September 10, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
The morning being fair I sent out all the hunters, and directed two of them to procede
down the river as far as it's junction with the Eastern fork which heads near the
missouri, and return this evening. this fork of the river we determined to name the
Valley plain river. [The river is the present Clark Fork above its junction with
the Bitterroot. In the spring of 1806 they decided to name the Bitterroot-Clark fork
"Clark's River," having previously called it the Flathead.] I think it
most probable that this river continues it's course along the rocky Mts. Northwardly as
far or perhaps beyond the scources of Medecine river and then turning to the West falls
into the Tacootchetessee. [Alexander Mackenzie discovered the Tacoutche-Tesse, a
large river in British Columbia west of the Continental Divide, in 1793. He believed it to
be the Columbia, or a major tributary thereof, and Jefferson, Lewis, and Clark shared the
assumption. It is in fact the modern Fraser River, neither the Columbia nor a tributary,
but this was not discovered until 1807 by Simon Fraser. The Clark Fork, after meeting the
Bitterroot, does flow northwest to Lake Pend d' Oreille, in northern Idaho, and from there
flows into the Columbia. Therefore the information Lewis received was essentially
correct.] The Minetares informed us that there mass [was] a
large river west of, and at no great distance from the sources of Medecine river, which
passed along the Rocky Mountains from S. to N.-- this evening one of our hunters
returned accompanyed by three men of the Flathead nation whom he had met in his excurtion
up travellers rest Creek. [The hunter was John Colter. The Indians'
description of their country matches the Nez Perce homeland in Idaho, and they were
probably of that tribe, not Flatheads (Salish). This may be an instance of using the term
"Flathead" broadly, for many tribes west of the Continental Divide.]
on first meeting him the Indians were allarmed and prepared for battle with their
bows and arrows, but he soon relieved their fears by laying down his gun and advancing
towards them. the Indians were mounted on very fine horses of which the Flatheads
have a great abundance; that is, each man in the nation possesses from 20 to a hundred
head. our guide could not speake the language of these people but soon engaged them
in conversation by signs or jesticulation, the common language of all the Aborigines of
North America, it is one understood by all of them and appears to be sufficiently copious
to convey with a degree of certainty the outlines of what they wish to communicate.
in this manner we learnt from these people that two men which they supposed to be of the
Snake nation had stolen 23 horses from them and that they were in pursuit of the
theaves. they told us they were in great hast, we gave them some boiled venison, of
which the eat sparingly. the sun was now set, two of them departed after receiving a
few small articles which we gave them, and the third remained, having agreed to continue
with us as a guide, and to introduce us to his relations whom he informed us were numerous
and resided in the plain below the mountains on the columbia river, from whence he said
the water was good and capable of being navigated to the sea; that some of his relation
were at the sea last fall and saw an old whiteman who <send given> resided there by
himself and who had given them some handkerchiefs such as he saw in our possession.--
he said it would require five sleeps wich is six days travel, to reach his
relations. the Flatheads are a very light coloured people of large stature and
comely form.
September 10, 1805
William Clark
A fair morning Concluded to Delay to day and make Some observations, as at this place
the rout which we are to prosue will pass up the Travelers rest Creek, The day
proved fair and we took equal altitudes & Some luner observations. The Latd. 46o
48' 28" as the guide report that no game is to be found on our rout for a long
ways, ads an addition to the cause of our delay to precure Some meat, despatched all our
hunters in different directions, to hunt the Deer which is the only large game to be found
they killed 4 deer a Beaver & 3 Grouse which was divided, one of the hunters
Colter [John Colter], met with 3 <flatheads> Tushapaw Indians who
were in pursuit of 2 Snake Indians that hade taken from <the three from> ther Camps
on the <Columbia> head of Kooskooske River [The use of this term indicates
that Clark was correcting this journal later, possibly as late as 1810 when he was
conferring with Nicholas Biddle. The river is the present Clearwater which the party did
not reach for another ten days and which they did not name in the journals until October
6.] 21 horses, Those Indians came with Colter to our Camp & informed by Signs
of their misfortune & the rout to ther villages &c. &c. one of them
Concluded to return with us. <I> we gave them a ring fish hook & tied a pece of
ribin in the hare of each which appeared to please them verry much, Cap Lewis gave them a
Steel & a little Powder to make fire, after eating 2 of them proceeded on in pursute
of their horses. men all much engaged preparing mockersons &c. &c. The
Countrey about this place is already described in that above.
