, accompanied by the chief and sundry
other Indians. The relation of The Twisted Hair left us. The road
led us up a steep and high hill to a high and level plain mostly
unlimbered, through which we passed parallel with the river about 4
miles when we met The Twisted Hair and a party of six men. To this
chief we had confided the care of our horses and a part of our
saddles when we descended the river last fall.
"The Twisted Hair received us very
coolly, an occurrence as unexpected as it was unaccountable to us.
He shortly began to speak with a loud voice and in an angry manner.
When he had ceased to speak, he was answered by the Cutnose Chief,
or Neeshneparkkeook. We readily discovered that a violent quarrel
had taken place between these chiefs but at that instant knew not
the cause We afterwards learned that it was on the subject of our
horses. This controversy between the chiefs detained us about 20
minutes.
"In order to put an end to this dispute,
as well as to relieve our horses from the embarrassment of their
loads, we informed the chiefs that we should continue our march to
the first water and encamp. Accordingly, we moved on and the Indians
all followed. About two miles on the road, we arrived at a little
branch which ran to the right. Here we encamped for the evening,
having traveled 6 miles today. The two chiefs with their little
bands formed separate camps a short distance from ours. They all
appeared to be in an ill humor. To obtain our horses and saddles as
quickly as possible is our wish, and we are somewhat apprehensive
that this difference which has taken place between these chiefs may
militate against our operations in this respect. We were therefore
desirous to bring about a good understanding between them as soon as
possible.
"The Shoshone boy refused to speak. He
alleged it was a quarrel between two chiefs, and that he had no
business with it. It was in vain that we urged that his interpreting
what we said on this subject was not taking the responsibility of
the interference on himself. He remained obstinately silent.
"About an hour after we had encamped,
Drouilliard returned from hunting. We sent him to The Twisted Hair
to make some inquiries relative to our horses and saddles, and to
ask him to come and smoke with us. The Twisted Hair accepted the
invitation and came to our fire.
"The Twisted Hair informed us that,
according to the promise he had made us when he separated from us at
the falls of the Columbia, he collected our horses on his return and
took charge of them. That about this time The Cut Nose, or
Neeshneparkkeook, and Tunnachemootoolt, or The Broken Arm, returned
from a war excursion against the Shoshones on the south branch of
Lewis's River which had caused their absence when we were in this
neighborhood. That these men had become dissatisfied with him in
consequence of our having confided the horses to his care, and that
they were eternally quarreling with him insomuch that he thought it
best, as he was an old man, to relinquish any further attention to
the horses; that they had consequently become scattered; that most
of the horses were near this place, a part were in the Forks between
the Chopunnish and Kooskooskee rivers, and three or four others were
at the lodge of The Broken Arm, about half a day's march higher up
the river.
"He informed us with respect to our
saddles that on the rise of the water this spring, the earth had
fallen from the door of the cache and exposed the saddles. He, being
informed of their situation, had taken them up and placed them in
another cache, where they were at this time. He said it was probable
that a part of them had fallen into the water but of this he was not
certain. The Twisted Hair said if we would spend the day, tomorrow,
at his lodge, which was a few miles only from hence and on the road
leading to The Broken Arm's lodge, he would collect such of our
horses as were near this place, and our saddles; that he would also
send some young men over the Kooskooskee to collect those in the
forks and bring them to the lodge of The Broken Arm, to meet us. He
advised us to go to the lodge of The Broken Arm, as he said he was a
chief of great eminence among them, and promised to accompany us
thither if we wished him."--Captain
Lewis, 8 May 1806
"Late in the evening, The Twisted Hair
and Willard returned. They brought about half of our saddles, and
some powder and lead which had been buried at that place. My saddle
was among the number of those which were lost. About the same time,
the young men arrived with 21 of our horses. The greater part of our
horses were in fine order. Five of them appeared to have been so
much injured by the Indians riding them last fall, that they had not
yet recovered and were in low order."--Captain
Lewis, 9 May 1806
"At four in the afternoon, we descended
the hills to Commearp Creek [Lawyer's Canyon Creek] and arrived at
the village of Tunnachemootoolt, the chief at whose lodge we had
left the flag last fall. This flag was now displayed on a staff
placed at no great distance from the lodge. Underneath the flag, the
chief met my friend Captain Clark, who was in front, and conducted
him about 80 yards to a place on the bank of the creek where he
requested we should encamp. I came up in a few minutes and we
collected the chiefs and men of consideration, smoked with them, and
stated our situation with respect to provision. The chief spoke to
his people, and they produced us about two bushels of the quamash
roots, dried, four cakes of the bread of cows, and a dried salmon
trout. We thanked them for this store of provision but informed them
that, our men not being accustomed to live on roots alone, we feared
it would make them sick, to obviate which we proposed exchanging a
horse in rather low order for a young horse in tolerable order with
a view to kill. The hospitality of the chief revolted at the idea of
an exchange. He told us that his young men had a great abundance of
young horses, and if we wished to eat them we should be furnished
with as many as we wanted. Accordingly, they soon produced us two
fat young horses, one of which we killed. The other we informed them
we would postpone killing until we had consumed the one already
killed.
"A principal chief by name Hohastillpilp,
arrived with a party of fifty men mounted on elegant horses. He had
come on a visit to us from his village, which is situated about six
miles distant near the river. We invited this man into our circle
and smoked with him. His retinue continued on horseback at a little
distance. After we had eaten a few roots, we spoke to them as we had
promised, and gave Tunnachemooltoolt and Hohastillpilp each a medal;
the former one of the small size with the likeness of Mr. Jefferson,
and the latter one of the sowing medals struck in the presidency of
Washington. We explained to them the design and the importance of
medals in the estimation of the whites as well as the red men who
had been taught their value. The chief had a large conic lodge of
leather erected for our reception, and a parcel of wood collected
and laid at the door; after which he invited Captain Clark and
myself to make that lodge our home while we remained with him."--Captain
Lewis, 10 May 1806
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