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Updated: June 6, 2025
To hold speech with this tribe was awkward. "In the first place," wrote Captain Lewis, "we spoke in English to one of our men, who translated it into French to Chaboneau; he interpreted it to his wife in the Minnetaree language; she then put it into Shoshone, and a young Shoshone prisoner explained it to the Chopunnish in their own dialect."
Later in that day the party came to a Chopunnish house which was one hundred and fifty-six feet long and fifteen feet wide. Thirty families were living in this big house, each family having its fire by itself burning on the earthen floor, along through the middle of the great structure. The journal says:
This man was the first chief of a large band of Chopunnish, and when the expedition passed that way, on their path to the Pacific, the last autumn, he was very obliging and useful to them, guiding them down the Snake, or Lewis River. He had now heard that the white men were on their return, and he had come over across the hills to meet them.
They have arrived in a region inhabited by the friendly Chopunnish, or Nez Perce, several villages of which nation were scattered around the camp of the white men. The narrative says: "We soon collected the men of consideration, and after smoking, explained how destitute we were of provisions.
We found our Chopunnish Guide with his family. the Indians brought my horse which was left at the place we made Canoes, from the opposit Side and delivered him to me while here. this horse had by Some accident Seperated from our other horses above, and agreeably to indian information had been in this neighbourhood Some weeks. while at dinner an indian fellow very impertinently threw a half Starved puppy nearly into the plate of Capt.
Several high pts. to the N & N. E. Covered with Snow. a remarkable high rugd mountain in the forks of Lewis's river nearly South and covered with Snow. The vally up the Chopunnish river appears extensive tolerably leavel and Covered with timber. The S W. Mountain is very high in a S S W. derection.
Capt Lewis exchanged horses with We ark koomt and gave him a small flag with which he was much pleased and gratifyed. the Sorrel which Cap L. obtained is a Strong active well broke horse-. At this place we met with three men of a nation Called the Skeetsso-mish who reside at the falls of a Small river dischargeing itself into the Columbia on its East Side to the South of the enterance of Clarks river. this river they informed us headed in a large lake in the mountains and that the falls below which they reside was at no great distance from the lake. these people are the Same in their dress and appearance with the Chopunnish, tho their language is entirely different. one of them gave me his whip which was a twisted Stick 18 Ins. in length at one end a pice of raw hide Split So as to form two Strings about 20 inches in length as a lash, to the other end a String passed through a hole and fastened at each end for a loope to Slip over the wrist.
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 bands of the Chopunnish who reside above the junction of Lewis's river and the Kooskooske bury their dead in the earth and place stones on the grave. they also stick little splinters of wood in betwen the interstices of the irregular mass of stone piled on the grave and afterwards cover the whole with a roof of board or split timber. the custom of sacreficing horses to the disceased appears to be common to all the nations of the plains of Columbia. a wife of Neeshneeparkkeeook died some short time since, himself and hir relations saceficed 28 horses to her.
If the traces of the baggage be too indistinct, the whole party is to return to Hungry Creek, and we will then attempt the passage by ascending the main southwest branch of Lewis' River through the country of the Shoshonees, over to Madison or Gallatin River. On that route, the Chopunnish inform us, there is a passage not obstructed by snow at this period of the year."
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