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mhi　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。　After　smoking　a　pipe　he　asked　them　if　they　were　men　of　their　word；　and　if　we　could　rely　on　their　promises。　　They　readily　answered　in　the　affirmative。　He　then　asked　if　they　had　not　agreed　to　assist　us　in　carrying　our　baggage　over　the　mountains。　　To　this　they　also　answered　yes。　　‘Why；　then；'　said　he；　‘have　you　requested　your　people　to　meet　us　to…morrow　where　it　will　be　impossible　for　us　to　trade　for　horses；　as　you　promised　we　should？　　If；'　he　continued；　‘you　had　not　promised　to　help　us　in　transporting　our　goods　over　the　mountains；　we　should　not　have　attempted　it；　but　have　returned　down　the　river；　after　which　no　white　men　would　ever　have　come　into　your　country。　　If　you　wish　the　whites　to　be　your　friends；　to　bring　you　arms；　and　to　protect　you　from　your　enemies；　you　should　never　promise　what　you　do　not　mean　to　perform。　When　I　first　met　you；　you　doubted　what　I　said；　yet　you　afterward　saw　that　I　told　you　the　truth。　　How；　therefore；　can　you　doubt　what　I　now　tell　you？　You　see　that　I　divide　amongst　you　the　meat　which　my　hunters　kill；　and　I　promise　to　give　all　who　assist　us　a　share　of　whatever　we　have　to　eat。　If；　therefore；　you　intend　to　keep　your　promise；　send　one　of　the　young　men　immediately；　to　order　the　people　to　remain　at　the　village　till　we　arrive。'　The　two　inferior　chiefs　then　said　that　they　had　wished　to　keep　their　word　and　to　assist　us；　that　they　had　not　sent　for　the　people；　but　on　the　contrary　had　disapproved　of　that　measure；　which　was　done　wholly　by　the　first　chief。　Cameahwait　remained　silent　for　some　time；　at　last　he　said　that　he　knew　he　had　done　wrong；　but　that；　seeing　his　people　all　in　want　of　provisions；　he　had　wished　to　hasten　their　departure　for　the　country　where　their　wants　might　be　supplied。　　He；　however；　now　declared　that；　having　passed　his　word；　he　would　never　violate　it；　and　counter…orders　were　immediately　sent　to　the　village　by　a　young　man；　to　whom　we　gave　a　handkerchief　in　order　to　ensure　despatch　and　fidelity。　。　。　。

〃This　difficulty　being　now　adjusted；　our　march　was　resumed　with　an　unusual　degree　of　alacrity　on　the　part　of　the　Indians。　　We　passed　a　spot　where；　six　years　ago；　the　Shoshonees　had　suffered　a　very　severe　defeat　from　the　Minnetarees；　and　late　in　the　evening　we　reached　the　upper　part　of　the　cove；　where　the　creek　enters　the　mountains。　The　part　of　the　cove　on　the　northeast　side　of　the　creek　has　lately　been　burned；　most　probably　as　a　signal　on　some　occasion。　Here　we　were　joined　by　our　hunters　with　a　single　deer；　which　Captain　Lewis　gave；　as　a　proof　of　his　sincerity；　to　the　women　and　children；　and　remained　supperless　himself。　As　we　came　along　we　observed　several　large　hares；　some　ducks；　and　many　of　the　cock　of　the　plains：　　in　the　low　grounds　of　the　cove　were　also　considerable　quantities　of　wild　onions。〃

Arriving　at　the　Shoshonee　village　on　the　Lemhi；　Captain　Lewis　found　a　note　from　Captain　Clark；　sent　back　by　a　runner；　informing　him　of　the　difficulty　and　impossibility　of　a　water　route　to　the　Columbia。　　Cameahwait；　being　told　that　his　white　friends　would　now　need　twenty　more　horses；　said　that　he　would　do　what　he　could　to　help　them。　　The　journal　here　adds：

〃In　order　not　to　lose　the　present　favorable　moment；　and　to　keep　the　Indians　as　cheerful　as　possible；　the　violins　were　brought　out　and　our　men　danced；　to　the　great　diversion　of　the　Indians。　　This　mirth　was　the　more　welcome　because　our　situation　was　not　precisely　that　which　would　most　dispose　us　to　gayety；　for　we　have　only　a　little　parched　corn　to　eat；　and　our　means　of　subsistence　or　of　success　depend　on　the　wavering　temper　of　the　natives；　who　may　change　their　minds　to…morrow。　。　。　。

