May 11, 1806

at 8 A. M. a cheif of great note among these people arrived from his village or lodge on the S. side of Lewis’s River. this is a stout fellow of good countenance about 40 years of age and has lost the left eye. his name is Yoom-park’-kar-tim. to this man we gave a medal of the smal kind. those with the likeness of Mr. Jefferson have all been disposed of except one of the largest size which we reserve for some great Cheif on the Yellow rock river.
—Meriwether Lewis

we thought it a favourable time to repeat what had been said yesterday and to enter more minutely into the views of our government with rispect to the inhabitants of this western part of the continent, their intention of establishing trading houses for their releif, their wish to restore peace and harmony among the natives, the strength power and wealth of our nation &c.
—Meriwether Lewis

by the assistance of the snake boy and our interpretters were enabled to make ourselves understood by them altho’ it had to pass through the French, Minnetare [Hidatsa], Shoshone and Chopunnish [Nez Perce] languages. the interpretation being tedious it ocupyed nearly half the day before we had communicated to them what we wished.
—Meriwether Lewis

after this council was over we amused ourselves with shewing them the power of magnetism, the spye glass, compass, watch, air-gun and sundry other articles equally novel and incomprehensible to them. they informed us that after we had left the Minnetares last spring that three of their people had visited that nation and that they had informed them of us and had told them that we had such things in our possession
—Meriwether Lewis

many of the natives apply to us for medical aid which we gave them cheerfully so far as our skill and store of medicine would enable us. schrofela, ulsers, rheumatism, soar eyes, and the loss of the uce of their limbs are the most common cases among them.
—Meriwether Lewis

These nativs take their fish in the following manner to wit. a Stand Small Stage or warf consisting of Sticks and projecting about 10 feet into the river and about 3 feet above the water on the extremity of this the fisherman stands with his guig or a Skooping Net which differ but little in their form those Commonly used in our Country it is formed thus with those nets they take the Suckers and also the Salmon trout and I am told the Salmon also.
—William Clark