September 20, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
This morning my attention was called to a species of bird [The Varied Thrush, Ixoreus
naevius, already known to science but not to Lewis. He gave a longer description on
January 31, 1806.] which I had never seen before. It was reather larger than a
robbin, tho' much it's form and action. the colours were a blueish brown on the back
the wings and tale black, as wass a stripe above the croop 3/4 of an inch wide in front of
the neck, and two others of the same colour passed from it's eyes back along the sides of
the head. the top of the head, neck brest and belley and butts of the wing were of a
fine yellowish brick <yellow> reed. it was feeding on the buries of a species
of shoemake or ash [Pacific or Sitka, Mountain Ash, Sorbus stichensis,
which has red-scarlet berries attractive to birds at this time of year. It also occurs on
the North Fork Salmon River in the location of the party's route of September 2, as
Lewis indicates. A specimen of this new discovery was collected on September 4.]
which grows common in country & which I first observed on 2d of this month. I
have also observed two birds of a blue colour both of which I believe to be of the haulk
or vulter kind. the one [Steller's Jay and new to science. See Lewis's full
description at December 18, 1805.] of a blue shinning colour with a very high
tuft of feathers on the head a long tale, it feeds on flesh the beak and feet black.
it's not is cha-ah, cha-ah. it is about the size of a pigeon; and in shape
and action resembles the jay bird.-- another bird [Possibly the Gray Jay, Perisoreus
canadensis. See Lewis's entry of December 18, 1805.] of very similar genus,
the note resembling the mewing of the cat, with a white head and light blue colour is also
common, as are a black species of woodpecker about the size of the lark woodpecker [The
Black Woodpecker is Lewis's Woodpecker while the Lark Woodpecker is the Northern, or
Common, Flicker, Colaptes auratus.] Three species of
Pheasants, [All three species were then unknown to science. The first, the Blue
Grouse, Lewis had noted on August 1, 1805. The second is the Spruce Grouse, first noted on
September 13, 1805. The third is the Oregon Ruffed Grouse, Bonasa umbellus sabini,
now combined with B. umbellus, which Lewis again calls a pheasant in comparison.
See February 5 and March 3, 1806.] a large black species with some white feathers
irregularly scattered on the brest neck and belley a smaller kind of a dark
uniform colour with a red stripe above the eye, and a brown and yellow species that a good
deel resembles the phesant common to the Atlantic States. we were detained this
morning untill ten oclock in consequence of not being enabled to <get up> collect
our horses. we had proceeded about 2 miles when we found the greater part of a horse
which Capt Clark had met with and killed for us. [The spot on Hungery Creek, just
beyond Lewis's camp of September 19, 1805.] he informed me by note that he
should proceed as fast as possible to the leavel country which lay to the S.W. of us,
which we discovered from the hights of the mountains on the 19th there he intended to hunt
untill our arrival. at one oclock we halted [Fish Creek or one of its
branches.] and made a hearty meal on our horse beef much to the comfort of our
hungry stomachs. here I larnt that one of the Packhorses with his load was missing
and immediately dispatched Baptiest Lapage [Baptiste LaPage] who had
charge of him, to surch for him. he returned at 3 OC. without the horse. The load of
the horse was of considerable value consisting of merchandize and all my stock of winter
cloathing. I therefore dispatched two of my best woodsmen in surch of him, and proceeded
with the party. Our rout lay through a thick forrest of large pine the general course
being S. 25 W. and distance about 15 miles. our road was much obstructed by fallen
timber particularly in the evening we encamped on a ridge [Between Dollar
and Sixbit Creeks.] where ther was but little grass for our horses, and at a
distance from water. however we obtained as much as served our culinary purposes and
suped on our beef. the soil as you leave the hights of the mountains becomes
gradually more fertile. the land through which we passed this evening is of an
excellent quality tho very broken, it is a dark grey soil. a grey free stone
appearing in large masses above the earth in many places. saw the hucklebury, honeysuckle,
and alder common to the Atlantic states, also a kind of honeysuckle which bears a white
bury and rises about 4 feet high not common but to the western side of the rockey
mountains. a growth which resembles the choke cherry bears a black bury with a
single stone of a sweetish taste, it rises to the hight of 8 or 10 feet and grows in thick
clumps. the Arborvita is also common and grows to an immence size, being from 2 to 6
feet in diameter. [Huckleberry is possibly Mountain Huckleberry, Vacinium
membranaceum, then new to science. Honeysuckle is Western Trumpet Honeysuckle. Alder
is probably Sitka, or Wavyleaf Alder, Alnus sinuata, if so, then new to science.
