Today we had an interesting visitor, his name was Toussaint Charbonneau a french man from the Hidasta village. He had simply walked in on captain Lewis while he was working on his collection, a mistake on Toussaint's part. He told captain Lewis that he wanted to be the translator for the expedition. Captain Lewis already having his feathers ruffled by this man told him as calmly as he could that they already had a translator and they didn't need another. Yet he persisted, he said that the current translator, George Droullard, did not speak fluent Shoshone and that it would be crucial that you have someone who did if they were going to trade with the Shoshone up river for horses and to make peace. Though Toussaint did not speak fluent Shoshone he did have two wives that had been kidnapped and then won by him who did. Toussaint was also a skilled boatman. The captains held a meeting in their hut while we waited out side, when we were let back in they said that they would have Toussaint along and one of his wives. The following week he brought his two wives, they were very young girls 15 or 16 years of age. He told us that he had decided to bring along the girl named Sacagawea, she was a small girl with little bones and features and her long black hair was braided down her back. Seaman, took a great liking to her. I hope this young girl Sacagawea is strong enough to endure this journey.
sacagawea☝
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