The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Part 125

[Lewis, May 19, 1806]

Monday May 19th 1806.

It continued to rain this morning untill 8 OCk. when it became fair. We sent Charbono, Thompson, Potts, Hall and Wiser over the river to a village above in order to purchase some roots to eat with our lean bear meat. for this purpose we gave them a few awls, Kniting pins and Armbands. we were informed that there was a canoe at the village in which they could pa.s.s the river. I sent Joseph and R. Feilds up the river in surch of the horse which I rode over the Rocky mountains last fall. he had been seen yesterday with a pa.r.s.e) of indian horses and has become almost wild. at 11 A.M. Thompson returned from the village accompanied by a train of invalids consisting of 4 men 8 women and a child. The men had soar eyes and the women in addition to soar eyes had a variety of other complaints princ.i.p.ally rheumatic; a weakness and pain in the loins is a common complaint with their women. eyewater was administered to all; to two of the women cathartics were given, to a third who appeared much dejected and who from their account of her disease we supposed it to be histerical, we gave 30 drops of Laudanum.

the several parts of the others where the rheumatic pains were seated were well rubed with volitile linniment. all of those poor wretches thought themselves much benefited and all returned to their village well satisfyed. at 5 P.M. or marketers returned with about 6 bushels of the cows roots and a considerable quanty of bread of the same materials. late in the evening Reubin and Joseph Feilds returned with my horse; we had him immediately castrated together with two others by Drewyer in the ordinary. we amused ourselves about an hour this afternoon in looking at the men running their horses. several of those horses would be thought fleet in the U States. a little after dark Sheilds and Gibson returned unsuccessful) from the chase. they had seen some deer but no bear.

[Clark, May 19, 1806]

Monday 19th May 1806 Rained this morning untill 8 oClock when it Cleared off and became fair-. we Sent Shabono, Thomson, Potts, Hall & Wizer over to the Villages above to purchase Some roots to eate with our pore bear meat, for which purchase we gave them a fiew Awls, Knitting pins, & arm bans and directed them to proceed up on this Side of the river opposit to the Village and Cross in the Cano which we are informed is at that place. Sent Jo. & Reuben Field up the river a Short distance after the horse which Capt. Lewis rode over the mountains last fall, which horse was Seen yesterday with a gangue of Indian horses, and is Very wild-.

about 11 oClock 4 men and 8 Women Came to our Camp with Thompson who went to the Village very early this morning. those Men applyed for Eye water and the Women had a Variety of Complaints tho the most general Complaint was the Rhumitism, pains in the back and the Sore eyes, they also brought fowd. a very young Child whome they Said had been very Sick-. I administered eye water to all, two of the women I gave a carthartic, one whose Spirets were very low and much hipedz I gave 30 drops of Lodomem, and to the others I had their backs hips legs thighs & arms well rubed with Volitile leniment all of those pore people thought themselves much benifited by what had been done for them, and at 3 P.M. they all returned to their Villages well satisfied. at 5 P.M.

Potts, Shabono &c. returned from the Village with about 6 bushels of the root the nativs Call Cowse and Some bread of the Same root. Rubin & Jos. Fields returned with the horse Capt. Lewis rode across the rocky mountains we had this horse imedeately Cut with 2 others which we had not before thought proper to Castrate. we amused ourselves about an hour this after noon looking at the men run their horses, Several of them would be thought Swift horses in the atlantic States. a little after dark John s.h.i.+elds and Gibson returned haveing killed nothing.

they Saw Some deer but Saw no bear.

[Lewis, May 20, 1806]

Tuesday May 20th 1806.

It rained the greater part of last night and continued this morning untill noon when it cleared away about an hour and then rained at intervals untill 4 in the evening. our covering is so indifferent that Capt C. and myself lay in the water the greater part of the last night.

