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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Le·wis and Clarke's Ea.11edit ion dle of the rirer. The country on the south side wa3 a low prairie, that on the north highland. . . . September 29. We set out early, but wct~c agam Impeded by sandbars, which made the river shal~ow; the weather was howevel' fair; the land on the north s1dc low and cover­ed with timber contrasted with the bluffs to the south. At nine o'clock we saw the second chief and two women and three men on shore, who wished us to take two women of~ fered by the second chief to make friends, which was refu­sed · be then requested us to take them to the other band of the~r nation, who were on the river not far from us: this we declined; but in spite of our wishes they followecl us along shore. The chief asl\:ed us to give them some tobac­co; this we did, and gave more as a present for that par~ of the nation which we dill not see. At seven and a half miles we came to a small creek on the southe1·n side, where we 1aw great numbars of elk, and which we callecl Notimb~r creek from its bare appearance. Above the mouth of this etream, a Ricara band of Pawnees bad a village five years ago: but there are no remains of it exoe1>t the mouml which encircled the town. Here the second chief went on shore. We then proceeded, and at the distance or eleven miles en­camped on the lower part of a willow island, in the middle of the river, being obliged to substitute large stones in the place of the anchor which we lost. September so. The wind was this morning very high from the southeast, so that we were obliged to pt•occed un· der a double-reefed mainsail, through the rain. The coun· try presented a la1•ge low prairie covered with timber on the north side; on the south, we first had high barren hills, but after some miles it became of the same character as that on the opposite side. We had not gone far when an Indian ran after us, and begged to be carried on board as far as the Ricaras, which we refused: soon after, we tliscovercd on the hills at a distance, a great number of Indians, who came towards the river and encamped ahead of us. We stopped Up the .Missouri. 0.,.<,' nt a sandbar, at about eleven miles, and aftf'r breakfa!ting proceeded on a short distance to their camp, which consisted of about four hundred souls. 'Vc anchored one bundred yards ·fl·om the shore, and discovering that they were 're­t. ons belonging to the IJaml which we had just left: we told them that we took them hy the hanlJ, and would make each chief a present of tobacco; that we had been badly treated by some of their band, and that having waited for them two days below, we could not stop here; but rcfcrretl Otem to Mr. Durion for our talk and an explanation of our views: they then apologized for what had past, assured us that they were friendly, and very desirous that we shoultl land and eat with them: this we refused, but sent the perioguc on shore \Yith the tobacco, which was delivered to one of the soldiers of the chief, whom we had on board. Several of them now ran along the shore after us, but the chief threw them a twist of tobacco, and told them to go back anti open their ears to our counsels; on which they immediately t·e­turned to their lodges. We then proceeded past a continua­tion of tlw low prairie on the north, where we hatl large quantities of g1·apes, and on the south saw a small creek and an island. Six miles above this, two Indians came to the bank, looked at us about half an hour, and then went with­out speaking over the bills to the southwest. After some time, the wind rose still higher, and the boat struck a log, turned, and was very near taking in water. 'I'he chief be­came so much terrified at the danger, that he hid himself in the boat, and as soon as we landed got his gun and told us that he wanted to return, that we would now sec no more Tetons, and that we might proceed unmolested: we repeat­ed the advice we had already given, presented him with a blanket, a knife, some tobacco, and after smoking with him he set out. 'Ve then continued to a sandbar on the north side, where we encamped, having come twenty ami a half miles. In the course of the dav we saw a number of sand- "