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 2

Page 138

c;plain Clnrke procures fOUl' horses fOI' the transportation ol tltc bng'J;.,t;c-.l)mt furthe1· nccouut of the Skilloot triuc-tla ciJ·joy at I he fir~t n]Jpcnrnnre of sAlmon in the Columbia-thcit· thievish propcusitil's-thc p~u·ty arrive :1t the ,illnge of the Enccshut·s, whc1·e the nati' es :u·c found ulikc unfriendly-the part}' no'~ p1·ovi.ded '~1th hot·scs-thc Ilat·ty prevented from the cxc1·cisc of hostility :\!)!llllRl tlu natton by a fri endly adjustment-the ~CUJ 'city of timbct• , 0 ~;rcat that they arc compel lei\ to buy woou to cook their prm i~ion s-:uTivc Rt the \VP.hliowpum ,jllag(·-danrC' of the n:-ttin•s-their in~cnuity m dcdiuing tn purcha~c the canoes, on the suppositiou thnt the party would he compcllcu (Q leave thrm behind defentcd-tl1c p:u'ly haviu ~ ohtaiu ecl H com plement ofl1or· ses, lll'Occcd by laud-nrt·iyc at the Pi ~>hquitpah 'illagc, and some account of tl1at people -their f't·ank n ud ltosvitablc u·entmcnt from the Wolla\voll:ths­theit · mode of •lancing describcd-theil' ruodc of making fishwcirs-thc£1• amiable chnraotcr, nud their unusual affection for the whites. Ft•iday, 18. " 7E set out this morning after an rat·ly brt•akfast. and <:rossin~ the river, cont inuc(! along Ott· no1·th side l'or f'om· milt·s. t n the foot of t h<' first rapit1. Il('l'l' it was n('C~ssa•·y to unload and mal'l.<' a vol'tagc of scn·n pares O"Ver a t•ock. l'Ound which \\e tlarn tls't"W the empty boats by means ol' a cord, and the as~;istancc of setting 1wles. " 'c th<·n rdoadt'd, and at. the di stan{·c or Jj ve miles, n~aclwd the basin at the foot of the long mu·t·ows. Afte•· nuloacling <lntl arr·anging the camp. we went u11 to the Rkilluot ,·ill age. whrt·c we found captain Clarke. lie ha(l not lu.•t·n able to procu•·c more than four horses, for wl·1ich he w~ts ohliged to givo doubl~ the pl'ice of those l(n·merly put·cha~ed rrom the Sho· shotwes and the first tr·ihc of Flat ht•arls. Tlu~s<', however, wo hoprd might be sufficient with the aid ol' • he small canoe& to convey our baggage as far as tho villages ncar tlsr Mus~ cleshcll rapid. where hot·scs at·r olumptn· and mol'e abund· ant, and whe1•e we may probahly exch~uat;e the canoes for as many horses as we want. Tho SJ{illoots, indeed, have ~ Lewis and Clarke's l':xpellifion. &c. 2<\6 uumbcr of hors("s. but • hey aro unw illin~ to pa.t•t with thrm .. thuugh al \a~t w~ la.id out thrc(• pa1'm~ls of mcrchandist·. for e~wh of which they promise(\ to tu·ing us a horse in the morning. 'l'hc long nart·ows have a much mort• fo•·mid:\ble appt•arance than when we Jmsscd t bc·m in tlu.-. a.ut umn. so th;~.t it would, in fa.tt. be impossible either to desc~~ml o•· go -up them in any kind of lloat. As Wl' had therrt'ore no rur­thet• usc for· the two pt>:l'iogues, we cut tlacm up for fuel, and early in the mot·ning. Sat u•·cla) 19, all the party hrgan to ~ar·ry the nw••clmu .. tlise on•r· th<' por·ta~c. 'l'his wt• aeeomplislwtl with lh~ aid Q(' our rour hot·ses. hy tht'l'l' o'"lo(·k in tht~ anrr·noon. wlten 'Yl' f'ornw<l out• ttamp o. little above the Skilloot village. Since WI' left thrm in the autumn they have rC'moved their -,iHa!!;C a f(•w hund s~rd yat·ds lower down the ri vcr. and have ~xcha.ngt•d th<• c<>llat·s in whieh W(~ t lwn found them. for more pleasant dwellings Oll (he Slll'face 01' the ~I'OlliH.I. rrhc~~ are fot·m<·d by stieks. and covc1•ed wilh mat' and stt·aw, and so Jargr, that raeh is th • residence of Sl'YC'l'aJ families. rl'hey arr also much LJCtt('l' clad tlntn auy or the na.tiVl~S below' Ol' than they were th<·msclv s lnst autumn; the dre~s of the :men consistS gtnm·ally of lrggini-;H, lOOl'Casins, and large robes, an(\ ma.ny or them wear shit·ts in the same l'ot·m u!)ctl by the Chopunnish and Shoslwnees, highly ot·namcuted, as welJ as the leggings and moccasims, with pos·cupine quills. rl'beir modesty is lll'Otcctcd hy the skin of a fox Or some c.thcr animal, d•·a." n under a git·dle and banging in front like a nal'r·ow apl'on. The (h·ess of the women cliffi·•·s but little from that worn neat' the rapids; and both sexes wcaa· the Jmir over the fort'h cad as luw as the ~ycllrows, w1th lal'ge locks cut square at the cal'S, ancl the rest bangin15 in two queU('S in fl'ont or the body. The l'Obes ar·e made principal­Jy of' the skins of d(IN', rlk, bigho1·n. sonw wolf and buffaloe, 'vhile the child1·en use the skinlll of the la.l'ge gs·ay SC}ttirrcl. The buJfaloe is p•·ocut·cd fr·om the natiuos highet· U() the J'ivcr, who oel',at'lio•mlJy vh;it the Mis"iOlll'i; intleed, the