[Lewis, June 5, 1806]
Thursday June 5th 1806. Colter and Bratton were permitted to visit the indian villages today for the purpose of trading for roots and bread, they were fortunate and made a good return. we gave the indian cheif another sweat today, continuing it as long as he could possibly bear it; in the evening he was very languid but appeared still to improve in the use of his limbs. the child is recovering fast the inflamation has subsided intirely, we discontinued the poltice, and applyed a plaster of basilicon; the part is still considerably swolen and hard. in the evening R. Feilds Shannon and Labuish return from the chaise and brought with them five deer and a brown bear. among the grasses of this country I observe a large speceis which grows in moist situations; it rises to the hight of eight or ten feet, the culm is jointed, hollow, smooth, as large as a goos quill and more firm than ordinary grasses; the leaf is linnear broad and rough; it has much the appearance of the maden cain as it is called in the state of Gergia, and retains it's virdure untill late in the fall. this grass propegates principally by the root which is horizontal and perennial. a second speceis grows in tussucks and rises to the hight of six or eight feet; it seems to delight in the soil of the river bottoms which possess a greater mixture of sand than the hills in this neighbourhood. this is also a harsh course grass; it appears to be the same which is called the Corn grass in the Southern states, and the foxtail in Virginia. a third speceis resembles the cheet, tho the horses feed on it very freely. a fourth and most prevalent speceis is a grass which appears to be the same called the blue grass common to many parts of the United States; it is common to the bottom as well as the uplands, is now seeding and is from 9 inches to 2 feet high; it affords an excellent pasture for horses and appears to bear the frosts and snow better than any grass in our country; I therefore regret very much that the seed will not be ripe before our probable departure. this is a fine soft grass and would no doubt make excellent hay if cultivated. I do not find the greenswoard here which we met with on the lower part of the Columbia. there are also several speceis of the wild rye to be met with in the praries. among the plants and shrubs common to our contry I observe here the seven bark, wild rose, vining honeysickle, sweet willow, red willow, longleafed pine, Cattail or cooper's flag, lamsquarter, strawberry, raspberry, tonge grass, musterd, tanzy, sinquefield, horsemint, coltsfoot, green plantin, cansar weed, elder, shoemate and several of the pea blume flowering plants.-
[Clark, June 5, 1806]
Thursday June 5th 1806 Colter and Bratten were permitted to visit the Indian Village to day for the purpose of tradeing for roots and bread, they were fortunate and made a good return. we gave the Indian Cheif another Sweat to-day, continuing it as long as he could bear it. in the evening he was very languid but Still to improve in the use of his limbs. the Child is revovereing fast. I applied a plaster of Sarve made of the Rozen of the long leafed pine, Beas wax and Beare oil mixed, which has Subsided the inflomation entirely, the part is Considerably Swelled and hard-. in the evening Reuben Fields, G. Shannon, Labiech, & Collins returned from the chaise and brought with them five deer and a brown Bear.
Among the Grasses of this Country I observe a large Species which grows in moist Situations; it rises to the hight of Eight or ten feet, the Culm is jointed, hollow, Smooth, as large as a goose quill, and more firm than ordinary grass; the leaf is linner broad and rough; it has much the appearance of the Meadin Cain as it is Called in the Southern parts of the U States, and retains it's virdue untill late in the fall. this grass propegates principally by the Root which is horozontal and perennial.-. a Second Species grows in tussucks and rises to the hight of Six or Eight feet; it Seams to delight in the Soil of the river bottoms which possess agreater mixture of Sand than the hills in this neighbourhood. this is also a harsh Course grass; it appears to be the Same which is Called the Corn grass in the Southern States, and the Foxtail in Virginia. a third Species resembles the cheet, tho the horses feed on it very freely. a fouth and most prevalent Species is a grass which appears to be the Same Called the blue Grass common to maney parts of the United States; it is common to the bottoms as well as the uplands, is now Seeding and is from 9 inches to 2 feet high; it affords an excellent paterage for horses and appears to bear the frost and Snow better than any grass in our Country; I therefore regrete very much that the Seed will not be ripe before our probable departure. this is a fine Soft grass and would no doubt make excellent hay if cultivated. I do not find the Green Sword here which we met with on the lower part of the Columbia. There are also Several Species of the wild Rye to be met with in the praries. among the plants and Shrubs common to our Country I observe here the Seven bark, Wild rose, vineing honey suckle, Sweet willow, red willow, long leafed pine, Cattail or Coopers Flag. Lambs quarter, Strawberries, Raspberries, Goose berries, tongue grass, Mustard, tanzy, Sinquefield, horse mint, water penerial, elder, Coalts foot, Green Plantin, canser weed, Shoemate, and Several of the pea blume flowering plants.-. Frazier who had permission to visit the Twisted Hairs Lodge at the distance of ten or twelve miles did not return this evening-. The river falls in course of the day and rises Some at night as will be Seen by the remarks in the Diary of the weather. this most probably is the melding of the Snows dureing the day &c.
