Clark: May 5, 1806

Monday May 5th 1806 Collected our horses and Set out at 7 A M. at 41/2 ms.
we arived at the enterance of Kooskooske, up the N E. Side of which we
continued our March 12 Miles to a large lodge of 10 families haveing
passed two other large mat lodges the one at 5 and the other at 8 Miles
from the Mouth of the Kooskooske, but not being able to obtain provisions
at either of those Lodges continued our March to the 3rd where we arived
at 1 P.M. and with much dificuelty obtained 2 dogs and a Small quantity of
bread and dryed roots. at the Second Lodge of Eight families Capt L. &
my self both entered Smoked with a man who appeared to be a principal man.
as we were about to leave his lodge and proceed on our journey he brought
foward a very eligant Gray mare and gave her to me, requesting Some eye
water. I gave him a phial of Eye water a handkerchief and some Small
articles of which he appeared much pleased-. While we were encamped last
fall at the enterance of Chopunnish river, I gave an Indian man some
volitile leniment to rub his knee and thye for a pain of which he
Complained. the fellow Soon after recovered and have never Seased to extol
the virtue of our medicines. near the enterance of the Kooskooske, as we
decended last fall I met with a man, who Could not walk with a tumure on
his thye. this had been very bad and recovering fast. I gave this man a
jentle pirge cleaned & dressed his Sore and left him Some Casteel Soap
to wash the Sore which Soon got well. this man also assigned the
restoration of his leg to me. those two cures has raised my reputation and
given those nativs an exolted oppinion of my Skill as a phician. I have
already received maney applications. in our present Situation I think it
pardonable to continue this deception for they will not give us any
provisions without Compensation in merchendize, and our Stock is now
reduced to a mear handfull. we take Care to give them no article which Can
possibly injure them. and in maney Cases can administer & give Such
Medicine & Sergical aid as will effectually restore in Simple Cases
&c. We found our Chopunnish Guide with his family. the Indians brought
my horse which was left at the place we made Canoes, from the opposit Side
and delivered him to me while here. this horse had by Some accident
Seperated from our other horses above, and agreeably to indian information
had been in this neighbourhood Some weeks. while at dinner an indian
fellow very impertinently threw a half Starved puppy nearly into the plate
of Capt. Lewis by way of derision for our eating dogs and laughed very
heartily at his own impertinence; Capt L.was So provoked at the
insolence that he cought the puppy and threw it with great violence at him
and Struck him in the breast and face, Seazed his tomahawk, and Shewed him
by Sign that if he repeeted his insolence that he would tomahawk him, the
fellow withdrew apparently much mortified and we continued our Dinner
without further Molestation. after dinner we continued our rout 4 miles to
the enterance of Colter’s Creek about 1/2 a mile above the rapid where we
Sunk the 1st Canoe as we decended the river last fall. We encamped on the
lower Side of this Creek a little distance from two Lodges of the
Chopunnish nation haveing traviled 201/2 miles to day one of those Lodges
Contained 8 families, the other was much the largest we have yet seen. it
is 156 feet long and about 15 feet wide built of mats and Straw, in the
form of the roof of a house haveing a number of Small dores on each Side,
is closed at the ends and without divisions in the intermediate Space.
this lodge at least 30 families. their fires are kindled in a row in the
Center of the Lodge and about 10 feet assunder. all the Lodges of these
people are formed in this manner. we arrived here extreemly hungary and
much fatigued, but no articles of merchindize in our possession would
induce them to let us have any article of Provisions except a Small
quantity of bread of Cows and some of those roots dryed. We had Several
applications to assist their Sick which we refused unless they would let
us have Some dogs or horses to eat. a man whose wife had an absess formed
on the Small of her back promised a horse in the morning provided we would
administer to her, I examined the absess and found it was too far advanced
to be cured. I told them her case was desperate. agreeably to thir request
I opened the absess. I then introduced a tent and dressed it with
bisilican; and prepared Some dozes of the flour of Sulpher and Creem of
tarter which were given with directions to be taken on each morning. a
little girl and Sundery other patients were brought to me for Cure but we
posponed our opperations untill the morning; they produced us Several dogs
but they were So pore that they were unfit to eat. This is the residence
of one of four principal Cheafs of the nation whome they call
Neesh-ne-park-ke-ook or the Cut nose from the circumstance of his nose
being Cut by the Snake Indians with a launce in battle. to this man we
gave a Medal of the Small Size with a likeness of the President. he may be
a great Chief but his Countinance has but little inteligence and his
influence among his people appears very inconsiderable. a number of
Indians besides the inhabitents of these Lodges gathered about us this
evening and encamped in the timbered bottom on the Creek near us. We met
with a Snake indian man at this place through whome we Spoke at Some
length to the nativs this evening with respect to the object which had
enduced us to visit their Country. this address was induced at this moment
by the Suggestions of an old man who observed to the nativs that he
thought we were bad men and had Come most probably in order to kill them.this
impression if really entertained I believe we effected; they appeared well
Satisfied with what we Said to them, and being hungary and tired we
retired to rest at 11 oClock.We-ark-koomt rejoined us this evening.
this man has been of infinate Service to us on Several former occasions
and through him we now offered our address to the nativs-.