The Alder used for comparison is A. serrulata of the eastern United States. The
Honeysuckle which bears a white berry is the Common Snowberry. The plant which resembles
the Choke Cherry is the Choke Cherry itself. Arborvita is Western Red Cedar.]
September 20, 1805
William Clark
[Clark]
Course Dist. Friday 20th Septr 1805
| Nearly S W |
12 |
miles over a mountain to a low ridgey Countrey covered with large pine,
passed into the forks of a large Creek which we kept down about 2 miles & left it to
the left hand and crossed the heads of Som Dreans of the Creek & on a ruged Deviding
ridge, road as bad as usial no game of Sign to day |
| West |
3 |
miles to an Indian Camp in a leavel rich open Plain I met 3 boys who
I gave a pice of ribin to each & Sent them to the <Ca> Villages, I Soon after
met a man whome I gave a handkerchief and he escorted me to the grand Chiefs Lodge, who
was with the most of the nation gorn to war those people treated us well gave us to
eate roots dried roots made in bread, roots boiled, one Sammon, Berries of red haws some
dried, my arrival raised great Confusion, all running to See us, after a Delay of an hour
I deturmined to go lower & turn out & hunt, a principal man informed me his Camp
was on my way and there was fish I concluded to go to his village, and Set out
accompd. by about 100 men womin & boys 2 mile across the Plains, & halted
tuned. out 4 men to hunt, he have us a Sammon to eate, I found that his Situation
was not on the river as I expected & that this Sammon was dried, & but fiew--
This course is N. 70o W. 2 miles across a rich leavel Plain in which grt
quantities of roots have been geathered and in heaps. those roots are like onions,
Sweet when Dried, and tolerably good in bread, I eate much & am Sick in the evening.
those people have an emence quantities of Roots which is their Principal food. The
hunters discovered Som Signs but killed nothing |
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17 |
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[Clark]
I Set out early and proceeded on through a Countrey as ruged as usial passed over
a low mountain into the forks of a large Creek which I kept down 2 miles [Clark
reached the forks of Lolo and Eldorado creeks, crossed the former and went down it. Lolo
Creek is "Collins Creek", after John Collins of the party.] and
assended a Steep mountain leaveing the Creek to our left hand passed the head of
Several dreans on a divideing ridge, and at 12 miles decended the mountain to a leavel
pine Countrey proceeded on through a butifull Countrey for three miles to a Small
Plain in which I found maney Indian lodges, [Clark went over Brown's Ridge and
down Miles Creek to Weippe Prairie. Weippe Prairie was one of the major camas collecting
grounds in the interior Pacific Northwest. Camas was an essential part of the native diet,
particularly as a winter store. Not only Nez Perce, but people from as far away as the
Pacific Coast came to Weippe to dig camas roots and participate in social activities. Most
of the lodges Clark observed were probably late summer or early fall camps. Lodges of
poles and bark mats were erected at the camas meadows and in the fall the people retired
into the canyons to spend the winter. When people left in the fall, the poles were
frequently cached in the area, while the mats were taken into the canyons for use there.] at
the distance of 1 mile from the lodges I met 3 [WC: Indian]
boys, when they saw me [they] ran and hid themselves, [WC: in
the grass I dismounted gave my gun &c horse to one of the men,] searched
[WC: in the grass and] found [WC: 2 of the boys]
gave them Small pieces of ribin & Sent them forward to the village [WC:
Soon after] a man Came out to meet me with great Caution & Conducted
<me> us to a large Spacious Lodge which he told me (by Signs) was the Lodge of his
great Chief who had Set out 3 days previous with all the Warriers of the nation to war on
a South West derection & would return in 15 or 18 days. the fiew men that were
left in the Village aged, great numbers of women geathered around me with much apparent
Signs of fear, and apr. pleased they <those people> gave us a Small piece of
Buffalow meat, Some dried Salmon beries & roots in different States, Some round and
much like an onion which they call <Pas she co> quamash the Bread or Cake
is called Pas-she-co Sweet, of this they make bread & Supe [Camas, a member of
the lily family and then new to science. See Lewis's description June 11, 1806. The term
pasigoo (Clark's "Pas-she-co") is the Shoshone designation for the camas and its
edible bulb, historically a staple food. The word literally means "water sego,"
in reference to the sego lily, common food in the region. Lewis and Clark wrote this word
together with "quamash," that is, qe mes, the Nez Perce term for camas, from
which the Latin and English designation derive.] they also gave us the bread made
of this root all of which we eate hartily, I gave them a fiew Small articles as preasents,
and proceeded on with a Chief to his Village 2 miles in the Same Plain, where we were
