Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database

Celebrating The Corps of Discovery Expedition Bicentennial

Originally Published June 28, 2003

The Expedition's Journey Continues:

The guides have joined the Expedition and it's time to move on. The native peoples give the Corps a show as a special treat:

Last evening the Indians entertained us with setting the fir trees on fire. They have a great number of dry limbs near their bodies, which, when set on fire, create a very sudden and immense blaze from top to bottom of those tall trees. They are a beautiful object in this situation at night. This exhibition reminded me of a display of fireworks. The natives told us that their object in setting those trees on fire was to bring fair weather for our journey.

We collected our horses and set out at an early hour this morning. One of our guides complained of being unwell, a symptom which I did not much like, as such complaints with an Indian are generally the prelude to his abandoning any enterprise with which he is not well pleased. We left 4 of those Indians at our encampment. They promised to pursue us in a few hours. At 11 A.M. we arrived at the branch of Hungry Creek, where we found Joe and R. Fields. They had not killed anything. Here we halted and dined, and our guides overtook us.

At this place the squaw [Sakagawea] collected a parcel of roots of which the Shoshones eat. It is a small knob root a good deal in flavor and consistency like the Jerusalem artichoke.

After dinner we continued our route to Hungry Creek and encamped about 1 1/2 miles below our encampment of the 16th inst. The Indians all continue with us and, I believe, are disposed to be faithful to their engagements.
Captain Clark, 25 June 1806

We collected our horses and set out early and proceeded on down Hungry Creek a few miles and ascended to the summit of the mountain where we deposited our baggage on the 17th inst. Found everything safe as we had left them. The snow, which was 10 feet 10 inches deep on the top of the mountain, had sunk to 7 feet, though perfectly hard and firm. We made some fire, cooked dinner, and dined, while our horses stood on snow 7 feet deep at least. After dinner we packed up and proceeded on.

The Indians hastened us off and informed us that it was a considerable distance to the place they wished to reach this evening, where there was grass for our horses. Accordingly we set out with our guides, who led us over and along the steep sides of tremendous mountains entirely covered with snow except about the roots of the trees, where the snow was partially melted and exposed a small spot of earth. We ascended and descended several steep, lofty heights, but, keeping on the dividing ridge of the Chopunnish and Kooskooskee rivers, we passed no stream of water.

Late in the evening, much to the satisfaction of ourselves and the comfort of the horses, we arrived at the desired spot, and encamped on the steep side of a mountain convenient to a good spring. Soon after we had encamped, we were overtaken by a Chopunnish man who had pursued us with a view to accompany Captain Lewis to the Falls of Missouri.
Captain Clark, 26 June 1806

We collected our horses early and set out. The road still continued on the heights of the dividing ridge on which we had traveled yesterday, for 9 miles or to our encampment of the 16th September last. About 1 mile short of the encampment, we halted by the request of the guides a few minutes on an elevated point and smoked a pipe. On this eminence the natives have raised a conic mound of stones, 6 or 8 feet high, and erected a pine pole of 15 feet long. From hence they informed us that when passing over with their families some of the men were usually sent on foot by the fishery at the entrance of Colt Creek in order to take fish and again meet the party at the quamash glade on the head of Kooskooskee River. From this place we had an extensive view of these stupendous mountains principally covered with snow like that on which we stood. We were entirely surrounded by those mountains, from which, to one unacquainted with them, it would have seemed impossible ever to have escaped. In short, without the assistance of our guides, I doubt much whether we who had once passed them could find our way to Traveler's Rest, in their present situation, for the marked trees, on which we had placed considerable reliance are much fewer and more difficult to find than we had apprehended. Those Indians are most admirable pilots. We find the road wherever the snow has disappeared, though it be only for a few paces.

After having smoked the pipe [probably Kinnikinnik--Wally] and contemplating this scene sufficient to have dampened the spirits of any except such hardy travelers as we have become, we continued our march and at the distance of 3 miles descended a steep mountain and passed two small branches of the Chopunnish River just above their fork, and again ascended the ridge on which we passed. At the distance of 7 miles, arrived at our encampment of 16th September last.

Our meat being exhausted, we issued a pint of bear's oil to a mess with which their boiled roots made an agreeable dish. Joe Potts's leg, which had been much swollen and inflamed for several days, is much better this evening and gives him but little pain. We applied the pounded root and leaves of wild ginger, from which he found great relief.
Captain Clark, 27 June 1806

Hmmm, bear's oil and boiled roots. Captain Clark calls this an "agreeable dish." It would, at least, be nourishing and probably tasted just fine out in the wild country surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Note the wild ginger poultice used to ease the inflamation of Joe Pott's leg. Good medicine.

Go to our Corps of Discovery Expedition Bicentennial Index page to see all links in this series. Or click here to go directly to the next installment of our journey.