Lewis: May 19, 1806

Monday May 19th 1806. It continued to rain this morning untill 8 OCk. when
it became fair. We sent Charbono, Thompson, Potts, Hall and Wiser over the
river to a village above in order to purchase some roots to eat with our
lean bear meat. for this purpose we gave them a few awls, Kniting pins and
Armbands. we were informed that there was a canoe at the village in which
they could pass the river. I sent Joseph and R. Feilds up the river in
surch of the horse which I rode over the Rocky mountains last fall. he had
been seen yesterday with a parse) of indian horses and has become almost
wild. at 11 A.M. Thompson returned from the village accompanied by a train
of invalids consisting of 4 men 8 women and a child. The men had soar eyes
and the women in addition to soar eyes had a variety of other complaints
principally rheumatic; a weakness and pain in the loins is a common
complaint with their women. eyewater was administered to all; to two of
the women cathartics were given, to a third who appeared much dejected and
who from their account of her disease we supposed it to be histerical, we
gave 30 drops of Laudanum. the several parts of the others where the
rheumatic pains were seated were well rubed with volitile linniment. all
of those poor wretches thought themselves much benefited and all returned
to their village well satisfyed. at 5 P.M. or marketers returned with
about 6 bushels of the cows roots and a considerable quanty of bread of
the same materials. late in the evening Reubin and Joseph Feilds returned
with my horse; we had him immediately castrated together with two others
by Drewyer in the ordinary. we amused ourselves about an hour this
afternoon in looking at the men running their horses. several of those
horses would be thought fleet in the U States. a little after dark Sheilds
and Gibson returned unsuccessful) from the chase. they had seen some deer
but no bear.