treated kindly in their way and continued with them all night [The first village
Clark came to was south of present Weippe. The second, where they spent the night, was
about a mile southwest of Weippe; both were on a branch of Jim Ford Creek. The villages
were probably seasonal camps.] Those two Villages consist of about 30
double lodges, but fiew men a number of women & children; They call themselves Cho
pun-nish or Pierced Noses, [These people are now known as the Nez Perces, from the
French for "pierced noses," which corresponds to their sign language
designation. The Nez Perce name for themselves is nimi'-pu, "the people" or
cu'-p'nit or cu'p'nitpelu, the etymology of the latter term is not known, but suggests
pierced noses. The question of whether they ever did pierce their noses is still a subject
of debate. Nevertheless, Lewis and Clark saw them with ornaments in their noses and the
best authorities acknowledge the practice. See Clark's entry of May 7, 1806, and Lewis's
of May 13, 1806. They are noted for breeding the spotted Appaloosa horse, but again it is
a disputed topic whether they developed the breed. Like many of the mountain tribes of the
Northwest, after acquiring horses they made periodic trips across the Rockies to hunt
buffalo and assumed many elements of plains culture. American missionaries converted a
large portion of the tribe to Christianity in the 1830s and 1840s. Their long history of
friendly relations with the whites, beginning with Lewis and Clark, came to an end with
the war of 1877, in which a part of the tribe conducted their famous retreat over the Lolo
Trail and into Montana, where they were finally captured.] their dialect appears
verry different from the <flat heads> Tushapaws altho origineally the Same people [How
Clark reached this conclusion is not apparent. The Nez Perces belong to the Shahaptian
(Sahaptin) language family, the Flatheads (Salish) to the Salishan family.] They
are darker than the <Flat heads> Tushapaws <I have seen> Their dress
Similar, with more beads white & blue principally, brass & Coper in different
forms, Shells and ware their haire in the Same way. they are large Portley men Small
women & handsom fetued Emence quantity of the quawmash or Pas-shi-co root
gathered & in piles about the plains, the roots grow much an onion in marshey places
the seed are in triangular Shell on the Stalk. they Sweat them in the following
manner i.e. dig a large hole 3 feet deep Cover the bottom with Split wood on the top of
which they lay Small Stones of about 3 or 4 Inches thick, a Second layer of Splited wood
& Set the whole on fire which heats the Stones, after the fire is extinguished they
lay grass & mud mixed on the Stones, on that dry grass which Supports the Pash-Shi-co
root a thin Coat of the Same grass is laid on the top, a Small fire is kept when necessary
in the Center of the kile &c.
I find myself verry unwell all the evening from eateing the fish & roots too
freely. Sent out the hunters they killed nothing Saw Some Signs of deer.
September 20, 1805
John Ordway
a cold frosty morning we found a handful or 2 of Indian peas [Possibly
Hog Peanut, Amphicarpa bracteata, which the Corp. probably gathered on the
Missouri River] and a little bears oil which we brought with us we
finished the last morcil of it and proceeded on half Starved and very weak. our horses
feet gitting Sore. came a Short distance and found a line which Capt Clark had left
with the meat of a horse which they found in the woods and killed for our use as
they had killed nothing but 1 or 2 phasants after they left us. we took the meat and
proceeded on a Short distance further one horse Strayed from us yesterday with a
pair of port Mantaus with Some Marchandize and Capt. Lewises winter cloths &C--
2 men went back to hunt for him. we proceeded on along a ridge where we had a bad
road which was filled with logs. our horses got Stung by the wasps. [Probably
Western Yellow jacket, Vespula pensylvanica] we came on untill
after dark before we found any water. came 14 miles this day.-- [Between
Dollar and Sixbit creeks]
September 20, 1805
Patrick Gass
It was late before our horses were collected, but the day was fine; and at 9 o'clock we
continued our march. Having proceeded about a mile, we came to a small glade, where our
hunters had found a horse, and had killed, dressed and hung him up. Capt. Clarke, who had
gone forward with the hunters, left a note informing us that he and they intended to go on
to the valley or level country ahead, as there was no chance of killing any game in these
desert mountains. We loaded the meat and proceeded along the mountains. At noon we stopped
and dined, on our horse flesh: here we discovered that a horse, having Capt. Lewis's
clothes and baggage on him, had got into the bushes while we were loading the meat, and
was left behind. One of the men [Baptiste LePage] therefore was sent
back, but returned without finding him. Two other men with a horse were then sent back,
and we continued our march along a ridge, where there are rocks, that appear to be well
calculated for making millstones; and some beautiful tall cedars among the spruce pine.
