Lewis: July 26, 1806

Saturday July 26th 1806. The moring was cloudy and continued to rain as
usual, tho the cloud seemed somewhat thiner. I therefore posponed seting
out untill 9 A.M. in the hope that it would clear off but finding the
contrary result I had the horses caught and we set out biding a lasting
adieu to this place which I now call camp disappointment. I took my rout
through the open plains S. E. 5 ms. passing a small creek at 2 ms. from
the mountains wher I changed my direction to S. 75 E. for 7 ms. further
and struck a principal branch of Maria’s river 65 yds. wide, not very
deep, I passed this stream to it’s south side and continued down it 2 ms.
on the last mentioned course when another branch of nearly the same
dignity formed a junction with it, coming from the S. W. this last is
shallow and rappid; has the appearance of overflowing it’s banks
frequently and discharging vast torrants of water at certain seasons of
the year. the beds of both these streams are pebbly particularly the S.
branch. the water of the N. branch is very terbid while that of the S.
branch is nearly clear not withstanding the late rains. I passed the S.
branch just above it’s junction and continued down the river which runs a
little to the N of E 1 ms. and halted to dine and graize our horses here I
found some indian lodges which appeared to have been inhabited last winter
in a large and fertile bottom well stocked with cottonwood timber. the
rose honeysuckle and redberry bushes constitute the undergrowth there
being but little willow in this quarter both these rivers abov their
junction appeared to be well stocked with timber or comparitively so with
other parts of this country. here it is that we find the three species of
cottonwood which I have remarked in my voyage assembled together that
speceis common to the Columbia I have never before seen on the waters of
the Missouri, also the narrow and broad leafed speceis. during our stay at
this place R. Fields killed a buck a part of the flesh of which we took
with us. we saw a few Antelopes some wolves and 2 of the smallest speceis
of fox of a redish brown colour with the extremity of the tail black. it
is about the size of the common domestic cat and burrows in the plains.
after dinner I continued my rout down the river to the North of Eat about
3 ms. when the hills putting in close on the S side I determined to ascend
them to the high plain which I did accordingly, keeping the Fields with
me; Drewyer passed the river and kept down the vally of the river. I had
intended to decend this river with it’s course to it’s junction with the
fork which I had ascended and from thence have taken across the country
obliquely to rose river and decend that stream to it’s confluence with
Maria’s river. the country through which this portion of Maria’s river
passes to the fork which I ascended appears much more broken than that
above and between this and the mountains. I had scarcely ascended the
hills before I discovered to my left at the distance of a mile an
assembleage of about 30 horses, I halted and used my spye glass by the
help of which I discovered several indians on the top of an eminence just
above them who appeared to be looking down towards the river I presumed at
Drewyer. about half the horses were saddled. this was a very unpleasant
sight, however I resolved to make the best of our situation and to
approach them in a friendly manner. I directed J. Fields to display the
flag which I had brought for that purpose and advanced slowly toward them,
about this time they discovered us and appeared to run about in a very
confused manner as if much allarmed, their attention had been previously
so fixed on Drewyer that they did not discover us untill we had began to
advance upon them, some of them decended the hill on which they were and
drove their horses within shot of it’s summit and again returned to the
hight as if to wate our arrival or to defend themselves. I calculated on
their number being nearly or quite equal to that of their horses, that our
runing would invite pursuit as it would convince them that we were their
enimies and our horses were so indifferent that we could not hope to make
our escape by flight; added to this Drewyer was seperated from us and I
feared that his not being apprized of the indians in the event of our
attempting to escape he would most probably fall a sacrefice. under these
considerations I still advanced towards them; when we had arrived within a
quarter of a mile of them, one of them mounted his horse and rode full
speed towards us, which when I discovered I halted and alighted from my
horse; he came within a hundred paces halted looked at us and turned his
horse about and returned as briskly to his party as he had advanced; while
he halted near us I held out my hand and becconed to him to approach but
he paid no attention to my overtures. on his return to his party they all
decended the hill and mounted their horses and advanced towards us leaving
their horses behind them, we also advanced to meet them. I counted eight
of them but still supposed that there were others concealed as there were
several other horses saddled. I told the two men with me that I
apprehended that these were the Minnetares of Fort de Prarie and from
their known character I expected that we were to have some difficulty with
them; that if they thought themselves sufficiently strong I was convinced
they would attempt to rob us in which case be their numbers what they
would I should resist to the last extremity prefering death to that of
being deprived of my papers instruments and gun and desired that they
would form the same resolution and be allert and on their guard. when we
