In anticipation of moving from Long Camp to the Weippe Prairie, five men cross the Clearwater River to buy ropes and bags. Nez Perce Chief Red Grizzly Bear gives Pvt. Frazer, who has learned their language, a horse, and Lewis describes the bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata).
Trading for String
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
Nez Perce Hemp Bag
Provided by U.S. National Park Service, Big Hole National Battlefield, BIHO 27.
“This twined hemp and cornhusk bag was reported to be over 200 years old when added to the Big Hole National Battlefield collection in 1959. The bag was originally acquired from Peo Peo Tholekt in 1934. According to his testimony, Tholekt’s mother used the bag to move dirt when she helped Reverend Henry Spalding excavate the ditch for a mill pond at his mission. He also said she carried this bag through the 1877 war. Hemp, cornhusk, leather. L 35, W 28.7, T 0.5 cm”[2]http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/exhibits/nepe/exb/legendTimes/BIHO27_Bag.html accessed on 1 December 2010. See also The Nez Perces.
New Ropes and Bags
Sergt. Gass, McNeal, Whitehouse and Goodrich accompanyed them with a view to procure some pack or lash ropes in exchange for parts of an old sain, fish giggs, peices of old iron, old files and some bullets. they were also directed to procure some bags for the purpose of containing our roots & bread.
—Meriwether Lewis
Preparing to Leave
our party are much engaged in preparing their saddles arranging their loads provisions &c for our departure.
—Meriwether Lewis
Frazer’s Gifts
Some of the natives again came to visit us, one of whom gave a horse to one of our men [Robert Frazer], who is very fond of conversing with them and of learning their language.
—Patrick GassHohâstillpilp passed the river today and brought over a horse which he gave Frazier one of our party who had previously made him a present of a pair of Cannadian shoes or shoe-packs.
—Meriwether Lewis
Saving Weippe Prairie
Drewyer set out on a hunting excurtion up Collins’s Creek this evening. we wish to leave the deer in the neighbourhood of the quawmash plains [Weippe Prairie] undisturbed untill the 10th when we intend removing thither to lay in some meat for our voyage over the Mountains.
—Meriwether Lewis
Bitter Cherry Blossoms
Prunus emarginata
© 30 May 2008 by Walter Siegmund. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.
The Bitter Cherry
There is a speceis of cherry which grows in this neighbourhood in sitations like the Choke cherry or near the little rivulets and wartercouses . . . . the stone is begining to be hard and is in shape somewhat like that of the plumb
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
State of the weather at rise
Wind at State of the weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. State of the Kooskooskee at cloudy after rain N W cloudy after fair, rain, & hail N W fallen 3 in. rain but slight both last evening and today. but little hail tho’ large. The river fell three inches last night and 7 yesterday. The goose berries fully grown also the servis berry.
—Meriwether Lewis[3]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the river columns have been merged, and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
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 | http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/exhibits/nepe/exb/legendTimes/BIHO27_Bag.html accessed on 1 December 2010. |
| ↑3 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the river columns have been merged, and some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
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.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
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- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
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- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
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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).