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Saw trees Peeled & found poles &c. at 11 oC I Saw a gange of Elk as we had no provision Concluded to kill Some Killd two and dined being oblige to Substitute dry buffalow dung in place of wood, this evening passed over a Cream Coloured flint which roled down from the Clifts into the bottoms, the Clifts Contain flint a dark grey Stone & a redish brown intermixed and no one Clift is Solid rock, all the rocks of everry description is in Small pices appears to have been broken by Some Convulsion- passed a butifull Creek on the Std.
We purchased about 11/2 bushels of those roots for which we gave Some few red beeds, Small pices of brass wire and old Check- those roots proved greatfull to us as we are now liveing on Spoiled Elk which is extreamly disagreeable to the Smel. as well as the taste, I can plainly discover that a considerable exchange of property is Continually Carried on between the Tribes and villages of those people they all dress litely ware nothing below the waste, a pice of fur abt. around the body, and a Short robe which Composes the total of their dress, except a few Split hats, and heeds around ther necks wrists and anckles, and a few in their ears.
It would be distressing to a feeling person to See our Situation at this time all wet and cold with our bedding &c. also wet, in a Cove Scercely large nough to Contain us, our Baggage in a Small holler about 1/2 a mile from us, and Canoes at the mercy of the waves & drift wood, we have Scured them as well as it is possible by Sinking and wateing them down with Stones to prevent the emence waves dashing them to pices against the rocks- one got loose last night & was left on a rock by the tide Some distance below without recving much damage. fortunately for us our Men are helthy.
Collars of bears Claws are also Common; but the article of dress on which they appear to bestow most pains and orniments is a kind of collar or brestplate; this is most Commonly a Strip of otter skins of about Six inches Wide taken out of the Center of the Skin it's whole length including the head. this is dressed with the hair on, this is tied around the neck & hangs in front of the body the tail frequently reaching below their knees; on this Skin in front is attatched pieces of pirl, beeds, wampom, pices of red Cloth and in Short whatever they conceive most valuable or ornamental-..
Great numbers of the Indians from the falls and both above and below. none of them appeared anxious to part with their horses but told me that Several were Comeing from the plains about 1 or 2 P M. and laid by 2 parcels of merchindize and told me that they had Sent for their horses. among other Tribes was those of the Skad-datts who bantered the Skillutes to play with them at a Singular Kind of game which was Soon Made up and 9 of aside Sat down they were Some time making up their bets of Beeds, brass thimbles or tubes robes &c. &c. when the bets were all made up the nine on each Side took opposides faceing each other at the distance of about 12 feet. in front of each party was placed a long pole on which they Struck with a Stick and Sung. they made use of 2 Small pices of bone in this form and Size a bone was given to 2 men of the Same party who changed it from hand to hand with great dexterity one hand above the other looking down, and when he was ready for the opposit party to guess he Seperated his hands Swinging them around the breast looking at the opposit party who waved their hand to the Side the bone was in. if the opposit party guessed the hand of each man the bone was given to them. if neither it was nothing. if they guessed one which they might single out if they pleased they recived his bone, and lost on the other as they hapened to fail in guessing the also lose one if they fail guessing both The game is plaid at different numbers & each party has 5 sticks.
at 6 P.M. Shannon and party returned with the flesh of five Elk. the two he had wounded in the morning he found dead near the place he had Shot them. we had the meat cut into thin pices and Scaffored with a fire under it to dry out, which we expect in the course of the night Can be effected. four Indians from the great rapids visited us to day and Continued all day. they give the Same account of the Scercity of provisions above the falls as has already been given by others.
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