arrived within a hundred yards of each other the indians except one halted
I directed the two men with me to do the same and advanced singly to meet
the indian with whom I shook hands and passed on to those in his rear, as
he did also to the two men in my rear; we now all assembled and alighted
from our horses; the Indians soon asked to smoke with us, but I told them
that the man whom they had seen pass down the river had my pipe and we
could not smoke untill he joined us. I requested as they had seen which
way he went that they would one of them go with one of my men in surch of
him, this they readily concented to and a young man set out with R. Fields
in surch of Drewyer. I now asked them by sighns if they were the
Minnetares of the North which they answered in the affermative; I asked if
there was any cheif among them and they pointed out 3 I did not believe
them however I thought it best to please them and gave to one a medal to a
second a flag and to the third a handkercheif, with which they appeared
well satisfyed. they appeared much agitated with our first interview from
which they had scarcely yet recovered, in fact I beleive they were more
allarmed at this accedental interview than we were. from no more of them
appearing I now concluded they were only eight in number and became much
better satisfyed with our situation as I was convinced that we could
mannage that number should they attempt any hostile measures. as it was
growing late in the evening I proposed that we should remove to the
nearest part of the river and encamp together, I told them that I was glad
to see them and had a great deel to say to them. we mounted our horses and
rode towards the river which was at but a short distance, on our way we
were joined by Drewyer Fields and the indian. we decended a very steep
bluff about 250 feet high to the river where there was a small bottom of
nearly 1/2 a mile in length and about 250 yards wide in the widest part,
the river washed the bluffs both above and below us and through it’s
course in this part is very deep; the bluffs are so steep that there are
but few places where they could be ascended, and are broken in several
places by deep nitches which extend back from the river several hundred
yards, their bluffs being so steep that it is impossible to ascend them;
in this bottom there stand tree solitary trees near one of which the
indians formed a large simicircular camp of dressed buffaloe skins and
invited us to partake of their shelter which Drewyer and myself accepted
and the Fieldses lay near the fire in front of the sheter. with the
assistance of Drewyer I had much conversation with these people in the
course of the evening. I learned from them that they were a part of a
large band which lay encamped at present near the foot of the rocky
mountains on the main branch of Maria’s river one 1/2 days march from our
present encampment; that there was a whiteman with their band; that there
was another large band of their nation hunting buffaloe near the broken
mountains and were on there way to the mouth of Maria’s river where they
would probably be in the course of a few days. they also informed us that
from hence to the establishment where they trade on the Suskasawan river
is only 6 days easy march or such as they usually travel with their women
and childred which may be estimated at about 150 ms. that from these
traders they obtain arm amunition sperituous liquor blankets &c in
exchange for wolves and some beaver skins. I told these people that I had
come a great way from the East up the large river which runs towards the
rising sun, that I had been to the great waters where the sun sets and had
seen a great many nations all of whom I had invited to come and trade with
me on the rivers on this side of the mountains, that I had found most of
them at war with their neighbours and had succeeded in restoring peace
among them, that I was now on my way home and had left my party at the
falls of the missouri with orders to decend that river to the entrance of
Maria’s river and there wait my arrival and that I had come in surch of
them in order to prevail on them to be at peace with their neighbours
particularly those on the West side of the mountains and to engage them to
come and trade with me when the establishment is made at the entrance of
this river to all which they readily gave their assent and declared it to
be their wish to be at peace with the Tushepahs whom they said had killed
a number of their relations lately and pointed to several of those present
who had cut their hair as an evidince of the truth of what they had
asserted. I found them extreemly fond of smoking and plyed them with the
pipe untill late at night. I told them that if they intended to do as I
wished them they would send some of their young men to their band with an
invitation to their chiefs and warriors to bring the whiteman with them
and come down and council with me at the entrance of Maria’s river and
that the ballance of them would accompany me to that place, where I was
anxious now to meet my men as I had been absent from them some time and
knew that they would be uneasy untill they saw me. that if they would go
with me I would give them 10 horses and some tobacco. to this proposition
they made no reply, I took the first watch tonight and set up untill half
after eleven; the indians by this time were all asleep, I roused up R.
Fields and laid down myself; I directed Fields to watch the movements of
the indians and if any of them left the camp to awake us all as I
apprehended they would attampt to seal steal our horses. this being done I
fell into a profound sleep and did not wake untill the noise of the men
and indians awoke me a little after light in the morning.-