They had, indeed, abundant sources of surprise in all they
saw--the appearance of the men, their arms, their clothing, the canoes,
the strange looks of the negro, and the sagacity of our dog, all in turn
shared their admiration, which was raised to astonishment by a shot from
the air-gun. This operation was instantly considered 'great medicine,'
by which they, as well as the other Indians, mean something emanating
directly from the Great Spirit, or produced by his invisible and
incomprehensible agency. . . .
"After the council was over we consulted as to our future operations.
The game did not promise to last here for many days; and this
circumstance combined with many others to induce our going on as soon as
possible. Our Indian information as to the state of the Columbia was of
a very alarming kind; and our first object was, of course, to ascertain
the practicability of descending it, of which the Indians discouraged
our expectations. It was therefore agreed that Captain Clark should set
off in the morning with eleven men, furnished, besides their arms, with
tools for making canoes: that he should take Chaboneau and his wife
to the camp of the Shoshonees, where he was to leave them, in order to
hasten the collection of horses; that he should then lead his men
down to the Columbia, and if he found it navigable, and the timber in
sufficient quantity, begin to build canoes. As soon as he had decided
as to the propriety of proceeding down the Columbia or across the
mountains, he was to send back one of the men with information of it to
Captain Lewis, who by that time would have brought up the whole
party, and the rest of the baggage, as far as the Shoshonee village.
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