Day-by-Day / June 6, 1806

June 6, 1806

Still no guides

Clark travels to Broken Arm’s village to repeat a diplomatic speech and ask for guides. He is given two peace pipes—one for him and the other for the Shoshones. On the way back to Long Camp, he meets Twisted Hair who brings more discouraging news. Lewis describes the western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) and makes celestial observations.

No Guides

by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading

Shoshone-Cayouse Peace

The Broken Arm informed me that they had latterly been informed that a party of the Shoshones had arived at the Ye-E-al-po [Cayuses] Nation who reside to the South of the enterance of Kooskooske [Clearwater] into Lewis’s river. and had informed that people that their nation (the Shoshones) had received the talk which was given their relations on the head of the East fork of Lewis’s river last fall, and were resolved to pursue our Councils, and had came foward for the purpose of makeing peace with them, and allso with the Chopunnish [Nez Perce] &c.
William Clark

No Guides

The Broken arm told me that the nation would not pass the mountains untill the latter part of the Summer, and with respect to the young men who we had requested to accompany us to the falls of Missouri, were not yet Selected for that purpose nor could they be So untill they had a Meeting of the Nation in Council. that this would happen in the Course of ten or 12 days
—William Clark

Broken Arm’s Pipes

he produced two pipes one of which he said was as a present to me the other he intended to Send to the Shoshones &c. and requested me to take one, I receved the one made in the fascion of the Country, the other which was of Stone curiously inlaid with Silver in the common form which he got from the Shoshones. I deckorated the Stem of this pipe with blue ribon and white wampom and informed the Chief this was the emblem of peace with us.
—William Clark

Twisted Hair’s Bad News

I met the twisted hair and two other indians with Frazier on the opposit bank from our Camp this Morning & Sent him over to our Camp. I met him this evening on his return home. he informed me he could not accompany us across the mountains as his brother was Sick &c.—.
—William Clark

Sufficient Food Store

The Broken Arm gave me a fiew Quawmash [camas] roots as a great preasent, but in my estimation those of Cows [cous] is much better. I am Confident they are much more healthy. on examonation we find our whole party have a Sufficient Store of bread and roots for our Voyage. a Circumstance not unpleasing—.
—William Clark

 

Western Tanager

we meet with a beautifull little bird in this neighbourhood about the size and somewhat the shape of the large sparrow. it is reather longer in proportion to it’s bulk than the sparrow. it measures 7 inches from the extremity of the beek to that of the tail, the latter occupying 2½ inches.
Meriwether Lewis

Celestial Observations

Observed equal altitudes of the sun with Sextant.
—Meriwether Lewis

 

Weather Diary

State of the weather at sun symbol rise Wind at sun symbol rise State of the weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. State of the Kooskooskee at sun symbol rise
fair S. E. fair N W fallen 1 ft.

in the course of the last night the river raised a little but fell by morning 1 inch lower than what it stood at last evening. the seven bark and the yellow vining honeysuckle are just in blume. a few of the does have produced their young. strawberries ripe near the river— [Clark: hot Sultery day.]
—Meriwether Lewis[3]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the river columns have been merged, and some abbreviations have been spelled out.

 

Notes

Notes
1 Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio.
2 “Indianische geräthschaften und waffen. Ustensiles et armes indiens. Indian utensils and arms.” New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed 22 February 2019. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-c46b-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.
3 To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is not presented, the river columns have been merged, and some abbreviations have been spelled out.

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.