Lewis: June 4, 1806
Wednesday June 4th 1806. about noon The 3 Cheifs left us and returned to
their vilages. while they were with us we repeated the promises we had
formerly made them and invited them to the Missouri with us, they declined
going untill the latter end of the summer and said it was there intention
to spend the ensuing winter on the East side of the Rocky mountains. they
gave us no positive answer to a request which we made, that two or three
of their young men should accompany me to the falls of the Missouri and
there wait my return from the upper part of Maria’s river where it was
probable I should meet with some of the bands of the Minnetares from Fort
de Prarie; that in such case I should indeavor to bring about a good
understanding between those indians and themselves, which when effected
they would be informed of it though the young men thus sent with me, and
that on the contrary should I not be fortunate enough to meet with these
people nor to prevail on them to be at peace they would equally be
informed through those young men, and they might still remain on their
guard with rispect to them untill the whites had it in their power to give
them more effectual releif. The Broken Arm invited us to his village and
said he wished to speak to us before we set out, and that he had some
roots to give us for our journey over the mountains; Capt. C. promised to
visit him as he wished the day after tomorrow.Sheilds returned this
evening from the quawmash grounds with 2 deer which he had killed.