Lewis: May 30, 1806

Friday May 30th 1806. Lapage and Charbono set out to the indian vilages
early this morning for the purpose of trading with them for roots; Sergt.
Gass was sent this morning to obtain some goats hair to stuff the padds of
our saddles. he ascended the river on this side and being unable to pass
the river opposite to the village he wished to visit, returned in the
evening unsuccessfull. Shannon and Collins were permitted to pass the
river in order to trade with the natives and lay in a store of roots and
bread for themselves with their proportion of the merchandize as the
others had done; in landing on the opposite shore the canoe was driven
broad side with the full forse of a very strong current against some
standing trees and instantly filled with water and sunk. Potts who was
with them is an indifferent swimer, it was with much difficulty he made
the land. they lost three blankets a blanket coat and their pittance of
merchandize. in our bear state of clootheing this was a serious loss. I
sent Sergt. Pryor and a party over with the indian canoe in order to raise
and secure ours but the debth of the water and the strength of the current
baffled every effort. I fear that we have also lost our canoe. all our
invalides are on the recovery. we gave the sick Cheif a severe sweat
today, shortly after which he could move one of his legs and thyes and
work his toes pretty well, the other leg he can move a little; his fingers
and arms seem to be almost entirely restored. he seems highly delighted
with his recovery. I begin to entertain strong hope of his restoration by
these sweats. in the evening Joseph Feild returned in surch of his horses
which had left them last evening and returned to camp. Feilds informed us
that himself and his brother whom he had left at their camp 6 ms. distant
on Collin’s creek, had killed 3 deer. The reptiles which I have observed
in this quarter are the Rattlesnake of the speceis discribed on the
Missouri, they are abundant in every part of the country and are the only
poisonous snake which we have yet met with since we left St. Louis. the 2
speceis of snakes of an inosent kind already discribed. the common black
lizzard, the horned lizzard, a smal green tree frog, the smal frog which
is common to our country which sings in the spring of the year, a large
speceis of frog which resorts the water considerably larger than our bull
frog, it’s shape seems to be a medium between the delicate and lengthy
form of our bull frog and that of our land frog or toad as they are
sometimes called in the U States. like the latter their bodies are covered
with little pustles or lumps, elivated above the ordinary surface of the
body; I never heard them make any sound or nois. the mockerson snake or
coperhead, a number of vipers a variety of lizzards, the toad bullfrog
&c common to the U States are not to be found in this country. most of
the insects common to the U States are found here. the butterflies, common
house and blowing flies, the horse flies, except the goald coloured ear
fly, tho in stead of this fly we have a brown coloured fly about the same
size which attatches itself to that part of the horse and is equally as
troublesome. the silkworm is also found here. a great variety of beatles
common to the Atlantic states are found here likewise. except from this
order the large cow beatle and the black beatle usually alled the tumble
bug which are not found here. the hornet, the wasp and yellow wasp or
yellow jacket as they are frequently called are not met with in this
quarter. there is an insect which much resembles the latter only a vast
deel larger which are very numerous particularly in the rocky mountains on
the waters of the Columbia; these build in the ground where they form a
nest like the hornet with an outer covering to the comb in which they
deposit their eggs and raise their young. the sheets of this comb are
attatched to each other as those of the hornets are. their wings are four
of a dark brown colour. the head is black, the body and abdomen are yellow
incircled with transverse rings of black, they are ferce and sting very
severely, we found them troublesome in frightening our horses as we passed
those mountains. the honey bee is not found here. the bumble bee is. one
of the men brought me today some onions from the high plain of a different
speceis from those near the borders of the river as they are also from the
shive or small onion noticed below the falls of the Columbia. these onions
were as large as a nutmeg, they generally grow double or two bulbs
connected by the same tissue of radicles; each bulb has two long liniar
flat solid leaves. the peduncle is solid celindric and crowned with an
umbal of from 20 to 30 flowers. this onion is exceedingly crisp and
delicately flavoured indeed I think more sweet and less strong than any I
ever taisted. it is not yet perfectly in blow, the parts of the flower are
not distinct.