History of the expedition under the command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the sources of the Missouri, thence across the Rocky mountains and down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean : performed during the years 1804-5-6 by order of the government of the United States; Volume 1

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Lewis and Clarkc•s Expedition upon by the British traders, and appeared unwilJing to ae. company us, except on certain terms; such as bis not being subject to our ot•ders, and do duty, or to return whenever lte chose. As we s~ clearly the source of his hesitation, and knew that it was intended as an obstacle to our views, we told him that the terms were inadmissible, and that we could dispense with his services: he had accoa·dingly left us with some diSJllcasure. Since then he had made an advance towards joining us, which we showed no anxiety io meet; but this morning he sent an apology for his improper con· duct, and agreed to go with us and perform the same dutiei as the rest of the corps; we therefore took him again into our service. Monday 18. The weather was cold and cloudy, t1JC wind from tlJC north. 'V e were engaged in packing up tile goods into eight divisions, so as to preserve a portion ot' each in case of accident. We hear that the Sioux have lately attack­ed a party of Assiniboins and Knistcnaux, ncar the Assini­boin river, and killed fifty of them. Tuesday 19. Some snow fell last night, and this morning was cold, windy, and cloudy. Shahaka and Kagohami came down to sec us, as did another Indian \vith a sick child, to whom we gave some medicine. '!'here appears to be an ap­proaching ·war, as two parties have ah·cady gone from tbe Minnetarecs, and a third is p1·eparing. . 'Vednesday 20. The morning was cold and cloudy, the wind high from the north, but the afternoon was pleasant. The canoes being finished, four of them were carried down to tho river, at the distance of a mile and a half ft·om whet·e they were constructed. 'l,hursday 21. The remaining periogucs were hau1cd to ihe same place, and all the men except three, who were left to watch them returned to the fort. On his way down, which was about six miles, captain Clarke passed along the points of the high hills, \Vhcre be saw large quantities of pn- Up the .;,[issom·i. mice stone on the foot, sides and tops of the hills, which had every appearance of having been at some period on fire. lie collected specimens of the stone itself, the pumicestone, and the lmrd earth; and on being put into the furnace the hard earth melted and glazed, the pumicestone melted, and the hardstone became a pumicestonc glazed.