 |
 |
Peek Inside...Entries For September 21:
1804:
1805:
Captain Clark (current)
1806:
Captain Clark:
September 21, 1805
| << Previous Entry (9/20/1805) | (9/22/1805) Next Entry >> |
A fine morning. Sent out all the hunters in different directions to hunt deer. I myself delayed with the chief to prevent suspicion, and to collect, by signs, as much information as possible about the river and country in advance. The chief drew me a kind of chart of the river, and informed me that a greater chief than himself was fishing at the river half a day's march from his village, that he was called The Twisted Hair; and that the river forked a little below his camp. At a long distance below, and below two large forks - one from the left and the other from the right - the river passed through the mountains, at which place was a great fall of the water passing through the rocks. At those falls, white people lived from whom they procured the white beads, and brass, &c., which the women wore.
A chief of another band visited me today and smoked a pipe. I gave my handkerchief and a silver cord with a little tobacco to those chiefs. The hunters all return without anything. I purchased as much provisions as I could with what few things I chanced to have in my pockets, such as salmon, bread, roots, and berries, and sent one man - R. Fields - with an Indian to meet Captain Lewis, and at 4 o'clock P.M. set out to the river.
Met a man at dark on his way from the river to the village, whom I hired and gave the neck handkerchief of one of the men, to pilot me to the camp of The Twisted Hair. We did not arrive at the camp of The Twisted Hair, but opposite, until half past 11 o'clock P.M. Found at this camp five squaws and 3 children. My guide called to the chief, who was encamped with 2 others on a small island in the river. He soon joined me. I found him a cheerful man with apparent sincerity. I gave him a medal, &c., and smoked until one o'clock A.M., and went to sleep.
Reprinted by permission of the American Studies Programs at the University of Virginia.
The complete text can also be downloaded for printing from their website.