Drewyer, and the two Feildses set out on a hunting excurtion towards the mountains. Shannon and Colter came in unsuccessfull, they had wounded a bear and a deer last evening but the night coming on they were unable to pursue them, and the snow which fell in the course of the night and this morning had covered the blood and rendered all further pursuit impracticable. at 2 P.M. Labuish arrived with a large buck of the Mule deer speceis which he had killed on Collins's Creek yesterday. he had left Cruzatte and Collins on the Creek where they were to wait his return. he informed us that it was snowing on the plain while it was raining at our camp in the river bottom. late in the evening Labuish and LaPage set out to join Collins and Cruzatte in order to resume their hunt early tomorrow morning. this evening a party of indians a.s.sembled on the opposite bank of the river and viewed our camp with much attention for some time and retired.--at 5 P.M. Frazier who had been permitted to go to the village this morning returned with a pasel of Roots and bread which he had purchased. bra.s.s b.u.t.tons is an article of which these people are tolerably fond, the men have taken advantage of their prepossession in favour of b.u.t.tons and have devested themselves of all they had in possesson which they have given in exchange for roots and bread.

[Clark, May 20, 1806]

Tuesday 20th May 1806 rained the greater part of the last night and this morning untill meridean when it Cleared away for an hour and began to rain and rained at entervals untill 4 P.M. our Covering was so indefferent that Capt Lewis and my self was wet in our bed all the latter part of the night.

Drewyer, Jos. & R. Fields Set out to towards the mountains. Shannon & Colter Came in without any thing. they had Seen and Shot at a Bear and a Deer neither of which they Could get. both of those Animals they must have Wounded Mortally, but the night Comeing on prevented their following them, and this morning the Snow had Covered the tracks and hid the blood and prevented their getting either of them.

at 2 P.M. Labiech Came in with a large Buck of the Mule Deer Speces which he had killed on Collins's Creek yesterday. he left Collins and Peter Crusat on the Creek at which place they would Continue untill his return. he informd. us that it was Snowing on the leavel plains on the top of the hill all the time it was raining in the bottom at our Camp.

Labiech & Lapage returned to Collins & Crusat in the evening late for the purpose of Pursueing the hunt in the Morning early. Several Indians came to the opposit side of the River and viewed us some time. at 5 P M Frazur who had leave to go to the Village returned with Some roots which he had purchased. cloudy &c.

[Lewis, May 21, 1806]

Wednesday May 21st 1806.

It rained a few hours this morning. Sheilds and Gibson set out to hunt towards the mountains. Collins came to camp at noon and remained about 2 hours; he has killed nothing since he left us last. we set five men at work to make a canoe for the purpose of fis.h.i.+ng and pa.s.sing the river. the Indians have already promised us a horse for this canoe when we have no longer any uce for her. as our tent was not sufficient to shelter us from the rain we had a lodge constructed of willow poles and gra.s.s in the form of the orning of a waggon closed at one end. this we had made sufficiently large to sleep in and to shelter the most important part of our baggage. it is perfectly secure against the rain sun and wind and affords us much the most comfortable shelter we have had since we left Fort Clatsop. today we divided the remnant of our store of merchandize among our party with a view that each should purchase therewith a pa.r.s.el of roots and bread from the natives as his stores for the rocky mountains for there seems but little probability that we shall be enabled to make any dryed meat for that purpose and we cannot as yet form any just idea what resource the fish will furnish us. each man's stock in trade amounts to no more than one awl, one Kniting pin, a half an ounce of vermillion, two nedles, a few scanes of thead and about a yard of ribbon; a slender stock indeed with which to lay in a store of provision for that dreary wilderness. we would make the men collect these roots themselves but there are several speceis of hemlock which are so much like the cows that it is difficult to discriminate them from the cows and we are affraid that they might poison themselves. the indians have given us another horse to kill for provision which we keep as a reserved store. our dependence for subsistence is on our guns, the fish we may perhaps take, the roots we can purchase from the natives and as the last alternative our horses.

we eat the last morsel of meat which we had for dinner this evening, yet n.o.body seems much conserned about the state of provision. Willard, Sergt. Ordway and Goodrich were permitted to visit the village today; the former returned in the evening with some roots and bread, the two last remaining all night. one of our party brought in a young sandhill crain it was about the size of a pateridge and of a redish brown colour, it appeared to be about 5 or six days old; these crains are abundant in this neighbourhood.

