Clark: May 14, 1806

Wednesday 14th of May 1806 a fine day. we had all our horses Collected by
10 a.m. dureing the time we had all our baggage Crossed over the Flat head
River which is rapid and about 150 yards wide. after the baggage was over
to the North Side we Crossed our horss without much trouble and hobbled
them in the bottom after which we moved a Short distance below to a
convenient Situation and formed a Camp around a very conveniant Spot for
defence where the Indiands had formerly a house under ground and hollow
circler Spot of about 30 feet diamieter 4 feet below the Serfce and a Bank
of 2 feet above this Situation we Concluded would be Seffiently convenient
to hunt the wood lands for bear & Deer and for the Salmon fish which
we were told would be here in a fiew days and also a good Situation for
our horses. the hills to the E. & N. of us are high broken & but
partially timbered; the soil rich and affords fine grass. in Short as we
are Compelled to reside a while in this neighbourhood I feel perfectly
Satisfied with our position. imediately after we had Crossed the river the
Chief Called the broken Arm or Tin nach-e-moo toll another principal Chief
Hoh-host’-ill-pitp arived on the opposite Side and began to Sing. we Sent
the Canoe over and those Chiefs, the Son of the broken arm and the Sone of
a Great Chief who was killed last year by the Big bellies of Sas kas she
win river. those two young men were the two whome gave Capt Lewis and my
self each a horse with great serimony in behalf of the nation a fiew days
ago, and the latter a most elligant mare & colt the morning after we
arived at the Village. Hohast ill pilt with much Serimoney presented Capt.
Lewis with an elegant Gray horse which he had brought for that purpose.
Capt Lewis gave him in return a Handkerchief two hundred balls and four
pouds of powder with which he appeared perfictly Satisfyed, and appeared
much pleased.

Soon after I had Crossed the river and during the time Cap Lewis was on
the opposit Side John Collins whome we had Sent out verry early this
morning with Labiech and Shannon on the North Side of the river to hunt,
Came in and informed me, that he had killed two Bear at about 5 miles
distant on the up lands. one of which was in good order. I imediately
depatched Jo. Fields & P. Wiser with him for the flesh. we made
Several attempts to exchange our Stalions for Geldings or mars without
success we even offered two for one. those horses are troublesom and Cut
each other very much and as we Can’t exchange them we think it best to
Castrate them and began the opperation this evening one of the Indians
present offered his Services on this occasion. he Cut them without tying
the String of the Stone as is usial. he Craped it very Clean &
Seperate it before he Cut it. about Meredian Shannon Came in with two
Grows & 2 Squireles Common to this Country. his mockersons worn out
obliged to come in early.

Collins returned in the evening with the two bears which he had killed in
the morning one of them an old hee was in fine order, the other a female
with Cubs was Meagure. we gave the Indians about us 15 in number two
Sholders and a ham of the bear to eate which they cooked in the following
manner. to wit on a brisk fire of dryed wood they threw a parcel of Small
Stones from the river, when the fire had burnt down and heated the Stone,
they placed them level and laid on a parsel of pine boughs, on those they
laid the flesh of the bear in flitches, placeing boughs between each
course of meat and then Covering it thickly with pine boughs; after this
they poared on a Small quantity of water, and Covered the whole over with
earth to the debth of 4 inches. in this Situation they Suffered it to
remain about 3 hours when they took it out fit for use. at 6 oClock P M
Labiech returned and informed us that he had killed a female Bear and two
Cubs, at a long distance from Camp towards the mountains. he brought in
two large dark brown pheasents which he had also killed Shannon also
returned also with a few black Pheasents and two squirels which he had
killed in the wood land towards Collins Creek. This nation esteem the
Killing of one of those tremendeous animals (the Bear) equally great with
that of an enemy in the field of action-. we gave the Claws of those bear
which Collins had killed to Hohastillpelp.