While taking the expedition’s baggage over Lemhi Pass, Charbonneau informs Lewis that he and Sacagawea will soon return home and that Cameahwait’s People will also leave without completing the task.
On the Salmon River, Clark and his small group retrace their steps to reach their old campsite near Tower Creek. They subsist on berries and a small portion of fresh salmon.
Confronting the Three Chiefs
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
Lewis: A Change in Plans
Shoshone Cove Moonrise
© 2008 September 9 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Charbonneau’s Bad News
Charbono [Charbonneau] mentioned to me with apparent unconcern that he expected to meet all the [Lemhi Shoshone] Indians from the camp on the Columbia tomorrow on their way to the Missouri . . . . and consequently leave me and my baggage on the mountain or thereabouts . . . . altho’ he had been in possession of this information since early in the morning when it had been communicated to him by his Indian woman [Sacagawea] yet he never mentioned it untill the after noon. I could not forbear speaking to him with some degree of asperity on this occasion.
—Meriwether Lewis
Lewis’s Reaction
I saw that here was no time to be lost in having those orders countermanded, or that we should not in all probability obtain any more horses or even get my baggage to the waters of the Columbia. I therefore Called the three Cheifs together and having smoked a pipe with them, I asked them if they were men of their words . . . .
—Meriwether Lewis
Cameahwait’s Reply
Cameahwait remained silent for some time, at length he told me that he knew he had done wrong but that he had been induced to that measure from seeing all his people hungary, but as he had promised to give me his assistance he would not in future be worse than his word.
—Meriwether Lewis
Sharing the Harvest
we continued our march untill late in the evening and encamped at the upper part of the cove where the creek enters the mountains; here our hunters joined us with another deer which they had killed, this I gave to the women and Children, and for my own part remained supperless.
—Meriwether Lewis
Clark: Salmon and Beaver
Salmon and Berries
Set out verry early and halted one hour at the Indian Camp, they were kind gave us all a little boiled Sammon & dried buries to eate, abt. half as much as I could eate, those people are kind with what they have but excessive pore & Durtey.—
—William Clark
Late Arrival
we proceeded on over the mountains we had before passed to the Bluff we Encamped at on the 21s instant where we arrived late . . . . one man [Windsor] verry Sick to day which detained us verry much
—William Clark
Hunting and Fishing
turned out to hunt & fish, Cought Several Small fish, a party of Squars & one man with Several boys going down to guathe berries below, my guide got two Sammon from this party [(]which made about half a Supper for the party), after Dark Shannon came in with a beaver which the Party suped on Sumptiously—
—William Clark
Weather Diary
State of the Thermometer at rise
Weather at Wind at State of the Thermometer at 4 P.M. Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. 32 [above 0] fair after rain S. E 65 [above 0] cloudy S E white frost this morning [Clark adds:] I proceeded down the river 70 miles & Set out on my return.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.
Notes
| ↑1 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
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- Yellowstone Public Radio
Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).