Night came on before we got off this ridge, and we had much difficulty in finding water.
The soil on the western side of the mountains appears much better than on the east; and
not so rocky. We can see the valley ahead, but a great way off.
September 20, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
a cold frosty morning. we eat a fiew peas & a little greece which was the
verry last kind of eatables of any kind we had except a little portable Soup. we got
up our horses except one which detained us untill about 8 oClock before we found him.
we then load up our horses and Set out. proceeded on up the creek a Short
distance and found a line which Capt. Clark had left with the meat of a horse which they
found and killed as they had killed nothing after they left us only three prairie hens or
Phesants. we took the horse meat and put it on our horses and proceeded on a Short
distance further. then left the creek and went oer a mountain S. W. then
followed down a ridge, came to a Spring run and halted and dined Sumptiously on our horse
meat. One horse Strayed from us which had on him a pear of portmantaus which had in
it Some marchandize and Capt. Lewis winter cloaths &c. 2 men Sent back to the
creek to hunt him. we proceeded on up and down Several hills and followed a ridge
where the timber was fell So thick across the trail that we cold hardly git along.
our horses got Stung by the yallow wasps.[Probably Western Yellow jacket, Vespula
pensylvanica] we did not find any water to Camp untill after dark, and
then Camped on a ridge. [Between Dollar and Sixbit creeks]
found a little water in a deep gulley a Short distance from us. the different kinds
of pine continues as usal. considerable of Strait handsome timber on these ridges,
which resembles white ceeder but is called Arbervity. [Arborvitae, another name
for western redcedar] no other kind except the pine & bolsom fer, all
of which grows verry tall and Strait. the mountains not So high as back but verry
broken. Came about 14 miles this day. the plains appear Some distance off yet. it is twice
as far as we expected where we first discovred it from a high mountain.--
September 20, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse
This morning was cold, with frost, we did not set out, 'till after we had eat
breakfast, which consisted of a few pease & bears Oil, which was the last kind of
eatables, that we had with us (excepting a little Portable Soup) we loaded all our
horses, but one which had strayed off, which detain'd us untill 8 o'Clock at which time we
proceeded on our Journey.-- we went up the Creek we had been at last evening a short
distance, & found a line from Captain Clark, with the flesh of a horse which the party
with him had found & killed. they informed us, that he nor his party had not
killed any kind of game since they left us, excepting 3 Pheasants, We put the horse meat
on our Horses, and proceeded a short distance further up the Creek, we then left the
Creek, and went over a Mountain a South west course, & went down a ridge, and came to
a Spring where we halted, & dined sumptuously on our horse meat.-- One of our
horses during the time that we were at dinner, strayed away from us; he was loaded with
two portmanteaus, which had in them some Merchandise & Captain Lewis's winter
Cloathes.-- Captain Lewis sent 2 of the Men back to the Creek to look after him, and
we continued on our Journey, We ascended & descended several hills, and passed along a
ridge of mountains, where the timber had fell so thick across the trail, that it was with
great difficulty that we got our horses along, & the Yellow wasps was very troublesome
to them, there being a great abundance of them at that place. We did not find any
Water to encamp at, 'till after it was dark, and it lay in a gully, a short distance from
the Ridge of mountains that we encamped at. We found growing on these Ridges,
different kinds of Pine timber, and some tall White Cedar Trees. The Mountains which
we crossed this day, are not so high as those Mountains, we crossed some distance back;
but are very broken.-- We came about 14 Miles this day & the plains appear to
lay some considerable distance from us still, & We expect it is double the distance
that we supposed it to be, when we first saw them from the high Mountain.--
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