The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Lewis, April 24, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Lewis, April 24, 1806

Thursday April 24 th 1806. We were up early this morning and dispatched the men in surch of our horses, they were all found in a little time except McNeal's. we hired an indian to surch for this horse it was one in the evening before he returned with him. in the intermediate time we had 4 packsaddles made purchased three horses of the Wah-howpums, and hired three others of the Chopunnish man who accompanys us with his family and horses. we now sold our canoes for a few strands of beads, loaded up and departed at 2 P.M. the natives had tantalized us with an exchange of horses for our canoes in the first instance, but when they found that we had made our arrangements to travel by land they would give us nothing for them I determined to cut them in peices sooner than leave them on those terms, Drewyer struck one of the canoes and split of a small peice with his tommahawk, they discovered us determined on this subject and offered us several strands of beads for each which were accepted. we proceeded up the river between the hills and it's Northen shore. the road was rocky and sandy alternately, the road difficult and fatiegu-ing. at 12 ms. we arrived at a village of 5 lodges of the Met-cow-wes, having passed 4 lodges at 4 and 2 at 2 Ms. further. we ramined all night near the Met-cow-we lodges about 2 miles below our encampment of the ____ of October last; we purchased three dogs and some shappellel of these people which we cooked with dry grass and willow boughs. many of the natives pased and repassed us today on the road and behaved themselves with distant rispect towards us. most of the party complain of the soarness of their feet and legs this evening; it is no doubt caused by walking over the rough stones and deep sands after bing for some months passed been accustomed to a soft soil. my left ankle gives me much pain. I baithed my feet in cold water from which I experienced considerable releif. The curloos are abundant in these plains and are now laying their eggs. saw the Kildee, the brown lizzard, and a Moonax which the natives had petted. the winds which set from Mount Hood or in a westerly direction are much more cold than those from the opposite quarter. there are now no dews in these plains, and from the appearance of the earth there appears to have been no rain for several weeks.- we derected that the three horses which we purchased yesterday should be bubbled and confined to a picqut, and that the others should be disposed of in the same manner they were last evening.