|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Lewis " the warriors or such as esteem themselves brave men wear collars made of the claws of the brown bear which are also esteemed of great value and are preserved with great care…. It is esteemed by them an act of equal celebraity the killing one of these bear or an enimy, and with they have killing this animal it must be a serious undertaking." Clark "The men who passed by the forks informed me that the SW fork* was double the size of the one I came down**, and I observed that it was a handsom river at my camp I shall in justice to Capt Lewis who was the first white man ever on this fork of the Columbia Call this Louis's river ***." * Salmon River, called by Clark the "West Fork of Lewis's River"
August 22, 1805 Lewis " I called the Chiefs and warriors together and addressed them a second time; gave them some further presents… having no fresh meat I had previously prepared a good meal for them all of boiled corn and beans which I gave them as soon as the council was over and I had distributed presents. " Clark’s reconnaissance continues on the Salmon River: " I saw to day Bird of the wood pecker kind* which fed on Pine burs its bill and tale white the wings black every other part of a light brown, and about the size of a robin." August 23, 1805 Clark’s reconnaissance continues on the Salmon River: " below my guide* and maney other Indians tell me that the Mountains Close and is a perpendicular Clift on each side, and continues for a great distance and that the water runs with great violence from one rock to the other on each Side foaming & roreing thro rocks in every direction, So as to render the passage of any thing impossible**." *Old Toby – Shoshone guide ** The Salmon River, west of North Fork, Idaho, called the River of No Return August 24, 1805 Clark realizes that the Salmon River is not passable by canoe or horseback and begins his journey to rejoin the party: " I wrote a letter to Capt Lewis informing him of the prospects before us and information received of my guide which I thought favourable & stating two plans… and despatched one man & horse... the plan I stated to Capt Lewis if he agrees with me we shall adopt is toprocure as many horses (one for each man) if possible and to hire my present guide who I sent on to him to interegate thro' the Intprtr. and proceed on by land to some navagable part of the Columbia River, or to the Ocean, depending on what provisions we can procure by the gun aded to the Small Stock we have on hand depending on our horses as the last resort. a second plan to divide the party one part to attempt this deficuet river with what provisions we had, and the remainder to pass by Land on hose back depending on our gun & for provisions and come together occasionally on the river. the 1st of which I would be most pleased with*. directed the party to get ready to march back." * Clark set down on paper his conclusions at this point and demonstrated his grasp of the difficulties of using the Salmon River route, wisely opting for the North Fork Salmon - Bitterroot-Lolo passage to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. August 25, 1805 Clark " Set out verry early and halted one hour at the Indian Camp, they were kind gave us all a little boiled Sammon & dried buries to eate." Lewis " Charbono mentioned to me with apparent unconcern that he expected to meet all the Indians from the camp on the Columbia tomorrow on their way to the Missouri. allarmed at this information I asked why he expected to meet them. he then informed me that the 1st Chief had dispatched some of his young men this morning to this camp requesting the Indians to meet them tomorrow and that himself and those with them would go on with them down the Missouri, and consequently leave me and my baggage on he mountain or thereabouts. I was out of patience with the folly of Charbono who had not sufficient sagacity to see the consequencies which would inevitably flow from such a movement of Indians.. I therefore called the three Chiefs together and having smoked a pipe with them I asked them if they were men of their words, and whether I could depend on the promises they had made me; they readily answered in the affermative. I then asked them if they had not promised to assist me with my baggage to their camp on the other side of the mountains or to the place at which Capt. Clark might build the canoes, should I wish. they acknowledged that they had. Cameahwait remained silent for some time, at length he told me that he knew he had done wrong but that he had been induced to that measure from seeing all his people hungary, but as he had promised to give me his assistance he would not in the future be worse that his word."
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
