giving any positive answer, but requested to see the goods which we
proposed to exchange. We then produced some battle-axes which we had
made at fort Mandan, and a quantity of knives; with both of which they
appeared very much pleased; and we were soon able to purchase three
horses by giving for each an axe, a knife, a hankerchief and a little
paint. To this we were obliged to add a second knife, a shirt, a
handkerchief and a pair of leggings; and such is the estimation in which
those animals are held, that even at this price, which was double that
for a horse, the fellow who sold him took upon himself great merit in
having given away a mule to us. They now said that they had no more
horses for sale, and as we had now nine of our own, two hired horses,
and a mule, we began loading them as heavily as was prudent, and placing
the rest on the shoulders of the Indian women, left our camp at twelve
o'clock. We were all on foot, except Sacajawea, for whom her husband had
purchased a horse with some articles which we gave him for that purpose;
an Indian however had the politeness to offer captain Lewis one of his
horses to ride, which he accepted in order better to direct the march of
the party. We crossed the river below the forks, directing our course
towards the cove by the route already passed, and had just reached the
lower part of the cove when an Indian rode up to captain Lewis to inform
him that one of his men was very sick, and unable to come on. The party
was immediately halted at a run which falls into the creek on the left,
and captain Lewis rode back two miles, and found Wiser severely
afflicted with the colic: by giving him some of the essence of
peppermint and laudanum, he recovered sufficiently to ride the horse of
captain Lewis, who then rejoined the party on foot. When he arrived he
found that the Indians who had been impatiently expecting his return, at
last unloaded their horses and turned them loose, and had now made their
camp for the night. It would have been fruitless to remonstrate, and not
prudent to excite any irritation, and therefore, although the sun was
still high, and we had made only six miles, we thought it best to remain
with them: after we had encamped there fell a slight shower of rain. One
of the men caught several fine trout; but Drewyer had been sent out to
hunt without having killed any thing. We therefore gave a little corn to
those of the Indians who were actually engaged in carrying o