Clark: May 12, 1806

Monday 12th May 1806 a fine Morning great number of Indians flock about us
as usial. after brackfast I began to administer eye water and in a fiew
minits had near 40 applicants with Sore eyes, and maney others with other
Complaints most Common Rhumatic disorders & weaknesses in the back and
loins perticularly the womin. the Indians had a grand Council this morning
after which we were presented each with a horse by two young men at the
instance of the nation. we caused the chiefs to be Seated and gave then
each a flag a pint of Powder and 50 balls to the two young men who had
presented the horses we also gave powder and ball. The broken arm or Tun
na the mootoolt pulled off his leather Shirt and gave me. I in return gave
him a Shirt. we retired into the Lodge and the natives Spoke to the
following purpote, i e they had listened to our advice and that the whole
nation were deturmined to follow it, that they had only one heart and one
tongue on this Subject. explained the Cause of the War with the Shoshones.
they wished to be at peace with all nations & Some of their Men would
accompany us to the Missouri &c. &c. as a great number of men
women & Children were wateing and requesting medical assistance maney
of them with the most Simple Complaints which Could be easily releived,
independent of maney with disorders intirely out of the power of Medison
all requesting Some thing, we agreed that I Should administer and Capt Lto
here and answer the Indians. I was closely employed until 12 P.M.
administering eye water to about 40 grown persons. Some Simple Cooling
Medicenes to the disabled Chief, to Several women with rhumatic effections
& a man who had a Swelled hip &c. &c-. in the evening three of
our horses were brought all in fine order. we have now only Six remaining
out. we gave to each a Chief a pint of Powder and 50 Balls a Small flag
and to the two young men who delivered us the horses we gave also powder
& Ball and Some blue wompom & ribin. all appeared much pleased-.
Those people are much affraid of the black foot indians, and the Big
bellies of Fort deprarie establishment. those indians kill great numbers
of this nation whenever they pass over to hunt on the Missouri. one of our
men bought a horse for a fiew Small articles of an Indian. The Indians
brought up a fat horse and requested us to kill and eate it as they had
nothing else to offer us to eate. The Cut nose made a present of a horse
to Drewyer at the Same time the two horses were offered to Capt. Lewis
& my self. The horses of those people are large well formed and
active. Generally in fine order. Sore backs Caused by rideing them either
with out Saddles, or with pads which does not prevent the wate of the
rider pressing imedeately on the back bone, and weathers of the horse. the
Indians formed two partis and plaied for their heeds. we gave the twisted
hair a gun, powder & 100 ball in part for takeing care of our horses
&c.

and wish him to Camp near us untill we Crossed the Mountains which he
agreeed to do, and was much pleased we have turned our attentions towards
the twisted hair who has Several Sons grown who are well acquainted as
well as himself with the various roads through the rocky Mountains and
will answer very well as guides to us through those Mountains-In the
Council to day the father of Hohastillpelp Said the Chopunnish were fully
Convinced of the advantages of peace and ardently wished to cultivate
peace with their neighbours. early last Summer 3 of their brave men were
Sent with a pipe to the Shoshones on the S E. fork of Lewis’s river in the
Plains of Columbia, their pipe was disreguarded and their 3 men murdered,
which had given rise to the War expedition against that nation last fall;
that their warriers had fallen in with and killed 42 of the Shoshones with
the loss of 3 men only on their part; that this had Satisfied the blood of
the deceased friends and they would never again make war against the
Shoshones, but were willing to receve them as friends-. That as we had not
Seen the Indians towards Fort de prere they did not think it Safe to
venture over to the Plains of the Missouri, where they would fondly go
provided those nations would not kill them. I gave a vial of eye water to
the Broken arm for to wash the eyes of all who applied to him and told him
when it was out we would replenish it again