[Clark, April 20, 1806]
Sunday 20th April 1806 a very cold morning the western mountains Covered with Snow I Shewed the Eneshers the articles I had to give for their horses. they without hezitation informed me that they would not Sell me any for the articles I had, if I would give them Kitties they would let me have horses, and not without. that their horses were at a long ways off in the planes and they would not Send for them &c. my offer was a blue robe, a Calleco Shirt, a Silk handkerchief, 5 parcels of paint, a knife, a Wampom moon, 8 yards of ribon, Several pieces of Brass, a mockerson awl and 6 braces of yellow beeds; and to that amount for each horse which is more than double what we gave either the Sohsohne or first flat heads we met with on Clarks river I also offered my large blue blanket, my Coat Sword & plume none of which Seamed to entice those people to Sell their horses. not with standing every exertion not a Single horse Could be precured of those people in the Course of the day. Those people are much better Clad than they were last fall, their men have generally legins mockersons and large robes. maney of them ware Shirts of the Same form of those of the Chopunnish and Shoshone highly ornimented with porcupine quills. the dress of their winen differs verry little from those above the great rapids. their Children have Small robes of the Squirel Skins. those of the men & women are principally deer, Some elk, wolf, Ibix & buffalow which they precure from distant nations who purchase their Pounded fish in exchange for those robes & Beeds. The principal village of the Enesher nation is imedeately below the falls on the N. Side. one other village of the Same nation above the falls on the opposit Side and one other a few miles above on the North Side.—The Houses of those people like the Skillutes have the flores of their Summer dwelling on the Surface of the earth in Sted of those Sellers in which they resided when we passed them last fall. those houses are Covered with mats and Straw are large and Contain Several families each. I counted 19 at this Village & 11 on the opposit Side. those people are pore durty haughty. they burn Straw and Small willows. have but little to eate and deer with what they have. they precure the Silk grass of which they make their nets, the bear grass for makeing their mats and Several other necessary of the Indians of the following nations who trade with them as also the Skillutes for their pounded fish. Viz. Skad-dats, Squan-nun-os, Shan-wappoms, Shall-lat-tos, who reside to the north and Several bands who reside on the Columbia above.—I precured a Sketch of the Columbia and its branches of those people in which they made the river which falls into the Columbia imediately above the falls on the South Side to branch out into 3 branches one of which they make head in Mt.jefferson, one in mount Hood and the other in the S W. range of Mountains and does not water that extensive Country we have heretofore Calculated on. a great portion of that extensive tract of Country to the S. and S. W. of the Columbia and Lewis's river and between the Same and the waters of Callifornia must be watered by the Multnomah river.—See Sketch in the latter part of this book (No. 5). Those people are great jokies and deciptfull in trade.
at Sunset finding that Capt Lewis would not arrive this evening as I expected, I packed up all the articles which I had exposed, at a Situation I had pitched on to Encamp, and at which place we had bought as maney fishing poles as made a fire to Cook a dog which I had purchased for the men to eate, and returned to the lodge which I had Slept in last night. great number gathered around me to Smoke, I gave them two pipes, and then lay my self down with the men to Sleep, haveing our merchendize under our heads and guns &c in our arms, as we always have in Similar Situations
[Lewis, April 21, 1806]
Monday April 21st 1806. Notwithstanding all the precautions I had taken with rispect to the horses one of them had broken his cord of 5 strands of Elkskin and had gone off spanseled. I sent several men in surch of the horse with orders to return at 10 A.M. with or without the horse being determined to remain no longer with these villains. they stole another tomahawk from us this morning I surched many of them but could not find it. I ordered all the spare poles, paddles and the ballance of our canoe put on the fire as the morning was cold and also that not a particle should be left for the benefit of the indians. I detected a fellow in stealing an iron socket of a canoe pole and gave him several severe blows and mad the men kick him out of camp. I now informed the indians that I would shoot the first of them that attempted to steal an article from us. that we were not affraid to fight them, that I had it in my power at that moment to kill them all and set fire to their houses, but it was not my wish to treat them with severity provided they would let my property alone. that I would take their horses if I could find out the persons who had stolen the tommahawks, but that I had reather loose the property altogether than take the hose of an inosent person. the chiefs were present hung their heads and said nothing. at 9 A.M. Windsor returned with the lost horse, the others who were in surch of the horse soon after returned also. the Indian who promised to accompany me as far as the Chopunnish country produced me two horses one of which he politely gave me the liberty of packing. we took breakfast and departed a few minutes after 10 OClock. having nine horses loaded and one which Bratton rode not being able as yet to march; the two canoes I had dispatched early this morning. at 1 P.M. I arrived at the Enesher Village where I found Capt Clark and party; he had not purchased a single horse. he informed me that these people were quite as unfriendly as their neighbours the Skillutes, and that he had subsisted since he left me on a couple of platters of pounded roots and fish which an old man had the politeness to offer him. his party fared much better on dogs which he purchased from those people. the man resided here from whom I had purchased the horse which ran off from me yesterday. I had given him a large kettle and a knife in exchange for that horse which I informed him should be taken from him unles he produced me the lost horse or one of equal value in his stead, the latter he prefered and produced me a very good horse which I very cheerfully received. we soon made the portage with our canoes and baggage and halted about 1/2 a mile above the Village where we graized our horses and took dinner on some dogs which we purchased of these people. after dinner we proceeded on about four miles to a village of 9 mat lodges of the Enesher a little below the entrance of Clark's river and encamped; one of the canoes joined us the other not observing us halt continued on. we obtained two dogs and a small quantity of fuel of these people for which we were obliged to give a higher price than usual. our guide continued with us, he appears to be an honest sincere fellow. he tells us that the indians a little above will treat us with much more hospitality than those we are now with. we purchased another horse this evening but his back is in such a horid state that we can put but little on him; we obtained him for a trifle, at least for articles which might be procured in the U States for 10 shillings Virga Cory.- we took the precaution of piquting and spanseling our horses this evening near our camp.
[Clark, April 21, 1806]
April 21st 1806 a fair Cold morning. I find it useless to offer any articles or attempt to trade at this village and therefore deturmine to ____ before I rose the house was Crouded with Indians to Smoke I gave them none. they are well Supplied with Straw & bark bags ready to hold their pounded fish. at 12 oClock the advance of the party from below arived and Soon after the Canoes all things were taken above the falls & 2 Canoes, turned out the horss and Cooked & Eat 2 dogs which we purchased of the nativs, purchased one horse for Which we are to give a Kittle which was given by us to a man for a horse 3 days past &c. the horse was either taken or Strayed off. The Chief from below Came up and appeared Concerned for what had been done at his Village (See Journal)
a 4 P M loaded up & Set out the Canoes also proceed on about 3 miles opposit to the Mouth of Clarks river, and an Indian man who has attached himself to us and who has lent us a horse to pack & lives near the Rocky mountains. he told us that as the day was far Spent we had better Camp at a village of 9 Lodges a little off the road opsd. the River CClarks This river has a great falls above 2 forks on its West Side. we formed a Camp purchased Some wood & 3 dogs for which we gave pewter buttons which buttons we had made &c. but fiew Indians with us this evining purchased an old horse and tied up all the horses when we went to bed