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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466 Lrwi.~ ana Clarke's Expctlition very frankly, that his nation, the Chopunnish, would take from the old man any presents that he might have on pas· sing their camp. 'l'be Indians came about our camp at night, and were very gay and good-humoured with the men. Among othel' exhibitions was that of a S(juaw who apJ>eared to be crazy: she sang in a wild incoherent manner, and would offer to the spectators all the little articles she possessed, scarifying herself in n horrid manner if any one refused her present: she seemed to be an object of pity among the Indians, who suffered her to do as she pleased without interruption. Thursday. 10. A fine morning. We loaded the canoes and set off at seven o'clock. At the distance of two and a half miles we had passed three islands, the last of which i~ opposite to a small stream on the right. Within the fol­lowing three and a half miles is another island and a creek on the left, with wide low grounds, containing willow and cottonwood trees, on which were three tents of Indians. Two miles lower is the head of a large island, and six and a half miles further we halted at an encampment of eight lodges ou the left, in order to view a rapid before us: we had already passed eight, and some of them difficult; but tbis was worse than any of them, being a very hazardous ripple strewed with rocks: we here purchased roots and dined with the Indians. Among them was n man from the falls, who says tlmt he saw white people at that place, and is very de­sirous of going down with us; an offer which however we declined. ;f ust above this camp we had passed a tent, near which was an Indian bathing liimselfin a small pond or hole of water, warmed by throwing in hot stones. After finish­ing our meal we descended the rapid with no injury, except to one of our boats which ran against a rock, but in the course of an hour was brought off with only a small split in her side. This ripple, f1·om its appearance and difficulty, we named the Rugged rapid. We went on over :five other rapids of a less dangerous kind, and at the distance of five U11 tlte .iUissoal'i. 1..67 miles •·eached a large fot·k of the rivet• from the south; and after coming twenty miles, halted below the jun('.tion on the right side ol" the t•ivcr: our arrival soon attracted the attention of the Indians, who ilockctl in all directions to see us. In the evening the Indian ft·om the falls, whom we had seen at tho Ruggml rapid, joined us with his son in a small canoe, and insisted on aecompa.n) ing us to the falls. Dring again reduced to fish and roots we made an experiment to va.ry our food by put·chsing a few dogs, and after having been accustomed to horse-flesh, felt no disrclish to this new (lisb. The Chopunnish have gt•eat numbers of dogs which they employ for domestic purposes, but ncvet• eat; and our using the ftesh of that animal soon LH'ought us into ridicule as dog-eaters. The country at the junction or the two t•ivers is an open plain on all sides, broken towards the left by a distant ridge of highland, thinly covered with timber: this is the only body of timber which the eount•·y }Jossesses; for at the forks there is not a tree to be seen, and dut·ing almost the whole descent of sixty miles down the Kooskooskcc f1·om its forks there are very few. This soutl1ern branch is in fact the main str·oam of Lewis•s river on which we encamped when among the Shoshonees. The Indians infor·m us that it is navigable for sixty miles; that not far from its mouth it receives a bl'anch from the south; autl a second and larger bt·anch, two days' march up, and neat•ly parallel to the first Cho}lunnish villag(~s, we met ncar the mountains. This branch is called Pawnashte, and j.s the residence of a chief, who, according to their expression, has more horses than he can count. The t•iver bas many rapids, near which are situated many fishing camps; there being ten establishments of this before reaching the first southern branch; one on that stream five between that and the Pawnashte; one. on ' . that river, and two above it; besides many other Indians who reside high up on the .Qlore distaat w~-9f dlii riyer.