SNAKE COUNTRY EXPEDITION, 1824 385
Wednesday 6th Oct. 35 Our cache of May is safe. Length of Salmon River covered this year, 100 miles.
Oct. 7th. Beaver taken out of cache, counted and packed and carried along with us.
Tuesday, 12th Oct. This morning after an illness of twenty days during which we carried him on a stretcher died Jean Ba't Boucher, aged 65, an honest man.
Thursday, 14th Oct. Today Pierre and band arrived pillaged and destitute. This conduct has been blamable since they left us. They passed the time with the Indians and neglected their hunts, quarrelled with the Indians at last, were then robbed and left naked on the plains. The loss of twelve out of twenty trappers is no small consideration. With these vagabonds ar- rived seven American trappers from the Big Horn River but whom I rather take to be spies than trappers. Regarding our deserters of 1822 accounts do not agree. It is evident part of them have reached the American posts on the Yellowstone and Big Horn with much fur. I suspect these Americans have been on the lookout to decoy more. The scalp furs and horses carried last year to Fort des Prairies by the Blackfeet belonged to this establishment. The quarter is swarming with trappers who next season are to penetrate the Snake country with a Major Henry 36 at their head, the same gentleman who fifteen years ago wintered on Snake River. The report of these men on the price of beaver has a very great influence on our trapprs. The seven trappers have in two different caches 900 beaver. I made them several propositions but they would not accept lower than $3 a pound. I did not consider myself authorized to arrange at such prices. The men accom- panied us to the Flatheads. There is a leading person with them. They intend following us to the fort.
Saturday 16th. Sent our express to Mr. Ogden at Spokane house.
November 1st, Monday. Got across the divide.
35 The party is now back at Canoe Point; see previous note on May loth. The party sent off on June nth joins them a little further along on their way to the headwaters of the Missouri.
36 Major Andrew Henry, the first American trader to cross the continental divide (in fall of 1810), and at this time partner of General Wm. H. Ashley in the fur business. The desertions of the H. B. Co. freemen to the Americans mentioned in this text took place before General Ashley personally ever came to the Rocky Mountains; see page 356 of Vol. 11 of Or. Hist. Quart, for discussion of this.
