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Updated: June 6, 2025
East 14 M. to the point at which the river leaves the extensive plains and enters the mountains these plains I called the prarie of the knobs from a number of knobs being irregularly scattered through it. passed the N. fork 1 of the Cokahlarishkit Rivers at 7 M. it is 45 yds. wide deep and rapid. had some difficulty in passing it. passed a large crooked pond at 4 ms. further. great Number of the burrowing squirrls in this prarie of the speceis common to the plains of Columbia. saw some goats and deer. the hunters killed one of the latter. the trail which we take to be a returning war-party of the Minnetares of Fort de prarie becomes much fresher. they have a large pasel of horses. saw some Curloos, bee martains woodpeckers plover robins, doves, ravens, hawks and a variety of sparrows common to the plains also some ducks. the North fork is terbid as is also the main branch which is about 50 yds. wide the other streams are clear. these plains continue their course S 75 E. and are wide where the river leaves them. up this valley and creek a road passes to Dearbourn's river and thence to the Missouri.
I had mentioned to the chief several times that we had with us a woman of his nation who had been taken prisoner by the Minnetares, and that by means of her I hoped to explain myself more fully than I could do by signs. some of the party had also told the Indians that we had a man with us who was black and had short curling hair, this had excited their curiossity very much. and they seemed quite as anxious to see this monster as they wer the merchandize which we had to barter for their horses.
I steered my course through the wide and level plains which have somewhat the appearance of an ocean, not a tree nor a shrub to be seen. the land is not fertile, at least far less so, than the plains of the Columbia or those lower down this river, it is a light coloured soil intermixed with a considerable proportion of coarse gravel without sand, when dry it cracks and appears thursty and is very hard, in it's wet state, it is as soft and slipry as so much soft soap the grass is naturally but short and at present has been rendered much more so by the graizing of the buffaloe, the whole face of the country as far as the eye can reach looks like a well shaved bowlinggreen, in which immence and numerous herds of buffaloe were seen feeding attended by their scarcely less numerous sheepherds the wolves. we saw a number of goats as usual today, also the party coloured plover with the brick red head and neck; this bird remains about the little ponds which are distributed over the face of these plains and here raise their young. we killed a buffaloe cow as we passed throug the plains and took the hump and tonge which furnish ample rations for four men one day. at 5 P.M. we arrived at rose rivers where I purposed remaining all night as I could not reach maria's river this evening and unless I did there would be but little probability of our finding any wood and very probably no water either. on our arrival at the river we saw where a wounded and bleading buffaloe had just passed and concluded it was probable that the indians had been runing them and were near at hand. the Minnetares of Fort de prarie and the blackfoot indians rove through this quarter of the country and as they are a vicious lawless and reather an abandoned set of wretches I wish to avoid an interview with them if possible.
Deer are very abundant in the neighbourhood of travellers rest of both speceis, also some bighorns and Elk. a little before sunset we arrived at our old encampment on the south side of the creek a little above it's entrance into Clark's river. here we encamped with a view to remain two days in order to rest ourselves and horses & make our final arrangements for seperation. we came 19 ms. after dinner the road being much better than it has been since we entered the mountains we found no appearance of the Ootslashshoots having been here lately. the indians express much concern for them and apprehend that the Minnetares of fort de Prarie have distroyed them in the course of the last winter and spring, and mention the tracks of the bearfoot Indians which we saw yesterday as an evidence of their being much distressed. our horses have stood the journey supprisingly well, most of them are yet in fine order, and only want a few days rest to restore them perfectly.
The man is the sole propryetor of his wives and daughters, and can barter or dispose of either as he thinks proper. a plurality of wives is common among them, but these are not generally sisters as with the Minnetares & Mandans but are purchased of different fathers.
Drewyer informed us that there was an indian camp of eleven leather lodges which appeared to have been abandoned about 10 days, the poles only of the lodges remained. we are confident that these are the Minnetares of fort de prarie and suspect that they are probably at this time somewhere on the main branch of Maria's river on the borders of the buffaloe, under this impression I shall not strike that river on my return untill about the mouth of the North branch. near this place I observe a number of the whistleing squirrel of the speceis common to the plains and country watered by the Columbia river, this is the first instance in which I have found this squirrel in the plains of the Missouri. the Cottonwood of this place is also of the speceis common to the Columbia. we have a delightfull pasture for our horses where we are.
Our present camp is precisely on the spot that the Snake Indians were encamped at the time the Minnetares of the Knife R. first came in sight of them five years since. from hence they retreated about three miles up Jeffersons river and concealed themselves in the woods, the Minnetares pursued, attacked them, killed 4 men 4 women a number of boys, and mad prisoners of all the females and four boys, Sah-cah-gar-we-ah or Indian woman was one of the female prisoners taken at that time; tho I cannot discover that she shews any immotion of sorrow in recollecting this event, or of joy in being again restored to her native country; if she has enough to eat and a few trinkets to wear I beleive she would be perfectly content anywhere.
I now informed Cameahwait of my intended expedition overland to the great river which lay in the plains beyond the mountains and told him that I wished to purchase 20 horses of himself and his people to convey our baggage. he observed that the Minnetares had stolen a great number of their horses this spring but hoped his people would spear me the number I wished.
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