〃The　Shoshonees　are　a　small　tribe　of　the　nation　called　the　Snake　Indians；　a　vague　appellation；　which　embraces　at　once　the　inhabitants　of　the　southern　parts　of　the　Rocky　Mountains　and　of　the　plains　on　either　side。　The　Shoshonees　with　whom　we　now　were　amount　to　about　one　hundred　warriors；　and　three　times　that　number　of　women　and　children。　　Within　their　own　recollection　they　formerly　lived　in　the　plains；　but　they　have　been　driven　into　the　mountains　by　the　Pahkees；　or　the　roving　Indians　of　the　Sascatchawan；　and　are　now　obliged　to　visit　occasionally；　and　by　stealth；　the　country　of　their　ancestors。　　Their　lives；　indeed；　are　migratory。　From　the　middle　of　May　to　the　beginning　of　September　they　reside　on　the　headwaters　of　the　Columbia；　where　they　consider　themselves　perfectly　secure　from　the　Pahkees；　who　have　never　yet　found　their　way　to　that　retreat。　During　this　time　they　subsist　chiefly　on　salmon；　and；　as　that　fish　disappears　on　the　approach　of　autumn；　they　are　driven　to　seek　subsistence　elsewhere。　They　then　cross　the　ridge　to　the　waters　of　the　Missouri；　down　which　they　proceed　slowly　and　cautiously；　till　they　are　joined　near　the　Three　Forks　by　other　bands；　either　of　their　own　nation　or　of　the　Flatheads；　with　whom　they　associate　against　the　common　enemy。　　Being　now　strong　in　numbers；　they　venture　to　hunt　the　buffalo　in　the　plains　eastward　of　the　mountains；　near　which　they　spend　the　winter；　till　the　return　of　the　salmon　invites　them　to　the　Columbia。　　But　such　is　their　terror　of　the　Pahkees；　that；　so　long　as　they　can　obtain　the　scantiest　subsistence；　they　do　not　leave　the　interior　of　the　mountains；　and；　as　soon　as　they　have　collected　a　large　stock　of　dried　meat；　they　again　retreat；　thus　alternately　obtaining　their　food　at　the　hazard　of　their　lives；　and　hiding　themselves　to　consume　it。

〃In　this　loose　and　wandering　life　they　suffer　the　extremes　of　want；　for　two　thirds　of　the　year　they　are　forced　to　live　in　the　mountains；　passing　whole　weeks　without　meat；　and　with　nothing　to　eat　but　a　few　fish　and　roots。　　Nor　can　anything　be　imagined　more　wretched　than　their　condition　at　the　present　time；　when　the　salmon　is　fast　retiring；　when　roots　are　becoming　scarce；　and　they　have　not　yet　acquired　strength　to　hazard　an　encounter　with　their　enemies。　　So　insensible　are　they；　however；　to　these　calamities；　that　the　Shoshonees　are　not　only　cheerful；　but　even　gay；　and　their　character；　which　is　more　interesting　than　that　of　any　Indians　we　have　seen；　has　in　it　much　of　the　dignity　of　misfortune。　In　their　intercourse　with　strangers　they　are　frank　and　communicative；　in　their　dealings　they　are　perfectly　fair；　nor　have　we；　during　our　stay　with　them；　had　any　reason　to　suspect　that　the　display　of　all　our　new　and　valuable　wealth　has　tempted　them　into　a　single　act　of　dishonesty。　While　they　have　generally　shared　with　us　the　little　they　possess；　they　have　always　abstained　from　begging　anything　from　us。　With　their　liveliness　of　temper；　they　are　fond　of　gaudy　dresses　and　all　sorts　of　amusements；　particularly　games　of　hazard；　and；　like　most　Indians；　delight　in　boasting　of　their　warlike　exploits；　either　real　or　fictitious。　In　their　conduct　towards　us　they　have　been　kind　and　obliging；　and　though　on　one　occasion　they　seemed　willing　to　neglect　us；　yet　we　scarcely　knew　how　to　blame　the　treatment　by　which　we　were　to　suffer；　when　we　recollected　how　few　civilized　chiefs　would　have　hazarded　the　comforts　or　the　subsistence　of　their　people　for　the　sake　of　a　few　strangers。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

〃As　war　is　the　chief　occupation；　bravery　is　the　first　virtue　among　the　Shoshonees。　　None　can　hope　to　be　distinguished　without　having　given　proofs　of　it；　nor　can　there　be　any　preferment　or　influence　among　the　nation；　without　some　warlike　achievement。　Those　important　events　which　give　reputation　to　a　warrior；　and　entitle　him　to　a　new　name；　are：　　killing　a　white　＇or　grizzly＇　bear；　stealing　individually　the　horses　of　the　enemy；　leading　a　party　who　happen　to　be　successful　either　in　plundering　horses　or　destroying　the　enemy；　and　lastly；　scalping　a　warrior。　These　acts　seem　of　nearly　equal　dignity；　but　the　last；　that　of　taking　an　enemy's　scalp；　is　an　honor　quite　independent　of　the　act　of　vanquishing　him。　　To　kill　your　adversary　is　of　no　importance　unless　the　scalp　is　brought　from　the　field　of　battle；　were　a　warrior　to　slay　any　number　of　his　enemies　in　action；　and　others　were　to　obtain　the　scalps　or　first　touch　the　dead；　they　would　have　all　the　honors；　since　they　have　borne　off　the　trophy。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

〃The　names　of　these　Indians　vary　in　the　course　of　their　life。　Originally　given　in　childhood；　from　the　mere　necessity　of　distinguishing　objects；　or　from　some　accidental　resemblance　to　external　objects；　the　young　warrior　is　impatient　to　change　it　by　some　achievement　of　his　own。　Any　important　eventthe　stealing　of　horses；　the　scalping　of　an　enemy；　or　the　killing　of　a　brown　bearentitles　him　at　once　to　a　new　name；　which　he　then　selects　for　himself；　and　it　is　confirmed　by　the　nation。　Sometimes　the　two　names　subsist　together；　thus；　the　chief　Cameahwait；　which　means　‘One　Who　Never　Walks；'　has　the　war…name　of　Tooettecone；　or　‘Black　Gun；'　which　he　acquired　when　he　first　signalized　himself。　As　each　new　action　gives　a　warrior　a　right　to　change　his　name；