[Lewis, June 6, 1806]
Friday June 6th 1806. This morning Frazier returned having been in quest of some roots and bread which had left at the lodg of the Twisted hair when on his way to the fishery on Lewis's river. the Twisted hair came with him but I was unable to converse with him for the want of an interpreter, Drewyer being absent with Capt. C. This Cheif left me in the evening and returned to his village. Capt C. Visited the Broken Arm today agreeably to his promise; he took with him Drewyer and several others. they were received in a friendly manner. The Broken Arm informed Capt. C. that the nation would not pass the mountain untill the latter end of the summer, and that with rispect to the young men whom we had requested should accompany us to the falls of the Missouri, were not yet scelected for that purpose nor could they be so untill there was a meeting of the nation in counsil. that this would happen in the course of ten or twelve days as the whole of the lodges were about to remove to the head of the Commeap Creek in the plain near Lewis's river, that when they had assembled themselves they would hold a council and scelect the young men. that if we set out previously to that period the men would follow us. we therefore do not calculate on any assistance from them as guides, but depend more upon engageing some of the Ootlashshoots in the neighborhood of Travellers rest C. for that purpose. The broken arm gave Capt. C. a few dryed Quawmas roots as a great present, but in our estimation those of cows are much better, I am confident they are much more healthy. The men who were with Capt. C. obtained a good store of roots and bread in exchange for a number of little notions, using the Yanke phrase, with which their own enginuity had principally furnished them. on examination we find that our whole party have an ample store of bread and roots for our voyage, a circumstance not unpleasing. They retuned at 5 P.M. shortly after which we were visited by Hohastillpilp the two young Cheifs who gave us the horses in behalf of the nation some time since and several others, who remained all night. The Kooskooske is about 150 Yds. wide at this place and discharges a vast body of water; notwithstanding it high state the water remains nearly transparent, and it's temperature appeas to be quite as cold as that of our best springs. we meet with a beautifull little bird in this neighbourhood about the size and somewhat the shape of the large spar-row. it is reather longer in proportion to it's bulk than the sparrow. it measures 7 inches from the extremity of the beek to that of the tail, the latter occupying 21/2 inches. the beak is reather more than half an inch in length, and is formed much like the Virginia nitingale; it is thick and large for a bird of it's size; wide at the base, both chaps convex, and pointed, the uper exceeds the under chap a little is somewhat curved and of a brown colour; the lower chap of a greenish yellow. the eye full reather large and of a black colour both puple and iris. the plumage is remarkably delicate; that of the neck and head is of a fine orrange yellow and red, the latter predominates on the top of the head and arround the base of the beak from whence it graduly deminishes & towards the lower part of the neck, the orrange yellow prevails most; the red has the appearance of being laid over a ground of yellow. the breast, the sides, rump and some long feathers which lie between the legs and extend underneath the tail are of a fine orrange yellow. the tail, back and wings are black, ecept a small stripe of yellow on the outer part of the middle joint of the wing, 1/4 of an inch wide and an inch in length. the tail is composed of twelve feathers of which those in the center are reather shortest, and the plumage of all the feathers of the tail is longest on that side of the quill next the center of the tail. the legs and feet are black, nails long and sharp; it has four toes on each foot, of which three are forward and one behind; that behind is as long as the two outer of the three toes in front.