who though not chiefs
were promising youths and very much respected in the tribe. These
honorary gifts were followed by presents of paint, moccasins, awls,
knives, beads and looking-glasses. We also gave them all a plentiful
meal of Indian corn, of which the hull is taken off by being boiled in
lye; and as this was the first they had ever tasted, they were very much
pleased with it. They had indeed abundant sources of surprise in all
they saw: the appearance of the men, their arms, their clothing, the
canoes, the strange looks of the negro, and the sagacity of our dog, all
in turn shared their admiration, which was raised to astonishment by a
shot from the airgun: this operation was instantly considered as a
_great medicine_, by which they as well as the other Indians mean
something emanating directly from the Great Spirit, or produced by his
invisible and incomprehensible agency. The display of all these riches
had been intermixed with inquiries into the geographical situation of
their country; for we had learnt by experience, that to keep the savages
in good temper their attention should not be wearied with too much
business; but that the serious affairs should be enlivened by a mixture
of what is new and entertaining. Our hunters brought in very seasonably
four deer and an antelope, the last of which we gave to the Indians, who
in a very short time devoured it. After the council was over, we
consulted as to our future operations. The game does not promise to last
here for a number of days, and this circumstance combined with many
others to induce our going on as soon as possible. Our Indian
information as to the state of the Columbia is of a very alarming kind,
and our first object is of course to ascertain the practicability of
descending it, of which the Indians discourage our expectations. It was
therefore agreed that captain Clarke should set off in the morning with
eleven men, furnished, besides their arms, with tools for making canoes;
that he should take Chaboneau and his wife to the camp of the
Shoshonees, where he was to leave them, in order to hasten the
collection of horses; that he was then to lead his men down to the
Columbia, and if he found it navigable, and the timber in sufficient
quantity, begin to build canoes. As soon as he had decided as to the
propriety of proceeding down the Columbia or across the mountains, he
was to send back one of the men with information of it to captain Lewis,
who by that