Lewis: September 22, 1805

Sunday September 22cd 1805. Notwithstanding my positive directions to
hubble the horses last evening one of the men neglected to comply. he
plead ignorance of the order. this neglect however detained us untill 1/2
after eleven OCk at which time we renewed our march, our course being
about west. we had proceeded about two and a half miles when we met Reubin
Fields one of oure hunters, whom Capt. Clark had dispatched to meet us
with some dryed fish and roots that he had procured from a band of
Indians, whose lodges were about eight miles in advance. I ordered the
party to halt for the purpose of taking some refreshment. I divided the
fish roots and buries, and was happy to find a sufficiency to satisfy
compleatly all our appetites. Fields also killed a crow after refreshing
ourselves we proceeded to the village due West 71/2 Miles where we arrived
at 5 OCk. in the afternoon our rout was through lands heavily timbered,
the larger wood entirely pine. the country except the last 3 miles was
broken and decending the pleasure I now felt in having tryumphed over the
rocky Mountains and decending once more to a level and fertile country
where there was every rational hope of finding a comfortable subsistence
for myself and party can be more readily conceived than expressed, nor was
the flattering prospect of the final success of the expedition less
pleasing. on our approach to the village which consisted of eighteen
lodges most of the women fled to the neighbouring woods on horseback with
their children, a circumstance I did not expect as Capt. Clark had
previously been with them and informed them of our pacific intentions
towards them and also the time at which we should most probably arrive.
the men seemed but little concerned, and several of them came to meet us
at a short distance from their lodges unarmed.