the night, and we were under the necessity of sending several men in search of him.  In the mean time, the Indians, who were always on the alert, stole a tomahawk, which we could not recover, though several of them were searched; and another fellow was detected in carrying off a piece of iron, and kicked out of camp; upon which Captain Lewis, addressing them, told them he was not afraid to fight them, for, if he chose, he could easily put them all to death, and burn their village, but that he did not wish to treat them ill if they kept from stealing; and that, although, if he could discover who had the tomahawks, he would take away their horses, yet he would rather lose the property altogether than take the horse of an innocent man.  The chiefs were present at this harangue, hung their heads, and made no reply.

“At ten o’clock the men returned with the horse, and soon after an Indian, who had promised to go with us as far as the Chopunnish, came with two horses, one of which he politely offered to assist in carrying our baggage.  We therefore loaded nine horses, and, giving the tenth to Bratton, who was still too sick to walk, at about ten o’clock left the village of these disagreeable people.”

At an Indian village which they reached soon after leaving that of the disagreeable Skilloots, they found the fellow who had gambled away the horse that he had sold.  Being faced with punishment, he agreed to replace the animal he had stolen with another, and a very good horse was brought to satisfy the white men, who were now determined to pursue a rigid course with the thievish Indians among whom they found themselves.  These people, the Eneeshurs, were stingy, inhospitable, and overbearing in their ways.  Nothing but the formidable numbers of the white men saved them from insult, pillage, and even murder.  While they were here, one of the horses belonging to the party broke loose and ran towards the Indian village.  A buffalo robe attached to him fell off and was gathered in by one of the Eneeshurs.  Captain Lewis, whose patience was now exhausted, set out, determined to burn the village unless the Indians restored the robe.  Fortunately, however, one of his men found the missing article hidden in a hut, and so any act of violent reprisal was not necessary.

So scarce had now become fuel, the party were obliged to buy what little wood they required for their single cooking-fire.  They could not afford a fire to keep them warm, and, as the nights were cold and they lay without any shelter, they were most uncomfortable, although the days were warm.  They were now travelling along the Columbia River, using their horses for a part of their luggage, and towing the canoes with the remainder of the stuff.  On the twenty-third of April they arrived at the mouth of Rock Creek, on the Columbia, a considerable stream which they missed as they passed this point on their way down, October 21.  Here they met a company of Indians called the Wahhowpum, with whom they traded pewter buttons, strips of tin and twisted wire for roots, dogs, and fuel.  These people were waiting for the arrival of the salmon.  The journal says:—­