Representing the President were Lewis and Clark—Lewis almost frantic with anxiety, Clark a sufferer for weeks past, and their men all played out with overexertion—their food supply nearly at an end except what they could kill in way of wild game—now scarce and difficult to obtain and getting more difficult every day—and just now facing the most perilous crossing of the already snow-covered mountains—vast, threatening and wholly unknown—very worst of the way. Seven boat loads of camping equipment, instruments, clothing and food supplies — worn out men, several of them needing hospital care—here stranded on barren ground—the captains both discouraged to a state of almost despair—what a prospect! But in one of those canoes back in the shallow waters of the Beaverhead was a little captive Indian woman with a five-months-old-babe -- she would solve the problem! How?—Of the meeting Lewis reports in his journal of the 17th, July: (Much condensed) "This morning while Captain Clark was engaged in preparing for his post—I arose early—dispatched Drewyer—down the river. Sent Shields to hunt—made McNiel cook the remainder of our meat which afforded a slight breakfast for ourselves and the chief.—An Indian who had straggled some distance down the river, returned and reported that the white men were coming—had seen them just below; they all appeared transported with joy and the Chief repeated his fraternal hug; shortly Captain Clark arrived with his interpreter Charbono, and the Indian woman, who proved to be a sister of the Chief Cameahwait. The meeting of these people was really affecting, perticularly between Sah-Cah-gar-we-ah and an Indian woman, who had been taken prisoner at the same time with her and had afterwards escaped from the Minatares and rejoined her nation. We had the satisfaction once more, to find ourselves—able to obtain as many horses shortly as would enable us to prosecute our way by land, should that of water be deemed unadvisable."— about 4 p.m., we called them together and through the medium of Labuish, Charbono and Sah-cah-gar-we-ah, we communicated to them fully the objects which had brought us into this distant part of the country in which we took care to make them conspicous object of our good wishes and the care of our government,—that a pilot to conduct us through the mountains was necessary—and such of their horses—necessary to transport our baggage, etc., etc." Here we quote from Clark's journal of that momentous meeting for he was with the canoes and crews some miles down stream, where they polled their way over the sandbars and shallows: "We set out at 7 o'clock and proceeded on 1 mile before I saw at a distance, several Indians on horseback coming towards me. The interpreter and Squar, who were before me at some distance, danced for the joyful sight, and she made signs to me that they were of her nation—I joined Captain Lewis, who had camped with 16 of those Snake Indian at the forks 2 miles in advance—those Indians sung all the way to their camp — three chiefs with Captain Lewis met me with cordiality, embraced and took a seat on a white robe—Lewis had found them 40 miles from the forks — the Great Chief of this nation proved to be the brother of the woman with us and is a man of influence. Sense and easy and reserved manners—appears to possess a great deal of sincerity,—made a number of enquires of those people about the Columbia River—the account they gave was very unfavorable—impossible to pass it and no game." Lewis supposed that their camp was on the Columbia—where he had found them, but as in fact had been on the Lemhi headwater of the Salmon, which empties into the Snake River, down which it is impossible to navigate by canoe or even to travel the shore line. Quoting from Lewis, the l9th.—"Sah-har-gar-wea was so disposed of before she was taken by the Minatrees (sold in infancy) or had arrived at the age of puberty—the husband was yet living with this band—he was more than double her age and had two other wives–he claimed her as his wife but said that as she had had a child by another man, who was Charbono, that he did not want her." From the 17th to the 25th, was used up in visiting with these Indians negotiating for horses, and in exploring the Salmon river with the hope that it would lead them to the main Columbia in some short way notwithstanding that Cameawait had told them it was impossible. They were low in food (but ten days' supply) and here as well as ahead no wild game was available; it was now freezing weather, soon deep snow would be encountered, both themselves and the Indian friends constantly without meat as only as occasional deer was brought in by the hunters—but they were successful in dealing with Sacajawea's brother for nine or a dozen horses and one mule. Boats and canoes were unpacked and weighted down in the stream with stones, to prevent loss by flood or fire—some of the goods and tools cached, and the remainder loaded on the horses for the uninviting and totally unknown mountain region now before them—six miles was made to first camp—in 'the cove'—Horse Prairie–it was a camp of confusion, anxiety and discouragement—among hungry and suspicious natives! But Sacajawea had made good —they got the horses, about which the Captains had worried all the way from last winter's camp at Mandan village; now they were afoot and horseback—and knew not where to go! It was the crucial moment of the entire expedition! But 31 year-old Lewis had made up his mind (after a dream) that he would devote the rest of his life to doing something for 'humanity' or die in the attempt. Here it was that Charbono told him that the Indians were on their way to hunt buffalo 'down the Jefferson and Missouri; it so upset Lewis to hear this, that he called a council and lectured Cameawait severely for his bad faith; —his broken promise to see the expedition on its way. The Chief yielded, and turned back, with the help he had agreed to furnish—to pack the goods over the mountain to his camp on the Lemhi— where Lewis had first found them. Clark had explored this route but had not yet made his report to Lewis,—that it was wholly impracticable, so much time lost. Here was confusion twice compounded; here and now had to be decided the future and fortunes of the whole northwestern empire—whether it be British or American, and at the moment Lewis guessed wrong—he was on the wrong trail, headed for the Salmon and its impassable barriers. Nor did he know that he was here encamped on historic ground—later to become historic as the campground of the toughest set of criminals that ruled for years over the rich mining region of southwestern Montana and Idaho—Bannack, Alder Gulch, Virginia City—in the days of Henry Plummer's gang of road agents, thieves and gamblers: But Lewis was desperate, he had hired three Indians to pack his goods over the divide to their camp on Lemhi, where he hoped to negotiate a trade with them for the coveted horses with which to continue his expedition to the coast. Cameawait had already told him that he was wrong, but Lewis would not heed—each was fast losing confidence in the other!

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