Lewis: September 10, 1805

Tuesday September 10th 1805. The morning being fair I sent out all the
hunters, and directed two of them to procede down the river as far as it’s
junction with the Eastern fork which heads near the missouri, and return
this evening. this fork of the river we determined to name the Valley
plain river. I think it most probable that this river continues it’s
course along the rocky Mts. Northwardly as far or perhaps beyond the
scources of Medecine river and then turning to the West falls into the
Tacootchetessee. The Minetares informed us that there was a large river
west of, and at no great distance from the sources of Medecine river,
which passed along the Rocky Mountains from S. to N.this evening one of
our hunters returned accompanyed by three men of the Flathead nation whom
he had met in his excurtion up travellers rest Creek. on first meeting him
the Indians were allarmed and prepared for battle with their bows and
arrows, but he soon relieved their fears by laying down his gun and
advancing towards them. the Indians were mounted on very fine horses of
which the Flatheads have a great abundance; that is, each man in the
nation possesses from 20 to a hundred head. our guide could not speake the
language of these people but soon engaged them in conversation by signs or
jesticulation, the common language of all the Aborigines of North America,
it is one understood by all of them and appears to be sufficiently copious
to convey with a degree of certainty the outlines of what they wish to
communicate. in this manner we learnt from these people that two men which
they supposed to be of the Snake nation had stolen 23 horses from them and
that they were in pursuit of the theaves. they told us they were in great
hast, we gave them some boiled venison, of which the eat sparingly. the
sun was now set, two of them departed after receiving a few small articles
which we gave them, and the third remained, having agreed to continue with
us as a guide, and to introduce us to his relations whom he informed us
were numerous and resided in the plain below the mountains on the columbia
river, from whence he said the water was good and capable of being
navigated to the sea; that some of his relation were at the sea last fall
and saw an old whiteman who resided there by himself and who had given
them some handkerchiefs such as he saw in our possession.he said it
would require five sleeps wich is six days travel, to reach his relations.
the Flatheads are a very light coloured people of large stature and comely
form.