He appeared to be much pleased with this information,
and the whole party being now in excellent temper after their repast, we
began our purchase of horses. We soon obtained five very good ones, on
very reasonable terms--that is, by giving for each horse merchandise
which cost us originally about $6. We have again to admire the perfect
decency and propriety of the Indians; for though so numerous, they do
not attempt to crowd round our camp or take anything which they see
lying about, and whenever they borrow knives or kettles or any other
article from the men, they return them with great fidelity."
Captain Lewis anxiously wished to push on to meet Clark, who, as we
have seen, was then far down on the Salmon River. Lewis was still at
the forks of Jefferson River, it should be borne in mind; and their
objective point was the upper Shoshonee village on the Lemhi River,
across the divide. While on the way over the divide, Lewis was greatly
troubled by the freaks of the Indians, who, regardless of their
promises, would propose to return to the buffalo country on the eastern
side of the mountains. Learning that Cameahwait and his chiefs had sent
a messenger over to the Lemhi to notify the village to come and join an
expedition of this sort, Captain Lewis was dismayed. His journal says:--
"Alarmed at this new caprice of the Indians, which, if not counteracted,
threatened to leave ourselves and our baggage on the mountains, or
even if we reached the waters of the Columbia, to prevent our obtaining
horses to go on further, Captain Lewis immediately called the three
chiefs together.
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