Two Of His Men Met With A Serious Disaster About
This Time; Going Across The River To Trade With Some
Indians, their boat was
stove and went to the bottom, carrying with it three blankets, a blanket-coat,
and their
Scanty stock of merchandise, all of which was utterly lost.
Another disaster, which happened next day, is thus recorded: -
"Two of our men, who had been up the river to trade with the Indians,
returned quite unsuccessful. Nearly opposite the village, their horse
fell with his load down a steep cliff into the river, across which
he swam. An Indian on the opposite side drove him back to them;
but in crossing most of the articles were lost and the paint melted.
Understanding their intentions, the Indians attempted to come over to them,
but having no canoe, were obliged to use a raft, which struck on
a rock, upset, and the whole store of roots and bread were destroyed.
This failure completely exhausted our stock of merchandise;
but the remembrance of what we suffered from cold and hunger during
the passage of the Rocky Mountains makes us anxious to increase our
means of subsistence and comfort, since we have again to encounter
the same inconvenience."
But the ingenuity of the explorers was equal to this emergency.
Having observed that the Indians were very fond of brass buttons,
which they fastened to their garments as ornaments, and not
for the useful purpose for which buttons are made, the men now
proceeded to cut from their shabby United States uniforms those
desired articles, and thus formed a new fund for trading purposes.
To these they added some eye-water, some basilicon, and a few small
tin boxes in which phosphorus had been kept. Basilicon, of which
mention is frequently made in the journal, was an ointment composed
of black pitch, white wax, resin, and olive oil; it was esteemed as a
sovereign remedy for all diseases requiring an outward application.
With these valuables two men were sent out to trade with the Indians,
on the second day of June, and they returned with three bushels
of eatable roots and some cowas bread. Later in that day,
a party that had been sent down the river (Lewis') in quest of food,
returned with a goodly supply of roots and seventeen salmon.
These fish, although partly spoiled by the long journey home,
gave great satisfaction to the hungry adventurers, for they were
the promise of a plenty to come when the salmon should ascend
the rivers that make into the Columbia. At this time we find
the following interesting story in the journal of the expedition: -
"We had lately heard, also, that some Indians, residing at
a considerable distance, on the south side of the Kooskooskee,
were in possession of two tomahawks, one of which had been left
at our camp on Moscheto Creek, and the other had been stolen
while we were with the Chopunnish in the autumn. This last we
were anxious to obtain, in order to give it to the relations of our
unfortunate companion, Sergeant Floyd,[1] to whom it once belonged.
We therefore sent Drewyer, with the two chiefs Neeshnepahkeeook
and Hohastillpilp (who had returned to us) to demand it.
On their arrival, they found that the present possessor
of it, who had purchased it of the thief, was at the point
of death; and his relations were unwilling to give it up,
as they wished to bury it in the grave with the deceased.
The influence of Neeshnepahkeeook, however, at length prevailed;
and they consented to surrender the tomahawk on receiving two
strands of beads and a handkerchief from Drewyer, and from each
of the chiefs a horse, to be killed at the funeral of their kinsman,
according to the custom of the country."
[1] See page 23.
The Chopunnish chiefs now gave their final answer to the two
captains who had requested guides from them. The chiefs said
that they could not accompany the party, but later in the summer
they might cross the great divide and spend the next winter
on the headwaters of the Missouri. At present, they could only
promise that some of their young men should go with the whites;
these had not been selected, but they would be sent on after
the party, if the two captains insisted on starting now.
This was not very encouraging, for they had depended upon
the Indians for guidance over the exceedingly difficult and
even dangerous passages of the mountains. Accordingly, it was
resolved that, while waiting on the motions of the Indians,
the party might as well make a visit to Quamash flats, where they
could lay in a stock of provisions for their arduous journey.
It is not certain which of the several Quamash flats mentioned
in the history of the expedition is here referred to;
but it is likely that the open glade in which Captain Clark
first struck the low country of the west is here meant.
It was here that he met the Indian boys hiding in the grass,
and from here he led the expedition out of the wilderness.
For "quamash" read "camass," an edible root much prized
by the Nez Perces then and now.
While they lingered at their camp, they were visited
by several bands of friendly Indians. The explorers traded
horses with their visitors, and, with what they already had,
they now found their band to number sixty-five, all told.
Having finished their trading, they invited the Indians
to take part in the games of prisoners' base and foot-racing;
in the latter game the Indians were very expert, being able
to distance the fleetest runner of the white men's party.
At night, the games were concluded by a dance. The account
of the expedition says that the captains were desirous of
encouraging these exercises before they should begin the passage
over the mountains, "as several of the men are becoming
lazy from inaction."
On the tenth of June the party set out for Quamash flats, each man
well mounted and leading a spare horse which carried a small load.
To their dismay, they found that their good friends, the Chopunnish,
unwilling to part with them, were bound to accompany them
to the hunting-grounds.
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