Clark: September 21, 1805

Septr. 21st Saturday 1805 a fine morning Sent out all the hunters early in
different directions to Kill Something and delayed with the Indians to
prevent Suspicion & to acquire as much information as possible. one of
them Drew me a Chart of the river & nations below informed of one
falls below which the white men lived from whome they got white beeds
cloth &c. &c. The day proved warm, 2 Chifs of Bands visited me to
daythe hunters all returned without any thing, I collected a horse
load of roots & 3 Sammon & Sent R Fields with one Indian to meet
Capt Lewis at 4 oClock Set out with the other men to the river, passed
thro a fine Pine Country decended a Steep ruged hill verry long to a Small
river which comes from our left and I suppose it to be ____ River passed
down the river 2 miles on a Steep hill side at r r oClock P.M. arrived at
a camp of 5 Squars a boy & 2 Children those people were glad to See us
& gave us drid Sammon one had formerly been taken by the Minitarries
of the north & Seen white men, our guide called the Chief who was
fishing on the other Side of the river, whome I found a Cherfull man of
about 65 I gave him a Medal.

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Thursday 21st Septr. 1805 A fine morning Sent out all the hunters in
different directions to hunt deer, I myself delayd with the Chief to
prevent Suspission and to Collect by Signs as much information as possible
about the river and Countrey in advance. The Cheif drew me a kind of chart
of the river, and informed me that a greater Cheif than himself was
fishing at the river half a days march from his village called the twisted
hare, and that the river forked a little below his Camp and at a long
distance below & below 2 large forks one from the left & the other
from the right the river passed thro’gh the mountains at which place was a
great fall of the water passing through the rocks, at those falls white
people lived from whome they preceured the white Beeds & Brass &c.
which the womin wore; a Chief of another band visit me to day and Smoked a
pipe, I gave my handkerchief & a Silver Cord with a little Tobacco to
those Chiefs, The hunters all return without any thing, I purchased as
much Provisions as I could with what fiew things I chaned to have in my
Pockets, Such a Salmon Bread roots & berries, & Sent one man R.
Fields with an Indian to meet Capt. Lewis, and at 4 oClock P M. Set out to
the river, met a man at dark on his way from the river to the village,
whome I hired and gave the neck handkerchief of one of the men, to polit
me to the Camp of the twisted hare we did not arrive at the Camp of the
Twisted hare but oppost, untill half past 11 oClock P M. found at this
Camp five Squars & 3 Children. my guide called to the Chief who was
Encamped with 2 others on a Small Island in the river, he Soon joind me, I
found him a Chearfull man with apparant Siencerity, I gave him a medal
&c. and Smoked untill 1 oClock a.m. and went to Sleep. The Countrey
from the mountains to the river hills is a leavel rich butifull Pine
Countrey badly watered, thinly timbered & covered with grassThe
weather verry worm after decending into the low Countrey,- the river hills
are verry high & Steep, Small bottoms to this little river which is
Flat head & is 160 yards wide and Sholey This river is the one we
killed the first Coalt on near a fishing were I am verry Sick to day and
puke which relive me.