As we approached the village, most of the women, though apprised of our being expected, fled with their children into the neighbouring woods.  The men, however, received us without any apprehension, and gave us a plentiful supply of provisions.  The plains were now crowded with Indians, who came to see the persons of the whites and the strange things they brought with them:  but as our guide was perfectly a stranger to their language we could converse by signs only.  Our inquiries were chiefly directed to the situation of the country, the courses of the rivers, and the Indian villages, of all which we received information from several of the Indians, and as their accounts varied but little from each other, we were induced to place confidence in them.  Among others, the Twisted-hair drew a chart of the river on a white elk skin.  According to this, the Kooskooskee forks a few miles from this place; two days towards the south is another and larger fork on which the Shoshonee or Snake Indians fish:  five days’ journey further is a large river from the northwest into which Clarke’s river empties itself:  from the mouth of that river to the falls is five days’ journey further:  on all the forks as well as on the main river great numbers of Indians reside, and at the falls are establishments of whites.  This was the story of the Twisted-hair.

Monday 23.  The chiefs and warriors were all assembled this morning, and we explained to them where we came from, the objects of our visiting them, and our pacific intentions towards all the Indians.  This being conveyed by signs, might not have been perfectly comprehended, but appeared to give perfect satisfaction.  We now gave a medal to two of the chiefs, a shirt in addition to the medal already received by the Twisted-hair, and delivered a flag and a handkerchief for the grand chief on his return.  To these were added a knife, a handkerchief and a small piece of tobacco for each chief.  The inhabitants did not give us any provisions gratuitously.  We therefore purchased a quantity of fish, berries (chiefly red haws) and roots; and in the afternoon went on to the second village.  The Twisted-hair introduced us into his own tent, which consisted however of nothing more than pine bushes and bark, and gave us some dried salmon boiled.  We continued our purchases, and obtained as much provision as our horses could carry in their present weak condition as far as the river.  The men exchanged a few old canisters for dressed elk skins, of which they made shirts:  great crowds of the natives are round us all night, but we have not yet missed any thing except a knife and a few other articles stolen yesterday from a shot pouch.  At dark we had a hard wind from the southwest accompanied with rain which lasted half an hour, but in the morning,