, and soon became
very uncomfortable, for the wind was high and cold, and the rain and
hail, which began about seven o'clock, changed in two hours to a heavy
fall of snow, which continued till after six o'clock (May 10th), the
next morning, when it ceased, after covering the ground eight inches
deep and leaving the air keen and cold. We soon collected our horses,
and after a scanty breakfast of roots set out on a course S. 35'0 E."

They were now following the general course of the Kooskooskee, or
Clearwater, as the stream is called, and their route lay in what is now
Nez Perce County, Idaho. They have passed the site of the present city
of Lewiston, named for Captain Lewis. They have arrived in a region
inhabited by the friendly Chopunnish, or Nez Perce, several villages
of which nation were scattered around the camp of the white men. The
narrative says:

"We soon collected the men of consideration, and after smoking,
explained how destitute we were of provisions. The chief spoke to the
people, who immediately brought two bushels of dried quamash-roots, some
cakes of the roots of cows, and a dried salmon-trout; we thanked them
for this supply, but observed that, not being accustomed to live on
roots alone, we feared that such diet might make our men sick, and
therefore proposed to exchange one of our good horses, which was rather
poor, for one that was fatter, and which we might kill. The hospitality
of the chief was offended at the idea of an exchange; he observed
that his people had an abundance of young horses, and that if we
were disposed to use that food we might have as many as we wanted.
Accordingly, they soon gave us two fat young horses, without asking
anything in return, an act of liberal hospitality much greater than any
we have witnessed since crossing the Rocky Mountains, if it be not in
fact the only really hospitable treatment we have received in this part
of the world. We killed one of the horses, and then telling the natives
that we were fatigued and hungry, and that as soon as we were refreshed
we would communicate freely with them, began to prepare our repast.

"During this time a principal chief, called Hohastillpilp, came from
his village, about six miles distant, with a party of fifty men, for the
purpose of visiting us. We invited him into our circle, and he alighted
and smoked with us, while his retinue, with five elegant horses,
continued mounted at a short distance. While this was going on,