The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Clark, May 11, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Clark, May 11, 1806

Sunday 11th May 1806

Some little rain last night. we were Crouded in the Lodge with Indians who continued all night and this morning Great numbers were around us. The One Eyed Chief Yoom-park-kar-tim arived and we gave him a medal of the Small Size and Spoke to the Indians through a Snake boy Shabono and his wife. we informed them who we were, where we Came from & our intentions towards them, which pleased them very much. a young man Son to the great Chief who was killed not long Sence by the Indians from the N. E. brought an elegant mare and Coalt and Gave us. and Said he had opend. his ears to what we had Said and his heart was glad and requested us to take this mare and Coalt as a token of his deturmination to pursue our Councels &c. The twisted hair brough Six of our horses all in fine order. Great numbers of Indians apply to us for medical aide which we gave them Cherfully So far as our Skill and Store of Medicine would enable us. Schrofla, ulsers, rhumitism, Sore eyes, and the loss of the use of their Limbs are the most common cases among them. the latter Case is not very common but We have Seen 3 instances of it among the Chopunnish. a very extroadinery complnt. about 3 P.M. Geo. drewyer arived with 2 deer which he had killed. he informed us that the Snow Still Continued to cover the plains. We are now pretty well informed that Tunnachemootoolt, Hohastillpilp, Neshneparkkeeook, and Yoomparkkartim were the principal Chiefs of the Chopunnish Nation and ranked in the order here mentioned; as all those chiefs were present in our lodge we thought it a favourable time to repeet what had been said and to enter more minutely into the views of our government with respect to the inhabitents of this Western part of the Continent, their intention of establishing tradeing houses for their relief, their wish to restore peace and harmony among the nativs, the Strength welth and powers of our Nation &c. to this end we drew a map of the Country with a coal on a mat in their way, and by the assistance of the Snake boy and our intrepeters were enabled to make ourselves under stood by them altho it had to pass through French, Minnetare, Shoshone and Chopunnish languages. the interpretation being tegious it occupied the greater part of the day, before we had communicated to them what we wished. they appeared highly pleased. after this Council was over we amused ourselves with Shewing them the power of Magnetism, the Spye glass, compass, watch, air gun and Sundery other articles equally novel and incomprehensible to them. they informed us that after we left the Menetares last Spring that 3 of their people had visited that nation, and that they had informed them of us, and had told them that we had Such things in our possession but that they Could not place Confidence in the information untill they had now witnessed it themselves

In the evening a man was brought in a robe by four Indians and laid down near me. they informed me that this man was a Chief of Considerable note who has been in the Situation I see him for 5 years. this man is incapable of moveing a single limb but lies like a corps in whatever position he is placed, yet he eats hartily, dejests his food perfectly, enjoys his under standing, his pulse are good, and has retained his flesh almost perfectly; in Short were it not that he appears a little pale from having been So long in the Shade, he might well be taken for a man in good health. I Suspect that their Confinement to a deet of roots may give rise to all the disordes of the Nativs of this quarter except the Rhumitism & Sore eyes, and to the latter of those, the State of debility incident to a vegitable diet may measureably contribute.-. The Chopunnish not withstanding they live in the Crouded manner before mentioned are much more clenly in their persons and habitations than any nation we have Seen Sence we left the Illinois. These nativs take their fish in the following manner to wit. a Stand Small Stage or warf consisting of Sticks and projecting about 10 feet into the river and about 3 feet above the water on the extremity of this the fisherman stands with his guilt or a Skooping Net which differ but little in their form those Commonly used in our Country it is formed thus with those nets they take the Suckers and also the Salmon trout and I am told the Salmon also.