The poor wretches, who had no animal food and scarcely anything but a few fish, had been almost starved, and received this new luxury with great thankfulness.

Out of compliment to the chief, we gave him a few dried squashes, which we had brought from the Mandans, and he declared it was the best food he had ever tasted except sugar, a small lump of which he had received from his sister Sacajawea.

He now declared how happy they should all be to live in a country which produced so many good things; and we told him that it would not be long before the white men would put it in their power to live below the mountains, where they might themselves cultivate all these kinds of food, instead of wandering in the mountains.

He appeared to be much pleased with this information, and the whole party being now in excellent temper after their repast, we began our purchase of horses.

We soon obtained five very good ones, on very reasonable terms--that is, by giving for each horse merchandise which cost us originally about $6.