As Soon As They Saw Us The Women
And Children Fled In Great Consternation; The Men Offered Us
Everything They
Had - the fish on the scaffolds, the dried berries,
and the collars of elks' tushes worn by the children.
We
Took only a small quantity of the food, and gave them in return
some small articles which conduced very much to pacify them.
The guide now coming up, explained to them who we were and
the object of our visit, which seemed to relieve their fears;
still a number of the women and children did not recover from
their fright, but cried during our stay, which lasted about an hour.
The guide, whom we found a very intelligent, friendly old man,
informed us that up this river there was a road which led over
the mountains to the Missouri."
To add to their difficulties, game had almost entirely disappeared,
and the abundant fish in the river could not be caught for lack
of proper fishing-tackle. Timber from which canoes could be made,
there was none, and the rapids in the rivers were sharp and violent.
With his Indian guide and three men, Captain Clark now pressed on his route
of survey, leaving the remainder of his men behind to hunt and fish.
He went down the Salmon River about fifty-two miles, making his way
as best he could along its banks. Finding the way absolutely blocked
for their purposes, Captain Clark returned on the twenty-fifth of August
and rejoined the party that he had left behind. These had not been able
to kill anything, and for a time starvation stared them in the face.
Under date of August 27, the journal says: -
"The men, who were engaged last night in mending their moccasins,
all except one, went out hunting, but no game was to be procured.
One of the men, however, killed a small salmon, and the Indians made
a present of another, on which the whole party made a very slight breakfast.
These Indians, to whom this life is familiar, seem contented, although they
depend for subsistence on the scanty productions of the fishery.
But our men, who are used to hardships, but have been accustomed to
have the first wants of nature regularly supplied, feel very sensibly
their wretched situation; their strength is wasting away; they begin
to express their apprehensions of being without food in a country
perfectly destitute of any means of supporting life, except a few fish.
In the course of the day an Indian brought into the camp five salmon,
two of which Captain Clark bought and made a supper for the party."
Two days later, Captain Clark and his men joined the main party, having met
the only repulse that was suffered by the expedition from first to last.
Eluding the vigilance of the Indians, caches, or hiding-places, for
the baggage were constructed, filled, and concealed, the work being done
after dark. The weather was now very cold, although August had not passed.
Ink froze in the pen during the night, and the meadows were white with frost;
but the days were warm, even hot.
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