[Clark, May 21, 1806]

Wednesday 21st May 1806 rained this morning. s.h.i.+elds and Gibson Set out to hunt towards the mountains. Collins Came in to day and Stayed in about two hours, he has killed nothing Since he went out last. we Set 5 Men at work to build a Canoe for the purpose of takeing fish and pa.s.sing the river and for which we can get a good horse. as our tent is not Sufficient to keep off the rain we are Compelled to have Some other resort for a Security from the repeeted Showers which fall. we have a small half circular place made and Covered with gra.s.s which makes a very Secure Shelter for us to Sleep under. We devided our Store of merchindize amongst our party for the purpose of precureing Some roots &c. of the nativs to each mans part amounted to about an awl Knitting pin a little paint and Some thread & 2 Needles which is but a Scanty dependance for roots to take us over those Great Snowey Barriers (rocky mountains) which is and will be the Cause of our Detention in this neighbourhood probably untill the 10 or 15 of June. they are at this time Covered deep with Snow. the plains on the high Country above us is also covered with Snow. Serjt. Ordway, Goodrich, & Willard went to the village to day to precure a fiew roots. we eate the last of our meat for Dinner to day, and our only Certain dependance is the roots we Can precure from the nativs for the fiew articles we have left those roots with what Game we Can precure from the wods will probably last us untill the arival of the Salmon. if they Should not; we have a horse in Store ready to be killed which the indians have offered to us. Willard returned from the Village. Sergt. Ordway and Goodrich Continued all night. one of the men brought me a young Sandhill Crain which was about 5 or 6 days old it was of a yellowish brown Colour, about the Size of a partridge. Those Crains are very abundant in every part of this country in pars of two, and Sometimes three together.

the party had gathered roots with leaves still attached they probably could have been sorted with Indian a.s.sistance. However, the parsley family (Apiaceae) is one of the most diverse and confusing plant families in the region, and Lewis could not be sure that the men would not bring back some other poisonous species not well known to the Indians. The decision to purchase roots was probably prudent.

[Lewis, May 22, 1806]

Thursday May 22ed 1806.

A fine morning we exposed all our baggage to air and dry as well as our store of roots and bread purchased from the natives. permited Windsor and McNeal to go to the indian village. Sergt. Ordway and Goodrich returned this morning with a good store of roots and bread. about noon 2 indian men came down the river on a raft and continued at our camp about 3 hours and returned to their village. we.sent out Shannon and Colter to hunt towards the mountains. we sent Sergt. Pryor down to the entrance of Collins's Creek to examine the country and look out for a good position for an encampment on the river below that Creek, having determined to remove our camp below that crek if it continues high, as soon as we have completed our canoe, as the country to which we are confined to hunt at present is limited by this creek and river to a very narrow tract, and game have already become scarce. if we can obtain a good situation below the entrance of this creek it will be much more eligible as the hunting country is more extensive and game more abundant than above. The horse which the indians have given us to kill was driven away yesterday by the natives with a gang of their horses I presume in mistake; being without meat at noon we directed one of the largest of our colts to be killed. we found the flesh of this animal fat tender and by no means illy flavoured. we have three others which we mean to reserve for the rocky mountains if we can subsist here without them. my horse which was castrated the day before yesterday wounded his thigh on the inner side with the rope by which he was confined that evening and is now so much swolen with the wound the castraiting and the collection of vermen that he cannot walk, in short he is the most wretched specticle; I had his wounds clensed of the vermen by was.h.i.+ng them well with a strong decoction of the bark of the roots & leaves of elder but think the chances are against his recovery.

at 3 P.M. we observed a large party of Indians on horseback in pursuit of a deer which they ran into the river opposite to our camp; Capt. C.

