Lewis: June 8, 1806

Sunday June 8th 1806. Drewyer returned this morning from the chase without
having killed anything. his hose left him last night, he pursued him but
did not overtake him untill he had nearly reached our camp. The sick Cheif
is fast on the recovery, he can bear his weight on his legs, and has
acquired a considerable portion of strength. the child is nearly well;
Bratton has so far recovered that we cannot well consider him an invalid
any longer, he has had a tedious illness which he boar with much fortitude
and firmness.The Cutnose visited us today with ten or twelve
warriors; two of the latter were Y-e-let-pos a band of the Chopunnish
nation residing on the South side of Lewis’s river whom we have not
previously seen. the band with which we have been most conversent call
themselves pel-late-pal-ler. one of the yeletpos exchanged his horse for
an indifferent one of ours and received a tomahawk to boot; this tomahawk
was one for which Capt. C. had given another in exchange with the
Clahclel-lah Chief at the rapids of the Columbia. we also exchanged two
other of our indifferent horses with unsound backs for much better horses
in fine order without any consideration but the horse itself. several foot
rarces were run this evening between the indians and our men. the indians
are very active; one of them proved as fleet as Drewer and R. Fields, our
swiftest runners. when the racing was over the men divided themselves into
two parties and played prison base, by way of exercise which we wish the
men to take previously to entering the mountain; in short those who are
not hunters have had so little to do that they are geting reather lazy and
slouthfull.after dark we had the violin played and danced for the
amusement of ourselves and the indians.one of the indians informed
us that we could not pass the mountains untill the full of the next moon
or about the first of July, that if we attempted it sooner our horses
would be at least three days travel without food on the top of the
mountain; this information is disagreable inasmuch as it causes some doubt
as to the time at which it will be most proper for us to set out. however
as we have no time to loose we will wrisk the chanches and set out as
early as the indians generally think it practicable or the middle of this
month.