Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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This morning we dispatched two hunters a head. we had much difficulty in collecting our horses. at 8 A. M. we obtained them all except the horse we obtained from the Chopunnish man whom we seperated from yesterday. we apprehended that this horse would make some attempts to rejoin the horses of this man and accordingly had him as we thought securely hubbled both before and at the side, but he broke the strings in the course of the night and absconded. we sent several men in different directions in surch of him. I engaged one of the young indians who overtook us last evening to return in surch of him. at half after 1 P. M. The indian and Joseph Feilds returned with the horse, they had found him on his way back about 17 Ms. I paid the indian the price stipulated for his services and we immediately loaded up and set forward. steered East 3 M. over a hilly road along the N. side of the Creek, wide bottom on S. side. a branch falls in on S. side [1] which runs south towards the S. W. mountains which appear to be about 25 Ms. distant low yet covered with snow N. 75 E. 7 through an extensive level bottom. more timber than usual on the creek, some pine of the long leafed kind appears on the sides of the creek hills, also about 50 acres of well timbered pine land where we passed the creek at 4 m. on this course N. 45 E. 9 ms. repassed the creek at 4 M. [2] and continued up a N. E. branch [3] of the same which falls in about a mile below where we passed the main creek. the bottoms though which we passed were wide. the main creek boar to the S. and heads in the Mountains; it's bottoms are much narrower above where we passed it and the hills appear high. we passed the small creek at 8¾ from the commencement of this course and encamped on the N. side in a little bottom, [4] having traveled 19 miles today. at this place the road leaves the creek and takes the open high plain. this creek is about 4 yds. wide and bears East as far as I could observe it. I observed considerable quantities of the quâ-mash in the bottoms through which we passed this evening now in blume. there is much appearance of beaver and otter along these creeks. saw two deer at a distance; also observed many sandhill crains Curloos and other fowls common to the plains. the soil appears to improve as we advance on this road. our hunters killed a duck only. the three young men of the Wollahwollah nation continued with us. in the course of the day I observed them eat the inner part of the young and succulent stem of a large coarse plant with a ternate leaf, the leafets of which are three loabed and covered with a woolly pubersence. [5] the flower and fructification resembles that of the parsnip this plant is very common in the rich lands on the Ohio and it's branches the Mississippi &c. I tasted of this plant found it agreeable and eat heartily of it without feeling any inconvenience.
This morning we dispatched two hunters a head. we had much dificuelty in Collecting our horses. at 8 A. M. we obtained them all except the horse we obtained from the Chopunnish man whome we Seperated from yesterday. we apprehended that this horse would make Some attempts to rejoin the horses of this man and accordingly had him as we thought Scurely hobbled both before and at the Side, but he broke the Strings in the Course of the night and absconded. we Sent Several men in different directions in Serch of him. and hired one of the men who joined us last night to prosue him and over take us & at ½ after 1 P. M. the indian and Joseph Fields returned with the horse they had found him on his way back about 17 miles. I paid the Indian the price Stipulated for his Services and we imediately loaded up and Set forward. East 3 miles over a hilly road along the N. Side of the Creek. wide bottoms on the S. Side. a branch falls in on the S. side which runds from the S W. Mountains, which appear to be about 25 m. distant low yet Covered with Snow. N. 75° E. 7 m. through an extencive leavel bottom. more timber than usial on the Creek. Some pine of the long leaf kind appear on the Creek hills. also about 50 acres of well timbered pine land where we passed the Creek at 4 m. on the Course. N. 45° E. 9 m. passed the Creek at 4 M. and Continued up on the N. E. Side. the bottoms wide. the main creek bear to the S. and head in the Mountains. we passed a Small Creek at 8¾ m. from the Commencement of this Course and encamped on the N. Side in a little bottom. haveing traviled 19 miles to day. at this place the road leaves the Creek and passes through the open high plains. this creek is 5 yds wide and bears East towards the Mts. I observed a Considerable quantity of the qua mash in the bottoms through which we passed this evening now in blume. there is much appearance of beaver & otter along these creeks. Saw two deer at a distance, also Sand hill Cranes, Curloos and fowls common to the plains. the Soil appears to improve as we advance on this road. our hunters killed a deer only. The three young men of the Wallah wallah nation Continue with us in the Course of this day. I observed them cut the inner part of the young and succulent Stem of a large Corse plant with a ternate leaf, the leafest of which are three loabes and Covered with woolly pubersense. the flower and fructification resembles that of the parsnip. this plant is very common in the rich lands on the Ohio and its branches. I tasted of this plant found it agreeable and eate hartily of it without feeling any inconveniance.
Friday 2nd May 1806. a clear cold morning. the men got up all but one of our best horses which they could not find. Several hunters went on up the branch a hunting. Several of the men went out in different directions to look for the lost horse. one of them went back to where we took dinner yesterday and turned back. was Soon overtaken by an Indian who had caught our horse & was takeing him to us. as soon as the Indians returned him to us our officers gave a tommahawk knife and a pr. overalls for the kindness. about noon we proceeded on up the branch [6] over high plains & Smooth bottoms. the branch forked in Several places. high hills to our right covred with timber and partly covred with Snow. we crossed the branch in several places, where it was 3 feet deep. our hunters joined us in the evening. had killed only one beaver and one otter.— Camped [7] on a fork of the branch came [blank] mls. [8]
Friday 2nd. A fine morning. Last night about 9 o'clock, three of the Wal-la-wal-las came up with us, and brought a steel trap that had been left at our camp on the north side of the Columbia, opposite the mouth of Wal-la-wal-la river; perhaps one of the greatest instances of honesty ever known among Indians. [9] Some hunters went on ahead, and having collected our horses, we found one missing; some of the men went to look for him, and brought him back. [10] We then continued our journey up this branch; [11] and saw to our right a range of high hills [12] covered with timber and snow, not more than ten miles distant. We went fifteen miles and encamped [13] on the north fork, the creek having forked about two miles below our encampment. The south fork is the largest, and from its course is supposed to issue from those snow-topped hills on our right. In the evening our hunters joined us, and had killed only one beaver and an otter. The three Indians remained with us all day; and at night we set three steel traps, there being a great many beaver signs on this branch.
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.