Myself & three of our men shot and killed the deer in the water; the indians pursued it on a raft and caught it. it is astonis.h.i.+ng to see these people ride down those steep hills which they do at full speed.

on our return to camp we found Drewyer the Two Feildses Gibson and Sheilds just arrived with five deer which they had killed at a considerable distance towards the mountains. they also brought with them two red salmon trout which they had purchased from some indians whom they had met with on their return to camp.--Two Indians who were just arrived at our camp informed us that these salmon trout remained in this river the greater part of the winter, that they were not good at this season which we readily discovered, they were very meagre.

these indians also informed us that there were at this time a great number of salmon at no great distance from hence in Lewis's river which had just arrived and were very fat and fine, they said it would be some yet before they would ascend this river as high as this place. a party of the natives on the opposite sh.o.r.e informed those with us that a party of the Shoshones had two nights past surrounded a lodge of their nation on the South side of Lewis's river, that the inhabitants having timely discovered the enimy effected their retreat in the course of the night and escaped. Charbono's Child is very ill this evening; he is cuting teeth, and for several days past has had a violent lax, which having suddonly stoped he was attacked with a high fever and his neck and throat are much swolen this evening. we gave him a doze of creem of tartar and flour of sulpher and applyed a poltice of boiled onions to his neck as warm as he could well bear it. Sergt. Pryor returned late in the evening and informed us that he had been down the river eight miles and that the clifts set in so abruptly to the river he could get no further without returning several miles back and ascending the hills and that he had thought it best to return and ride down tomorrow on the high plain as he believed the mouth of the creek was a considerable distance. Drewyer who has been at the place informs us that it is about 10 ms. and that there is no situation on the river for some distance below this creek which can possibly answer our purposes.--we dryed our baggage &c perfectly and put it up.-

[Clark, May 22, 1806]

Thursday 22nd May 1806 a fine day we exposed all our baggage to the Sun to air and dry, also our roots which we have precured of the nativs. gave promission to Windser & McNeal to go to the Indian Villages. Sergt. Ordway and goodrich returned at 11 A.M. Soon after 2 Indian men Came down on a raft and Continued with us about 3 hours and then returned to their Village. Shannon & Colter went out to day to hunt towards the mountains. Sergt. Pryor went out to hunt down the river, and examine the mouth of Collins Creek, if a good Situation was below that Creek for a Camp. this Creek which Cannot be pa.s.sed owing to it's debth & rapidity is a great beariore in our way to the best hunting Country. it confines us to a narrow scope between this Creek and the river on which we are Camped. If a Situation can be found imedeately below the Creek it will answer us better than our present one as from thence we Can get out to Some distance to hunt, and be convenient also to the fish Should they pa.s.s up &c. The horse the Indian's left with us to kill has been drove to their village with a gang of horses which I suppose belonged to another man. as the greater part of our men have not had any Meat to eate for 2 days, and the roots they Complain of, not being accustiomed to live on them altogether we derected a large Coalt which was given to us by a young man with an elegant mare on the ____ instant. this Coalt was fat and was handsom looking meat. late in the evening we were informed that the horse which Capt L. rode over the rocky mountains and which was Cut day before yesterday had his hip out of place Since that time, and Could not walk. Capt. Lewis examined him and thought he Could not recover. at 3 P.M. we observed a number of Indians in chase of a deer on their horses on the opposit hill Sides. Soon after the deer took the water I Capt L. and 3 men run down on this Side, and killed the deer in the water, the deer floated down and the Indians took it by means of a raft which they had ready. on my return to Camp found Drewyer Jos. & Reuben Fields, s.h.i.+elds and gibson just arrived from the Cha.s.s with 5 Deer which they had killed on the high lands toward the mountains. they also brought with them two Salmon trout which they had purchased of Indians which they Saw on their return to Camp. at 5 p. M.

two young men highly decurated in their way Came to our camp and informed us that the fat fish were in great numbers in Lewis's river.

that those Salmon trout which our hunters brought were pore and Such as were Cought in the Winter in this river and were not the kind which Comes up in the Spring of the year. great number of Indians Come to the opposit bank and inform those on this Side that the Snake Indians had come to a Lodge on Lewis's river at night. the inhabitents previously discovering them abandened the house. Shabonoes Son a Small child is, dangerously ill. his jaw and throat is much Swelled. we apply a poltice of Onions. after giveing him Some creem of tarter &c. this day proved to be fine fair which afforded us an oppertunety of drying our baggage which had got a little wet.

