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Neeshneparkeeook over took us and after rideing with us a fiew miles turned off to the right to visit some lodges of his people who he informed us were gathering roots in the plains at a little distance from the road. our guide Conducted us through the plain and down a Steep and lengthy hill to a Creek which we Call Musquetoe Creek in consequence of being infested with Sworms of those insects on our arival at it. this is but an inconsiderable Stream about 6 yards wide heads in the plains at a Short distance and discharges itself into the Kooskooske 9 ms. by water below the forks. we Struck this Creek at the distance of 5 miles from the point at which we left the river our course being a little to the S. of East. we proceeded up the Creek one Mile and on the S. E. Side we arived at an old Indian incampment of Six Lodges which appeared to have been recently evacuated. here we remained all night haveing traveled 12 ms. only. the timbered Country on this Side of the river may be Said to Commence a Short distance below this Creek, and on the other Side of the river at a little distance from it the timber reaches as low as Colter's Creek. the earth in maney parts of those plains is thown up in little mounds by Some animal whose habits are Similar to the Sallemander, like that animal it is also invisible; notwithstanding I have observed the work of this animal throughout the whole course of my trail from St.
I did not kill any of them as the distance to the river was too great for the men to Carry the meat at the lower part of this bottom a large Creek of runnig water 25 yds wide falls in which meanders through an open roleing plain of great extent. in the low bottoms of this Creek I observed Some timber Such as Cottonwood, ash & Elm. on my arival at the lower part of the bottom found that the canoes had been in waiting for me nearly two hours.
The man who had this tomahawk had purchased it from the man who had Stolen it, and was himself at the moment of their arival just expireing. his relations were unwilling to give up the tomahawk as they intended to bury it with the deceased owner, but were at length to do so for the Consideration of a handkerchief, two Strands of heeds, which drewyer gave them and two horses given by the Chiefs to be Killed agreeable to their custom at the grave of the deceased.
Before they had well begun on their encampment, two negroes in white and red livery appeared, and the spokesman, executing a bow that would have done honour to a lord chamberlain, handed Madame de Riedesel a letter which read as follows: "Mrs. Washington preasent's her most respectful complements to the Barones de Reedaysell, and her sattisfacshon at being informed of her arival at the Springs.
Serjt. Ordway, Goodrich, & Willard went to the village to day to precure a fiew roots. we eate the last of our meat for Dinner to day, and our only Certain dependance is the roots we Can precure from the nativs for the fiew articles we have left those roots with what Game we Can precure from the wods will probably last us untill the arival of the Salmon. if they Should not; we have a horse in Store ready to be killed which the indians have offered to us.
The Species which we found here early in november on our arival in this quarter had declined considerably, reather more so than the Red charr with which we found them asociated in the little riverlets and creeks.
Ordway Frazier and Wiser returnd. with 17 Salmon and Some roots of the Cows; the distance was So great from whence they brought the fish, that most of them were nearly Spoiled. those fish were as fat as any I ever saw; Sufficiently So to cook themselves without the addition of Grease or butter; those which were Sound were extreemly delicious; their flesh is of a fine rose colour with a Small admixture of yellow. these men Set out on the 27th ulto. and in Sted of finding the fishing Shore at the distance of half a days ride as we had been informed, they did not reach the place at which they obtained their fish untill the evening of the 29th haveing traveled near 70 miles. the rout they had taken however was not a direct one; the Indians Conducted them in the first instance to the East fork of Lewis's river about 10 miles above it's junction with the South branch, a distance of about 50 miles where they informed them they might obtain fish; but on their arival at that place finding that the Salmon had not arived or were not taken, they were Conducted down that river to a fishery a fiew miles below the junction of the forks of Lewis's River about 20 miles further, here they remained one day and with some dificuelty, they purchased the Salmon which they brought with them. the first 20 ms.
Should these people leave their Situation near Kooskooske before our arival we may probably find much dificulty in recovering our horses; without which there will be but little possibility of repassing the Mountains; we are therefore determined to lose as little time as possible in getting to the Cho punnish Village.
I could not lern whether they took Sturgion but prosume if they do it is in but Small quantities as they complain much of the Scercity of food among them, they informed us that the nativs above them were in the Same Situation, and that they did not expect the Salmon to arrive untill the full of the next moon which happens on the 2nd of May. we did not doubt the veracity of those people who Seamed to be on their way with their families and effects in serch of Subsistence which they find it easy to precure in this fertile Vally-. This information givs us much uneasiness with respect to our future means of Subsistence, above the falls, on through the Plains from thence to the Chopunnish there are no Deer Antilopes or Elk on which we could depend for Subsistence; their horses are very poor most probably at this Season, and if they have no fish their dogs must be in the Same Situation. under these circumstances there Seams to be a gloomey prospect for Subsistence on any terms; we therefore took it into Serious Consideration what measure we were to pursue on this Occasion; it was at once deemed inexpedient to waite the arival of the Salmon as that would detain us So long a portion of the Season that it is probable we Should not reach the U States before the ice would close the Missouri; or at all events would hazard our horses which we left in charge of the Chopunnish who informed us that they intended passing the Rocky Mountains to the Missouri as early as the Season would permit them which is about the first of May.
W C. In favour of proceding on without delay to the opposit Shore & there examine, and find out both the disposition of the Indians, & probibilaty of precureing Subsistance, and also enquire if the Tradeing vestles will arrive before the time we Should depart in the Spring, and if the Traders, Comonly arive in a Seasonable time, and we Can Subsist without a depends. on our Stores of goods, to Continue as the Climent would be more favourable on the Sea Coast for our naked men than higher up the Countrey where the Climate must be more Severe- The advantage of the arival of a vestle from whome we Can precure goods will be more than an over ballance, for the bad liveing we Shall have in liveing on Pore deer & Elk we may get in this neighbourhood.
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