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Updated: June 6, 2025
after dinner we Continued our rout up the West Side of the river 3 ms. opposit 2 Lodges the one Containing 3 and the other 2 families of the Chopunnish Nation; here we met with Te-toh-ar-sky the oldest of the two Chiefs who accompanied us last fall to the Great falls of the Columbia. here we also met with our old pilot who decended the river with us as low as the Columbia these indians recommended our passing the river at this place and going up on the N E Side of the Kooskoske. they Sayed it was nearer and a better rout to the forks of that river where the twisted hair resided in whose charge we had left our horses; thither they promised to Conduct us. we determined to take the advise of the indians and imediately prepared to pass the river which with the assistance of three indian Canoes we effected in the Course of the evening, purchased a little Wood, Some Cows bread and encamped, haveing traveled 15 miles to day only.
This morning we collected our horses and set out at 9 A.M. and proceeded on 11 ms. to the Village of the Pish-quit-pahs of 51 mat lodges where we arrived at 2 P.M. purchased five dogs and some wood from them and took dinner. this village contains about 7 hundred souls. most of those people were in the plains at a distance from the river as we passed down last fall, they had now therefore the gratification of beholding whitemen for the first time. while here they flocked arround us in great numbers tho treated us with much rispect. we gave two medals of the small size to their two principal Cheifs who were pointed out to us by our Chopunnish fellow traveller and were acknowledged by the nation. we exposed a few old clothes my dirk and Capt.
I could not learn wheather they took the Sturgeon but presume if they do it is in but small quantities as they complained much of the scarcity of food among them. they informed us that the nations above them were in the same situation & that they did not expect the Salmon to arrive untill the full of the next moon which happens on the 2d of May. we did not doubt the varacity of these people who seemed to be on their way with their families and effects in surch of subsistence which they find it easy to procure in this fertile valley. This information gave us much uneasiness with rispect to our future means of subsistence. above falls or through the plains from thence to the Chopunnish there are no deer Antelope nor Elk on which we can 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 seems to be but a gloomy prospect for subsistence on any terms; we therefore took it into serious consideration what measures we were to pursue on this occasion; it was at once deemed inexpedient to wait the arrival of the salmon as that would detain us so large a portion of the season that it is probable we should not reach the United States before the ice would close the Missouri; or at all events would hazard our horses which we lelft 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 wich is as we believe about the begining of May. should these people leave their situation near kooskooske before our arrival we may probably find much difficulty in recovering our horses; without which there will be but little possibility of repassing the mountains; we are therefore determined to loose as little time as possible in geting to the Chopunnish Village. at 3 P.M. the hunters who were sent over the river returned having killed 4 Elk and two deer; the Elk were in good order but the deer extreemly poor. they informed us that game is very plenty in that quarter. the hunters on this side of the river also returned but had killed nothing; they saw a few Elk and deer. there was also much sign of the black bear seen on the other side of the river. we sent a party to bring in the flesh of the Elk and deer that were killed. they did not return this evening.
and wish him to Camp near us untill we Crossed the Mountains which he agreeed to do, and was much pleased we have turned our attentions towards the twisted hair who has Several Sons grown who are well acquainted as well as himself with the various roads through the rocky Mountains and will answer very well as guides to us through those Mountains-In the Council to day the father of Hohastillpelp Said the Chopunnish were fully Convinced of the advantages of peace and ardently wished to cultivate peace with their neighbours. early last Summer 3 of their brave men were Sent with a pipe to the Shoshones on the S E. fork of Lewis's river in the Plains of Columbia, their pipe was disreguarded and their 3 men murdered, which had given rise to the War expedition against that nation last fall; that their warriers had fallen in with and killed 42 of the Shoshones with the loss of 3 men only on their part; that this had Satisfied the blood of the deceased friends and they would never again make war against the Shoshones, but were willing to receve them as friends-. That as we had not Seen the Indians towards Fort de prere they did not think it Safe to venture over to the Plains of the Missouri, where they would fondly go provided those nations would not kill them.
Their Chopunnish guide told them that it would be impossible to cross the mountains before the next full moon, which would be about the first of June.
I was in the rear and had not proceeded verry far before one of the horses which we had hired of the Chopunnish, was taken from Hall who I had directed to ride. he had fallen behind out of my sight at the time. we proceeded on about 9 miles through a Country Similar to that of yesterday and encamped below the mouth of a Small Creek we passed at 4 miles a Village of 5 Mat Lodges of the War-war-wa Tribe.
East 4 Ms. up the creek. here we met with We-ark-koomt whom we have usually distinguished by the name of the bighorn Cheif from the circumstance of his always wearing a horn of that animal suspended by a cord to he left arm. he is the 1st Cheif of a large band of the Chopunnish nation. he had 10 of his young men with him. this man went down Lewis's river by land as we decended it by water last fall quite to the Columbia and I beleive was very instrumental in procuring us a hospitable and friendly reception among the natives. he had now come a considerable distance to meet us. after meeting this cheif we continued still up the creek bottoms N. 75.
We may, indeed, justly affirm, that of all the Indians whom we had met since leaving the United States, the Wollawollahs were the most hospitable, honest, and sincere." It was now early in May, and the expedition, travelling eastward along Touchet Creek, were in the country of their friends, the Chopunnish.
The languages of these two nations, of each of which we obtained a vocabulary, differ but little from each other, or from that of the Chopunnish who inhabit the Kooskooskee and Lewis' rivers. In their dress and general appearance they also much resemble those nations; the men wearing a robe of deer- antelope-skin, under which a few of them have a short leathern shirt.
The Shoshones informed us when we first met with them that there was a passage across the mountains in that quarter but represented the difficulties arrising from steep high and rugged mountains and also an extensive and barren plain which was to be passed without game, as infinitely more difficult than the rout by which we came. from the circumstance of the Chopunnish being at war with that part of the Shoshones who inhabit the country on this side of the Mountains through which the road passes I think it is highly probable that they cannot be well informed with rispect to the road, and further, had there been a better road in that quarter the Shoshones on the East fork of Lewis's river who knew them both would not have recommended that by which we came to this country. the travelling in the mountains on the snow at present is very good, the snow bears the horses perfictly; it is a firm coase snow without a crust, and the horses have good foot hold without sliping much; the only dificulty is finding the road, and I think the plan we have devised will succeed even should we not be enabled to obtain a guide.
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