Lewis: May 12, 1806

Monday May 12th 1806. This morning a great number of indians collected
about us as usual. we took an early breakfast and Capt. C. began to
administer eyewater to a croud of at least 50 applicants. The Indians held
a council among themselves this morning with rispect to the subjects on
which we had spoken to them yesterday. the result as we learnt was
favourable. they placed confidence in the information they had received
and resolved to pusue our advise. after this council was over the
principal Cheif or the broken Arm, took the flour of the roots of cows and
thickened the scope in the kettles and baskets of all his people, this
being ended he made a harangue the purport of which was making known the
deliberations of their council and impressing the necessity of unanimity
among them and a strict attention to the resolutions which had been agreed
on in councill; he concluded by inviting all such men as had resolved to
abide by the decrees of the council to come and eat and requested such as
would not be so bound to shew themselves by not partaking of the feast. I
was told by one of our men who was present, that there was not a
dissenting voice on this great national question, but all swallowed their
objections if any they had, very cheerfully with their mush. during the
time of this loud and animated harangue of the Cheif the women cryed wrung
their hands, toar their hair and appeared to be in the utmost distress.
after this cerimony was over the Cheifs and considerate men came in a body
to where we were seated at a little distance from our tent, and two young
men at the instance of the nation, presented us each with a fine horse. we
caused the cheifs to be seated and gave them each a flag a pound of powder
and fifty balls. we also gave powder and ball to the two young men who had
presented the horses. Neeshneeparkkeeook gave Drewyer a good horse. The
band of Ten-nach-e-moo-toolt have six guns which they acquired from the
Minnetaries and appear anxious to obtain arms and amunition. after they
had received those presents the Cheifs requested we would retire to the
tent whither they accompanied us, they now informed us that they wished to
give an answer to what we had said to them the preceeding day, but also
informed us that there were many of their people waiting in great pain at
that moment for the aid of our medecine. it was agreed between Capt. C.
and myself that he should attend the sick as he was their favorite
phisician while I would here and answer the Cheifs. The father of
Hohastillpilp was the orrator on this occasion. he observed that they had
listened with attention to our advise and that the whole nation were
resolved to follow it, that they had only one heart and one tongue on this
subject. he said they were fully sensible of the advantages of peace and
that the ardent desire which they had to cultivate peace with their
neighbours had induced his nation early last summer to send a pipe by 3 of
their brave men to the Shoshonees on the S. side of Lewis’s river in the
Plains of Columbia, that these people had murdered these men, which had
given rise to the war expedition against that nation last fall; that their
warriors had fallen in with the shoshonees at that time and had killed 42
of them with the loss of 3 only on their part; that this had satisfyed the
blood of their disceased friends and that they would never again make war
against the Shoshonees, but were willing to receive them as friends. that
they valued the lives of their young men too much to wish them to be
engaged in war. That as we had not yet seen the black foot Indians and the
Minnetares of Fort de Prarie they did not think it safe to venture over to
the Plains of the Missouri, where they would fondly go provided those
nations would not kill them. that when we had established our forts on the
Missouri as we had promised, they would come over and trade for arms
Amunition &c. and live about us. that it would give them much pleasure
to be at peace with these nations altho they had shed much of their blood.
he said that the whitemen might be assured of their warmest attatchment
and that they would alwas give them every assistance in their power; that
they were poor but their hearts were good. he said that some of their
young men would go over with us to the Missouri and bring them the news as
we wished, and that if we could make a peace between themselves and their
enimies on the other side of the mountain their nation would go over to
the Missouri in the latter end of the summer. on the subject of one of
their cheifs accompanying us to the Land of the whitemen they could not
yet determine, but that they would let us know before we left them. that
the snow was yet so deep in the mountain if we attempted to pass we would
certainly perish, and advised us to remain untill after the next full moon
when the said the snow would disappear and we could find grass for our
horses.when the oald man had concluded I again spoke to them at
some length with which they appeared highly gratifyed. after smoking the
pipe which was about 2 P.M. they gave us another fat horse to kill which
was thankfully received by the party. Capt C. now joined us having just
made an end of his medical distrabution. we gave a phiol of eyewater to
the Broken Arm, and requested that he would wash the eyes of such as might
apply for that purpose, and that when it was exhausted we would replenish
the phiol. he was much pleased with this present. we now gave the Twisted
hair one gun and a hundred balls and 2 lbs. of powder in part for his
attention to our horses and promised the other gun and a similar quantity
of powder and lead when we received the ballance of our horses. this gun
we had purchased of the indians below for 2 Elkskins. this evening three
other of our original stock of horses were produced, they were in fine
order as well as those received yesterday. we have now six horses out
only, as our old guide Toby and his son each took a horse of ours when
they returned last fall. these horses are said to be on the opposite side
of the river at no great distance from this place. we gave the young men
who had delivered us the two horses this morning some ribbon, blue wampum
and vermillion, one of them gave me a hansome pare of legings and the
Broken Arm gave Capt. C. his shirt, in return for which we gave him a
linin shirt.we informed the indians of our wish to pass the river
and form a camp at some proper place to fish, hunt, and graize our horses
untill the snows of the mountains would permit us to pass. they
recommended a position a few miles distant from hence on the opposite side
of the river, but informed us that there was no canoe at this place by
means of which we could pass our baggage over the river, but promised to
send a man early in the morning for one which they said would meet us at
the river by noon the next day. The indians formed themselves this evening
into two large parties and began to gamble for their beads and other
ornaments. the game at which they played was that of hiding a stick in
their hands which they frequently changed acompanying their opperations
with a song. this game seems common to all the nations in this country,
and dose not differ from that before discribed of the Shoshonees on the S.
E. branch of Lewis’s river. we are anxious to procure some guides to
accompany us on the different routs we mean to take from Travellers rest;
for this purpose we have turned our attention to the Twisted hair who has
several sons grown who are well acquainted as well as himself with the
various roads in those mountains. we invited the old fellow to remove his
family and live near us while we remained; he appeared gratifyed with this
expression of our confidence and promissed to do so.shot at a mark
with the indians, struck the mark with 2 balls. distn. 220 yds.