September 10, 1805
John Ordway
a fair morning. we make a Short halt here to wrest and hunt. all the best
hunters turned out to hunt. the day warm. towards evening the hunters returned
had killed 4 Deer a faun and Several ducks and geese. one of the hunters [John
Colter] Saw three Indians on horse back they appeared afraid of him Signed
to him to lay down his gun he layed it down they then came to him [in]
a friendly manner. he Signed to them to come with hm and they took him on behind one
of them and rode down to Camp. they belong to the flat head nation they Signed
to us that they lay all day in hearing of our guns but was afraid to come to us.
they Sign to us also that 2 of the Snake nation had Stole 2 of their horses, and they were
in pursuit of them--
September 10, 1805
Patrick Gass
We remained here all this day, which was clear and pleasant, to let our horses rest,
and to take an observation. At night our hunters came in, and had killed 5 deer. With one
of the hunters, 3 of the Flathead Indians came to our camp. They informed us that the rest
of their band was over on the Columbia river, about 5 or 6 days' journey distant, with
pack-horses; that two of the Snake nation had stolen some of their horses, and that they
were in pursuit of them. We gave them some presents, and one stayed to go over the
mountains with us; the other two continued their pursuit.
September 10, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
a clear pleasant morning. not So cold as usal. as our road leads over a mountain
to our left, we conclu[de] our Captains conclude to Stay here this day to
take observations, and for the hunters to kill meat to last us across the mountain and for
our horses to rest &c. Several men and all the best hunters went a hunting
considerable of cotton timber on this creek the choke cherries abound on its
bottoms. the natives has lately gthered an amence quantites of them here for food,
as they mooved up. considerable of Elder [Most likely Blue Elderberry, Sambucus
cerulea - See Lewis for February 7, 1806] willow and Servis bushes along the
Creek &c. theo [though] the day is warm the Snow does not melt on the
mt. a Short distance from us. considerable of pitch pine on the mountains, but the Snow
makes them look like the middle of winter. the valley and plains are pleasant. towards
evening the hunters all came or returned to Camp had killed 4 Deer 2 ducks a faun
deer and Several geese. towards evening one of the hunters [John Colter] went
up the creek a Short distance came across three Indians [The party called
them Flatheads (Salish), they were probably Nez Perces.] a horseback they
appeared afraid of him untill he lay down his gun they then came up to him in a friendly
manner and took him on behind one of them and rode verry fast down to our Camp.
they belong to the nation of flat heads. 2 of our hunters was down the River in cite
of the forks to day, and allow it to be about 15 miles down the valley. these three
natives tell us that they lay in hearing of our guns all day and was afraid to come to
us. they tell us that two of the Snake Indians has Stole 22 of their horses, and
these three are in persuit of them. one Stayed to pilot us over the mout. the
other 2 proceeded on in order to ride all night after them, intending to git their horses
if possable. our guide tells us that these waters runs into Mackinzees River [See
Lewis's entry for this day.] as near as they can give an account, but he is not
acquainted that way. So we go the road he knows.
September 10, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
We had a clear pleasant morning, and the weather moderate, As our Road now lay over a
Mountain to our left hand, Our Officers concluded to stay here this day, in Order to take
an Observation & attain the latitude of this place & for the hunters to provide us
with Meat, sufficient to last us across that mountain; and to rest our horses.--
Several of the Men & our best hunters were sent out a hunting.--
We found along this Creek, a considerable quantity of Cotton wood timber, & in the
bottoms choke cherries. We found an immense quantities of these berries, which the
Natives had lately gathered for food on their way to the Mesouri, Elder, Willow &
Service berries bushes grow in plenty along this Creek.-- the day continued to grow
warm, but the Snow did not melt on the Mountains, which lay a short distance for us.
On these mountains are large Pitch pine Trees. The Snow on the Mountains have
the appearance of the Middle of winter. The Vallies have a very pleasant
appearance.-- Towards evening all our hunters returned to our Camp.-- They had
killed 4 Deer, 1 fawn 2 Ducks & several Geese. The hunters went out again up the
Creek a short distance, and came across 3 Indians took our hunters up behind them, and
rode very fast down to our Camp, We learnt from our Interpreters & Guide, that those
Indians belonged to a Nation of Indians called the Flatt head Nation. Some of our
hunters that went down the Creek or River, informed us, that they were in sight of the
Columbia River this day & allow it to be about 15 Miles down the Valley that we are
now in.
The three Indians, that came to our Camp with our hunters informed us; that they had
lay in the hearing of the firing of our Guns all this day, and that they were afraid to
come to us, not knowing what nation we belonged to. They also informed us, that two
of the Snake Nation of Indians had stole 22 of their horses & that they were now in
pursuit of them. One of the Indians staid with us to pilot us over the Mountains and
the other two started after the theives, intending to ride all the night after them, and
to get their horses if possible.-- Our guide, informed us, that these Waters, run
into Mackenzie's River, as near as <they> he can guess, or give information, but
says that he is not acquainted with that Road or path, Our officers concluded on going the
Road that our Interpreter is best acquainted with.--
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