Pawnashte, and is the residence of a chief, who, according to their expression, has more horses than he can count.  The river has many rapids, near which are situated many fishing camps; there being ten establishments of this before reaching the first southern branch; one on that stream, five between that and the Pawnashte; one on that river, and two above it; besides many other Indians who reside high up on the more distant waters of this river.  All these Indians belong to the Chopunnish nation, and live in tents of an oblong form, covered with flat roofs.

At its mouth Lewis’s river is about two hundred and fifty yards wide, and its water is of a greenish blue colour.  The Kooskooskee, whose waters are clear as crystal, one hundred and fifty yards in width, and after the union the river enlarges to the space of three hundred yards:  at the point of the union is an Indian cabin, and in Lewis’s river a small island.

The Chopunnish or Pierced-nose nation, who reside on the Kooskooskee and Lewis’s rivers, are in person stout, portly, well-looking men:  the women are small, with good features, and generally handsome, though the complexion of both sexes is darker than that of the Tushepaws.  In dress they resemble that nation, being fond of displaying their ornaments.  The buffaloe or elk-skin robe decorated with beads, sea-shells, chiefly mother-of-pearl, attached to an otter-skin collar and hung in the hair, which falls in front in two queues; feathers, paints of different kinds, principally white, green, and light blue, all of which they find in their own country:  these are the chief ornaments they use.  In the winter they wear a short shirt of dressed skins, long painted leggings and moccasins, and a plait of twisted grass round the neck.

The dress of the women is more simple, consisting of a long shirt of argalia or ibex skin, reaching down to the ankles without a girdle:  to this are tied little pieces of brass and shells and other small articles; but the head is not at all ornamented.  The dress of the female is indeed more modest, and more studiously so than any we have observed, though the other sex is careless of the indelicacy of exposure.

The Chopunnish have very few amusements, for their life is painful and laborious; and all their exertions are necessary to earn even their precarious subsistence.  During the summer and autumn they are busily occupied in fishing for salmon, and collecting their winter store of roots.  In the winter they hunt the deer on snow shoes over the plains, and towards spring cross the mountains to the Missouri for the purpose of trafficking for buffaloe robes.  The inconveniences of that comfortless life are increased by frequent encounters with their enemies from the west, who drive them over the mountains with the loss of their horses, and sometimes the lives of many of the nation.  Though originally the same people, their dialect varies very perceptibly from that of the Tushepaws:  their treatment to us differed much from the kind and disinterested services of the Shoshonees:  they are indeed selfish and avaricious; they part very reluctantly with every article of food or clothing; and while they expect a recompense for every service however small, do not concern themselves about reciprocating any presents we may give them.