Clark: October 26, 1805

October 26th 1805 Saturday a fine morning Sent out Six men to hunt deer
& Collect rozin to Pitch our Canoes, had all our articles put out to
dryCanoes drawed out and repaired, the injories recved in drawing
them over the rocks, every article wet in the Canoe which nearly Sunk
yesterday-

In the evening 2 Chief and 15 men came over in a Single Canoe, those Chf’s
proved to be the 2 great Chiefs of the tribes above, one gave me a dressed
Elk Skin, and gave us Som deer meet, and 2 Cakes of white bread made of
white roots, we gave to each Chief a Meadel of the Small Size a red Silk
handkerchief & a knife to the 1st a arm ban & a pin of Paint &
a Comb to his Son a Piece of riben tied to a tin gorget and 2 hams of
Venison They deturmined to Stay with us all night, we had a fire made for
them & one man played on the violin which pleased them much my Servent
dancedour hunters killed five Deer, 4 verry large gray Squirrels, a
goose & Pheasent, one man giged a Salmon trout which we had fried in a
little Bears oil which a Chief gave us yesterday and I think the finest
fish I ever tasted, Saw great numbers of white Crams flying in Different
directions verry high. The river has rose nearly 8 Inches to day and has
every appearance of a tide, from what Cause I can’t Sayour hunters
Saw Elk & bear signs to day in the white oake woods the Country to the
Lard is broken Country thinly timbered with pine and white oake, a
mountain which I must call Timm or falls Mountain rises verry high and
bears to S W the Course it has bore Sinc we first Saw it. our men danced
to night. dried all our wet articles and repaired our Canoes

The flees my Self and the men got on them in passing thro the plains the
Indians had lately lived in Lodges on the Lard. Side at the falls, are
very troublesom and with every exertion the men Can’t get rid of them,
perticilarly as they have no clothes to change those which they wore Those
Indians are at Ware with the Snake Indians on the river which falls in a
few miles above this and have lately had a battle with them, their loss I
cannot lern.

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October 26th Saturday 1805 A fine morning Sent Six men out to hunt Deer,
and Collect rozin to pitch the Canoes which has become verry leakey, by
frequently hauling them over rocks &c as well Striking rocks
frequently in passing down. all our articles we have exposed to the Sun to
Dry; and the Canoes drawn out and turned upmaney of our Stores
entirely Spoiled by being repeetedly wet; A number of Indians came to the
Oposit Side of the river in the fore part of the day and Shew that they
were anxious to Cross to us, we did not think proper to cross them in our
Canoes and did not Send for them. in the evening two Chiefs and 15 men
came over in a Small Canoe, those two Chiefs proved to be the two
Principal Chiefs of the tribes above at the falls, and above, who was out
hunting at the time we passed their bands; one of those Chiefs made Capt
Lewis and my Self each a Small present of Deer meat, and Small Cakes of
white bread made of roots. we gave to each Chief a Meadel of the Small
Size a red Silk handkerchief, arm band, Knife & a piece of Paint, and
acknowledged them as chiefs; as we thought it necessary at this time to
treat those people verry friendly & ingratiate our Selves with them,
to insure us a kind & friendly reception on our return, we gave Small
presents to Several, and half a Deer to them to eate. we had also a fire
made for those people to Sit around in the middle of our Camp, and Peter
Crusat Played on the violin, which pleased those nativs exceedingly. the
two Chiefs and Several men deturmined to delay all night (yorked Danced
for the Inds) with us all the others returned, leaving the horses for
those who Staied on the opposit Side. our hunters returned in the evening
Killed five Deer, four verry large grey Squirels and a grouse. one of the
guard at the river guiged a Salmon Trout, which we had fried in a little
Bears Oil which the Chief we passed below the narrows gave us; this I
thought one of the most delicious fish I have ever tasted Great numbers of
white Crain flying in different Directions verry highThe river rose
8 Inches today from what cause I cannot Say certainly, as the tides cannot
effect the river here as there is a falls below, I conjecture that the
rise is owing to the winds which has Set up the river for 24 hours past.
our hunters inform that the countrey back is broken, Stoney and thinly
timbered with pine and White Oake. They Saw Elk & Bear Sign in the
mountains. Dried all our wet articles and repared our Canoes to day, and
the Party amused themselves at night danceing. The Flees which the party
got on them at the upper & great falls, are very troublesom and
dificuelt to get rid of, perticularly as the men have not a Change of
Clothes to put on, they Strip off their Clothes and kill the flees,
dureing which time they remain neckid.

The nations in the vicinity of this place is at War with the Snake Indians
who they Say are noumerous and live on the river we passed above the falls
on the Same Side on which we have encamped, and the nearest town is about
four days march they pointed nearly S. E. and informed that they had a
battle with those Inds. laterly, their loss I could not assertain