[Lewis, May 23, 1806]

Friday May 23rd 1806.

Sergt. Pryor wounded a deer early this morning in a lick near camp; my dog pursud it into the river; the two young Indian men who had remained with us all night mounted their horses swam the river and drove the deer into the water again; Sergt. Pryor killed it as it reached the sh.o.r.e on this side, the indians returned as they had pa.s.sed over. we directed half this deer to be given to the indians, they immediately made a fire and cooked their meat, 4 others joined them from the village with the a.s.sistance of whom they consumed their portion of the spoil in less than 2 hours and took their leave of our camp. The Creem of tartar and sulpher operated several times on the child in the course of the last night, he is considerably better this morning, tho the swelling of the neck has abated but little; we still apply polices of onions which we renew frequently in the course of the day and night. at noon we were visited by 4 indians who informed us they cad come from their village on Lewis's river at the distance of two days ride in order to see us and obtain a little eyewater, Capt. C. washed their eyes and they set out on their return to their village. our skill as phisicans and the virture of our medecines have been spread it seems to a great distance. I sincerely wish it was in our power to give releif to these poor afficted wretches. at 1 P.M. Shannon, Colter, Labuish, Cruzatte, Collins, and LaPage returned from hunting without having killed anything except a few pheasants of the dark brown kind, which they brought with them.These hunters informed us that they had hunted the country deligently between the river and Creek for some distance above and below our camp and that there was no game to be found. all the horses which have been castrated except my poor unfortunate horse appear as if they would do very well. I am convinced that those cut by the indians will get well much soonest and they do not swell nor appear to suffer as much as those cut in the common way.

[Clark, May 23, 1806]

Friday 23rd May 1806 a fair morning. Sergt. Pryor wounded a Deer at a lick near our Camp and our dog prosued it into the river. two Indians which happened to be at our Camp Mounted their horses and Swam across the river chased the deer into the water again and pursued it across to the Side on which we were, and as the Deer Came out of the Water Sgt. Pryor killed it. we derected half of this deer to be given to those two indians. they imediately made a fire and Cooked the meat. 4 others joined them from the Village and they Soon consumed their portion. The Child is Something better this morning than it was last night. we apply a fresh poltice of the wild Onion which we repeeted twice in the Course of the day. the Swelling does not appear to increas any Since yesterday. The 4 Indians who visited us to day informed us that they Came from their village on Lewis's river two days ride from this place for the purpose of Seeing of us and getting a little eye water I washed their eyes with Some eyewater and they all left us at 2 P.M. and returned to the Villages on the opposit Side of this river. at 1 oClock Shannon, Colter, Labiech, Crusatt Lapage and Collins all returned from hunting without haveing killed any thing except a fiew heath hens & black Pheasants two of which they brought with them. Labiech also brought a whisteling squerel which he had killed on it's hole in the high plains.

this squerel differs from those on the Missouri in their Colour, Size, food and the length tal and from those found near the falls of Columbia

Our hunters brought us a large hooting owl which differ from those of the atlantic States. The plumage of this owl is an uniform mixture of dark yellowish brown and white, in which the dark brown prodominates.

it's Colour may be properly termed a dark Iron gray. the plumage is very long and remarkably Silky and Soft. those have not the long feathers on the head which give it the appearance of ears, or horns, remarkable large eyes

the hunters informed us that they had hunted with great industry all the Country between the river and for Some distance above and below without the Smallest Chance of killing any game. they inform us that the high lands are very cold with snow which has fallen for every day or night for Several past. our horses which was Cut is like to doe well.

