ore than just sufficient for fuel, and
even that consisted of the narrow-leafed cotton wood, the red and the
narrow-leafed willow, the chokecherry, serviceberry and a few currant
bushes such as are common on the Missouri. The prospect of going on by
land is more pleasant; for there are great numbers of horses feeding in
every direction round the camp, which will enable us to transport our
stores if necessary over the mountains. Captain Lewis returned from the
river to his lodge, and on his way an Indian invited him into his bower
and gave him a small morsel of boiled antelope and a piece of fresh
salmon roasted. This was the first salmon he had seen, and perfectly
satisfied him that he was now on the waters of the Pacific. On reaching
this lodge, he resumed his conversation with the chief, after which
he was entertained with a dance by the Indians. It now proved, as our
party had feared, that the men whom they had first met this morning had
returned to the camp and spread the alarm that their enemies, the
Minnetarees of fort de Prairie, whom they call Pahkees, were advancing
on them. The warriors instantly armed themselves and were coming down in
expectation of an attack, when they were agreeably surprised by meeting
our party. The greater part of them were armed with bows and arrows,
and shields, but a few had small fusils, such as are furnished by the
northwest company traders, and which they had obtained from the Indians
on the Yellowstone, with whom they are now at peace. They had reason to
dread the approach of the Pahkees, who had attacked them in the course
of this spring and totally defeated them. On this occasion twenty of
their warriors were either killed or made prisoners, and they lost their
whole camp except the leathern lodge which they had fitted up for us,
and were now obliged to live in huts of a conical figure made with
willow brush. The music and dancing, which was in no respect different
from those of the Missouri Indians, continued nearly all night; but
captain Lewis retired to rest about twelve o'clock, when the fatigues of
the day enabled him to sleep though he was awaked several times by the
yells of the dancers.

Whilst all these things were occurring to captain Lewis we were slowly
and laboriously ascending the river. For the first two and a half miles
we went along the island opposite to which we encamped last evening, and
soon reached a second island behind which comes in a small creek on the