[Lewis, May 24, 1806]

Sat.u.r.day May 24th 1806.

The child was very wrestless last night; it's jaw and the back of it's neck are much more swolen than they were yesterday tho his fever has abated considerably. we gave it a doze of creem of tartar and applyed a fresh poltice of onions. we ordered some of the hunters out this morning and directed them to pa.s.s Collins's creek if possible and hunt towards the quawmash feilds. William Bratton still continues very unwell; he eats heartily digests his food well, and his recovered his flesh almost perfectly yet is so weak in the loins that he is scarcely able to walk nor can he set upwright but with the greatest pain. we have tryed every remidy which our engenuity could devise, or with which our stock of medicines furnished us, without effect. John Sheilds observed that he had seen men in a similar situation restored by violent sweats. Bratton requested that he might be sweated in the manner proposed by Sheilds to which we consented. Sheilds sunk a circular hole of 3 feet diamiter and four feet deep in the earth. he kindled a large fire in the hole and heated well, after which the fire was taken out a seat placed in the center of the hole for the patient with a board at bottom for his feet to rest on; some hoops of willow poles were bent in an arch crossing each other over the hole, on these several blankets were thrown forming a secure and thick orning of about 3 feet high. the patient being striped naked was seated under this orning in the hole and the blankets well secured on every side. the patient was furnished with a vessell of water which he sprinkles on the bottom and sides of the hole and by that means creates as much steam or vapor as he could possibly bear, in this situation he was kept about 20 minutes after which he was taken out and suddonly plunged in cold water twise and was then immediately returned to the sweat hole where he was continued three quarters of an hour longer then taken out covered up in several blankets and suffered to cool gradually. during the time of his being in the sweat hole, he drank copious draughts of a strong tea of horse mint. Sheilds says that he had previously seen the tea of Sinnecca snake root used in stead of the mint which was now employed for the want of the other which is not be found in this country.--this experiment was made yesterday; Bratton feels himself much better and is walking about today and says he is nearly free from pain.--at 11 A.M. a canoe arrived with 3 of the natives one of them the sick man of whom I have before made mentions as having lost the power of his limbs. he is a cheif of considerable note among them and they seem extreemly anxious for his recovery. as he complains of no pain in any particular part we conceive it cannot be the rheumatism, nor do we suppose that it can be a parelitic attack or his limbs would have been more deminished. we have supposed that it was some disorder which owed it's origine to a diet of particular roots perhaps and such as we have never before witnessed. while at the village of the broken arm we had recommended a diet of fish or flesh for this man and the cold bath every morning. we had also given him a few dozes of creem of tarter and flour of sulpher to be repeated every 3rd day. this poor wretch thinks that he feels himself of somewhat better but to me there appears to be no visible alteration. we are at a loss what to do for this unfortunate man. we gave him a few drops of Laudanum and a little portable soup. 4 of our party pased the river and visited the lodge of the broken Arm for the purpose of traiding some awls which they had made of the links of small chain belonging to one of their steel traps, for some roots. they returned in the evening having been very successfull, they had obtained a good supply of roots and bread of cows.--this day has proved warmer than any of the preceeding since we have arrived here.

[Clark, May 24, 1806]

Sat.u.r.day 24th May 1806 a fine morning the Child was very restless last night its jaw and back of its neck is much more Swelled than it was yesterday. I gave it a dost of Creme of Tarter and a fresh Poltice of Onions. ordered s.h.i.+elds, Gibson, Drewyer, Crusat, Collins, and Jo. & rubin Fields to turn out hunting and if possible Cross Collins Creek and hunt towards the quar mash fields. W. Brattin is yet very low he eats hartily but he is So weak in the Small of his back that he Can't walk. we have made use of every remidy to restore him without it's haveing the desired effect.

one of our party, John s.h.i.+elds observed that he had Seen men in Similar Situations restored by Violent Swets. and bratten requested that he might be Swetted in the way Sheilds purposed which we agreed to.